Pike Place Market vs Seattle Waterfront: which should you do first?

If you only have time for one, do Pike Place Market first. Its top ten experiences average an Outty Ranking of 90 against 83 for Seattle Waterfront, and it has 91 ranked ways to see it versus 51. Seattle Waterfront is the cheaper entry at $26, so it is the better pick on a tight budget. With a full day in Seattle, pair them: plan Seattle Waterfront in the morning, as it is the shorter visit on average.

Ranked experiences at Pike Place Market start from $39 and at Seattle Waterfront from $26 per person. Pike Place Market and Seattle Waterfront can also be visited for free; paid options add guides, skip-the-line access or transport.

Experiences at Pike Place Market run 2.6 hours on average and at Seattle Waterfront 2.3 hours, so both fit in one day in Seattle with a break in between.

Yes. Book the longer visit for the morning when crowds are lighter, and keep the afternoon for the other. 100% of Pike Place Market options and 100% of Seattle Waterfront options offer free cancellation, which makes it easy to adjust.

For Pike Place Market: Seattle City and Snoqualmie Falls Half-Day Guided Tour (Outty Ranking 93, from $94). For Seattle Waterfront: Chef Guided Food Tour of Pike Place Market (Outty Ranking 92, from $75).