The Pacific Northwest (PNW) is a loosely defined geographic region of western North America, most typically referring to the US states of Washington and Oregon as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC). Dominated by mountain ranges and coastal fjords, the PNW also enjoys some of the most lush and extensive forests in North America. This geographic diversity gives rise to some of the most beautiful places in the world. Large and vibrant metropolitan areas such as Seattle and Vancouver provide starting points and convenient flights for tourists entering the region. And, with such a rich array of urban and rural offerings, it’s no wonder this is one of the most sought after travel destinations around. I most recently toured the PNW with my fiance and 4 other friends in the summer of 2022. We extensively researched the region and had a phenomenal trip. Keep reading for our Ultimate 8 Day PNW Itinerary.
DAY 1
Fly into SeaTac Airport
Sea-Tac is a large US airport conveniently situated between the cities of Tacoma and Seattle Washington. Flying into this large airport typically offers the advantage of cheaper and more numerous flight options compared to other airports in the region. I’d recommend trying to get an earlier flight in order to best enjoy a full first day in the PNW.
Drive to Port Angeles
After collecting your bags and getting your first PNW coffee, head over and pick up your rental car. While rentals from the airport are typically more expensive, the ease of pickup and dropoff for this itinerary makes it well worth it. After getting your rental, drive straight to drop off your bags at the Port Angeles Airbnb before heading over to Olympic National Park. The drive to Port Angeles from Sea-Tac takes about 2.5 hours.
Drop Off Bags at Airbnb in Port Angeles
If you’re traveling as a solo traveler or couple, you can consider some of the smaller hotels in Port Angeles. For our group of 6, we opted for an Airbnb. Port Angeles is not the most impressive town if you’re looking for nightlife or a cute/bustling downtown, however it is an excellent location for exploring the nearby Olympic National Park. The major ferry line to Victoria Island and subsequently Vancouver BC is located in Port Angeles as well.
Drive to Hurricane Ridge
After quickly dropping off your bags at the Airbnb, drive approximately 40 minutes to the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center. The drive itself is scenic and memorable but pales in comparison to the breathtaking views at the ridge itself. There are numerous smaller hiking trails launching from the visitors center, but I’d recommend the Hurricane Hill hike.
Hurricane Hill Hike
Hurricane Hill is a well known hike, located just 5 minutes by vehicle up the road from the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center. The hike is a completely paved, moderately challenging, 3.2 mile round trip hike. Going later in the day results in less crowds and offers spectacular sunset views over the Olympic Mountains. Though as night descends the mosquitos get hungry. Bring bug spray and/or long sleeves.
Dinner in Port Angeles
After a long day of travel, kick back and enjoy some beers and good food in Port Angeles. I’d recommend NextDoor Gastropub before turning in for the night. We also enjoyed Traylor’s Restaurant, but this is located a little further outside of town.
DAY 2
Drive to the Hoh Rainforest
Wake up for your first full day in the PNW, drink coffee, and head out early to the Hoh. The Hoh Rainforest is one of the top attractions on the entire Olympic Peninsula. Because of this rainforest’s popularity, the lines to enter the park, particularly in summer, can be horrendous. It is not uncommon to wait nearly 2 hours just to enter the parking area during peak times of the day. I’d recommend getting an early start and getting to the Hoh Rainforest as soon as possible. The drive is approximately 2 hours from Port Angeles, however you will likely encounter some construction so keep that in mind.
Picnic Lunch at the Hoh
The Hoh is a small gem in the crown of Olympic National Park. It is easy to hike the entirety of the Hoh in less than half a day. There really are only two main trails, the Hall of Mosses and the Spruce Trail. When visiting the Hoh, make sure to hike them both. Each hike is approximately 1 mile, however you will likely stop frequently to marvel at the nature around you. Feel free to bring some sandwiches from your Airbnb for a picnic at the park as well. The two best picnic locations are near the parking lot, where picnic tables are provided, or on the Spruce Trail along the Hoh River.
Go to Rialto Beach
From the Hoh Rainforest, drive about 1 hour and 10 minutes straight to Rialto Beach. This iconic site is home to massive driftwood spruce trees, impressive sea stacks, and variable wildlife. We saw a large herd of elk just before parking at Rialto and countless sea lions playing in the surf as well. Note that even during the height of summer, the pacific waters at Rialto are chilly. Consider taking a quick dip but realize this is not a place you will likely be swimming for any length of time.
Make a Driftwood Fire
Two must do activities at Rialto Beach involve making a driftwood fire and hiking to Hole in the Wall. Regarding the driftwood fire, make sure you ONLY USE DRIFTWOOD. It is illegal to take wood from the adjacent forest. I would also bring a lighter and a small firestarter or at least some paper. The climate is often misty or downright raining and the wet wood can be challenging to start aflame. Nikki and Mike found prayer sticks particularly helpful lol.
Hike to Hole in the Wall
Hole in the Wall involves walking approximately 1.5 miles one way to the northern end of the beach. Here you will find a sizable hole in the larger rock formation perfect for photos. There are numerous tidepools to explore in this area as well. Please note that the hole in the wall is only accessible at low tide, so check the tide chart and plan ahead. There is a small trail onto the top of Hole in the Wall with sweeping views of the coastline as well.
Dinner in Forks
Grab some dinner in Forks before driving home. I’d recommend an elk burger with a local IPA and some billiards at Blakeless Bar and Grill. Just note the restaurant/bar is 21 and up. From Forks, the drive back to Port Angeles is approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes.
DAY 3
Hike Mount Storm King
Mount Storm King is the top hike in Olympic National Park. The hike begins from the Storm King Ranger Station, just about 30 minutes from Port Angeles. It is a strenuous 4 mile round trip starting with quick switchbacks before a more gradual ascent to the summit. A certain degree of fitness is recommended for this hike. When nearing the top, you will see signage noting “End of Maintained Trail.” From this point forward, the hike gets more technical. You will likely need to use ropes tied to nearby trees to ascend the slippery and steep ascent to the summit. There are also narrow rocky points on the trail with steep drop offs on either side as well. This is quite frightening for some people, however the views from the top are worth the grind. You will be rewarded with sweeping views of Lake Crescent, forested slopes, and the surrounding mountains. This is a great place to relax for a bit, rehydrate, and have a snack before continuing on to Marymere Falls.
Hike to Marymere Falls
After descending from Storm King, you are conveniently also near Marymere Falls. Both trails start at the Storm King Ranger Station and the walk to the Mount Storm King Trailhead brings you closer to Marymere Falls. The Marymere falls hike is a relatively flat 1.7 miles roundtrip. It is an easy, very popular hike culminating with some well maintained stairs and a wooden boardwalk offering close up views of Marymere Falls.
Picnic Lunch on Lake Crescent
After a very busy morning, sit back and relax for a late lunch on Lake Crescent. From your parked car at the Storm King Ranger Station, a short walk will take you to a public dock extending out into Lake Crescent. This is a perfect place to relax, have some lunch, and maybe even take a swim.
Choose Your Adventure
After lunch you can assess the energy levels of yourself and fellow travel companions. For another short but popular hike, consider the Devil’s Punchbowl via the Spruce Railroad Trail. This is a 2.4 mile round trip hike on the lake with a popular swimming hole and is located about 20 minutes from the Storm King Ranger Station. You could also go back to Port Angeles, see the Port Angeles Visitors Center, and explore the town along the water. We were pretty beat by this point, and decided to head back to the Airbnb, have a fire, cookout, and play games into the night.
DAY 4
Start Your Drive to Vancouver
The drive to Vancouver BC is 4.5-5 hours from Port Angeles. This can sound daunting however, with so much to see in the PNW, this day of driving can easily be a highlight of your trip. With countless attractions and beautiful PNW scenery along the way, the drive can be broken up into shorter sections with plenty of time to adventure and enjoy yourself in between.
Just a quick note on getting from Port Angeles to Vancouver. Our original plan was to take the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria. From here, we planned on driving to the Butchart Gardens before boarding a second ferry to take us from Victoria to Vancouver. This is a fun day and can be considered. We chose to drive to Vancouver instead for several reasons.
- More flexibility regarding your schedule for the day. Taking your vehicle on the ferries to and from Victoria required being at the docks 1 hour prior to take off. This meant more time waiting and less time doing.
- The ferries were not too expensive (around $370 total for 2 ferry rides including our vehicle and 6 people), but were still going to cost much more than driving.
- The ferry rides were mainly in open water. We had some romantic notion of boating through beautiful islands and along rugged coastlines on our way to Vancouver. Our research however suggested that most of the journey is on flat open water with not much scenery.
- Lastly, even our “drive” to Vancouver required a short ferry across the Port Townsend Bay. This was enough of a boat ride to enjoy the experience, but not spend over 3 hours at sea.
Probably Don't Go to the Olympic Game Park
Your goals for the day will determine when you should be up and out of your lodging for this travel day. We opted to pack in as much as possible and were out of our airbnb by 8:15A to get to the Olympic Game Farm when it opened at 9A. There were parts of the game farm that were fun and interesting (like the huge elk and herds of deer) however I would not go again or recommend it. The conditions for some of the animals were downright sad and disappointing. The predator enclosures were small and some of the animals looked downright listless. You drive around in your vehicle feeding white bread to the animals which you are ensured is healthy. It was also terrifying (and kind of fun) trying to protect our rental car from the droves of animals descending on our vehicle in hopes of getting a snack.
Go to Sequim Lavender Farm
On a happier note, after leaving the Game Farm, we decided to stop by the famous lavender farms of Sequim. We only visited one farm, however based on our research they all seem pretty similar. We decided to stop for pictures and some homemade lavender ice cream at Purple Haze Lavender Farm. We were pleasantly surprised at the fun and peaceful vibes of this place. Row upon row of massive lavender plants greet you as you arrive. They have demonstrations on oil distillation by appointment as well as the option to pick your own lavender from the fields. A cozy lavender gift shop and a lavender dessert stand is also on site. We arrived right near opening at 10A and were happy we did. The farm was filling up fast as we were leaving. Located directly on your route to Vancouver just 30 minutes outside of Port Angeles, stopping at a lavender farm is a must do when moving through the area.
Port Townsend Ferry
As previously mentioned, the quickest way to “drive” to Vancouver still involves a ferry. The Port Townsend to Coupeville Ferry was a convenient 30 minutes taxi across the Port Townsend Bay. The ferry crosses many times per day and is cheap, adults costing about $4 each and our vehicle $16. We arrived about 40 minutes early, dropped off our car, and briefly explored the Port Townsend waterfront. I’d personally recommend Ground to Perfection Espresso as well as walking through the large Quimper Mercantile General Store.
Deception Pass State Park
Just 40 minutes north of the ferry dropoff (and conveniently again right on the route) stands Deception Pass State Park. This is the most popular state park in the state of Washington, boasting mysterious coves, rugged cliffs, and beautiful views of the surrounding landscape from the famed Deception Pass Bridge. You could very well do some research and spend the rest of your day enjoying and exploring this beauty. Some of our group was a little “natured out” by this point though, so we continued on towards Bellingham and Vancouver. The park requires a day pass for use. I did however see some free parking along the north end of the bridge along the road and would recommend at least stopping, walking out onto the bridge, and taking in the views.
Dinner in Bellingham and arrive in Vancouver
To quote longtime friend and AWF contributor Alex “We love Bellingham, neat little college town with good food and drinks. Hiking is easy and accessible as well.” We took his advice and had dinner and drinks at Boundary Bay Brewing Company. This was a cool spot with an awesome beer garden. We then continued on, crossed the border into Canada, and dropped our bags off at the Airbnb before heading out for our first night in Vancouver.
Vancouver Whitecaps game
As lifelong sports fans, the appeal of watching professional soccer in a foreign country was strong. Tickets for Whitecaps were relatively cheap (less than $25USD per ticket) for excellent sideline seats, and we had a good time. The game was entertaining and the Whitecaps actually won on a last second goal in extra time. I would recommend taking some time and enjoying part of the game from the general admission section (or just buy cheap tickets here). This is the rowdy cheerleader section which is way more fun than sitting elsewhere.
Casino after the game
After the game, we followed the crowds across the street to the Parq Vancouver Casino Resort. We’re not much of gamblers, but it was still convenient to walk 5 minutes to the Casino for an hour or two before heading back for the night. We had a few drinks, enjoyed dancing to some live music, and lost only a little money before heading back home for the night.
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