24 Weekend Getaways From Seattle, by Drive Time

Orcas Island is a ferry ride from Anacortes, and by Saturday afternoon you can be on the stone tower at the top of Mount Constitution. The 24 weekend getaways here run from Coupeville on Whidbey Island, 1h 45m out with the ferry, to Bend in central Oregon at 5h 40m. Most are islands, rainforest coast or the sunny valleys east of the Cascades.

Book the San Juan Islands first, the Olympic Peninsula second, and the Oregon coast when you have three nights. For a single day out instead, the day trips from Seattle cover Mount Rainier, Snoqualmie Falls, Vashon and Leavenworth without a hotel.

All costs are in US dollars for two people: gas there and back, ferries, two nights in a comfortable hotel, food and activities. Drive times are one-way from downtown Seattle, ferry crossings included.

The short list

Filter:

Destination		Best for
Coupeville	~1h 45m58 mi	History	$990–$1,400	August
Port Townsend	~2h 5m56 mi	History	$990–$1,400	July
Yakima	~2h 15m142 mi	Food	$1,000–$1,400	September
Port Angeles	~2h 30m82 mi	Nature	$1,000–$1,400	September
Wenatchee	~2h 30m148 mi	Nature	$1,000–$1,400	September
Vancouver	~2h 35m143 mi	Cultural	$1,000–$1,400	July
Lake Quinault	~2h 35m147 mi	Nature	$1,000–$1,400	August
Portland	~2h 45m174 mi	Food	$1,000–$1,400	September
Artist Point	~2h 45m138 mi	Nature	$1,000–$1,400	August
Corbett (Multnomah Falls)	~2h 55m187 mi	Nature	$1,000–$1,400	June
Orcas Island	~3h 5m103 mi	Nature	$1,000–$1,400	July
Astoria	~3h 5m181 mi	Beach	$1,000–$1,400	July
Chelan	~3h 5m180 mi	Nature	$1,000–$1,400	July
Long Beach	~3h 5m171 mi	Beach	$1,000–$1,400	August
Friday Harbor	~3h 10m103 mi	Wildlife	$1,000–$1,400	August
Tri-Cities	~3h 20m220 mi	Food	$1,000–$1,400	September
Hood River	~3h 30m228 mi	Nature	$1,000–$1,400	August
Forks	~3h 35m138 mi	Nature	$1,000–$1,400	September
Winthrop	~3h 40m188 mi	History	$1,000–$1,400	July
Cannon Beach	~3h 40m199 mi	Beach	$1,000–$1,400	August
Whistler	~4h217 mi	Nature	$1,000–$1,400	July
Spokane	~4h 15m279 mi	Nature	$1,100–$1,400	June
Victoria	~4h 30m107 mi	History	$1,000–$1,400	June
Bend	~5h 40m328 mi	Nature	$1,100–$1,400	September

Under three hours, two nights is plenty. Past four hours, take three nights or the trip is mostly road.

Best for the islands

The San Juans are the reason to own a ferry pass. Both trips leave from Anacortes, and the drive times include the crossing; reserve the car space in summer.

Orcas Island

Drive up Mount Constitution in Moran State Park and climb the stone tower for a view across the islands to Mount Baker. Swim in Cascade Lake, then eat in Eastsound, the village at the head of the island's horseshoe.

Don't miss

Moran State Park
Deer Harbor
Eastsound Village

Iconic eats: Wild Salmon

Orcas Island — weekend getaway — 3h 5m drive · Best in July
Climb to the stone tower on Mount Constitution in Moran State Park, then browse the galleries and cafes of Eastsound.
Top sights
Deer Harbor
Eastsound
Olga
Westsound

Friday Harbor

Friday Harbor is the island's ferry town and the one to do without a car. The Whale Museum explains the resident orca pods; Lime Kiln Point State Park, on the west shore, is where people watch for them from the rocks. Roche Harbor is the other end of the island.

Don't miss

San Juan Safaris
Lime Kiln Point State Park
Roche Harbor Resort
The Whale Museum

Coupeville

Coupeville is the old town of Whidbey Island, a ferry from Mukilteo. Its wharf runs out into Penn Cove, where the mussels on every Whidbey menu are farmed. Walk the bluff trail at Ebey's Landing and explore the old gun batteries at Fort Casey.

Don't miss

Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
Fort Casey State Park
Coupeville Wharf
Island County Historical Society Museum

Coupeville Wharf, Coupeville — 1h 45m drive · Best in August
The historic wharf extends into Penn Cove where local mussels are harvested.
Top sights
Coupeville Wharf
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
Price Sculpture Forest

Best for the Olympic Peninsula

Port Townsend

Port Townsend is a Victorian seaport of brick main streets and mansions on the bluff above. Walk the beaches and old gun batteries at Fort Worden State Park. The drive time includes the ferry across Puget Sound.

Don't miss

Rothschild House Museum
Fort Worden State Park
Chetzemoka Park

Iconic eats: Wild Salmon, Dungeness Crab

Port Angeles

Port Angeles is the gateway to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park and the harbor where the ferry leaves for Victoria. Lake Crescent, a deep glacial lake ringed by forest, is a 30-minute drive west.

Don't miss

Hurricane Ridge
Lake Crescent
Olympic Discovery Trail
Feiro Marine Life Center

Lake Quinault

The Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail loops through moss-hung trees beside the lake, and Lake Quinault Lodge has sat on the south shore since the 1920s. The world's largest Sitka spruce stands a short walk from the road.

Don't miss

Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail
Lake Quinault Lodge

Iconic eats: Smoked Salmon Chowder

Forks

Forks is the logging town that Twilight made famous, and the base for the Hoh Rain Forest and the sea stacks of Rialto Beach. Walk the Hall of Mosses trail in the Hoh, then watch the sunset from Rialto. September brings fewer people and drier trails.

Iconic eats: Blueberry Pancake, Smoked Salmon Chowder

Best for the Pacific beaches

Cannon Beach

Haystack Rock rises off the sand, and at low tide its pools fill with starfish and anemones. Hike the headland trails of Ecola State Park north of town. August is the warm month; bring layers anyway.

Don't miss

Haystack Rock
Cape Falcon Trail
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse

Iconic eats: Wild-Caught Pacific Salmon

Astoria

Astoria sits where the Columbia River meets the Pacific. Climb the Astoria Column for the view, walk the Riverwalk past the ships, and find the house from The Goonies. The Columbia River Maritime Museum explains the river bar, where more than 2,000 ships have wrecked.

Don't miss

Astoria Column
Astoria Riverwalk
Oregon Film Museum

Iconic eats: Tillamook Cheese Curd, Clam Chowder

Long Beach

The Long Beach Peninsula is miles of open sand with a boardwalk through the dunes. Fly a kite (the town has a kite museum), dig for razor clams when the season opens, and eat clam chowder after.

Best for British Columbia

All three need a passport, and the drive times leave out any wait at the border.

Vancouver

Walk or bike the seawall around Stanley Park, eat through Granville Island Public Market, and walk the old streets of Gastown. Amtrak Cascades runs here from Seattle and skips the car lineup at the border.

Don't miss

Stanley Park
Museum of Anthropology at UBC
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Gastown

Iconic eats: Pacific Oysters, Wild Pacific Salmon

Victoria

Victoria is a ferry crossing from Washington, and the Victoria Clipper sails direct from downtown Seattle. Spend a morning in Butchart Gardens and an afternoon on the Inner Harbour by the Parliament Buildings.

Don't miss

Butchart Gardens
Royal British Columbia Museum
Prince of Whales Whale Watching
British Columbia Parliament Buildings

Iconic eats: Scone, Smoked Salmon Candy, Saskatoon Berry Pie

Whistler

Ride the Peak 2 Peak Gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, where glaciers stay visible in summer. In winter, it is the largest ski resort in North America by terrain.

Don't miss

Whistler Blackcomb
Garibaldi Provincial Park
Whistler Village
Ziptrek Ecotours

Iconic eats: Pacific Salmon

Best for the mountains

Artist Point

The Mount Baker Highway ends at Heather Meadows, where lakes and trails sit under Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan. The last stretch to Artist Point opens only in mid to late summer, once the snow clears; at 2h 45m each way, stay a night in Glacier.

Don't miss

Mount Baker Trail
Mount Baker Highway
Mount Baker Wilderness

Best for the dry side of the Cascades

East of the mountains, the rain stops and wine country starts.

Chelan

Lake Chelan runs 50 miles through the mountains. Take the Lady of the Lake boat up to Stehekin, a village with no road in, and taste wine at the vineyards above the lake's south shore.

Don't miss

Lady of the Lake
Tsillan Cellars
Don Morse Memorial Park
Butte Trail

Wenatchee

Walk the Apple Capital Loop Trail along the Columbia River, then climb through the rock gardens at Ohme Gardens. Mission Ridge is the ski hill in winter.

Don't miss

Apple Capital Loop Trail
Ohme Gardens
Wenatchee Valley Museum
Mission Ridge Ski Resort

Yakima

The Yakima Valley grows most of the country's hops and a long list of wine grapes. Spend the weekend in tasting rooms and breweries, with a hike at Cowiche Canyon in between.

Don't miss

Gilbert Cellars
Yakima Valley Museum
Cowiche Canyon Conservancy
Yakima Farmers Market

Tri-Cities

Richland, Kennewick and Pasco sit where the Yakima and Snake rivers meet the Columbia. Taste the red wines of Red Mountain, then visit the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center.

Don't miss

Sacajawea Historical State Park
Hanford Reach Interpretive Center
Red Mountain AVA
Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve

Winthrop

Winthrop dresses its main street as an Old West town, with boardwalks and false fronts. The Methow Trails network is for mountain biking in summer and cross-country skiing in winter. When the North Cascades Highway is closed in winter, the drive goes around through Wenatchee.

Don't miss

Methow Trails
Shafer Museum
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Iconic eats: Huckleberry Pie, Marionberry Crisp

Spokane

Spokane Falls run straight through downtown, and Riverfront Park has a gondola over them. Walk the Centennial Trail along the river, then the old mansions of Browne's Addition. Take three nights; it is a long drive across the state.

Don't miss

Riverfront Park
Browne Addition Historic District
Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture
Riverside State Park

Best for Oregon

Portland

Portland is a food weekend: food carts, bakeries and Powell's City of Books, a bookstore that fills a city block. Walk the Japanese Garden in Washington Park. Amtrak Cascades runs here from Seattle.

Don't miss

Portland Japanese Garden
Portland Art Museum

Iconic eats: Gourmet Doughnut, Tillamook Ice Cream, Gourmet Hot Dog (Food Cart)

Corbett (Multnomah Falls)

Corbett is the village at the west end of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Stop at Vista House on Crown Point, then drive east to Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Oregon. June is when the falls run high.

Iconic eats: Tillamook Cheddar, Hazelnuts

Crown Point State Scenic Corridor, Corbett — 2h 55m drive · Best in June
Multnomah Falls cascades in two tiers down a sheer basalt canyon wall.
Top sights
Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
Wahkeena Falls
Latourell Falls

Hood River

Hood River is a windsurfing and kiteboarding town on the Columbia, with Mount Hood behind it. Drive the Fruit Loop through the orchards, then up to Timberline Lodge on the mountain's flank.

Don't miss

Wahclella Falls
The Fruit Loop
Event Site Park
Timberline Lodge

Iconic eats: Pacific Northwest Salmon

Bend

Bend is high desert on the Deschutes River, with breweries downtown and lava fields to the south at Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Smith Rock, the climbing park, is under an hour north. At 5h 40m, take three nights.

Don't miss

Deschutes National Forest
Deschutes River
Deschutes Brewery Public House
Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Iconic eats: Tillamook Cheese Curd, Hazelnuts, Wild-Caught Pacific Salmon

Which to skip, and when

Skip the San Juans on a summer weekend you have not booked ahead; the ferry car spaces sell out. Skip Winthrop as a winter drive unless you allow the long way around. On the coast, the beaches are cold and wet from November to March, so go to Victoria or Portland instead.

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Common questions

What's the best weekend getaway from Seattle?

Orcas Island, about 3h 5m from Seattle including the ferry from Anacortes, is the strongest weekend getaway: the stone tower on Mount Constitution, the lakes of Moran State Park and the cafes of Eastsound. Book the ferry before the room in summer.

What's the closest weekend getaway from Seattle?

Coupeville on Whidbey Island, about 1h 45m away including the ferry, is the closest of the 24 weekend getaways on this page, with Penn Cove mussels and the bluffs of Ebey's Landing. Port Townsend is next at about 2h 5m, a Victorian seaport at the tip of the Quimper Peninsula. Yakima is next at about 2h 10m, then Port Angeles and Wenatchee at about 2h 30m.

How much does a weekend getaway from Seattle cost for two?

A weekend getaway from Seattle costs about $990 to $1,400 for two people on this page, covering gas, ferries, two nights in a comfortable hotel, food and activities. Spokane and Bend, the longest drives, start at about $1,100.

Do you need a passport for a weekend in Vancouver or Victoria from Seattle?

Yes. Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler are in Canada, so every traveler needs a passport or another document accepted at the border. Vancouver is about 2h 35m from Seattle before any wait at the crossing.

Which weekend getaways from Seattle need a ferry?

Orcas Island and Friday Harbor need the San Juan ferry from Anacortes, Victoria is a ferry crossing, and the Port Townsend, Port Angeles and Forks routes cross Puget Sound by ferry. The drive times on this page include the crossing.

What's the best beach weekend from Seattle?

Cannon Beach, about 3h 40m south on the Oregon coast, is the beach weekend from Seattle: Haystack Rock, tide pools at low water and the headland trails of Ecola State Park. Long Beach, Washington, at about 3h 5m, is the closer, quieter choice.

Where can you go from Seattle for a weekend without a car?

Amtrak Cascades trains run from Seattle to Portland and Vancouver, and the Victoria Clipper passenger ferry sails from downtown Seattle to Victoria. Port Townsend and Friday Harbor are walkable once you are off the boat.

Which weekend getaways from Seattle are worth a long weekend?

Spokane at about 4h 15m, Victoria at about 4h 30m with the ferry, and Bend at about 5h 40m are far enough to reward three nights rather than two.

The bottom line

Book Orcas Island for the summer and the Olympic Peninsula for September. Save Victoria and Bend for three nights. Plan your weekend trip free and the planner ranks these for your dates and budget.

Browse more weekend getaways by city, or keep it to a day with the day trips from Seattle.

Drive times are routed by road from downtown Seattle in October 2026, ferry crossings included. Costs come from the same pricing the planner uses. Check ferry reservations, border wait times and pass closures before you go.