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Vikings, Salmon, Beer and Boats
4.8
11 Ratings
Seattle
Experience Seattle like a local on this 3-hour beer and food tour of the historic Ballard neighborhood. Taste the best breweries on the West Coast, indulge in gourmet comfort food, and visit unique attractions. Lace up your shoes and join us now!
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Bizarre Brewing - The tour kicks off at a quaint family-run brewery known for its lagers. Support local brews!
- The Lake Washington Ship Canal Fish Ladder - Both young and old enjoy watching salmon swim upstream from the Ballard Locks fish ladder observation room. While salmon can be seen migrating year-round, the prime time to visit is between July and late September.
- Hiram M. Chittenden Locks - Established in 1911, the Ballard Locks facilitate the passage of boats between sea level and the elevated fresh waters of Lake Union and Lake Washington.
- Carl S. English Botanical Garden - This 7-acre waterfront garden features curated landscapes and rare plants, boasting over 500 species and 1,500 plant varieties from around the globe.
Locals flock to these gardens for the fan palms, oaks, Mexican pines, rhododendrons, and an impressive rose display.
- National Nordic Museum - While entry to the museum isn’t included in the tour, there’s still plenty to see and do. Look out for the 14-foot tall troll statue made from recycled materials at the museum’s entrance. We’ll step inside the museum to enjoy a Scandinavian-inspired treat from the cafe.
- Freya at National Nordic Museum - Freya is a Danish-American owned bakery with its main location at Pike Place Market and a second spot inside the National Nordic Museum. Here, guests will savor a small Scandinavian-inspired snack included in the tour.
- Marvin’s Garden - Located on the former site of the old Ballard City Hall, this park marks the beginning of the Ballard Ave Historical District, one of the city’s top spots for bars, restaurants, and shopping. A fantastic farmers market is held here on Sundays.
Unfortunately, there’s no connection to the Marvin Gardens from Monopoly.
- Skål Beer Hall - Modeled after ancient Viking mead halls, this local tavern keeps Ballard’s traditions alive. Guests can choose between beer or mead to pair with salmon skewers.
- Cookie’s Country Chicken - Following the bakery and mead hall skewers, guests can indulge in Seattle’s finest fried chicken. Are you up for the heat?
- Fair Isle Brewing - The tour concludes with dessert from the restaurant inside one of Seattle’s top breweries. Fair Isle specializes in rustic ales like saisons and farmhouse ales, with food offerings that match the adventurous spirit of their beers.
What's Included
- Beers from a local brewery
- Choice of beer or mead from a Nordic tavern
- Dinner
- All fees and taxes
Additional Information
Why do salmon swim upriver? Do bridge trolls make good security guards? Does that scruffy man drinking a craft beer work on the shipyard, or in tech?
Welcome to life in Seattle. For 3.5 epic hours, we pack in the greatest joys of the Northwest on foot!
This tour pays visit to 2 breweries (under 21 allowed), 2 restaurants and 1 cafe inside the National Nordic Museum, all within walking distance from natural wonders, engineering marvels and a city’s proud history.
Food and Drink are included.
Watch Salmon swim upriver to their ancestral spawning grounds with your own eyes!
Raise the bridges (and the boats!) as they have for over 100 years.
Cheers (Skal!) your new friends and eat fish off a stick like the Viking you always knew you were.
Ballard is a short distance from downtown, accessible in 25 min by bus, <15 min by car, or 30 min by scooter/bike share.
The tour includes a total of 2.75 miles of walking on mostly flat ground, but there is plenty of time in-between for rest.
Location
4441 26th Ave W
26th Avenue West
The tour will meet outside Bizarre Brewing in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle. Please wait for your guide before entering into the business unless you are buying something. Location is a 25 minute bus ride from Downtown Seattle (bus no. 33).
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(11 Ratings)
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Eddytown
Aug 27, 2024
Fascinating Ballard adventure! - Oh wow! Our guide,Laura, was just wonderful, and it was immediately obvious that this tour company in particular is very client-minded, well-informed..and ended up being such an excellent value for us as we had an exceptional tour.
We learned a lot about the Ballard area of Seattle, got some fantastic photos of amazing sights and experiences, and had delicious bites & sips along the way. It turned out that it was just the two of us and Laura on the tour, but she treated us like good friends… she was so kind as to immediately flex the tour to better accommodate us, the weather, and a few things we confessed we’d really like to see/experience! Altogether highly recommend for a memorable and delightful experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Voyage615489
Aug 3, 2024
Like Brewery Hopping with a Friend - Our tour with Will was like going brewery hopping with a friend! We visited some great spots and had his guidance on specific beers to try. The staff knew him and each place had that welcome brew-scene culture. He hooked it up with some great food, as well. At the start, he asked us what we wanted our afternoon to include, so in addition to some brewery spots, he prioritized taking us to the Ballard Locks. Will had stories to tell about the history and function of the Locks, and it really just felt like visiting a friend and them sharing about their city. At the end, he shared some additional recommendations (and what to skip!) around Ballad and Seattle Downtown. Great spots, personalized wanderings, and easy conversation. Thanks, Will!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_p
Jun 30, 2024
Great beer and food!! - Will was great! He took us to several fun and yummy breweries! Along with provided very delicious food! Highly recommend the tour if you love beer and food. Many options and choices for tailored preference you have! Short distance and lovely neighborhood!!
Review provided by Viator
Mira_m
Jun 24, 2024
Phenomenal! - This was my husband’s birthday gift and what a gift it was! Thoroughly enjoyable for both of us. We learned a ton, ate awesome food and had great beer. Will and Laura are phenomenal guides and we would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone wishing for good time.
Review provided by Viator
Suzanne_f
May 16, 2024
Brewery/Food Tour - The beer was great, the food was amazing and it was a great way to spend a sunny day. Our tour guide was knowledgable of the city with lots of great recommendations.
Review provided by Viator
Tim_t
Jan 21, 2024
Ballard brewery and restaurant tour - This was such an enjoyable tour! We were able to appreciate just how cool Seattle is outside of the traditional, busy attractions. Great breweries and great sampling of local food
Review provided by Viator
Destination821200
Jan 20, 2024
Brewery and restaurant tour - Simply a great tour. Will is very knowledgeable but nothing felt scripted. It was like we were spending time with a friend who knows a lot about Seattle. Would do it again in a heartbeat
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linda_g
Sep 17, 2023
Worth the drive - Will was a knowledgeable tour guide. We tried a variety of beer from local breweries. Worth the drive to the Ballard neighborhood
Review provided by Viator
195blairf
May 21, 2024
A Stroll Around Seattle - Our guide took us to several brewpubs in the warehouse district. We were able to sample about 20 different beers, plus we had a variiety of foods that were unique to each locale. Really fun to hang out and talk while doing a beer crawl on a perfect Seattle afternoon!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
