In Seattle, you can’t escape the water. It’s everywhere. Here, the ferry services are not a tourist add-on. They’re the way people travel around Puget Sound. Washington has the largest ferry system in the country, running routes across Puget Sound, through the San Juan Islands, and north toward the Canadian border.
Some of those rides start directly from the downtown waterfront at Colman Dock. In other cases, you may have to drive a bit north or south, but the reward will definitely make up for the trip.
You board, you sit on the deck, the city falls away, the mountains come forward, and the rest of the world disappears. Here are the most beautiful ferry rides you can take from Seattle.
Seattle to Bainbridge Island
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This is where most visitors end up going, and for good reason. It takes 35 minutes from Colman Dock, and as you pull away, the entire Seattle skyline opens up behind you with Mount Rainier sitting in the background. On the Bainbridge side, the ferry drops you right into Winslow, a quaint little town with wine tasting rooms and a waterside trail that can be easily walked in an afternoon. It’s also one of the few ferries on this list that works well without a car. Walk on, wander the town, walk back on the next departure.
Seattle to Bremerton
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The ride from Seattle to Bremerton takes about an hour and has more open-water time on Puget Sound. The Olympic Mountains are also usually visible to the west, depending on the season. You won’t see Bremerton mentioned too often in most tourist guidebooks, but the waterfront is home to the Puget Sound Navy Museum and the USS Turner Joy, a decommissioned U.S. Navy destroyer you can tour right at the dock. It is not as busy as the Bainbridge run, especially outside summer weekends.
Edmonds to Kingston
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Just a quick drive north from the city will take you to Edmonds, where the ferry ride runs directly across Puget Sound to the Kitsap Peninsula. This trip is shorter, generally under 30 minutes, but it cuts a clean line across open water with the Olympics filling the horizon ahead of you. On a clear day, you may also be able to see the Cascades rising behind you to the east. Edmonds is worth arriving early for. It has a small downtown with a beach right next to the ferry terminal, good for an hour walk before boarding.
Mukilteo to Whidbey Island
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This is the shortest entry on the list, just roughly 20 minutes. Don’t skip it. The crossing puts you right in the middle of the waterway with views toward Possession Sound, and it’s one of the better spots in the region to spot orcas or porpoises. If you’re paying attention to the water, you may get lucky. On a clear day, you may also see the Cascades. Whidbey Island also has plenty to do, like exploring Deception Pass State Park up north or visiting towns like Langley closer to the ferry landing. Even if you only ride over and back, it’s a pleasant way to spend an hour.
Anacortes to Friday Harbor (San Juan Islands)
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This trip takes the most effort since you have to drive about 90 minutes north from Seattle to Anacortes before boarding, but it’s worth it. The ferry passes through the San Juan Islands, and the inter-island waters are some of the best whale-watching territory in the state. While orcas cannot always be counted on, seals, porpoises, and bald eagles show up pretty regularly.
Friday Harbor on San Juan Island has great restaurants and some whale-watching tours of its own if you want to make a day out of it. Just plan ahead because this route gets crowded in the summer, and vehicle reservations get booked up quickly.
Point Defiance to Tahlequah (Vashon Island)
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To the south of Seattle, the crossing from Tacoma’s Point Defiance to the southern tip of Vashon Island is one of the least busy on this list. The ride is about 15 minutes and threads between Vashon and the Tacoma Narrows, offering views of Mount Rainier when the weather cooperates. Point Defiance Park on the Tacoma side has miles of waterfront trails and a pretty decent aquarium. Vashon Island itself is rural and quiet, a great place to drive through slowly.
Seattle to Victoria, BC
This one is the odd one out, and not just because it takes you out of the country. The high-speed Clipper runs from downtown Seattle across the Salish Sea to Victoria, British Columbia, and the crossing takes a few hours, depending on the conditions. It is less about the views leaving Seattle and more about the open Salish Sea itself as well as the approach into Victoria’s harbor. There, you’ll see the Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel right from the water.
You’ll need a passport and a bit more planning, but if you’re looking for a ferry ride that doubles as an actual trip rather than an afternoon out, it’s the one on this list that delivers that.
