Make yourself at home in a rented RV and use it as a base of operations to explore Seattle and the surrounding areas. This city is one of America’s most unique cultural gemstones with a vibe all its own. You can see professional sports, immerse yourself in local arts and entertainment, and enjoy a wide variety of eating experiences.
You can find an RV that is just the right size for your travel group and have the freedom to choose where you set it up at night. Find a campground while staying close to the city, or go boondocking out in the wilderness to be closer to nature. Wherever you park your RV, it’s your place to sleep comfortably, cook your own meals, and spend time with those traveling with you.
Search RV rentals in the Seattle area.
Preparing for Your Seattle RV Trip
You can pick from hundreds of different vehicles when finding a rental RV in Seattle. Many of them are within the city limits, but you’ll find plenty more within a short radius outside. If you have a vehicle capable of towing an RV and want to use it, choose a towable or fifth wheel. Your other option is the simplicity of a drivable home in the form of a Class A, B or C RV with plenty of luxury and size.
The distinct nature of RVing warrants learning the ins and outs in advance of your vacation planning:
• Determine what size RV you need
• Master the RV renting process
• Your post-booking checklist
• Make your packing list
Since we offer lists of great RV parks, we can help you find the perfect campground in Seattle. Vasa Park Resort has fully paved campsites suitable for RVs of all sizes looking for full hookups. Bordering scenic Lake Sammamish, this resort has a boat launch, waterslides and lifeguards on duty. Manchester State Park is less than 11 miles from Seattle, where its 128 acres of land includes 3,400 feet of Puget Sound shoreline, ocean views and military history.
Find other campground options in our comprehensive list of top-rated campgrounds in Seattle.
Day 1: Savor the Seattle Experience
Morning: Visit the Underground
The Great Seattle Fire of 1889 destroyed much of the city, but a portion of downtown’s storefronts, basements and sidewalks were preserved and buried underneath what was rebuilt. You can take a tour that takes you through the catacombs of the Emerald City and find out why so many Seattle sidewalks have purple glass squares embedded into them.
Lunch: Worth the Ferry Ride
Locals happily take a ferry to Vashon Island for Thai food at May Kitchen + Bar. Owner May Chaleoy serves Thai classics with intriguing twists, such as pad thai with banana blossom and turnips or tom yum soup featuring oyster mushrooms.
Afternoon: The Landmark Seattle Is Known For
The Space Needle dates to the 1962 World’s Fair as a testament to human creativity and ingenuity. At the top, the 520-foot saucer gives you 360-degree views of Seattle, Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, and the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges.
Setting Up Camp
Unless you want to risk driving around and using travel time to find an open campsite, you should make a reservation at one of Seattle’s RV campgrounds for a spot with enough room and hookups for your RV. Confirm the reservation at the check-in office before driving to your assigned spot. Once you park your RV, level it; attach the hookups you need; and spread out your grill, mat, and outdoor furniture if you brought any. If you want to skip a lot of these steps, search for an RV the owners can deliver straight to the campsite for you.
Dinner: Get Cozy
If your campsite permits a fire, build one and make food over it. Open-flame cooking tastes excellent, or you can save the fire for melting marshmallows for dessert. Your RV might have food storage and prep options to make a complete meal indoors if you want some privacy or the weather isn’t cooperative.
Day 2: Witness the Wonder of Nature
Morning: Go Whale Watching
The whales you might see vary based on the time of year. Humpback whales are easier to spot when you’re on a fast, quiet boat crossing the Salish Sea, and gray whales stop for shrimp in Puget Sound during their annual migration from Baja to Alaska.
Lunch: An Olympic View
Golden Gardens has picnic tables available, or you can spread out your blanket on the grassy lawns or sandy beach. Watch trains go by as kids burn off energy on the playground, and make sure everyone gets a turn with a kite you bring. Take advantage of the Instagram opportunities the Olympics and Puget Sound offer in the background.
Afternoon: Visit Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is the snowcapped peak featured in the background of so many Seattle pictures. This 14,411-foot summit has a national park surrounding it with five developed areas. This is a must-see destination for hiking and wildlife.
Evening: Watch the Sun Set in Style
Riding an ocean sailing yacht is an evening like no other as you see the sun go down and the light shifts over the city skyline, surrounding waters, and mountains in the background. Enjoy the food and beverage served aboard.
Day 3 and Beyond in Seattle
The best road trips take you to places that mesmerize you to the point of sticking around for an extra day or longer. Depending on when that is, there might be events happening for your bonus time, but if all else fails, Seattle has plenty of professional sports teams.
• The Seattle Mariners play professional baseball at T-Mobile Park from late spring until early fall each season.
• The Seattle Seahawks are an NFL team competing at Lumen Field every fall and early winter.
Summer Activities
Seattle’s dry season peaks in July, so summer is a great time to enjoy outdoor activities or nearby national parks. The United Indians’ Seafair Indian Village Powwow brings together many cultures and tribes for an annual gathering, typically on the third weekend each July. Non-natives and Indigenous people unite for dancing, music, culture and vendors. For a taste of Europe, the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire is your chance to see live horseback jousting, improv comedy and musical acts along with shopping, eating and drinking.
Indoor Activities
Seattle gets a lot of rain, so it’s good to know about attractions with indoor activities that can keep everyone dry and entertained on a wet day. At the Volunteer Park Conservatory, you can walk through a tropical setting in a century-old greenhouse that’s keeping a world-class collection of botanical plants vibrant under 3,426 distinct panes of glass. The water tower is worth the hike for the views of the city. If you want something deeper, the Seattle Aquarium has a 360-degree underwater dome inside a 400,000-gallon tank that’s home to hundreds of fish.
Seattle is one of America’s most unique urban environments, but it’s also surrounded by the majestic nature found only in the Pacific Northwest. Your two days here are enough time to explore the city and the surrounding wilderness. You now know many different ideas to fill your two days in Seattle. Finding the right RV rental gives you a great place to relax and rest in between them all.
