Seatac Co
Things to do in Seattle

Alki Beach

Two and a half miles of sand and promenade on Elliott Bay, with the downtown skyline across the water, the Olympics to the west and the spot where Seattle's first settlers landed in 1851.

Get a ride therePlan a Seattle trip with itTours nearby
Illustration of the Seattle skyline and Space Needle with a ferry on Elliott Bay and Mount Rainier

The useful answer

Should this fit your day?

Best for
Anyone who wants a real Seattle beach and the skyline view in one stop, families, cyclists and skaters, and travelers with a free afternoon near the airport.
Time to protect
Allow two to three hours for a walk along the beach, a meal on Alki Avenue and time on the sand; add the water taxi each way and make it a half day.
Cruise-day fit
Alki faces downtown across Elliott Bay. From Pier 66, walk south along the waterfront to Pier 50 and take the water taxi over, or take a direct ride around by road; from Pier 91 it's a ride across the city. Drop your luggage first, since the beach and the boat are no place for cruise bags.
From the terminals
Pier 66 and Pier 50 are on the same downtown waterfront, about a mile apart, so the water taxi is the easy link. Pier 91 is at Smith Cove in Magnolia and no public transit serves it, so plan a ride.
Before a flight
West Seattle is one of the closer parts of the city to SEA: about 16 miles, roughly 25 to 35 minutes by car without heavy traffic. That makes Alki a good arrival-day stop, as long as you leave a generous buffer for the drive back before a flight.

Which end of Alki to start at

The beach is long, so tell your driver which end you want, or walk it end to end.

  1. Duwamish Head, for the skyline

    The north end looks straight across Elliott Bay at downtown. It's the classic photo, and the closest end to the water taxi dock at Seacrest Park.

  2. The middle, for the sand

    The wide beach along Alki Avenue SW has the volleyball courts, the summer fire pits and places to eat across the road.

  3. Alki Point, for history and tide pools

    The settlers' monument, the Statue of Liberty replica, the Bathhouse and the rocky shore of Constellation Park are toward the western end. Come at a low tide.

Take the water taxi over instead →

What to know before you go

  1. 01

    Alki Beach Park runs about 2.5 miles along Elliott Bay, from Duwamish Head to 64th Place SW. It's a city park and free, with a widened path for walking, running, skating and cycling, and plenty of street parking along Alki Avenue SW.

  2. 02

    The views are the reason to come: the downtown skyline across the bay from the Duwamish Head end, and Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains and passing ferries and sailboats from the beach itself.

  3. 03

    Seattle started here. A monument near Alki Point marks where the first white settlers landed on November 13, 1851, on a cold, stormy day; Chief Seattle and his people greeted them and helped them build a cabin.

  4. 04

    Look for the small replica of the Statue of Liberty, a 1952 gift from Reginald H. Parsons and Seattle's Boy Scouts, which became a place of remembrance after 9/11. A marker installed in 1973 remembers the 45 people lost when the steamer Dix sank off Duwamish Head in 1906.

  5. 05

    Alki was Seattle's playground early on: streetcars reached the beach in 1902, the Luna Park amusement park stood on pilings at Duwamish Head from 1907, and in 1910 this became the first city-owned saltwater beach on the West Coast.

  6. 06

    The water stays cold, between about 46 and 56 degrees depending on the season. At a minus tide a wide stretch of sand opens up, and the rocky shore at Constellation Park, by Alki Point, is the place to look in the tide pools.

  7. 07

    At the Alki Point end there are picnic tables, a restroom and the Alki Bathhouse, which now houses an art studio. Beach volleyball courts and fire pits are along the sand.

  8. 08

    The fire pits open in summer, from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, first come, first served, unless there's a burn ban. Burn only firewood, only in the pits, and put your fire out with water before you leave.

  9. 09

    No car? From SEA, ride the 1 Line to SODO Station and take Metro route 50 west to Alki. Or take the King County Water Taxi from Pier 50 downtown and the 775 shuttle from the dock to the beach.

Fire pit dates, burn bans and park rules change from year to year. Check the Seattle Parks page before you go, and King County's page for the water taxi schedule.

Tours and activities

Tours that visit Alki Beach

Entry itself is free. These well-reviewed tours include it, with current prices. Check a date to see open start times, then book with Viator.

Tours are sold and run through Viator; booking opens viator.com in a new tab, and Viator confirms the final price and time. Seatac Co may earn a commission.

Free to visit, with tours nearby

There's no ticket for Alki Beach: just go. If you'd like a guide, a harbor cruise or another stop the same day, start here.

  • Seattle tours and tickets

    Guided tours, attraction tickets and day trips around Seattle, including options near Alki Beach.

    See tours and tickets

Opens a booking partner in a new tab; Seatac Co may earn a commission. For current notices, see the Seattle Parks Alki Beach Park page.

Get a ride there

Drop-off: Alki Beach, Alki Beach Park

Map of the drive from Seatac Airport to Alki Beach: 16.4 miles, about 35 minutes
16.4 mi · about 35 min from the airportOpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap

Starting from

Your fare is worked out for the exact trip on the next step, before you pay. Want the car to wait while you visit? Book by the hour.

Cruise day: Alki Beach between the ship and your flight

Off the ship with a few hours before your flight? Book the ride from the pier and the ride on to the airport now, so each driver knows where you are going.

  1. Step 1

    Ride from the pier

    Pier 66 and Pier 50 are on the same downtown waterfront, about a mile apart, so the water taxi is the easy link. Pier 91 is at Smith Cove in Magnolia and no public transit serves it, so plan a ride.

    From Pier 66From Pier 91

  2. Step 2

    Visit Alki Beach

    Allow two to three hours for a walk along the beach, a meal on Alki Avenue and time on the sand; add the water taxi each way and make it a half day.

    Tours nearby

  3. Step 3

    Ride on to Seatac Airport

    West Seattle is one of the closer parts of the city to SEA: about 16 miles, roughly 25 to 35 minutes by car without heavy traffic. That makes Alki a good arrival-day stop, as long as you leave a generous buffer for the drive back before a flight.

    Alki Beach to the airport

Big bags

  • Pier 66: Same-day bag storage is available. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.
  • Pier 91: Same-day bag storage in the Crew Center, north of the Ground Transportation Center. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.

Stored bags mean a stop back at the pier before the airport. To keep them with you instead, book a car by the hour and the driver waits with your luggage.

Planning the whole cruise trip? Keep Alki Beach on it with the rides around it.

Plan the whole cruise trip

Not sure which pier? Find your ship and pier or compare Pier 66 and Pier 91.

Next stop nearby