EMERALD/Itineraries/48 Hours
The Plan — 5 STOPS · NEIGHBORHOOD HOPPERS
48 Hours in Seattle
Day two is the neighborhood-hopping day — north to the boats and salmon at the Locks, over to Fremont's committed weirdness, then a water taxi across the bay for sunset on Alki. Pairs with the 24-hour plan as the front half.
✓ Field-checked July 2026
Hour by Hour
Ballard Locks & the fish ladder
Boats going up, salmon going upstream, herons supervising. Free and genuinely mesmerizing.
Ballard Ave crawl
Sunday? Farmers market. Any day: record shops, Nordic Museum, then oysters at Walrus when doors open at 4 — or brewery-hop until then.
Fremont weirdness tour
Troll → rocket → Lenin → canal path. Gasworks Park for the skyline-over-kites panorama.
Water taxi to West Seattle
Five minutes across the bay, skyline glowing behind you. Fish and chips on Alki as the sun drops behind the Olympics.
Live music
Check the Crocodile, Neumos, or Tractor Tavern. This city exported grunge; the venues still deliver.
Need to know
- The West Seattle Water Taxi runs on a seasonal schedule (daily roughly April–October, weekdays-only in winter) — check King County Metro's schedule before you plan the crossing.
- Ballard Ave is closed to cars for the Sunday farmers market (year-round, 10 AM–3 PM) — a plus for walking, a headache if you drove.
- Book one live-music ticket ahead if there's a touring act; the walk-in door price is a gamble on a Friday.
Common questions
What should I do on day two in Seattle?
Head north to Ballard for the Locks and fish ladder, cross to Fremont for the troll and rocket, then take the water taxi to West Seattle for sunset on Alki Beach.
Does the West Seattle Water Taxi run year-round?
It runs daily roughly April through October and weekdays-only in winter — check King County Metro's schedule before planning the crossing.
How do you get between Ballard and Fremont without a car?
It's a flat, walkable 25-minute stroll along the Burke-Gilman Trail and the ship canal — no bus or car needed.