Seattle waterfront walking to do! (near NCL Seattle cruise port and downtown)

Hi there!

If you want to make it a free and easy walk in downtown Seattle… walking the Seattle waterfront is a nice and easy thing to do!

Below I will tell you about some of the walking I did along the waterfront. These are free and easy spots to walk if you’re staying in downtown Seattle.

 

Just for reference below, I map out directions from the NCL Seattle cruise port. But since these are all walks you can do if you’re in downtown Seattle, it means any of these places are convenient to get to (by foot!) if you are in downtown Seattle.

Seattle also has a convenient public transportation system, so if you’re coming from further away, you can take a train or bus to get downtown. Learn about the ORCA card! (aka: The public transportation card that will make getting around Seattle without a car EASY! Including to get between the airport and downtown. Use google maps public transit option to navigate!)

There is also a free Seattle waterfront shuttle in the summer.

 

NCL is the only mainstream cruise line that regularly docks at the Seattle cruise terminal that’s located in downtown Seattle (aka pier 66).

If you are on a Norwegian cruise ship, it’s reasonable to drop off your luggage at the cruise port in the morning, and then go for one or more of the walks listed below! (Or really, all of them.)

Other mainstream cruise lines usually dock at the cruise terminal that’s a little further away. That’s Smith Cove aka Pier 91. See the Seattle cruise port map.

 

Okay, here are easy walks to do in Seattle that come with waterfront views!

 

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1. Elliott Bay Trail

Elliott Bay Trail is a paved waterfront trail that you can get to by walking from downtown Seattle.

To get to the start of the south end of it (aka the downtown Seattle side), it’s about a 10 minute walk from the NCL Seattle cruise port. (map)

Then from there, you can walk as much or as little as you want!

The minimum you’ll want to walk on the paved trail is 5 minutes. That’s where you’ll find Pocket Beach!

You’ll come across it right along the Elliott Bay Trail. (map)

This is a cute little beach. It’s a rock beach.

If you keep going, there is also a totem pole along the trail too. (map)

 

👆 Start of the Elliott Bay Trail when coming from downtown Seattle.

 

👆 Waterfront walking in Seattle on the Elliott Bay Trail!

 

👆 Walk to Pocket Beach in Seattle!

 

👆 The small Pocket Beach that you can walk to from downtown Seattle.

 

👆 Seattle beach rocks!

 

👆 You can go to a small rose garden in Seattle along the Elliott Bay Trail.

 

👆 See a totem pole in Seattle along the Elliott Bay Trail! There are also totem poles in Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle. You can see more totem poles throughout your Alaska cruise. For example, take a look at places to see totem poles in Ketchikan and totem poles in Victoria, along with walking in Sitka to see totem poles!

 

 

2. Waterfront Park: Pier 62

Also very near Pier 66 and the NCL Seattle cruise port is the waterfront park.

At Pier 62, you can get a great view of the cruise ship that’s docked at pier 66!

So, if you’re going for a walk the morning of your cruise and that’s your cruise ship, this is a mandatory spot to visit! Get a picture with your cruise ship!

It’s about a 5 minute walk from the cruise port. (map)

Otherwise, pier 62 is a nice little spot to walk around and take in the views. You can even sit around and stay for awhile.

While you’re in this area, there is the Seattle Aquarium nearby (reviews).

 

👆 Waterfront Park at Pier 62, right near the NCL Seattle cruise port!

 

👆 You can sit around at Pier 62.

 

👆 If you’re on a cruise ship from downtown Seattle, then after you drop off your luggage at the cruise port, walk to Pier 62 and take a picture with your cruise ship!

 

👆 Views of downtown Seattle buildings from Pier 62.

 

👆 The walking path from the downtown Seattle cruise port to Pier 62.

 

 

3. Bell Harbor Marina Observation Deck

The Bell Harbor Marina Observation Deck is where you can go to get right alongside a cruise ship, even if you’re not taking a cruise.

It’s located right at pier 66. (map)

 

👆 The Norwegian Sun cruise ship docked at the NCL Seattle cruise port, pier 66.

 

👆 The Norwegian Bliss cruise ship docked at the NCL Seattle cruise port, pier 66.

 

Other than that, it’s a good vantage point to see downtown Seattle, and if it’s a clear day, it’s a very good place to go to see Mount Rainier off in the distance!

A few minutes walk from Pier 66 (aka the NCL Seattle cruise port) are the Edgewater Hotel and Seattle Marriott Waterfront.

 

👆 On a clear day, the Bell Harbor Marina observation deck is a spot you can see Mount Rainier from downtown Seattle!

 

 

4. Pike Place Market

Now walking through Pike Place Market itself won’t entirely be a waterfront walk.

Because you’re in a building… 🤪

But Pike Place Market is one of the most popular places to visit in Seattle and it’s along the waterfront. So it’s a convenient thing to do alongside your waterfront walk.

There are some restaurants at Pike Place Market that come with waterfront views, like the Lowell’s Restaurant (reviews). Expect to wait for a seat to open up.

In general, Pike Place Market restaurants tend to close in the late afternoon or early evening. So it’s not a dinner spot.

There are also some Pike Place Market food tours that you can do.

 

👆 That’s Pike Place Market with views of the water right there!

 

Free Seattle waterfront shuttle

If you want to walk just part of the waterfront, then you can also take the Seattle waterfront shuttle to different places along the waterfront! It’s FREE! This runs in the summer.

 

👆 There’s a free Seattle waterfront shuttle that will take you to different places along the waterfront, along with the Space Needle, Pioneer Square, the underground tours, and the Klondike Gold Rush Historical Park visitor center. See the updated shuttle map from the Seattle Historic Waterfront Association.

 

👆 Pike Street hillclimb stairs to get to the Seattle waterfront!

 

👆👇 Somewhere between Pier 66 and Elliott Bay Trail.

 

For more to do outdoors (including nature walks!), see my post about things to do in Seattle without a car!

Extend your trip by taking a ferry across to Victoria from Seattle! (Best to spend an overnight or more there.) See my post about things to do in Victoria without a car.

Extend your trip by taking a train to Vancouver from Seattle! (Overnight trip.) Or take a ferry from Victoria! See my post about things to do in Vancouver without a car.

 

More easy walks: Ketchikan | Juneau | Skagway | Icy Strait Point | Sitka | Victoria | Vancouver

More walking: Hiking in Alaska cruise ports

 

Happy walking the Seattle waterfront!