Pacific Northwest Road Trip Itinerary: Washington & Oregon
Here's an unforgettable Pacific Northwest road trip guide, complete with a 1-week itinerary. This Seattle-Oregon-Pacific Coast 7-day trip begins in Seattle, Washington, and makes its way to Portland, Oregon, after taking an awesome scenic Pacific Coast route— but you can start/end it wherever it is the most convenient for you. No matter where you start, be on the lookout for Bigfoot!
I made a handy PNW road trip itinerary map of all the stops here:
Seattle to Portland Road Trip Itinerary
We live in Texas; everything seems far from here when you’re driving because it takes a day or two to get out of the state. Hence why I plan our road trips from the airport where we pick up a rental car. America is notorious for super limited vacation time, so I make sure we make the most the little time we get!
Day 1 - Seattle: Starbucks Roastery & The Day at Pike Place Market
Mornings should start with coffee. While Seattle is the BIRTHPLACE of Starbucks, I’m not sending you to a normal Starbucks. Let your first PNW morning begin at the original Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room (not the original Starbucks, we’ll get to that later). There’s also now a Starbucks Reserve Roastery in New York, Shanghai, and Milan, Tokyo and Chicago, but when I first ventured to the Pacific Northwest, this was the one and only. It’s not at all a typical Starbucks experience— It’s more of a steampunk coffee museum with an exotic coffee menu. This is next-level coffee tasting—you can get a handful of different coffee flights all brewed different ways. I got both a mule and a lemon sour made with coffee— they were so different, but both were good.
Once you’re probably over-caffeinated, head over to Pike Place Market. It’s a 15-minute walk from the Roastery. Pro tip: I recommend staying in a hotel or rental close to this area if you can to avoid driving all over and paying multiple times for parking. It’s a walkable city, especially if the weather is nice.
Trek the short stroll to Pike Place Market
Walk around the market and take it all in. It’s lively, there are men throwing fish, and local goodies galore! Be sure to pick up a pack of bubble gum and leave your own sticky piece on the notorious Seattle Gum Wall.
Top 12 Pike Place Market Spots
The market itself is a photographer’s dream (especially when the sun starts to set and the lights look their best)! You could easily spend the day at Pike Place Market. Here are my favorite stalls and locations:
The Public Market Center Farmers Market sign - Super Instagram-worthy, and lets you really feel like you made it to Seattle.
Rachel the Piggy Bank - leave your change! Rachel the Piggy Bank has been around since 1986 and the money collected supports the community.
The Fishmongers - When a customer buys fish, the fishmongers toss it around to one another; it’s definitely entertaining, be sure to watch!
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese - Cheeeeeese, comfort food, and a place to watch cheese curds be made.
The Seattle Gum Wall - Literally thousands of chewed up pieces of gum that have been stuck to the brick walls in an alley in the Market amongst colorful art and graffiti.
Pirosky Pirosky Bakery - This tiny Eastern European bakery serves dozens of piroshki (among other tasty items). They offer sweet piroshki, savory piroshki and veggie piroshki. They are all scratch-made fried or baked breads/hand pies with various fillings.
The “Original” Starbucks - This is not the original location that opened in 1971 in Pike Place Market, but it’s the closest thing to it! There’s always a line, but if you need more caffeine after the Roastery, help yourself!
The Fresh Flower Stands - So many swoon-worthy florals and bouquets. I could just look at all the colors and textures for hours. The dahlias come in so many vibrant colors. They’re stunning!
The Seattle Great Wheel - This huge Ferris wheel goes over the water at Pier 57. The gondolas are fully heated and air conditioned, so take a spin! You’ll walk past the navy and green painted Seattle Aquarium to reach it.
Alaskan Sourdough Bakery - I love me some sourdough; consider getting a loaf of crusty bread to go for later.
Rachel's Ginger Beer - Rachel’s has so many tasty, brightly colored ginger beers flavors in glass bottles— they’re irresistible!
The Actual Farmer Market Stands - There are so many little tables set up with farmers and local growers’ produce and products. Get quality seasonal fruits, veggies, nuts, berries and other yummy items like honey, jerky, preserves, ciders and more!
What to eat at Pike Place Market?
There are so many good food options at the public market. My favorites are Piroshky Piroshky Bakery, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, and Rachel’s Ginger Beer. There are plenty of sit-down options, but I prefer to graze along the way to experience more.
Piroshky Piroshky offers sweet, savory and vegetarian baked buns. Be sure to grab a cinnamon cardamom braid and, for a true Pacific Northwest experience, a Smoked Salmon Pâté Piroshky— It comes shaped like a fish!
Wash your piroshkis down with a handcrafted white peach or blood orange ginger beer from Rachel’s Ginger Beer as you stroll through the market. Or snag a dole whip pineapple, soft serve or ginger beer float!
Eat lunch at Beecher's Handmade Cheese and watch cheese curds get made. Order the BEST French onion soup in the world (I’ve been to Paris twice, and while theirs is great— this is just a smidge better) and a devilishly good grilled cheese sandwich. The tomato soup was good, but the French onion was stellar.
Hopefully the gum wall didn’t upset your appetite! After taking in all the glory that is Pike Place Market and its surrounding area, go to dinner at Unicorn / Narwhal.
The fun isn’t over yet— Unicorn is a restaurant and bar that offers carnival-inspired food and an arcade (21+ only). With themed menu items like dragon’s eggs, unicorn dogs, funnel cake, fried rainbow cheese on a stick, and narwhal balls, it’s a whimsical, silly place! The boozy drinks are even crazier.
Get an appetizer of unicorn balls before your entrees, then go downstairs to the arcade— There’s pinball, claw machines, photo booths, and loads of arcade games. Nerd alert: I got to level 14 on Galaga. (Comment below if you beat that!)
When you run out of quarters, leave the arcade to end the day watching the sunset over the mountains at Golden Gardens Beach. It’s just over 10 miles away from Unicorn. Light a bonfire and sit and watch the boats and waves roll by as the sun sets.
Day 2 - Seattle: Epic Museums, the Seattle Space Needle, & The Fremont Troll!
Start the day at your choice: The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) or the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. They are both so different, yet so colorful. You can definitely do both, so pick one to start, then go to the Space Needle before visiting the other. The MoPOP has about a dozen exhibits, ranging from rock legends to horror film to indie games! The Chihuly Garden and Glass showcases glass art and sculptures created by Dale Chihuly. These three places are located close together.
Chuhuly Garden and Glass Museum is like nothing else.
Between the two museums visits, head over to the Seattle Space Needle. While the Space Needle no longer offers a full-service dining option, you can still get a good meal at their Atmos Cafe. Be sure to gaze out through the windows and revolving floor of this iconic observation tower. Did you know that the Space Needle was built for the 1962 World’s Fair?
The last fun activity for the day is arguably my favorite, and not because it’s free (though that helps)! Go see the Fremont Troll while it’s still light out. It’s a HUMONGOUS troll under the Fremont Bridge. He’s so massive that his left hand is clutching a REAL Volkswagen Beetle. It is the most badass art installation. Go and then grab dinner wherever you like; Seattle is a popular foodie town for a reason!
Day 3 - Washington: Olympic National Park
You’re in for a bit of a drive today! (You wanted a road trip!) You’re leaving the Emerald City for the emerald glory of Olympic National Park. It’s a 4-hour drive to the Hall of Mosses Trail by the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center there. So grab breakfast (in your hotel or somewhere quick), and head out! Passes to the National Park can be purchased at the Visitor Center (and any of the Park’s entrances).
Pro tip: A private vehicle pass is $30 and is valid for 7 consecutive days after purchase and covers all of the vehicles occupants. Be sure to look up entrance closure details (whether for winter, or from a wildfire, etc.) prior to arriving here.
Once there, go explore the amazingly green Hall of Mosses— You will see so many variations of the color! Please be sure to pack water, to NOT approach any elk you may see, and to leave the park in pristine condition! Pro tip: This National Park has an estimated 3,000-4,000 elk, and approximately 400-500 live in the Hoh Valley.
It’s an easy hike that doesn’t take long, but the hanging moss and ferns of this rainforest can be gawked at for hours. If you want to adventure to other parts of this huge National Park, go for it, if not you’re technically in Forks, Washington, so go tour around the city next to the park and find out what Twilight’s Bella and Edward loved about it. Speaking of “Twilight”, it comes up again tomorrow. (No, I never saw the movies; yes, high-school-me read the books.)
There are plenty of lodging options in the area, so choose one that best fits your needs and budget.
Day 4 - Oregon: Cannon Beach & Tillamook Tour
Today you’ll road trip along the Pacific Northwest coast to Cannon Beach. It’s a 4.5 hour drive down US-101 S. This beach is unlike any I’ve ever seen, it’s littered with mountainous and spire-like rocks that are out in the water. Chances are you’ve seen Cannon Beach in movies— It makes appearances in “The Goonies”, “Kindergarten Cop”, “Point Break” and yes, scenes in “Twilight”.
The most impressive and aptly name rock formation at Cannon Beach is Haystack Rock. The views are truly other-worldly, especially if it’s foggy (and it often is). I recommend picking up lunch on the way into Cannon Beach, but not eating at the beach since there are loads of seagulls. Hang out for a couple hours then hop back in the car for the next stop.
I know you’ve already done a lot of driving today, so the next stop is less than an hour away (about 40 miles) in Tillamook, Oregon— The Tillamook Creamery Tour.
Tillamook, named for one of the indigenous tribes that inhabited the area, are award-winning cheese and diary product makers. The Creamery has a self-guided tour that is open on Sundays-Thursdays from 8am-6pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 8am-8pm. You can sample cheeses, see how fresh milk becomes delicious blocks of cheese, and see the happy cows. You’ll absolutely want to eat dinner in their dining hall, too!
Before you go to sleep tonight, see what time the morning high tide is and plan your route for tomorrow accordingly!
Day 5 - Oregon: Thor’s Well & The Pacific Coast, then on to Portland
You’re going to a natural wonder today! Buckle up and drive the 2.25 hours down US-101 South (95ish miles) to Thor's Well— a large sinkhole along the coast that looks like a massive whirlpool vortex. IT IS SO FREAKING COOL. But since it wasn't high tide when we went, good ol’ Thor wasn't really doing his thing. It was sad— though still beautiful to see the Pacific Ocean in such a different way than Cannon Beach, but it wasn’t the wonderment we were expecting, so Pro tip: Only go at HIGH TIDE. No one told us this, so I am telling you.
Google when high tide is the day or two before, plan accordingly during the morning/daylight. Do not wait for the evening high tide— it’s too dangerous and you won’t actually be able to really see anything. At low tide, it is surrounded by mussel shells and seagulls.
Thor’s Well at high tide.
Then you’ll head back up US-101 to Newport (a 35-40 minute drive). Grab lunch and visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium and walk its really nifty underwater walkways, or go see the close by Yaquina Bay Bridge. It has an observation tower so that you can see as much of the Pacific as you can before heading to Portland.
Once your eyes have taken in enough of the largest and deepest of the Earth’s oceans, get back in the car and drive the 2-hour and 20 minutes to Portland. Get dinner at one of the numerous James Beard Awards Semifinalists restaurants.
Day 6 - Portland & The Witch’s Castle
Start the morning off right by making an obligatory visit to Voodoo Donuts early before the crazy lines set in. These funky-shaped, quirky flavored donuts are so much fun! If you refuse to wait in a line, go grab a cup of the good stuff at Stumptown Coffee and go back later at a downtime for donuts (11am-ish).
One of my favorite places in Portland is Powell’s Books (now known as Powell’s City of Books, I think)— an indie book shop that sells new and used books! I could spend the whole day here aimlessly perusing the shelves (on multiple floors). Pro tip: Portland and the entire state of Oregon is sales tax-free! Powell’s is a neat place to get a souvenir or two, even if you don’t go home with new reads. If you’re into mystery or twisted romance then our next stop will be your genre of fun….
The Witch’s Castle
If the weather is decent, go for a short hike along the Wildwood Trail to the Witch's Castle— an old stone hut located along the Balch Creek in Forest Park. It’s a 10-minute drive to the parking area, and the walk is an easy and short half mile. The Witch’s Castle is a gray stone, roofless shell of a building that’s covered in moss.
As the story goes, in 1850 Danford Balch (whom the creek is named after) purchased land there to build a home. He hired a hand named Mortimer Stump to help him build it, and let him stay with his family (his wife Mary Jane and his nine kids) while it was being built. Overtime, Mortimer fell in love with Danford’s daughter Anna, and when they asked to marry, the parents didn’t consent.
In true young love fashion, they threatened to elope and Danford threatened to kill Mortimer if they did elope. The couple fled to Vancouver and married in 1858. (Fun fact: We eloped, but under VERY different circumstances!) When Danford saw his daughter and Mortimer in Portland with other members of the Balch family, he drunkenly shot Mortimer in the head.
Danford Balch was arrested and escaped. Months later he was found on his property and again arrested. Despite his claims that his wife Mary Jane bewitched him, he was found guilty at his trial and was hanged in October 1859— the first legal hanging carried out in Oregon Territory.
This stone building is not actually the Balch home, though it is close to where the home was. It is an abandoned ranger station and restroom that was built in the 1950s. Not nearly as interesting once you know that, but the mysterious-seeming structure certainly has kept this story alive.
Afterwards, if you worked up an appetite for something other than eye of newt, go grab slices of pizza at Sizzle Pie then wander around the shops at Union Way.
Day 7 - Multnomah Falls & the International Rose Test Garden
Grab breakfast (and a to-go coffee from any of the endless coffee shops), then drive over to Multnomah Falls (35-minute drive from Portland). There are nearly 100 waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge, and Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in Oregon, and it is stunning!
You can see it from the highway (I-84), but for the full effect be sure to visit one of the viewing platforms that are located near the road. Pro tip: If parking is full (not uncommon), to exit 25 to Rooster Rock State Park. Park there for $5 and take the free shuttle bus. You can also view Multnomah Falls from the bridge— Benson Bridge— but if you do, take a raincoat cause you will be surrounded by mist.
Head back to Portland, aka the “City of Roses”, and visit the International Rose Test Garden. The roses bloom between April and October (typically with the peak of blooming in June). At the Rose Test Garden, about 650 rose varieties are clustered in more than 10,000+ rose bushes on 4.5 acres.
The International Rose Test Garden was proposed by the president of Portland’s Rose Society, Jesse Currey In 1915. He feared the world losing British and European hybrid roses during World War I and thus suggested the start of a rose test garden in Portland to safe them. By 1918, England was shipping roses! You can sign up for a free guided tour and stroll along the roses while learning some of the site’s and flowers’ history.
Then find a place for lunch—perhaps the cozy 30-seater cafe Coquine. (Note that Coquine closes at 2:30pm, and reopens at 5pm.) After refueling, walk across the street to Mt. Tabor Park. Seek out the Tabor cinder cone— A cinder cone is a cone formed around a volcanic vent by fragments of lava thrown out during eruptions. Portland is one of only six US cities to have an extinct volcano (Mt. Tabor).
End the night at a Portland distillery or brewery, you’ll likely want to drink away the sorrows that come when a vacation is ending! And if wine is more to your liking, you’re in luck, the Willamette Valley is dotted with wineries to choose from! In fact, the SE Wine Collective has packed more than 10 wineries into one, and also has a restaurant, so you can have dinner at the same spot later.
Have you been to any of these PNW places? Let me know your favorites in the comments!
