Seattle to Portland Discovery

Includes $1000 per person flight credit

From Pike Place Market to Mt Rainier, this 5-day tour packs in all the highlights between Seattle and Portland. Say hi to the market’s famous fish-throwers, sample Seattle’s small-batch local brews, search for whales on the waters of Puget Sound, wander through fields of wildflowers in Mt Rainier National Park, and explore The Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park. Your road trip finishes in Portland, where you’re free to dig into the city’s scene – either by exploring on your own or joining a tasty food and drink tour through local neighbourhoods.

Dining Highlights

5 breakfasts and 2 lunches

Travel Highlights

Get sustainable in Seattle with a walk through the converted Gas Works Park with its unrivalled panoramic skyline views, followed by a visit to a zero-waste, family-owned microbrewery. Explore back alleys, narrow corridors and tiny storefronts on a tasting tour of Pike Place Market that will bring you up close and personal with the local vendors. Search for humpback whales, minke whales, grey whales, and orcas on Puget Sound. Encounter some of the herds of Roosevelt Elk that call the Hoh Rainforest home. Marvel at the massive active stratovolcano that is Mt Rainier as you hike through meadows of wildflowers and up to lookout points of the surrounding Cascade Ranges and Nisqually Glacier.

Included Activities

Seattle - Leader led walking tour of Fremont, Seattle - Food Tour of Pike Place Market, Port Angeles - Elwa Klallam Heritage Center visit, Puget Sound - Whale Watching, Olympic National Park - KOH Rainforest visit, Olympic National Park - Hiking, Mt Rainier National Park - Hike, Mt Rainier National Park - Hike

Day 1 / Seattle

Welcome to Seattle, the city famous for coffee, grunge, tech and some talented fishmongers. Your trip starts with a group meeting at 10am, followed by a VIP food tour of the iconic Pike Place Market. Sample delights like freshly baked breakfast treats, seasonal produce and hot-smoked salmon. You’ll also get a lesson in bean-to-bar chocolate making and get to chat directly with local merchants, including those famous fish-throwers. If you’re still hungry afterwards, you can grab something for lunch in the market (at your own cost) before we take a short drive through the neighbourhood of Fremont for a bit of sightseeing and beer tasting. Check out the wonderfully quirky Fremont Troll statue – a massive sculpture under the George Washington Memorial Bridge created by local artists. Take in unrivalled views of the Seattle skyline from Gas Works Park, a former coal gasification plant that has been converted into parkland, with the old plant repurposed into the landscape. Finally, finish your tour of the area with a stop at Fremont Brewing, a family-owned brewery featuring small-batch beers and zero-waste production processes. The brewery uses on-site generated steam and invests 60% of its energy into renewable sources to reduce its carbon footprint. Afterwards, you’ll be driven back to your hotel and have a free late afternoon to explore Seattle at your leisure.

Day 2 / Olympic National Park

Washington's Puget Sound is a haven for whales. Today we drive to Puget Sound (1.5hrs) and board our boat in search of whales. In this area humpback whales, minke whales, grey whales, and orcas have been seen. Sit back, keep your eyes peeled and enjoy the cruise. Back on dry land we make our way to Olympic National Park, our first stop being the Elwa Klallam Heritage Centre. The centre is home to an exhibit: c'ix'íc'n: A Klallam Village. Artifacts have been recovered from the ancient village site near Ediz Hook and are now on display in the Great Hall of the centre. The Village site is over two thousand years old and is the largest excavated in Washington State. Our hotel for the next 2 nights is in Sequim which is located along the Dungeness River near the base of the Olympic Mountains.

Day 3 / Olympic National Park

Today we’ll explore one of the most iconic sites on the Olympic Peninsula: The Hoh Rainforest. This UNESCO Biosphere reserve offers a lush green canopy blanketed with mosses and ferns. Unchanged for thousands of years, this constantly misty and noticeably silent environment invites quiet contemplation as well as offering up a variety of walks and hikes. You may even encounter some of the herds of Roosevelt Elk that call the Hoh Rainforest home.

Day 4 / Mt Rainier National Park

After breakfast we hit the road for Mt Rainier National Park. The drive will take us 3 hours through the scenic Washington State landscape. Upon arrival we will head out on the leisurely Nisqually Vista Loop Trail for views of the rocky river valley and the Nisqually Glacier. Tonight we will settle into our hotel.

Day 5 / Mt Rainier National Park

Spend today exploring the iconic Skyline Loop Trail of Mt Rainier National Park. With creek-fed waterfalls, meadows of wildflowers, scampering marmots, and spectacular views of both Mt Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier, you can’t go wrong with a day hiking the park’s most famous path. On clear days, you may also get to spot the neighbouring peaks of Mt St Helens, Mt Adams and Mt Hood. Stop for a picnic lunch midday and soak up the beauty of Washington state’s most famous geological landmark. This afternoon we hit the road for Portland (approximately 2.5 hours’ driving time). In Portland, you have the option to join a food and drink tour (at your own cost) through one of the city’s neighbourhoods.

Day 6 / Portland

Your trip ends today in Portland. There are no activities planned, so you are free to depart at your leisure, or stick around and explore more of Portland on your own.

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/booking-intrepid/booking-conditions/au

Flight credit available on any applicable airline, subject to flight schedules. Prices are per person twin share in Australia/ New Zealand dollars. Prices listed for payment in cash, credit card surcharge applies