The best trip within about five hours of Seattle for each of the next 6 weekends, chosen for kids under 6. Every event links to the official page we checked it on. After the weekends there are 4 day trips that work any weekend.
6 weekends
1 cityLast checked against official pages. How we choose
Each ring is one hour of driving from Seattle. Under two hours is an easy day trip; past three, pack the pajamas.
Orange dots are picks on this page. Drive times are normal driving times without traffic.
We don't post event listings for these places, so check the official page for hours and what's on. The numbers match the map.
A Bavarian-style village in the Cascades, known for its Village of Lights.
Paradise is known for its wildflower meadows and gets about 640 inches of snow in an average year.
Port Angeles is home to Olympic National Park's headquarters, and the park has temperate rain forests and over 70 miles of wild coastline.
A beach town known for Haystack Rock and its tidepools.
We couldn't verify a dated event within a few hours of Seattle that's worth the trip this weekend. The day trips below work any weekend, and this week in Seattle has the local list.
We couldn't verify a dated event within a few hours of Seattle that's worth the trip this weekend. The day trips below work any weekend, and this week in Seattle has the local list.
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Seattle is our pick for the whole region this weekend. WildLanterns at Woodland Park Zoo, 4 to 9pm with last entry at 8:30. Tickets are dated, so pick your night before you drive over.
Opens 11/13; runs through 01/17. Low Sensory Nights are Nov 15, Dec 1 and Jan 10.
Fri Nov 13 · 4–9pm (last entry 8:30pm)Woodland Park Zoo
Dated tickets; price on the ticket page
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Seattle is our pick for the whole region this weekend. Santa is at the Seattle Christmas Market in Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center. Weekend hours run from 11:30am, so you can go before nap.
Opens 11/20; runs through 12/24.
Fri Nov 20 · Weekdays 4–9pm and weekends 11:30am–9pm through Dec 13; Dec 24 10am–7pmSeattle Center, Fisher PavilionMarket ticket required; price on the ticket page0 min
Seattle is our pick for the whole region this weekend. The Winterfest train and village at the Seattle Center Armory is free, 10am to 6pm, and Snowflake Lane runs in Bellevue at 7pm.
Opens 11/27; runs through 12/23. Kids on 2pm sailings get cookies with Santa. Every sailing has a choir and Santa reading ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Fri Nov 27 · 2pm sailingsArgosy Cruises Christmas ShipCruise ticket; price on the booking pageOpens 11/27; runs through 12/24. A free holiday show on Bellevue Way every night at 7. On Friday through Sunday, get there about an hour early.
Fri Nov 27 · 7pm (about 25 minutes)Bellevue Way between NE 4th and NE 8th
Free; parking is free in Bellevue Collection garagesOpens 11/27; runs through 12/31. A model train and holiday village inside the Armory. Kids can take a turn running the train between 10:30am and 5:30pm.
Fri Nov 27 · 10am–6pmSeattle Center ArmoryFree; donations accepted0 min
Seattle is our pick for the whole region this weekend. Seattle Center's Winterfest Winter Train and Village is free and open 10 a.m.–6 p.m., a daytime outing that fits around naps.
Opens 11/27; runs through 12/31. A model train and holiday village inside the Armory. Kids can take a turn running the train between 10:30am and 5:30pm.
Fri Dec 4, Sat Dec 5, Sun Dec 6 · 10am–6pmSeattle Center ArmoryFree; donations acceptedPlaces outside the city that are worth the drive on any weekend. Hours and prices are what the official pages showed when we checked.
A 270-foot waterfall a short walk from the parking lot. The upper viewing deck is about 200 feet from the paid lot and is wheelchair accessible, and there are picnic tables nearby.
about 45 min from Seattle · Snoqualmie
Sunrise to sunset every dayFree to visit; parking is free across the street or $7 an hour in the paid lotHands-on play spaces for kids from birth to 12 in downtown Tacoma. Strollers and food stay out of the galleries, but there are free lockers and a lobby space for snacks.
about 45 min from Seattle · TacomaFri–Sun 10am–5pmPay as you will (donation only)The only combined zoo and aquarium in the Pacific Northwest, inside Point Defiance Park. Thomas Dambo's giant troll sculptures are on the grounds through January 24 with regular admission, and Zoolights starts November 27.
about 1 hr from Seattle · TacomaThu–Mon 9am–3:30pm through Dec 20 (closed Tue–Wed and Thanksgiving); Zoolights 4:30–10pm nightly from Nov 27Daytime tickets online; prices on the zoo's ticket pageA wildlife park in the woods with the Kids' Trek nature playground and guided tours through the free-roaming area, where bison, mountain goats and caribou wander.
about 1 hr 15 min from Seattle · EatonvilleThu–Mon 9:30am–3pm through Dec 23 (closed Tue–Wed, open Nov 11, closed Thanksgiving)Prices on the park's ticket page
Car snacksPack more than you think you’ll need.
StrollerZoo paths and light trails are long for little legs.
Time the napLeave right before nap so the drive does double duty.
Overnight bagPast three hours, pajamas beat a 9pm drive home.
Parking cashFree admission days often still charge for parking.
Rain planPick one indoor backup, like a museum, before you leave.None of our other cities are close enough for a weekend pick yet, so start with a day trip: Snoqualmie Falls in Snoqualmie (about 45 min), Children's Museum of Tacoma in Tacoma (about 45 min), Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma (about 1 hr), Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville (about 1 hr 15 min).
Portland (about 3 hr 30 min). Times are normal driving times without traffic.
Leavenworth (about 2 hr 45 min), Mount Rainier National Park (about 2 hr 45 min), Olympic National Park (about 3 hr 15 min), Cannon Beach (about 4 hr 30 min). We don't post event listings for these, so check the official page for what's open before you go.
Sometimes one city really does have the most going on two weekends in a row, like a holiday lights opening followed by a show. We don't rotate cities just for variety.
They're what each official page showed on Oct 29, 2026. Tap through to the official page before you go.