Discover Bellevue | Sightseeing & Recreation
There are so many things to do in and around Bellevue that it really comes down to how much time you have and whether your desire for adventure tends more toward the urban or the pursuit of nature. It might also depend on whether you have a few minutes or a few hours. This page provides you some ideas or you can download the Bellevue Adventure Guide for more details.
Urban attractions
Bellevue Downtown Park
A 20 minute walk west and south from Meydenbauer Center to the Bellevue Downtown Park. Window shop on your way to the park and enjoy a stroll in the park loop, with fountains, trees, and plenty to see. The park loop is a 1/2 mile long promenade, bordered by a row of shade trees and a canal that cascades into a reflecting pond.
Shopping: The Bravern
The Shops at the Bravern is a vibrant outdoor village that invites endless discovery. Explore the region's only Neiman Marcus and iconic fasion brands at first-in-the-Northwest boutiques. Savor award-winning cuisine by celebrated chefs. Or just connect with friends around one of the outdoor fireplaces
Shopping: Bellevue Collection
Discover non-stop shopping at more than 200 stores at the Bellevue Collection. Including renowned stores like Nordstrom, Crate and Barrel, Macy's and Tiffany & Co as well as dozens of unique shops, dining and nightlife options.
Shopping: Old Bellevue
The Old Bellevue area along Main Street is home to upscale boutiques and gift shops, restaurants and deli's. Main street is just one block south of the Downtown Park. At the west end of the street you can take a peek at Meydenbauer Bay on Lake Washington.
Bellevue Arts Museum
A 12 minute walk from Meydenbauer Center along the pedestrian corridor, next to the Westin Hotel and on your way to Bellevue Square. The Bellevue Arts Museum is the Pacific Northwest's center for the exploration of art, craft and design through exhibitions, educational programs and partnerships, emphasizing the work of regional artists. Closed on Monday's.
Bellevue Regional Library
A 5 minute walk north along 110th Ave NE. The Bellevue Regional Library is the largest library in the King County Library System (KCLS). The library has more than 325,000 volumes in its collection with materials in print and electronic formats. The library is a regional reference center for KCLS and houses the most comprehensive and sophisticated reference collection in the system.
The Bellevue Transit Center
Located between 110th Ave NE and 108th Ave NE on NE 6th Street. Exit Meydenbauer Center and go west (turn right out of the building on NE 6th Street). Walk up the hill one block to the Transit Center. Information kiosks and route information are available at the center or by visiting Bellevue Transit Center MetroOnline. From the Transit Center you can catch a bus to almost anywhere you want to go in the Puget Sound area.
Explore Bellevue in a few minutes or a few hours
I've got 30 minutes. Where can I go? What can you do in and around Bellevue when you only have a 30 minute break? An hour? A whole day? Here are some great ideas to help you get started.
- Walk across the street to admire the public art at the Bellevue City Hall. City Hall visitors will experience something unique-major works by three Pacific Northwest artists helping to transform the building into a cultural legacy for the community. Their artworks celebrate the history, culture, and people of Bellevue, creating a pathway from the city's past to its future. Download a brochure describing the city hall art.
- Walk up NE 6th Street to 108th avenue and grab a cup of coffee at any of the several coffee shops and deli's on the corner.
- Walk down 6th Avenue to Barnes & Noble for a quiet moment with a book
- Window shop at the Bellevue Collection—The Bellevue Collection. (Bellevue Square, Lincoln Square and Bellevue Place)
- Visit the latest exhibits at the Bellevue Arts Museum. Bellevue Arts Museum is the Pacific Northwest's center for the exploration of art, craft and design through exhibitions, educational programs and partnerships, emphasizing the work of regional artists
- Shop the northwest's best resort shopping and dining destination — The Bellevue Collection. (Bellevue Square, Lincoln Square and Bellevue Place)
- Board the beautiful Argosy ship for a breathtaking Lake Washington Cruise. Adult tickets are about $26
- Spend more time shopping at Bellevue Square
- Bellevue is home to one of the best golf courses in the country at the Golf Club at Newcastle offering panoramic views of Mt. Rainer, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains and Lake Washington
- Visit Woodinville Wine Country. Woodinville is home to more than 20 wineries, including pioneers Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery, and smaller boutique wineries, such as the Betz Family Wineries, Januik Winery and Woodhouse Family Cellars.
- Take a short drive to Snoqualmie Falls. Snoqualmie Falls is one of Washington state's most popular scenic attractions. More than 1.5 million visitors visit the Falls every year. At the Falls, you will find a two-acre park, hiking trail, observation deck, gift shop, and the breathtaking 270 foot waterfall.
- Take a cab ride or bus the nine miles to Seattle where you can see and do some of the area's must-do activities
- Visit the Space Needle and ride 520 feet up to see the awesome view of the city
- Experience Pike Place Market. Born in 1907, Seattle's Pike Place Market is the granddaddy of farmers' markets. Today, it's a major tourist attraction with 200 businesses operating year-round, 190 craftspeople and 120 farmer booths — plus street performers and musicians. Flowers by the bucketful, flying fish, fresh pastries and fruit, handmade cheeses, local honey, wine, an assortment of restaurants, and lots of surprises are around every corner.
- Enjoy the the Olympic Sculpture Park on the shores of Puget Sound
- Stroll around the Seattle Art Museum
- Take a quick cab to Pioneer Square to learn about Seattle's history through Bill Speidel's Underground Tour
- Watch animals frolic at the Woodland Park Zoo
- Stroll along Seattle's Waterfront, see some unusual sights at Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe and have a delicious seafood lunch at one of the many restaurants
- Catch a Washington State Ferry for a round trip ride to Bainbridge Island or Bremerton. Enjoy spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline. Take a 35 minute ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. Stroll along the shops and dine in one of the many eateries. Plan your return to Seattle at sunset to see a breathtaking view of the city skyline from the ferry.
- Ride the Argosy boat from the Seattle Waterfront to Blake Island to visit Tillicum Village. The Tillicum Village tour includes a boat cruise, salmon buffet dinner, and a Northwest Coast Native American dance performance.
- Hit the slopes and spend a day skiing at some of the nearby mountains. The Cascade Mountain ski slopes, including Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass offer day and night skiing November through mid-April. Snoqualmie Pass is just a 60 minutes drive from Bellevue.
- Create your own adventure in one of Washington's national parks. Seattle lies within a couple of hours of three spectacular national parks. Mt. Rainier is just a two hour drive south of Seattle and features the highest peak in the Northwest at an elevation of 14,411 feet. Gray Line Sightseeing offers a guided day tour to the visitor center located at Paradise. Olympic National Park, on the Olympic Peninsula west of Seattle, features the only temperate rain forests in the lower 48 states; the park also features 8,000foot mountains and wild ocean beaches. North Cascades National Park, north of Seattle, boasts a necklace of turquoise glacier-fed lakes with a backdrop of jagged mountains and a scenic highway (Cascade Loop) which runs from beach to mountains to eastern Washington's semi-arid plateaus.
- Take a scenic trip to Mt. St. Helens. May 18th marks the anniversary of this volcano's fiery eruption in 1980. Today visitor and interpretive centers explain dramatic geologic and human stories and their legacies. Flightseeing tours are also available
- See Seattle from a new angle — 1,000 feet up. Daily scenic flights by seaplane from Lake Union carry you past the Space Needle, the downtown waterfront, Green Lake and more, via Kenmore Air
- Visit Canada's most English city, Victoria. Travel by the Victoria Clipper catamaran, seaplane or car ferry through the San Juan Islands. Overnight packages are available through Victoria Clipper and Gray Line of Seattle
- Discover Vancouver, B.C. This dynamic metropolis on Canada's West Coast boasts world-class shopping, dining and culture. Get there by car (2 1/2 hours) or by rail via the Amtrak Cascades (3 1/2 hours)
- Tour the Washington Wine Country. The Yakima and Columbia Valleys, three hours east of Seattle, offer a growing number of internationally acclaimed wines from vineyards, which offer tours and tastings.
Nature
Winter Sports
Skiing is close at hand at several different Cascade Mountain resorts including, Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass and The Summit at Snoqualmie. Snoqualmie Pass is just 60 minutes from Bellevue on I-90.
Hiking and sightseeing
Take a short drive to Snoqualmie Falls. Snoqualmie Falls is one of Washington state's most popular scenic attractions. More than 1.5 million visitors come to the Falls every year. At the Falls, you will find a two-acre park, hiking trail, observation deck, gift shop, and the famous 270 foot waterfall. 
The Washington Trails Association provides information to help hikers explore the wildernesssurrounding us.
