Road Trip from Seattle, WA, to Vancouver, BC

Start in Seattle—Washington’s largest city and vibrant urban core—where you’ll find plenty of outdoor adventures, a thriving arts scene, a strong coffee culture, and top-notch dining. Wander Pike Place Market, where hundreds of makers and artisans share space with fresh produce stands and restaurants (don’t miss the creamy mac and cheese from Seattle staple Beecher’s Handmade Cheese). For skyline views, stroll or bike through the remains at Gasworks Park, a former gasification plant on South Lake Union, or make your way to the observation deck of the iconic Space Needle. While there, duck in next door to peek at the colorful works by renowned artist Dale Chihuly at Chihuly Garden and Glass.

Dining is no less adventurous in the Emerald City, where local seafood and Seattle skyline views welcome you at Westward, authenticity is on the menu in the Chinatown-International District, and spirits at Fremont Mischief’s rooftop cocktail garden will raise your, er, spirits.

Put it in park at Everett’s newly updated waterfront, where a four-mile (six-km) continuous trail is ideal for stretching your legs. If the waves call, rent a kayak or take the ferry to explore the natural beauty of Jetty Island, home to the longest sandy beach in Puget Sound. 

Antique shops and the quirky Funko Pop Headquarters will draw you downtown; while there, stop by the 100-year-old historic Weyerhaeuser Building, home to The Muse Whiskey & Coffee, or dine along the waterfront at Bluewater Organic Distilling for small-batch, sustainable spirits paired with local scratch-made cuisine.

The Skagit Valley’s blend of natural beauty and agriculture promises intrigue, whether you visit waterfront towns like Anacortes and La Conner to the west, browse boutiques in downtown Mount Vernon, or lace up your boots in Sedro-Woolley to the east, which bills itself as the gateway to North Cascades National Park.

There’s plenty to do outdoors: Visit Schuh Farms for seasonal produce, go birdwatching around the Skagit Wildlife Area, or hike or bike the 22.5-mile (36-km) Cascade Trail along the Skagit River. For palate-friendly exploration, line up your designated driver for the Skagit Farm to Pint Ale Tour (try local favourite District Brewing Co.) or opt for authentic Mexican cuisine and hand-crafted cocktails at La Catrina Tacos & Tequila in downtown Mount Vernon.

Before swapping ketchup for vinegar on your fries (a.k.a. crossing the border), wander through Bellingham’s historic Fairhaven galleries and boutiques, and check out the local authors at Village Books. In downtown, visit the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention and the Whatcom Museum to view art, history, and nature exhibits, or take a leisurely drive along winding Chuckanut Drive.

When it’s time to raise a glass, pair elevated cocktails with fresh seafood at Rock and Rye Oyster House, sample inventive ciders at Bellingham Cider Company, or order a local brew at Kulshan’s Trackside Beer Garden in the waterfront Portal Container Village.

Enter Canada at the Peace Arch border crossing, where Interstate 5 becomes Highway 99. Check wait times in advance and plan accordingly.

Follow Highway 99 to Richmond, where Asian cultures shape the historic seaside community. Here, you’ll find many attractions, including an Asian street-food night market, an International Buddhist Temple modelled after Beijing’s Forbidden City, and a bustling Chinese retail district dubbed the Golden Village. Additionally, the city features some of the best Chinese food outside of China. (Tip: Follow the self-guided Dumpling Trail for steamed, fried, or boiled crowd-pleasing variations.)

Switch gears with a cycle along the dykes and natural spaces, or stroll through Steveston, a quaint fishing village at the mouth of the Fraser River. You can take in the views along the boardwalk or check out nearby Gulf of Georgia Cannery and Britannia Shipyards, both national historic sites. 

Often referred to as the City of Glass, Vancouver’s rainforest-and-ocean setting mirrors its southern neighbour’s love of seafood, multiculturalism, and outdoor play. Here, you can explore the 10-km (6-mile) Stanley Park Seawall or join Talasay Tours for an interpretive forest walk with Indigenous guides. In the distance, the North Shore Mountains rise, beckoning adventurists to all-weather trails and natural vistas just 20 minutes from the city’s downtown. (Tip: Check out the rainforest canopy at Capilano Suspension Bridge, a North Shore favourite.)

For cultural enlightenment, spend time at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, or the Museum of Anthropology. Hungry? Vancouver’s MICHELIN-starred restaurants are sure to satisfy, serving everything from curated plates to hand-pulled noodles.