Hop aboard the only Seattle whale watching tour that leaves direct from downtown at Pier 69! The Salish Sea is one of the world’s largest and biologically rich areas teeming with an array of spectacular wildlife. One of the best places to see transient orca killer whales as well as humpback, gray and minke whales breach, splash, feed and play in their natural habitat. Our popular half-day Seattle whale watching tour is a great option (and the most convenient!) for those visiting Seattle looking for a fun day on the water whale watching. Our watching tour features an expert onboard naturalist who guides and educates guests about the surrounding area, local sealife as well as wildlife. Whale sightings are guaranteed or you’ll be offered a free trip! The perfect Pacific Northwest family or couples adventure to spend a beautiful day on the water and learn about local whales and sealife while observing these beautiful animals in their natural environment. As a member of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, we abide by all state and association viewing regulations to protect and and not disturb whales and sealife. Seats may be upgraded to window seats if space is available when checking in at terminal.

Visit Mount Rainier with a professional tour guide and discover all that this national park has to offer on this full-day tour. After meeting in downtown Seattle, hop in a comfortable 22-passenger minibus with large windows, high back seats, and air-conditioning and head straight to the park. Experience old-growth forests, wildflower-filled meadows, and thundering waterfalls on this tour of glacier-clad Mt. Rainier. Hike and walk a little or not at all: there are options for all abilities. Enjoy lunch at a Mount Rainier café or buy a picnic lunch along the way. After lunch, visit the interpretive center at Paradise to learn even more about the mountain’s glaciers, plants, and animals. Return to Seattle through pastoral farmlands and memorable Pacific Northwest scenery. Make a final stop at Wapiti Woolies and try the famous huckleberry ice cream.

The Olympic Peninsula is home to a number of Northwest ecosystems. You'll find remote beaches littered with tide-scoured cedar logs alongside the country’s oldest forests and one of the state’s most dramatic mountain ranges. It's a true feast for the senses. Start the morning with a ferry ride through the waterways of Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island. Connect with the Olympic Peninsula via the Kitsap Peninsula and Hood Canal Bridge, and once there, follow your guide on a naturalist experience best suited to the time of year and conditions of the day. Drive up to Hurricane Ridge (weather permitting), a mountain citadel that puts you at the edge of the Park’s exceptionally jagged peaks. Take in a superb 360-degree view from the summit that encompasses the surrounding mountains, the Strait of Juan da Fuca, and San Juan Islands.  The open meadows are ideal for wildlife viewing – be on the lookout for Olympic marmots, black-tailed deer, and even black bears. Embark on guided nature walks or snowshoes to learn more about the sub-alpine ecosystems. Explore Lake Crescent. Flanked by trails full of history and mysterious tales, its placid shores and perfect placement in the midst of the undulating Olympic foothills serve as an instant source of relaxation.  Take to the trails to experience the old-growth forests of Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock trees, venturing to the misty Marymere Falls if time allows. On days when the weather closes access to Hurricane Ridge, visit the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. The Dungeness sand spit hooks out into the strait, and in the spring and fall, thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds descend on the shallow waters protected by the spit.

Explore the Nisqually Vista Trail in the Mount Rainier National Park on this guided tour with pickup from Downtown Seattle. Enjoy seasonal snacks and refreshments throughout the tour and stop for a locally sourced and/or organic lunch along the way.  Be picked up from the comfort of your accommodation or a centrally-located meeting point in Downtown Seattle. Sit back and relax in a Mercedes van on the way to the Mount Rainier National Park which is nestled between the Olympic Mountains and Cascades. Admire views of the Rainier volcano which is encased in 35 square miles of snow and ice. Take in the atmosphere of this area that is surrounded by old growth forest and seasonally covered in a stunning carpet of wildflowers. Look for birds, marmots, coyotes, elk, and black bears. Breathe in crisp air as you take in the sounds and scents of the forests and lakes. Follow your naturalist guide on a walk or snowshoe of the Nisqually Vista Trail. Pause for a lunch of delicious local, seasonal produce and wine before strolling through a landscape of waterfalls, river valleys, and glaciers. End the day with a descent down to Longmire. Keep your eyes peeled for deer in the meadow as they make their late afternoon trek to the river’s edge. Return by van to your accommodation in Seattle at the end of your tour.

Discover the gray whales off the coast of Seattle on a relaxing boat tour. Be on the lookout for these giants of the sea as you learn about their biology and behaviors from an expert naturalist onboard. Board the boat at Pier 69 in downtown Seattle. With the guidance of Clipper’s expert onboard naturalist, you will be on the lookout for these huge special whales as they migrate north. Learn about their astounding annual migration from the Baja Peninsula to the Bering Sea. Discover interesting facts about their behaviour and intelligence. As you cruise offshore of Seattle and Langley on Whidbey Island, try to spot the whales breaching the surface. The area is popular with grays due to the robust shrimp population. Each March and April, the gray whales detour from their off-shore journey into the Salish Sea to feed and fuel up for the remainder of their journey to Alaska.

After being picked up from your accommodation in Seattle, start your tour with a short drive across Lake Washington and along a scenic highway. Make your first stop at one of Washington's most breathtaking attractions, the Snoqualmie Falls. Experience the incredible cascade of water tumbling into the emerald canyon from below as you discuss its cultural and economic significance. Admire the surrounding landscape which overflows with mountain peaks, forests, lakes, rivers, and streams. Listen as your guide brings the area to life as they help you spot wildlife and birds and describe the geologic forces that have shaped the land. After exploring Snoqualmie Falls, make your way through historic farmland to the Woodinville Wine Region. Discover how once renowned for its numerous dairy farms, including the world-famous Carnation Dairy, the fertile Snoqualmie River Valley remains a highly productive farming community with many of the farms practicing organic or other sustainable farming methods. Spend the remainder of the afternoon savoring local wines in the close-knit community of Woodinville in Washington's Sammamish River Valley. Along with sharing a common location, all of the boutique wineries you visit share the vision of creating world-class wine from the finest Washington vineyards. The tour highlights 3 award-winning boutique wineries in an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. The focus is education and enjoyment as you meet with winemakers, tour wineries and, of course, taste great wine. Visit 3 of the following select wineries: Celaeno, Patterson Cellars, Tillan Cellars, or William Grassie Wine Estates. End the tour with return transport back to your accommodation in Seattle.

See the sights of Seattle on a guided minibus tour. Hear interesting anecdotes and discover little known gems within the unique neighborhoods that make Seattle such a special place to live. Climb aboard the climate-controlled minibus and drive through the bustling downtown retail district into Pike Place Market. See where the world's first Starbucks coffeehouse opened, and keep a look out for flying fish that are thrown at the market.  Admire the diverse architectural styles as you cruise from the award-winning, ultra-modern public library to the greatest concentration of early 20th-century Romanesque architecture in the country.  Get an up-close view of side-by-side mega-sports arenas by the Port of Seattle. See the International District with its diverse pan-Asian community and artistic presence. Journey past King Street Station and Union Station, and continue to the waterfront before making your way past the distinctive Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and the Experience Music Project Museum. Go to the Kerry Park viewpoint atop Queen Anne Hill for a photo opportunity. On a clear day, you can see as far as Mount Rainier and experience a vista that will take your breath away.  Take an interactive tour of the Ballard Locks and Fish Ladder, and learn about the miraculous lifecycle of Northwest Salmon. Watch as commercial boats navigate through the government locks, where Elliot Bays meets the waters of Lake Union and Washington. Drive through the artsy neighborhood of Fremont. See the famous Fremont Troll and the statue of Lenin. Make your way back downtown for convenient at a downtown attraction of your choosing or your hotel.

Mount Saint Helen's is a volcano that forever lives in the minds of Americans and the world. During the events that surrounded the 1980 eruption, lives changed in an instant, and the mountaintop's geography was forever altered. Today, you can experience this unique volcano and all the flora and fauna that makes this impressive reforestation project so dramatic. You will arrive with your guide to the blast-zone, just 5 miles from the crater at the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Here, you can snap some photos of the mountain while your naturalist tells the story of that fated day. You'll also learn interesting and unique facts about this and other volcanoes and their ever-changing faces. After being outside, you'll head into the center's state-of-the-art interpretive displays and theater, where you can discover the volcano in a whole new way. You will walk on the Eruption Trail and learn how the eruption shaped the surrounding landscape.

Woodland Park Zoo has sparked delight, discovery, and unforgettable memories for more than 120 years while teaching people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to understand and protect wildlife. Explore the lush setting and see animals from around the globe in our various habitats. Take a hike through the Living Northwest Trail to see area residents like the brown bear, elk, gray wolves and river otters. Take a walk in Australasia to see emu, wallaroos, wallabies and snow leopards. Visit the Trail of Vines and see our resident orangutans, python, tapirs and greater one-horned rhinos. Explore the African Savanna and witness grazing gazelles, zebras and graceful giraffes roam the terrain while majestic lions rule their domain. With nearly 900 animals and a 92-acre green oasis in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, Woodland Park Zoo provides exemplary care for endangered wildlife as well as native trees, rare tropical plants and an exceptional rose garden.

Day 1: Seattle to Kamloops Kamloops British Columbia is abundant with stunning scenery and great wildlife . Cougars, bears, elk, and more inhabit the Thomson River Valley. Stop for a short walk and picnic at Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park.  Day 2: Yoho National Park Explore trails around the magnificent Emerald Lake or simply relax in the lakeshore cafe and enjoy the views. Drive along the Kicking Horse Pass across the Continental Divide into Alberta. Enjoy panoramic vistas of peaks exceeding 10,000 feet on Rogers Pass at the summit in Canada's Glacier National Park en route to Banff, your night stop. Day 3:  Banff National Park - Lake Louise Lake Louise is an alpine lake known for its stunning turquoise glacier-fed waters, surrounded by high peaks and overlooked by a stately chateau. Multiple hiking trails lead to the Lake Agnes Tea House for bird's-eye views of the lake. Take a hike to the Plain-of-Six-Glaciers, take it easy exploring the lakeshore or choose to canoe on these pristine waters. Visit Moraine Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an elevation of approximately 6,183 feet, for some epic photos. Day 4: Icefields Parkway Spend the day driving and exploring the Icefields Parkway. This drive offers endless vistas, jagged mountains, glaciers and wildlife viewing opportunities. Enjoy short walks, views of Bow Glacier and Peyto lake, take an optional helicopter flight over the Columbia Icefield, or strap on some crampons and step out onto the Athabasca glacier. Day 5: Jasper National Park Enjoy Canada's largest National Park, Jasper. Marvel at the snowcapped summits and beautiful lakes in this true wild mountain wilderness. Jasper offers an abundance of wildlife sightings, jagged mountain peaks, alpine lakes and numerous hiking and biking opportunities. Choose to visit Miette hot springs, or hike/bike the famous trails around stunning lakeshores. After a full day of activities, follow the Yellowhead Highway, hugging the mighty North Thompson River to your night stop of Cleawater BC. See the base of 12,972-foot Mount Robson (the highest point in the Canadian Rockies) and maybe catch a glimpse of the infamous peak en route. Day 6: Whistler and Vancouver On to the alpine resort of Whistler, nestled at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Today is yours to explore all that Whistler has to offer. Enjoy spectacular scenery and incredible photo opportunities as you explore this ski town, home of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Drive the spectacular Sea to Sky highway for your evening in Vancouver. Day 7: Vancouver and Seattle This morning, tour Vancouver, including the waterfront, Gas lamp district, Chinatown, and Stanley Park. Head to Seattle for a your evening downtown or drop off at the departure hotel.