How to Spend a Day in Downtown Seattle During Christmas Time

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and one of my favorite times of year to spend time in downtown Seattle! There’s always something about the city at Christmas time every year that is just so magical. The holiday lights, Christmas music playing, festive window displays, families out and about doing all the Christmas things, it always brings joy and I absolutely love it.

Josh and I have made it a tradition each year to spend a day in downtown Seattle doing all the Christmas things and it’s one of my favorite traditions of ours. In this post, I’ll be compiling some fun and festive things to do in Seattle during Christmas time to add to your December bucket list.

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The Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Drinks at the Olympic Bar or brunch at The George
Miracle on 2nd Bar
Seattle Christmas Market
Shopping in Westlake Center
Pike Place Market
See White Christmas at the 5th Avenue Theatre

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel is one of our favorite spots to hang out at any time of year, but Christmas is always 10x better because of the big Christmas tree and all of their festive decorations in the lobby! While you’re there, check out the (free) teddy bear suite and grab drinks at the Olympic Bar or brunch at The George. The Fairmont is actually where Josh and I stayed the night of our engagement-moon as well and is one of our go-to’s for staycations downtown, plus it’s right in the heart of downtown Seattle and very walkable to popular things to do downtown. The vibe is always so lux and cozy – it always feels like being in a movie when I’m there.

If you’re looking for a new bar to check out, look no further than Miracle on 2nd! During the holiday season, the Rob Roy bar near Belltown turns into Miracle on 2nd, aka, a full on festive and Christmas-y bar. Josh and I have had this on our December bucket list for the past two years but unfortunately have still not made it (it gets very busy this time of year, we’re talking lines outside of the door, so keep that in mind!) but hope to make our way very soon. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it and would definitely recommend checking it out!

For families, the Seattle Christmas Market is brand new to Seattle this year and is located right near the Space Needle at Seattle Center. It’s a European market with pop-up vendors, food, carousel rides, and of course, good photo-ops. Truthfully, Josh and I did not love it as we thought the entry fee was a bit expensive for what’s inside the market and it overall just didn’t wow us. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s still something fun to do to get in the festive holiday spirit, but do keep in mind it can get $$. I will say though that the variety of food options within was pretty impressive – so if you’re a foodie, would recommend checking it out! Would also primarily recommend for families with kids as there are fun activities for kids to do as well.

And what trip to Seattle isn’t complete without a stop at Pike Place Market? Pike Place is so cute this time of year with all of their Christmas decorations and is always something I love to check out when I go downtown. Westlake Center is just a few blocks over and is perfect when you need to do a little Christmas shopping with their selection of retailers like Nordstrom, Zara, Sephora, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Saks Off Fifth, and more.

Last but not least, highly recommend seeing White Christmas at the 5th Avenue Theatre! Josh and I had never been to a play together before and it was a goal of ours this year to make that happen. We had seen White Christmas on Netflix a few times and figured seeing a Christmas play during the holidays would make the experience even more fun – and it really did! Conveniently, the 5th Avenue Theatre is just a block over from The Fairmont Olympic Hotel too. I was telling Josh that the next time we want to go see a play at the theatre, to make a staycation out of it – makes for a super fun little getaway!

I hope this list gave you some inspiration of setting your new Christmas tradition! What are some of your favorite things to do in Seattle during Christmas time?

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