- Most Popular
- January 1 - December 31
- 3 hours
- Ages 3+
Our Seattle City Tours have all the best Seattle attractions that you can see from the comfort of our spacious coach buses!
Quick Details
Olympic National Park Tour
* 2024 OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK TOURS COMING SOON *
Immerse your senses in the otherworldly Hoh Rain Forest, a sea of brilliant green mosses and lichens hanging from trees hundreds of feet tall in one of the planet’s wettest places, which also creates the perfect environment for one of the quietest places on earth. This magical landscape evades description, which is why people so often reach for fictional comparisons (e.g. FernGully, Avatar, Fangorn Forest from Lord of the Rings), but you really must experience it for yourself.
Explore the park’s dramatic Pacific coastline, filled with sea stacks, sun-bleached driftwood, forested cliffs, and tide pools where you might find sea stars, anemones, urchins and even wolf eels.
Feel the wind (which can reach up to 75 miles per hour) at Hurricane Ridge, the highest elevation area in the park at 5,242 feet. Learn about the tectonic forces shaping this rugged landscape in conjunction with the wind and 30-35 feet of annual snowfall.
(Access to Hurricane Ridge is dependent on weather and road conditions, and may not be included on some tours)
Olympic National Park has been ranked as the #1 National Park in the country and is the most diverse national park in America, hands down. This UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve is often thought of as three parks in one with its lush temperate rain forests, towering mountain peaks, and over 70 miles of wild coastline. The park’s expansive 922,650 acres make it impossible to experience this diversity in a single day, which is the reason for offering the only 2-day tour of Olympic National Park from Seattle. Unlike single-day tours, this tour includes a visit to the legendary Hoh Rain Forest and spectacular Pacific coast beaches.
The relative isolation of the park has also led to an incredible diversity of wildlife, including the largest known population of Roosevelt Elk (the largest subspecies of Elk) in the world and Olympic Marmots, which are endemic to only the Olympic Peninsula.
Crossing the Puget Sound via ferry (included), you can soak up amazing views of both the Seattle skyline and the Olympic Peninsula.
Lodging is included in the charming small town of Forks, WA whose claims to fame include being the rainiest town in the contiguous United States and the setting for Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series.
Considerations
- Our buses have limited space for luggage, so please bring no more than you need (one carry-on-sized bag maximum) for an overnight trip. Most hotels will store luggage for you, so please take advantage of this service (if your hotel can’t accommodate luggage storage the Luggage Hero App has options in Seattle for less than $10/day)
- While we strive to make our tours accessible to people of all ability levels, keep in mind that these tours will include multiple stops which require over a mile of walking to enjoy the full experience. Although hiking is never required (and the trails are not strenuous), please keep in mind that this is the most active tour we offer, and if you have concerns, one of our other tours may be a better fit for you.
- Pickups commence prior to the tour’s departure time. You should receive an updated email confirmation that includes your meeting location pickup time in the Pickup Location section. If your confirmation doesn’t include a meeting location, contact our office immediately to confirm your pickup time.
- Please allow up to 5 minutes for your driver to pick you up from your scheduled pickup time.
- Please note that traffic and weather conditions can affect the routes for this tour. Traffic can be a challenge in Seattle, especially from 3pm-7pm.
- Gratuities are optional and not included in the price of your tour. If you feel your Tour Guide has provided an exceptional experience, gratuities are encouraged—and welcomed—at the end of the trip.
Olympic National Park Tours FAQ
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Although we don’t offer direct hotel pickups for this tour, we have 3 convenient pickup locations within a short walk of most downtown hotels:
- Seattle Public Library: 1000 4th Ave Seattle, WA (Pickup is 25 minutes before tour start time)
- Midtown: 1900 4th Ave Seattle, WA in front of the Urban Yoga Spa (Pickup is 15 minutes before tour start time)
- MoPop Pickup: 325 5th Ave N Seattle, WA (Pickup is 5 minutes before tour start time)
Plan to arrive at your meeting location 5 minutes before the scheduled pickup time. You’ll want to be on the lookout for a white mini-coach that says Tours Northwest.
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Downtown Seattle has such unpredictable and dynamic traffic conditions that offering hotel pickups on our standard tours (with up to 20 people who could all be staying at different hotels) would take valuable time away from the time we have for the tour. We have 3 departure points, each very centrally located and very simple to get to, which makes it easier for everyone and means that we don’t waste any precious tour time doing multiple pickups around Seattle, one of which is likely just a few minutes walk from your hotel. Feel free to contact us directly if you need further guidance on which pickup location is best for you, and if you haven’t yet chosen your accommodations, you can always let us know later.
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The Luggage Hero App has locations in Seattle where you can store your luggage for less than $10/day.
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The easiest option is to take an Uber, Lyft, or taxi to your pickup location (Seattle Public Library – 4th Ave is the furthest south, so closest to SeaTac).
Another less expensive option is to take the Link light rail from the Airport or Angle Lake station towards the University of Washington Station and exit at the Westlake Stop. When you exit, take the escalator upstairs to get to the street level. Head north on 4th Avenue to our Midtown pickup at 1900 4th Ave Seattle, WA (Pickup is 15 minutes before tour start time)
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If you’re driving into town to meet up with a tour, we recommend meeting us at our MoPOP pickup location and parking near here. Next to this pickup location is the Republic Parking (Memorial Stadium Lot) located on 401 5th Ave N, Seattle WA 9109 is right next to our MoPop pickup (they offer a $10 all-day rate if you’re in before 9am)
Other options include:
Pacific Place Garage located at 600 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101 is two blocks from our Midtown pickup at 1900 4th Ave Seattle, WA, and has lower hourly rates than most downtown garages
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All availability on our website is live and up to date – you’ll get instant confirmation after booking. Booking on our website also opens a direct line of communication so we can let you know about any important information or changes regarding your tour. Booking direct cuts out the middle man, which means we can spend more money on making your experience perfect while keeping our prices as low as possible for you. We guarantee to offer the lowest prices directly – if you find a tour operated by us anywhere else advertised for cheaper – we will refund the difference.
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All of our tour buses are white and marked with Tours Northwest on the front or side. Our drivers should be wearing a yellow shirt or jacket that says Tours Northwest and will be looking for you by name.
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If you book directly on our website or over the phone, a printed voucher or confirmation will not be needed. Our tour guides will check you in by name prior to boarding the bus.
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None of our mini-coaches are equipped with bathrooms, but our guides make every effort to provide opportunities for a public restroom every 60-90 minutes during our tours.
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It may be possible to accommodate a folding wheelchair and small luggage (one carry-on-sized bag per person maximum), but we have limited storage space, so please get in touch with your requirements before booking so that we can advise accordingly. Most hotels will be able to store the rest of your luggage for you while you’re away. Please note many of the paths we will be on during this tour are not wheelchair accessible.
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We do not have a wheelchair accesible bus available for this tour. If you will only have a folding wheelchair, it can be stored on any of our buses with advanced notice.
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Please dress for comfort and the weather. Comfortable shoes (ideally hiking boots with good traction and water resistance) will make a huge difference in your enjoyment of the tour.
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If only we knew… the weather at Hurricane Ridge tends to be very unpredictable (even from one hour to the next). In general, prepare for cooler temperatures at higher elevations and the possibility of rain (or snow for many months). During July and August, it may also be hot and sunny (although there may still be considerable snow on the ground), so you may want to bring sunscreen.
Remember, as the name implies, the Hoh is a rain forest, so plan for at least the possibility of precipitation even during times when Seattle is dry.
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Food options in the park are extremely limited, but that is why we stop at a grocery store on our way out there. You will have the opportunity to purchase whatever you would like for lunch (as well as breakfast/lunch for day 2), and we’ll provide a cooler with ice packs that you can store it all in.
The town of Forks (where we’re spending the night) has several restaurant options, including a couple of pizza places that deliver if you don’t feel like leaving your motel room. Each room also has a microwave and mini-refrigerator, which might be a good option if you have dietary restrictions.
Of course, if you prefer to bring food from elsewhere, you’re welcome to use our cooler and ice pack from the beginning of the tour as well.
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Unfortunately, we cannot wait for more than a minute or two past the pickup time at any of our pickup locations. Please contact our office at 206-768-1234 as soon as you are aware you’ll be running late to discuss your options. There are no refunds available if you are not at your designated pickup location at the pickup time.
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We understand that sometimes plans change or things come up. We offer full refunds on all cancellations at least 48 hours in advance of this tour’s start time (this is the refund policy of our partner motel). There are no refunds in the 48 hours leading up to the tour.