Seattle Tours Worth Noting

Bike Tours

Bike rentals are becoming increasingly common in the city, and many hotels and hostels offer daily and hourly rates to tour the city on wheels. If you’d rather go with a guide, there are a number of bicycle touring companies in Seattle for nearly every type of traveler. Seattle is a city built on hills, so bike tours are recommended for riders with moderate to advanced skills only.

Seattle Cycling Tours. Tours explore Pioneer Square, the Waterfront, and Seattle Center, West Seattle, Ballard, or Bainbridge Island. 714 Pike St., Downtown, Seattle, Washington, 98101. 206/356--5803; www.seattle-cycling-tours.com.

Terrene Tours. Terrene Tours offers upscale bike tours to the San Juan Islands, the Cascade Mountains, and Washington wine country—food and drinks are provided, and a van is on hand if you get tired. 3810 E Galer St., Madison Park, Seattle, Washington, 98112. 206/325–5569; www.terrenetours.com.

Orientation Tours

Show Me Seattle. Show Me Seattle takes up to 14 people in vans on three-hour tours of the major sights. This is an extremely touristy program that makes stops at places like the flagship Nordstrom store, the first Starbucks, and the Sleepless in Seattle floating home, but it also stops by a few sites many tourists miss, like the Fremont Troll and the north-end neighborhoods. 8110 7th Ave. S, Seattle, Washington, 98108. 206/633–2489; www.showmeseattle.com. $58.

Or, you could always take a free, self-guided tour of five historic Seattle neighborhoods by downloading HistoryLink.org’s walking tours at www.seattle.gov/tour/historicdistricts.

Self-Guided Tours

Seattle CityPASS. CityPASS provides admission to many of the top attractions at a steeply discounted rate. The booklet of tickets comes with a map, coupons, and a guide to the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, either the Chihuly Garden of Glass or the Pacific Science Center, and either the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP, formerly EMP) or the Woodland Park Zoo. Your pass is good for nine days and allows you to skip most ticket lines. Note that tickets must be removed from the booklet by attraction staff to be valid. 888/330–5008; www.citypass.com/seattle. $74.

Walking Tours

Chinatown Discovery Tours. Tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday at 2 pm and include admission to the Wing Luke Asian Museum. 206/623–5124; www.seattlechinatowntour.com. $19.95.

Market Ghost Tours. These weekend tours weave in local ghost stories, eerie history, and fun facts about haunted places. 1410 Post Alley, Downtown, Seattle, Washington, 98101. 206/805–0195; www.seattleghost.com.

Savor Seattle Food Tours. Options include a Chocolate Indulgence tour, a Gourmet Seattle tour, and a Pike Place Market tour. 1st Ave. and Pike St., Downtown, Seattle, Washington, 98101. 888/987–2867; www.savorseattletours.com.

Seattle Free Walking Tours. Follow the tour guide with a flag around Pike Place Market or through Pioneer Square down to the Waterfront district. Reservations are required and, while there's no charge, tips are definitely appreciated. Seattle, Washington. 425/770--6928; www.seattlefreewalkingtours.org.