Tours and Tickets to Experience Lake Union

There are plenty of ways to experience Lake Union. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Seattle City Highlights Tour

• Seattle City Tour

• Seattle Grand 4-Hour City Tour

• Seattle Locks Cruise

• Seattle Sightseeing City Tour with Hotel Pick-up

It’s free to visit Lake Union and take in the Seattle skyline from the shore. However, there are plenty of fun tours you can take that either explore the lake and its environs or get directly on the water (like sightseeing and locks cruises); tours start at about US$65.

Yes, some Lake Union tours specifically highlight Tom Hanks’s floating home from Sleepless in Seattle. However, you may have to be a bit eagle-eyed, as it’s in a private gated community on Westlake Avenue. You’ll probably just get a glimpse of it, but rest assured: The interior was a sound stage.

Lake Union is in the heart of Seattle, so you’ll see a lot. Expect to spot Gas Works Park, tons of floating homes and houseboats, Fishermen's Terminal, seaplanes taking off and landing, the Seattle skyline, Space Needle views, and the exact spot where Boeing's very first airplane took off (hint: it’s the waters you’ll be on).

Lake Union is a popular spot for recreation, and there’s a wide variety of tours visitors can enjoy. Consider self-guided electric boat tours, dining cruises on beautifully appointed yachts, cruises in historic wooden vessels, scenic seaplane flights, locks cruises, BYOB cruises, and more—not to mention kayaking and other self-propelled excursions.

That depends on what type of boat tour you’re taking. Most sightseeing cruises tend to be around 1–2 hours; tours with events and festivities, like dining, often last a bit longer. Of course, you can also find half-day tours and private charters, too. Whatever you’re looking for, there’s definitely a tour that can fit your schedule.