Let us take you on a path of discovery!  You'll travel in our brand new, custom ordered 2011 "Shutter Bus", equipped for your comfort with air conditioning, large tinted windows, high back reclining seats, map pockets and seat belts. Each tour has a separate driver and tour guide for your added safety. Our drivers concentrate on the road and our tour guides are able to give you their full attention, whether you are a photographer or just sightseeing for the day. 

Your first experience in the Cascade foothills will include a train museum with full-size trains, Snoqualmie Falls and the town of Snoqualmie, the real "Twin Peaks" of the Pacific Northwest. 

Breaking for lunch, you'll then enjoy a meal with food sourced earlier in the morning  from the world Famous Pike Place market with a menu that is sure to delight. A menu which includes Beechers Cheeses, Pure Foods Markets Smoked Salmon, Sandwiches from La Panier Bakery, Chukar Cheeries and seasonal foods. 

Our next stop is the beautiful Japanese Gardens located at the Washington Park Arboretum.   A 3 1/2 acre formal garden designed and constructed under the supervision of world-renowned Japanese garden designer Juki Iida.

Next stopping points are the Fremont Troll, Ballard Locks, the picturesque viewpoint at Kerry Park and the Pike Place Market. 

With many sights in-between you are sure to thoroughly experience Seattle and all the beauty and culture the city has to offer.

Note: Pricing is as follows

Adult $99+ tax

Senior 55+ $79+ tax

Child under 12 $59+ tax

For booking of four or more people, by entering 4 in the quantity field, a 15% discount will be automatically applied. 

Please contact us at 425-516-8838 if a day/time you want to book the tour is unavailable.

Refund Policy: Refundable up to 48 hours before tour starting time.

Additional Information

A few reminders before you arrive. 

Meet your tour guide at the Pike Place Market Information booth no later than 10 AM located on 1st and Pike Street. This is close to the sign that says "Public Market Center" with the large clock. You will see a large brass pig (Rachel) beneath this location, follow the brass hoof prints to the information booth towards 1st Avenue.

Tipping if you are satisfied with the quality of the tour is always appreciated.

Join us on Facebook

Make sure your batteries are completely charged and if possible, bring spares. 

Make sure you have enough memory chips if you shoot digital. 

Please dress accordingly based on the weather conditions.

Make sure you bring good walking shoes.  It's a leisurely walk while you are out of the bus, but we want you to be comfortable while on your feet.

Please arrive at the Pike Place Market information booth, 10-15 minutes before our 10 am departure or contact us for your hotel pickup. (Please allow 20-30 minutes additional travel time for hotel pickups and drop offs)

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us at 206-504-2128. 

Our adventure starts at the world famous Pike Place Market where earlier in the day your guides have gathered the finest ingredients for your lunch. Your gourmet picnic will include Alaska Smoked Salmon, Beecher's Cheeses, Chukar Cherries and more. Your journey goes through downtown Seattle where we take you through the historical district of Pioneer Square, location of the original Skid Row. Passing the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariner Stadiums, we share with you some of the history of the area as our journey takes us onto the second longest floating bridge on earth.  

Your first experience in the Cascade foothills will include a train museum and the town of Snoqualmie, the real "Twin Peaks" of the Pacific Northwest. At the historic Snoqualmie train depot you will get close to many full-size antique railcars and locomotives. 

Snoqulamie Falls is next with its picturesque viewpoint and world famous Salish Lodge. Here you'll relax for lunch and enjoy the Cascade foothills allowing time to share images with your fellow traveller and have the opportunity to work on your food photography at the same time. 

We then wind our way back towards the city though Microsoft country, taking the earth's longest floating bridge to our next destination, the beautiful Japanese Gardens located at the Washington Park Arboretum. Time spent here will allow you to work on your landscape images, closeup shots and the opportunity to have a bit of quite reflecting time should you wish to put down your camera.

We continue back into the city and our search for the 18 foot high troll, clutching a full-size Volkswagen in one hand, who lives under the bridge. Here we'll share with you fun portrait ideas to take while you marvel at this oddity. 

Ballard Locks beckon with its complex engineering and the ability to see the maritime traffic as they go throughout the locks system. Put in place to keep the waters of Lake Union from spilling into the Puget Sound, 22 feet below, they provide a vital link for recreational and commercial boats to navigate between both bodies of water.     

We'll also enjoy the fish ladder and share with you ideas on how to take photos of the wild salmon as they migrate through the ladder system.

Our second to last stop takes us to one of the most postcard perfect picture locations in all of Seattle, Kerry Park. This will be another great opportunity to get some wonderful images of the city, Space Needle, Mt Rainier and the Puget Sound.  

We then end our tour at the Pike Place Market where you can explore the market on your own or continue with us to your hotel. 

Things To Bring

A few reminders before you arrive. 

Tipping if you are satisfied with the quality of the tour is always appreciated.

Join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Shuttertours

Make sure your batteries are completely charged and if possible, bring spares. 

Make sure you have enough memory chips if you shoot digital. 

Please dress accordingly based on the weather conditions.

Make sure you bring good walking shoes.  It's a leisurely walk, but we want you to be comfortable while on your feet.

Please contact us at 206-504-2128 to schedule your hotel pickup in the downtown Seattle area. Airport and Eastside hotel pickups are not available. Allow an additional 20-30 minutes of travel time each way for hotel pickups and drop offs.  If you do not need a hotel pickup, arrive 10-15 minutes early to meet your tour guide at the Pike Place Market information booth at 10 AM. The information booth is located on the Southwest corner of 1st and Pike in close proximity to the large market clock.

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us at 206-504-2128. 

Inclusions

A light lunch sourced from the Pike Place Market will be included.

All entrance fees are included in the tour price.

For your convenience we also provide the following:
Bottled water
Binoculars
Umbrellas
Tripods
First aid kit
and many more items.

Exclusions

Camera's are not included on this tour. Wheelchairs are not allowed and the bus is non smoking

Cancellation Policy

Refundable up to 48 hours before tour starting time. We understand how difficult it is to make travel arrangements. Many tour companies will contact you the day of the tour and cancel because they have not sold enough tickets. Our policy is once a tour is booked we will fulfill our obligation to you so that you may enjoy the tour you have paid for despite the number of tickets sold. In the event of one or two people being on the tour we reserve the right to use a more fuel efficient form of transportation such as our SUV instead of our bus, for environmental impact reasons.

Departs

10 AM Daily May-October

Pickup/Departure

Please contact us at 206-504-2128 to schedule your hotel pickup in the downtown Seattle area. Airport and Eastside hotel pickups are not available. Allow an additional 20-30 minutes of travel time each way for hotel pickups and drop offs.

Meet your tour guide at the Pike Place Market Information booth no later than 10 AM located on 1st and Pike Street. This is close to the sign that says "Public Market Center" with the large clock. You will see a large brass pig (Rachel) beneath this location, follow the brass hoof prints to the information booth towards 1st Avenue.

Drop-Off

Our final stop is the Pike Place Market where you can explore the market on your own or have us take you back to your downtown hotel.

Additional Locations