6 Best Ferry Rides Seattle In 2023 -

Want to know the best ferry rides in Seattle? Spoiled for choice? Don’t worry – read here to find out the best!

If you’re planning a trip to Seattle – or you’re already there – you might be wondering about fun and cool things to do!

Well, why not take a ferry ride somewhere?

It might not be something you’ve thought of yet, and you could end up on a great day out!

Seattle is packed with great ferry rides, so it can be hard to know which one (or which ones!) to choose – but don’t worry about being spoiled for choice!

I’ve had a look and found some of the best ferry rides and day trips available in Seattle – so you don’t have to waste your time scouring the internet!

So, if you’re interested in finding out what the best Seattle ferries are available, read on!

6 Best Ferry Rides In Seattle

1.Seattle To Bainbridge Island

Departing from Pier 52, also known as Colman Dock, and travelling over the Puget Sound with a beautiful view of the skyline of Seattle at your rear, this trip will take you just 35 minutes to reach Bainbridge Island, Washington – the second largest city in Kitsap County.

The downtown area, Winslow, is the location of the ferry terminal here, and in fact was the original name of the entire city of Bainbridge Island – after the shipbuilder WInslow Hall.

Bainbridge Island is a beautiful city – although with a population of only 23,000 on the entire island, it’s far smaller than Seattle!

It’s a beautiful place, with several gardens and museums to visit – and of course, some beautiful natural scenery!

You can also do some interesting activities on Bainbridge Island, such as birdwatching, sea kayaking, scuba diving, and hiking – making it a great place for a mini adventure!

Related Posts On Seattle:

2.Fauntleroy To Vashon Island

Just south of West Seattle – itself separated from the rest of the city by the Duwamish River – lies the ferry terminal at Fauntleroy.

From here, you can ride a ferry to Vashon Island, which is only accessible by ferry. Vashon Island is a popular destination for cyclists, with some great riding hills.

However, they can be a tough call for some riders! Most people prefer, therefore, to experience Vashon Island by car.

You could get on the ferry on foot, but many parts of the island would just take too long to access without a car or bike!

Vashon Island is a great getaway for those looking to spend some time in a quieter, more calming place – or those looking to do some serious cycling!

Other activities are of course available here, including kayaking and scuba diving – in fact, the entire Puget Sound area is famed for having some of the best scuba diving waters in the world!

3.Anacortes To San Juan Islands

North of Seattle lies the city of Anacortes, itself a beautiful place, and a great city for boating activities, with an award winning marina.

It also has its own ferry terminus, which will let you take a trip over to the San Juan islands!

From Anacortes, you can take ferries directly to four of the islands – Shaw, Orcas, Lopez, and San Juan Island.

These are the four main islands, and are also connected to each other by Washington State Ferries. These islands are amazingly popular for boating, especially for small boats.

Many towns here are great places for boaters to visit, and indeed many of the nicest spots around these islands can only be reached by boat.

In fact, although the ferries only go to 4 islands here – the four biggest – there are actually 176 islands in the area that are large enough to be named!

4.Seattle To Bremerton

Located on the Kitsap Peninsula, Bremerton is to the southwest of Bainbridge Island, and is a great place to visit that’s not too far from the city of Seattle – meaning that it’s easily possible to have a great day trip here and still make it back for the evening!

Once in the city itself, there’s plenty to see and do – those with military interests will particularly like the Puget Sound Navy Museum!

Similarly, there’s also the USS Turner Joy, a Destroyer from the era of the Vietnam War.

Those looking for a more natural pursuit in their time in and around Bremerton will enjoy the Illahee State Park and the Green Mountain State Forest, two of the most beautiful natural environments in the area.

5.Edmonds To Kingston

Another beautiful little town across the water from Seattle, Kingston is another great place to visit in the Puget Sound region.

It’s pretty easy to get to from the Seattle area, as Washington State Ferries runs a service from West Edmonds over to Kingston.

If you like, you can walk on this ferry – there are buses and taxis available to take you around Kingston once you get there!

If you’re a birdwatcher, anywhere in Kitsap Country is a great place to visit – and of course, Kingston is no exception!

There are hundreds of species that one could see in the area – in fact, there’s a good list here!

6.Seattle To Victoria, British Columbia

If you’re looking to go a little further afar, why not go to the next country over?

It’s possible to get a ferry all the way up to Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada, in just around 3 hours!

Riding the Victoria Clipper, which completes a round trip between Seattle and Vancouver every day for much of the year, you can be in the beautiful city of Vancouver in just 2 hours and 45 minutes.

You’ll need your passport for this one, of course, and it’s one of the longer waterway journeys on the list – but a trip to Canada is well worth it!

Vancouver is an amazing city, and what’s more, it’s the gateway to the rest of British Columbia – one of the most spectacular areas of natural beauty in the world – and the size of many countries on its own!

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many great places that are easy to get to with just a short ferry ride from Seattle, or the surrounding area.

So if you’re looking for something new and interesting to do in the area – or just want to get away form the city for a bit – then why not try out one of these great journeys?

I hope you’ll have a great time!

Related Posts On Seattle:

6 Best Ferry Rides Seattle In 2023