Pioneer Square to Pike Place Market Private Walking Tour

Your tour starts in the neighborhood known as Pioneer Square, where early white settlers founded the city of Seattle as we know it today. The area is rich with history of the city’s early mining and brothel days, evident in the late 19th and early 20th century buildings still standing, and contains subtle nods to its early inhabitants, the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples. Your tour guide will take you through the development of the city and capture the city in its pre-industrial and -settlement days as a Native American village and harvesting grounds.

Your Seattle walking tour includes the maze that is the historic Pike Place Market, where you can enjoy Pacific Northwest eats, immigrant-inspired street food, plenty of shopping, and views of the Puget Sound. Your tour guide will give you an overview of the market’s history and its tight-knit community comprising a variety of cultures and generations-owned shops that continue to lure thousands of visitors and locals each year.

As we explore the grounds of Seattle Center, you’ll have plenty of places to snap some photogenic shots of this iconic landmark, arguably the symbol of Seattle. Book tickets to enjoy unbelievable views of the Puget Sound, city skyline, and distant Olympic and Cascade mountains from its 520-foot-high observation deck!

We may want to rest our legs for a bit and hop aboard the Seattle Monorail (for a very small fee). This transit line goes just one stop, to Seattle Center, where other landmarks still stand from the 1962 Century 21 Exposition. You’ll hear the fascinating backstory of the expo, the famous celebrities who attended, and more as we zoom over Belltown and through (yes, through!) the Museum of Pop Culture building.

Your tour will pass by this neoclassical building that was once Seattle’s tallest skyscraper and is now home to a mix of businesses, residential floors, and a historical tourist attraction as well as an observation deck and bar.

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 stroll past these attractions and enjoy views of the beautiful Puget Sound.

Your Seattle city walking tour will pass by the lively market stall famous for its flying fish. Learn about the incredible variety of edible Pacific Northwest species as you watch trained fishmongers let loose whole salmon through the air!

You'll pass by a famous chowder place known for its variety of Pacific Northwest stews and maybe get a chance to purchase a cup based on your guides’ recommendations.

You'll pass by one of the most revered foodie places in the market famous for its Russian pastries with sweet or savory fillings. A true hole-in-the-wall small business that has perfected the piroshky!

You'll pass by this cheese shop famous for making its product right at the front of the store! Watch and learn about the cheese-making process and get yourself a sample of Beecher’s signature cheeses.

We’ll likely pass by this quaint coffee shop located under the market, with a chance to grab yourself a cup of specialty coffee or tea.

Your tour of the market may pass by this bakery, where you’ll have a chance to purchase your own baked goods, from tasty hamentashen and rugelach to delicious danish and filled macaroons. Your guide will provide the history of this eatery and its ties to Jewish immigrants in the city of Seattle.

Your Pike Place tour may stop at one of Seattle’s most unusual attractions, a 50-foot-long wall entirely covered with chewing gum! No matter how you feel about it, you’ll definitely want a few photos at this iconic spot and hear all about its history and present-day care and maintenance.

On this Pike Place Market walking tour, we’ll pass by the place where it all started for one of the world’s biggest coffee chains, the original Starbucks. If we’re lucky, you can grab your own cup of java, or simply marvel at the endless line as people queue for their lattes at this historic and cultural site.

This ferris wheel has graced the Elliott Bay shoreline since 2012 and is a great pre- or post-tour activity to do before your private Seattle tour with us!

This neighborhood is one of several options for our customizable Seattle walking tour and is highly recommended for anyone looking to try out unique foods. It’s also a fascinating neighborhood that has fought to maintain its distinctive identity, and the history of Seattle’s early immigrants and pioneers can be found on every street.

We may pass by this unusual structure where Amazon employees dine, meet, and relax in what is essentially an indoor botanical garden. This area is a great place to explore for anyone interested in the more modern-day tech and workplace industry that has so immensely transformed Seattle in recent years.

This beautiful park contains numerous sculptures by local and world-renowned artists. This destination is a great choice for any of our travelers looking to get a little more nature out of their experience. Your tour guide can give you some insight on Seattle’s efforts to construct a more eco-conscious shoreline as you take in some of the best views of Elliott Bay and Bainbridge Island.

For our music fans, we recommend purchasing tickets for this museum dedicated to rock and roll and which contains music memorabilia and rotating exhibits featuring legendary artists.

Many choose to bookend their city tour with us with a visit to one of Seattle Center’s many excellent institutions. This museum contains the awe-inspiring works of glass giant Dale Chihuly and his students. On certain days, the museum offers glass-blowing demonstrations!