10 Things to Do in Seattle in April

Planning makes perfect and for this reason it's a great idea to have a couple of alternatives ready for things to see and do in Seattle if you have a trip to the city in April.

A couple of festivals, some iconic sites and plenty of top quality entertainment. These are the basics of all the plans I've compiled for you, as always, with the intention of making it easier for you to organise your sightseeing itinerary.

Skagit Valley is located in the northern part of the state of Washington, about a 2 hour drive from Seattle. This rural area hosts an annual festival every April called the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

Basically, it's the blooming of thousands of acres of tulip fields that flood the valley's meadows with colour as spring arrives.

The festival runs from the first of the month until April 30 and access to the tulip fields is completely free. There are some workshops on floristry and horticulture and in general the area becomes a very commercial and vibrant atmosphere during every day of the month as many people arrive attracted by the field that produces the most tulips in the United States.

This is also one of the best plans in all of spring in Seattle both for the fact that the tulip fields are a rather unique wonder to see, but also for the fact that the weather is very good for an outdoor experience like this.

Interesting details

• Prices: If you want to view the fields from a car in the distance you can do so for free. If you want to go inside for a more immersive experience there are several alternatives. These come with Tulip Town packages, which offer you a general admission ticket, an inclusive experience ticket and a photo ticket. Prices range from 25 euros to 100 euros depending on how far in advance you buy your tickets or the date chosen in the month.
• Duration: taking into account that the outward journey takes at least 1 hour and a half and if you add the 3 or 4 hours you would take in the valley, plus the hours of return, it can be said that this is an activity that can take approximately 6 hours.

If you enjoy skiing, but aren 't a big fan of the extreme cold that characterises this experience, then you can opt for a spring skiing session during your visit to Seattle in April.

There are a number of options scattered throughout the mountains that make up Washington's steep terrain. Steven Pass is one of the most popular and is a resort that stays open throughout the month until 1 May.

Crystal Mountain is another option and can be quite convenient due to its proximity to Mount Rainier and the fact that children under 12 get free access to the resort's slopes and trails.

Keep in mind that everything depends on the weather conditions of the particular week you visit and also on the schedule that these mountain resorts decide to keep in effect.

It is difficult to talk about specific prices because there are variants such as renting the right clothing for a sporting activity like this or the number of nights you decide to stay at the resort.

In fact, there are many people who include this plan among their things to do in Seattle during a three-day trip for the simple factor that they are visiting in search of a bit of adrenaline with the comfort offered by the moderate April weather.

In mid-April there is a typical American festival called the Puyallup Spring Fair. It's a sort of state fair where your kids will have the chance to ride roller coasters, play in circus contests and enjoy live comedy shows.

There are shows that involve giant trucks crashing and crushing other junk cars and there are also pig races that offer you the chance to laugh at a rather folkloric and rural tradition.

All of this is accompanied by live music and lots of food typical of this type of North American event such as caramel apples and hot dog's.

There is an entire section of the festival that is set aside for an interaction area with farm animals in their infant stages and there are other activities that aim to educate the general public about the way of life of farmers in the region.

Details of interest

• Pricing: Most of the fair's activities are free of charge, but other events such as the Giant Truck Show or special concerts may have additional fees. It all depends on the event schedule for each year.
• Location: It's not too close to Seattle's tourist epicentre, being held at the Washington State Fairgrounds just outside Tacoma. It takes about 47 minutes to get there from downtown Seattle, depending on traffic on the motorway. Remember that the dates change every year so it is advisable to confirm that it is being held during the weekend of your visit.

Alki Beach was the first point where European settlers landed when they arrived on the shores of what is now known as Seattle. This is interesting in that today it is a favourite spot among locals when it comes to making the most of the April spring sunshine on a day at the beach.

On this beautiful beach overlooking the Downtown Skyline and with a full view of the bay and Puget Sound, you'll find all sorts of fun activities.

There are picnic tables, an art studio, volleyball nets and, of course, several metres of sandy shoreline that can help you get a nice tan without having to deal with the scorching summer temperatures.

This is a great activity to include on your list of things to do in Seattle with kids, as admission is completely free and it gives you a huge space for the little ones to run and play on their own terms.

Interesting details

• Location: Alki Beach is not outside of the Seattle area, but it is a bit out of the tourist and business centre of this metropolis. My recommendation is to take a water taxi from one of the piers near Pike Place Market and it will drop you off right on the beach to continue your sightseeing for the day.

The Ye Olde Curiosity Shop is a souvenir shop that has been in continuous operation for over a century. It is noted for its large repertoire of curiosities selling mummified animals and all sorts of unusual artefacts that make a simple visit to the shop an entertaining experience for the average tourist.

It is located on Pier 54 at the Downtown Seattle waterfront and April is a particularly good month to visit due to the low tourist traffic that characterises this month. This allows you to browse at your leisure, as the experience of visiting this shop is really more like a museum than a shopping event.

The official season of the MLB, or Major League Baseball, begins in early April. At the same time, the Seattle Mariner's, the local team, are an institution when it comes to values, place or groupings that are important to the identity of this city.

So it's a good idea to try to buy tickets to some of the games at T Mobile Park.

You can expect a very festive atmosphere, just like any other stadium with a sporting event. The local fans are very passionate about supporting their team, but what you'll love about this activity is the hot dogs, salted peanuts, some spicy chilli and lots of beer.

For scheduling reasons, this is one of the things to see and do in Seattle at night. The best thing about it is that it's an evening entertainment alternative that's also very family-friendly.

Interesting details

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• Price: it all depends on the game chosen and the location of the seats inside the stadium. They usually range from 25 or 35 euros to 400 or 600 euros in the areas closest to the pitch.
• Duration: on average, baseball games usually last two or three hours, but usually much longer depending on how the game develops.

Seattle has a fascinating history that has been quite unconventional from the earliest moments of its founding.

One of the most curious aspects of this development is the existence of a network of tunnels that were built more than 120 years ago and touring them with a guided tour is an excellent idea to keep you entertained during a trip to the city in the month of April.

In fact, it is an ideal month for this activity, which belongs to the best Seattle tours due to the fact that the interior of these underground streets are kept at the ideal temperature without suffering from the extreme heat of summer or the incapacitating cold of winter.

Interesting details

• Price: The tour includes a private guide in the package price. Adults usually pay around 27 euros, children between 12 and 7 years old pay around 16 euros and youngsters between 13 and 18 years old end up paying 23 euros per admission ticket.
• Duration: there are several opportunities throughout the day and all occur after midday. You also have to keep in mind that it is a very entertaining activity, but relatively short, as it lasts 1 hour or 1 hour and a half at most.

Easter Day is known as Easter Day in the United States and the way this country celebrates it is completely different. They have a tradition in which a magical rabbit hides chocolate eggs in many corners of the home and gardens of these same residences with the intention that children will find them.

For your convenience, Seattle is a city that is characterized by having lots of public parks in which there will be more than one recreational activity organized by both the city council and the neighbourhood groups themselves.

Volunteer Park, the Seattle Chinese Garden, Schmitz Preserve Park and Discovery Park are just a few of the public spaces you can take advantage of to give your kids an American-style Easter day out.

Topping off your itinerary by joining some of Seattle' s best tour bus tours is a great idea since there won't be as much traffic in the city centre.

Water temperatures in the northern hemisphere during the month of April begin to warm up without having to be exposed to the strong solar radiation that characterises the summer. For this reason, a trip to Seattle in April is an ideal time to take part in a boat tour of Elliot Bay.

Such a tour not only offers you privileged views of the city's beautiful modernist architecture, but also gives you a much closer look at the natural beauty that surrounds this metropolis, such as the distant mountain ranges and the waters of the Puget Sound itself.

Details of interest

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• Price: Seattle boat tours that are viable during the month of April usually cost about 35 euros per person and about 18 for children between the ages of 4 and 12 years old. Infants under 3 years of age are free.
• Duration: Tours leave the port every 40 minutes from 10:45 am to 19:20 pm. As for the length of the trip, the most common is that the tour lasts 1 hour from the time the boat closes its gates until it returns to the dock.
• Conditions: it is not usual to bring in food or drinks, but it is allowed to buy these products in the cafeteria of the boat.

On the first Tuesday of every month in Seattle there is an event called Art Walk. It is a pre-arranged route through the city's most important galleries in an effort to entertain tourists and locals alike. They also get involved in the local art scene.

Seattle was the first city in the United States to create a festival of this style and it is an excellent idea to take advantage of your visit to this community to participate in the first one that takes place throughout the spring season.

There are other activities of this style that can be very interesting for your family if they like to get involved with the culture of a place. For example, Seattle' s best food tours can give you an insight into the culinary identity of this modern and innovative city.

April is an ideal month to visit Seattle if you enjoy coming to a city that isn't inundated with tourists. Although it is the beginning of the spring season, this is not a time of the year when people tend to travel en masse like summer or December for the Christmas season.

My recommendation is to use this to your advantage and try to book as many activities for your trip as possible, ranging from some of the best excursions from Seattle to the nearby natural wonders to some other urban plans like the ones I've listed here.

Seattle is in the far northwest corner of the United States and can therefore be categorised as a really cold city. Although it is well into spring for the month of April, the average temperature is around 11 degrees Celsius, with lows of 6 and highs of 17.