Seattle History Tour with Skyline Views

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Seattle

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Explore Seattle’s history and skyline! Walk through Pioneer Square, visit top attractions, and enjoy 360-degree views from Smith Tower.

Duration: 2 hours

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Smith Tower - Your tour includes admission to this neoclassical building that was once Seattle’s tallest skyscraper and is now home to a mix of businesses and residential floors. You’ll join your guide on an elevator ride to the tower’s observation deck, where you’ll be treated with incredible views of the city skyline and Puget Sound.
Pioneer Square - Your history tour takes place in the Pioneer Square neighborhood, filled with beautiful architecture and the stories of the city prior to and during the settlement of those looking to seek their fortunes in the Alaska gold mines.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park - We’ll pass by this small national park site, once a hotel during the industrious days of early Seattle and now a visitor center with exhibits displaying artifacts and stories of the Klondike Gold Rush.
The Central Saloon - Your Seattle walking tour may pass by this historic building, which in more recent times has been known for its live music. You may be surprised to hear about the musicians who once graced its small stage, making Seattle music history!
Occidental Park - Your history tour of Seattle will route through this picturesque park in the heart of the neighborhood and which displays a few pieces of art hinting at the pre-settlement days when Native Americans had occupied the former tide flats for thousands of years.
Waterfall Garden Park - We’ll likely pass by this gated park inspired by Japanese garden style and which sits on the former site of a very well-known multinational shipping & receiving company…
Memorial To Fallen Firefighters - You may spot this memorial in Occidental Park, a tribute to the firefighters who tragically died in a fire in the 1990s.
Seattle Waterfront - The waterfront is home to many souvenir shops, restaurants featuring fish and chips and local oysters, a ferris wheel, and docks serving as departure points for sightseeing cruises as well as the Washington ferry system. On your Seattle walking tour, you’ll enjoy a short stroll on the southern portion of its walkway and enjoy views of the beautiful Puget Sound.
CenturyLink Field - You might spot in the distance this sports stadium, now renamed Lumen Field, and which is currently home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders, and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Seattle Reign!
CenturyLink Field - Originally named CenturyLink Field, this stadium brings in diehard football and soccer fans from all over. The stadium is currently home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders, and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Seattle Reign.
Stonington Gallery - Our Pioneer Square walking tour may pass by this gallery featuring artworks from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. The gallery displays a variety of works, including pieces that represent indigenous cultures of the Northwest coast.
Glasshouse Studio - We may pass by or stop in at this Pioneer Square shop featuring an amazing display of glassworks, many made onsite! Head to the back to see expert glassblowers in action.
Washington State Ferries - Our tour will take us to the Seattle waterfront and new ferry terminal, where we can see Seattle commuters boarding the West Seattle water taxi, Bremerton ferry, and Bainbridge ferry. Ask your tour guide for tips on when and where to take the ferry for your next adventure!
Arundel Books - We may pass by this beloved Pioneer Square bookstore, founded in 1984 and which sells rare and out-of-print as well as contemporary books.
Dead Line - Our tour may pass by this restaurant and bar, a perfect place to enjoy dinner or a drink after your tour. Hear from your tour guide about the fascinating history of the row of buildings that house Dead Line and a number of other restaurants and businesses.
citizenM Seattle Pioneer Square hotel - We’ll pass by one of the newer hotels to open in Pioneer Square and conveniently located along the waterfront. Enjoy a drink at the hotel’s funky bar room after your Seattle tour!

What's Included

Local English-speaking guide
Discover the history of Seattle before and after the Alaska gold rush boom
Experience the beauty of the waterfront and its bustling ferry terminal
See the sites where vice once flourished in the Pacific Northwest’s pioneer days
Admission to Smith Tower observation deck
Explore the fascinating stories and architecture of historic buildings
Enjoy admission to a historic observation tower with incredible skyline views

What's Not Included

Food and drink, souvenirs, tips/gratuities for your guide

Additional Information

Come join us on a historic tour through Pioneer Square and pair it with one of the best things to do in Seattle: see the city from 35 floors up!

Your Seattle tour starts with a walk through the historic neighborhood, where you’ll easily be able to imagine the city’s early pioneer days with the help of your local tour guide. Top Seattle attractions we’ll pass by include Klondike National Historical Park, Waterfall Garden Park, and the Seattle waterfront.

As you take in the neighborhood’s charm and architecture, your Seattle guide will narrate the fascinating history of the area, from indigenous settlement to Pacific Northwest pioneer town. Learn the surprising background of the city’s founding, immigrant influence, and the vice that gave this neighborhood a certain reputation.

We’ll then take our tour above the streets to enjoy incredible 360-degree views of Seattle, the Sound, and the distant mountains from Smith Tower, a stunning building with a fascinating history of its own!

Location

506 2nd Ave

2nd Avenue

Outside Smith Tower

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

5.0

(18 Ratings)

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1 star

Cherylynn3

Aug 3, 2024

Be in the know when you go! - William conducted this tour for my husband and granddaughter and me. It’s obvious he loves his hometown of Seattle and did a fine job of sharing stores and history and anecdotes with us! We won’t soon forget Skid “Road” and I particularly loved seeing the Raven Skyriver blown glass “carved” sculptures and hearing about the Gold Rush and Native American influences. William definitely helped us understand how and why Seattle grew and bettered itself over the last 175 years. The walkthrough of Smith Tower exhibits, art deco and ornate embellishments and the capstone outside balcony walk around the building’s 35th floor observatory was awesome! What a vantage point of wharf, Mt. Rainier, and the Seattle skyline! Finally we sincerely thank William for so kindly finding some water mid-tour for us unequipped and dehydrating tourists.