Seattle: Olympic National Park Day Tour with Ferry & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.89 (1,061 reviews) 93% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/23

Duration12h

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

A full day in Olympic from Seattle, ferry to forest to ridge and back by sunset

You get picked up in Seattle, ferried across Puget Sound, and spend the day in Olympic National Park with a naturalist guide who tailors the route to the season and weather—Lake Crescent, waterfalls, or Hurricane Ridge, depending on conditions. Lunch, all drinks, snacks, and park entry are included. The van holds ten people, and you're back in the city by evening.

12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Olympic National Park highlights

Take ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island
Drive across Hood Canal floating bridge
Scenic drive toward Olympic National Park
Visit Elwha River ecosystem (weather permitting)
Enter Olympic National Park and observe nature
Visit Lake Crescent and surrounding forest
Nature walk to hidden waterfall
Visit North Coast tidepools (weather permitting)
Drive to Hurricane Ridge for views and trails
Return ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle
Drop off at original meeting point

The Experience

"The trees are bigger than you think they'll be," our guide said as we pulled away from the ferry dock, and she wasn't wrong. The morning starts early—you're picked up at your Seattle hotel or rental, then driven to the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal downtown. The ferry itself is part of the tour; it's not just transport. You cross Puget Sound on an actual Washington State ferry, the kind locals use, and the water and sky shift the whole way across. Once you're on the other side, the drive toward Olympic National Park takes you over the Hood Canal floating bridge, which is its own small moment—you're literally driving across water on a bridge that floats. The van holds ten people max, which means it never feels crowded, and your naturalist guide is already talking about what the day might hold.

What you actually see depends on the season and weather—that's the honest part. The itinerary is a sample, not a script. On a clear summer day, you might find yourself at Lake Crescent, which genuinely looks like something from a fantasy novel: turquoise water, old-growth forest climbing straight up from the shore, moss so thick it glows. Or you could be on a nature walk to a waterfall hidden among giant trees, or at Hurricane Ridge looking across the Salish Sea toward Vancouver Island. In winter, if the road's open, you're on snowshoes trekking the ridge itself. The guide reads the conditions and picks what makes sense that day. You spend a lot of time outside—real time, not a quick photo stop. There's also the Elwha River ecosystem, where they removed the largest dam on the planet, and if the coast is on the menu, you're tidepooling and looking for wildlife.

Around midday, you stop for lunch. Your guide brings it—local, organic, seasonal—and you eat outside in a quiet spot with views. Coffee and pastries come in the morning, and throughout the day there's water, sparkling water, snacks, tea, and cocoa. Nothing is left to you to figure out. The park itself has no gate; you just notice the trees are suddenly massive, the moss is greener, and the whole place feels like another world. Olympic National Park is nearly a million acres of UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a single day barely scratches it, but that's the point—you're not rushing through a checklist. You're moving through the park with someone who knows it, and the pace is set by what's actually there that day.

The ferry ride back happens in the late afternoon, and if the timing works, you watch the Seattle skyline light up as you cross the Sound again. You're dropped off back where you started, usually by evening. The whole day is all-inclusive—entry fees, transport, guide, food, drinks, gear if you need it. If you have dietary restrictions, you tell them 48 hours ahead. Waterproof shoes are required November through April; they can help with rentals if you don't have them. The tour runs in all weather, so dress for the season. You need to be at least ten years old, and comfortable with walking—the hikes are tailored to the group, but there's no avoiding being on your feet outside for most of the day.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in downtown Seattle, round-trip ferry tickets across Puget Sound, Olympic National Park entrance fees, a full-day naturalist guide, guided hikes or snowshoe treks tailored to your group, a seasonal local lunch eaten outside, morning coffee and pastries, and all-day beverages including tea, cocoa, sparkling water, and snacks.
Snowshoe gear is provided in winter months, and additional warm clothing is available upon request.
Transportation is in a newer Ford Transit van with groups of 10 or fewer.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Evergreen Escapes Seattle

Is this one for you?A good fit if you're based in Seattle and want a full day in Olympic National Park without arranging your own transport, park entry, or logistics—the guide's knowledge of seasonal conditions means you see what's actually worth seeing that day, and the all-inclusive setup means you focus on being outside instead of managing details. Plan for a full day out, with real walking and time in the forest; that's what makes the park feel like another world instead of a quick drive-through.