13 Historical Tours in Seattle Worth the Day

1.Beneath The Streets Underground History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8,006 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $29.03Our pick

Guided Pioneer Square walk that goes 120 years underground, linking Coast Salish roots to the Klondike Gold Rush.

“Beneath the Streets Underground History Tour is the ultimate experience for history geeks. What were conditions like for the first settlers who arrived here? Why is there an entire underground city beneath Seattle’s Pioneer District? How did the Great Fire and the Yukon Gold Rush transform the city? And what role did the underground play during Prohibition? These questions, and dozens more, are explored and answered on this engaging, informative, and fascinating tour.”

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2.Henry Art Tours-Come See the Fun Side of Seattle Art/Pubs/History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) Top rated

Seattle’s Henry mural tour packs neighborhood history and art stops into 3 hours, ending at the Waterfront’s Hidden Wizard Gallery.

“Our guide was very knowledgeable, professional and kind. Lots of variety of murals and fun stops. We had a great time!”

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3.Seattle Downtown Quest: Self-Guided History Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 26 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $7.20

A 90-minute self-guided puzzle walk through downtown Seattle, from Union Station to the Waterfront, with 10 interactive history challenges.

“It starts at Union station and ends at the waterfront. My CuriosityBased team of 4 did it from one phone. Really educational and interesting. One station had outdated information. It was good value”

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4.Six Women: A Seattle History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · from $29

Six Women is a 90-minute small-group Seattle walking tour for $29, featuring WWII red-light district stories near Pioneer Square.

“Extraordinary!! Carter’s walking tour was outstanding! The tour was very enjoyable, Carter very knowledgeable, provided a rich history on the women who helped make Seattle the progressive city it is. Truly and thoroughly enjoyable!! Recommended 💯!!”

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5.Historic Tucson Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 17 reviews · 1 hour · from $32

One-hour downtown Tucson walk with ghosts, Dillinger history, murals, and a rebuilt Spanish fort. Snack included.

“Really fun tour! Very informative & fun sites! Great tour guide!”

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6.Bite-Sized Seattle History & Food by Go West Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 45 minutes (approx.) · from $26

A 45-minute Seattle waterfront, Pike Place Market, and Virginia Inn history-and-food walk with snacks, bottled water, and small-group access.

“A bit of history, a wonderful taste of Seattle at Pike Place and the waterfront native American history, mountain views and even some rock grunge history. Aidan was a wonderful host!!!”

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7.Full-Day Small-Group Bainbridge Island Wine and History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $299

Small-group Bainbridge Island wine and history day trip from Seattle, with ferry views, Bloedel Reserve walk, Memorial visit, and tastings included.

“Daniel is an excellent guide …provides a full day of activity and information at a leisurely pace. Recommend highly.”

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8.Six Women – A Historical Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 9 reviews · from $35

Pioneer Square’s past told through six women, 1.5 hours, small-group storytelling by Carter Lee Churchfield for $35.

“Did this tour as part of my Bachelorette weekend in Seattle, and it was awesome! The stories of the six women were unique and interesting, and our guide was engaging and hilarious! We learned a lot about Seattle that we definitely wouldn’t get from a typical history tour or even google search. Thank you so much for this great memory with my girls!”

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9.Seattle Waterfront History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $50

Seattle Waterfront History Walking Tour, a 90-minute guided walk through Seattle Waterfront Park with old photos, indigenous stories, and stunning views.

“Enjoyed a live narrated walk (thank you James!) starting at the re-opened park vista near the Pike Place Market, down the new hill climb walkway to the also new Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavillion. While so much is new and changed (amazing planter boxes filled with lush well tended plantings) we were shown old photos of what was (while looking at it today) and to see and learn about the rich history. Was truly a delightful way to spend a couple of hours in the fresh air in the new Seattle waterfront park.”

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10.Seattle’s Longest Historic & Cultural Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $99.99

A guided 4-hour Seattle walk from the Cat Cafe to Hendrix, Denny Hill, waterfront views, and a free Monorail ride to Westlake Center.

“Oliver did an awesome tour. We walked around the city and he noted many cool sights. Got to see Jimi Hendrix statue and Paramount Theatre where Alice and Chains played 4 times. Great day, good walk and thoroughly recommend!”

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11.Private Seattle History and Landmarks Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $925

A 4-hour private Seattle history and landmarks tour with Ballard Locks, skyline viewpoints, Fremont quirks, Gas Works views, and more for up to 6.

“This was a great tour allowing us to see some highlights of Seattle after disembarking from our Alaska cruise ahead of our flights back home. Collin did a great job sharing the highlights of the city - from music to art to wildlife and natural resources - while getting us to some excellent scenic stops and a fascinating tour of the Locks and salmon ladder, seeing first hand how the salmon transition from salt water into the fresh water. He dropped us off at the Market where we walked around a bit and enjoyed a great lunch.”

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12.Six Women: A Seattle History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1 reviews · 1 hour 40 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Follow six tough women through Seattle’s Pioneer Square on a 1h40 walking history tour. Small group, mobile ticket, $35, English.

“Lots of walking (we are old). The guide was amazing; very knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor. I’d do this again in a New York minute. Extraordinary women discussed!!”

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13.Historic Ballard: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Exploring Seattle’s Quirky History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1 reviews · 30 to 45 minutes (approx.) · from $5.99Best value

A $5.99 self-guided audio walk through Seattle’s Ballard, with Scandinavian roots, annexation stories, and offline VoiceMap audio.

“A great way to spend some time in Downtown Ballard, a really cute, vibrant historic neighborhood outside of downtown Seattle. The VoiceApp was a little tricky for the first few minutes for a couple of old ladies, but then we got the hang of it and really enjoyed listening to the narrator paint the picture of Ballard long ago.”

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