The Ultimate San Juan Island Day Trip from Seattle

A San Juan Island day trip from Seattle is an idyllic way to explore the beauty of the Washington coastline. San Juan County has more marine shoreline than any other county in the US, clocking in at a whopping 408 miles. Paired with its mild temperature, San Juan Island is a hot bed of wildlife, particularly the infamous orca whales.

If you want to explore one of the best areas in Washington for water views, nature, and food, San Juan Island is your place. Here is everything you need to know to plan a successful day trip to San Juan Island from Seattle.

The Ultimate San Juan Island Day Trip from Seattle

Save this to Pinterest for later when you’re ready to start planning your trip! Or delegate the trip planning to me and let me create you a custom itinerary.

About San Juan Island

San Juan Island is one of the islands off Seattle about 3.5 hours north of the city. It’s part of the “San Juan Islands” a chain of more than 170 islands in the Salish Sea between Washington state and Vancouver Island. However, only about 20 islands are inhabited and visitors only really frequent three of them: San Juan Island, Orcas Island, and Lopez Island. The rest are privately owned, including the large Shaw Island you may see on the map or ferry route schedule.

Orcas Island is technically the biggest island, but San Juan Island is busier because the local government and more people reside there. The islands are in a rain shadow, which means they’re protected from getting as much rain as Seattle thanks to the mountains to their east and west. The moderate temperature makes it a popular destination year round, particularly for whales and other marine wildlife. You often don’t see it go over the mid 70s in the summer and it rarely snows in winter.

The San Juan Islands have a pretty interesting history.

They became part of the US in 1872 thanks to the infamous “Pig War” dispute with Great Britain. But before that, the land was owned by the Coast Salish community for more than 9,000 years. It wasn’t until Spanish explorers arrived in the area in 1791 that white settlers began taking over the land.

The most ballsy of the claims to ownership came from Great Britain when The Hudson Bay declared they owned San Juan Island around 1850. Americans who gave no effs settled on the island anyway in 1859. That year, American Lyman Cutlar shot one of the British settlers’ pigs that was in his garden.

All hell broke loose and both American and British soldiers set up military camps on San Juan Island. The Americans were along the southern coast at Cattle Point and the British were to the north at Garrison Bay. They mostly gave each other the stink eye for over a decade, as there wasn’t any fighting or casualties.

Finally in 1872, the Americans and British came to an agreement. The result of the “Pig War” was that America got San Juan Island, but maps showing boundary line proposals show that they considered giving San Juan Island to the British. If that would have happened, this island would be Canada today!

How to get to San Juan Island

Since San Juan Island takes about 3.5 hours to get to from Seattle, a day trip requires a commitment to getting up early and coming home late. However, I’ve done a day trip to Portland, which is about the same distance, so it’s definitely doable!

A trip to the San Juan Islands is only possible by boat or plane. Most people make the ~1.5 hour drive from Seattle to Anacortes. From there, they drive right onto a Washington State ferry toward Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. The Anacortes-Friday Harbor route takes about an hour and leaves multiple times throughout the day. You can see which ones via the ferry schedule online.

Reserve your vehicle reservation and buy ferry tickets in advance.

You can reserve your vehicle reservation online, which I highly recommend doing, particularly in summer. You don’t have to pay for a vehicle reservation, but there is a $10 fee for no shows. Make sure to reserve both legs to and from Friday Harbor.

What’s confusing is you have to purchase ferry tickets separately. So after you make your vehicle reservation, purchase your vehicle and passenger tickets online.

Ferry rides cost about $75 per regular-sized vehicle and $15 per adult. The driver is included in the vehicle price, so you only need tickets for other passengers. Kids 18 and under ride free.

You can avoid the vehicle fee by taking your bike for about $20, but San Juan Island is quite large so you have to be a really strong biker or have an electric bike to be able to survive the day.

If you don’t have a car, unfortunately there isn’t any convenient public transportation from Seattle to Anacortes. If you don’t mind multiple transfers between trains and buses, Visit San Juan plots out some routes. However, it’d probably be easier to take a ride share or look into Bellair Charters from SeaTac Airport or downtown Seattle.

Once you get to the Anacortes Ferry Terminal, you can either walk or bike onto the ferry. There is public transportation on the island, but I recommend you rent a car if you don’t have one. It may be worth renting a car on San Juan Island so you can avoid the car fee on the ferry, but rental car rates tend to be more expensive on the island. However, we saw everyone riding in these fun mopeds and convertibles and we were hella jealous!

Another transportation option is taking a plane.

You can book flights directly through Kenmore Air for about $190 each way. The flight is approximately 55 minutes and can be taken on their seaplane from Lake Union or from a regular plane at Boeing Airfield.

Regardless of which route you take, you’ll want to arrive at San Juan Island no later than 10 AM to take advantage of a full day. If you’re driving, you’ll have to leave at around 6 AM from Seattle to make the ferry! If that sounds like torture, you can stay at one of these most unique hotels in Washington that are nearby.

What to do on San Juan Island

From outdoor adventures to eating and shopping, there is so much to do in during your San Juan Island day trip from Seattle!

Whale watching

The San Juan Islands are best known for whale watching. There are ~72 resident Orca whales and even more transient whales year round. This means you are able to see whales anytime of year!

However, summer is the best time to spend a day on San Juan Island for a few reasons. First, the whales are more active because that’s when their food source, salmon, is most active. But it’s also a good idea to go in summer because you can see more types of wildlife that don’t stay in the area year round. For example, the humpback whales migrate to Hawaii in the winter. I see them every year when I go on my 5 day Maui itinerary and they’re absolutely magical.

There are a few different ways to see whales. Taking a boat tour will be your best bet for seeing them, since all the boats talk to each other and move at high speeds to where the whales can be found.

You can also kayak with orcas, which is a fun way to get exercise and enjoy the beautiful island with less people. You can rent kayaks and explore on your own or go on a tour.

However, you’re less likely to see whales this way since all the kayak tours go on a set path and you’re at the expense of the whales happening to be on that path. When I spoke to a whale watching tour operator, they said you’re more than 90% likely to see whales on a boat tour versus about 10% on a kayak tour. However, you have more opportunities for magical, up-close experiences on a kayak.

Your last option for whale watching during your San Juan Island day trip from Seattle is from land.

You can join the San Juan Island Whale Sightings group on Facebook, where locals keep tabs of where the pods can be seen from land. Or visit the place they tend to hang the most: Lime Kiln State Park. It’s known as “Whale Watch Park” and is said to be one of the best places in the world to view whales from the shore.

If you don’t have time to go on a whale watching tour during your trip to the San Juan Islands, you can also visit the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor.

Kayaking

You don’t have to go on a whale watching tour to kayak. You can easily rent them and explore the water on your own during your one day in San Juan Island. If you go out of Roche Harbor on the northern part of the island, make sure to visit Half Moon Bay on Henry Island. It’s the only public park on this privately-owned island and it has beautiful sea glass and rocks ripe for the taking. If you are a jewelry maker or crafty, you will love this stop!

Easy hiking

San Juan Island is perfect for those who like casual day hikes. Most of them are more like walks, offering gorgeous views on mostly flat trails weaving along the coastline. It’s also where you’ll hear the crickets — somehow San Juan Island has the sound of crickets at all times of day!

South Beach

South Beach is my absolutely favorite and is a must do during your day on San Juan Island. It’s on the southern coast of the island about 10 minutes away from Friday Harbor in the San Juan Island National Historical Park at American Camp.

This national historic park actually has two areas: American Camp in the south and English Camp in the north. It was created in 1966 based on the idea that individuals and nations can solve their problems peacefully without resorting to violence. It’s a nod to 1859, when, if you remember, the United States and Great Britain nearly went to war over a pig shot by an American farmer on the island.

The landscape at South Beach is super interesting. It has a lot of dry grass and rusty orange colors most of the year, which you may find red foxes hiding in as they hunt. You’ll find a lot of easy walking trails along the beach and dunes. It’s also the perfect spot for a picnic or bonfire.

Fourth of July Beach

Fourth of July Beach is another option in American Camp for beach lovers. But it’s not as big as South Beach. From here you can take the Old Town Lagoon Beach Walk along the shoreline to the site of the San Juan Village, the island’s first civilian community. Unfortunately it burned down in the 1890s, so no trace remains.

Jakle’s Lagoon

Jakle’s Lagoon is also within American Camp a short drive from South Beach or accessible along the shoreline from Fourth of July Beach. It was named after the Cattle Point lighthouse keeper, George Jakle, and offers a few different short hikes to choose from.

You can take the trail to the left from the parking lot to go through the meadows toward the beach, or take the forest walk to the right that takes you to Mt. Finlayson. Here you’ll get a beautiful view of Cattle Point Lighthouse and expansive views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Cattle Point Lighthouse

Cattle Point Lighthouse is a short drive from both Jakle’s Lagoon and South Beach on the very southernmost tip of the island. It was built in 1935 and sits among a grassy meadow with easy trails filled with birds. It’s not very big, so you can easily walk the trails within a half hour.

Young Hill

Young Hill in English Camp is where you’ll want to go if you like a little bit more exertion. It’s a relatively steep hike that has two different viewpoints offering beautiful views of the Puget Sound and Vancouver Island, Canada. There’s also a cemetery where British soldiers died, though not due to warfare.

This hike is typically 2.2 miles round trip if you park in the main parking lot. However, you can shorten the hike by parking where the trail crosses San Juan Valley Road to shorten it to just 1.2 miles round trip. This is great if you have kids, or if you’re like me and a wee bit out of shape. There’s limited parking, but if you find a spot I highly recommend doing the hike this way so you can maximize your one day on San Juan Island.

Garrison Bay

Garrison Bay is your best bet for a flatter option exploring English Camp. The Bell Point Trail takes you on a 2-mile-long flat loop trail along Westcott Bay. You can even harvest your own shellfish! Visit the park ranger at the visitors center to learn about the locations, daily limits, and red tide warnings. Or visit the WA Dept of Fish & Wildlife or WA State Dept of Health for updates.

There’s also an opportunity to take a self-guided history tour along the trail. Guides are available next to the bulletin board at the main entrance. On it you’ll find English Formal Garden, which was built by the camp’s second commanding officer for his family to remind them of home.

Lime Kiln State Park

Lastly, Lime Kiln State Park is about 20 minutes west of Friday Harbor and includes 36 acres of park lining the coastline. You’ll find easy trails, a historic lighthouse, a restored lime kiln, and uninterrupted views of the Haro Straight overlooking Victoria, BC. A $10 parking fee or Discover Pass is required.

Art

San Juan Island attracts a ton of artists and creatives. You’ll find sculptures and art galleries all over the island, so if you’re an art lover, you’re going to love it here!

San Juan Island Sculpture Park at the north of the island is a beautiful option for easy strolls among impressive sculptures and installations from local artists. It’s one of the largest sculpture parks in the world, with 20 acres and five trails meandering through the nature reserve and sculpture-lined pond.

You can also take a self-guided art tour to visit more than 20 artist studios throughout the island. Or if you only have time for one stop, head to the San Juan Island Art Museum. You’ll find 8-10 exhibits that rotate throughout the year. Or you can take a virtual tour that is a pretty impressive immersive experience!

Farms

San Juan Island is the perfect day trip for foodies who love visiting farms. The San Juan Island Farmers Market is every Saturday 9:30 AM to 1 PM, or you can take a self-guided tour of the different San Juan Island farms.

Visit San Juan has a good list, or you can stalk the vendors at the farmers market to see which ones offer visits. There’s also the annual Savor San Juans festival late September through November, where farms open up for tours and the islands host various foodie activities.

woman in lavender farm fields on San Juan Island — *Pelindaba Farms (now closed)*

Shopping

There are quite a few places to buy unique souvenirs during your San Juan Island day trip from Seattle. Most of the shops are congregated in Friday Harbor, which you’ll be smack in the middle of as soon as you disembark from the ferry.

The downtown area isn’t very big so you should be able to cover it in about an hour. I encourage you to comb the streets and pop into whatever stores interest you, but don’t miss Fern for modern jewelry or Arctic Craven Gallery for Pacific Northwest art.

King’s Market is also a good stop for local wines made on the San Juans Islands. Make sure to grab a bottle from Archipelago a teeny tiny winery making sparkling wines that doesn’t have a tasting room (though they do private wine tasting picnics for ~$200 for 2 people around the San Juans).

Further afield, I recommend visiting Paula West Pottery. Paula offers studio tours where she shares her process, or you can just pop in to look at her gorgeous artwork. Her pieces would make a great memory of your one day in San Juan Island!

Drinking

If there are alcoholic beverages to be had, you know I’ll find them. People on the hunt for the best Washington state wines will want to stop at San Juan Vineyard. They make beautiful estate grown wines and have great ambiance for sipping. Make sure to try their Afterglow rosé.

Another option is Madrone Cellars & Ciders in downtown Friday Harbor. Their tasting room is tiny, but they’re making small batch wines and ciders with minimum intervention using fruit grown in eastern Washington. Since it’s right by the ferry terminal, it’s an easy stop during your San Juan Island day trip from Seattle.

If you prefer beer, head to San Juan Island Brewery for a tasting flight. It’s located right in downtown Friday Harbor and makes really yummy beers. If available, get the black boar porter!

Lastly, if spirits or more your thing, check out San Juan Island Distillery. It’s run by business partners Rich Anderson and Suzy and Hawk Pingree, who make 14 different types of gins, brandies, and liqueurs. Their brandies use cider from their sister business, Westcott Bay Cider, which is also open for tastings by appointment.

Where to Eat on San Juan Island

Whether you prefer to grab a quick bite to take to the beach or fancier dining, San Juan Island has some great options.

Bakery San Juan

website | 775 Mullis St | Mon – Fri, 8 AM – 5 PM

This tiny bakery next to the Kenmore Air Field is frequented by locals picking up bread or one of their lovely baked goods. I find this place best for pizzas, which you can get by the slice or whole pie.

They also have take-and-bake options if you want to bring some home as a souvenir! If available, get the island pepperoni pizza featuring their sweet homemade pepperoni.

Market Chef

website | 225 A St | Tues – Fri, 10 AM – 4 PM

This little cafe in downtown Friday Harbor has a deli case filled with pre-made salads and lunch goodies or sandwiches. You’ll also find a little shop with items sourced from around the Pacific Northwest. If available, get the roast pork sandwich.

Westcott Bay Shellfish Co.

website | 904 Westcott Dr | Thurs – Mon, 11 AM – 4 PM from Memorial to Labor Day | requires reservations

This working shellfish farm is an awesome place to visit during your San Juan Island day trip from Seattle if you’re a foodie. They offer shellfish to take home and even offer oyster shucking lessons.

They also accept reservations for lunch at their Tide Table restaurant, open seasonally. It’s one of the best places to eat if you want to experience local seafood, so book ahead!

Friday Harbor House

website | 130 West St | Sat & Sun 8 – 12 AM, Fri – Tues 5 – 8:30 PM | requires reservations

You can technically stay at the Friday Harbor House, but their main draw is the gorgeous outdoor patio overlooking Friday Harbor. They have a raw bar or simple menu featuring American-style cuisine. It’s on the pricier side, but isn’t unbearably expensive. Don’t miss their duck fat fries!

Coho Restaurant

website | 120 Nichols St | Tues – Sat, 5 – 9 PM during the high season, Wed or Thur – Sat otherwise | requires reservations

Coho Restaurant is one of the finer dining establishments on San Juan Island. It’s owned by couple Anna Maria de Freitas and David Pass, who always traveled the world staying at different inns, dreaming of owning their own inns someday.

They are now living their dream as innkeepers of the Tucker Harrison Inn & Harrison House Suites, owners of Coho Restaurant, and locals deeply entrenched in San Juan Island (Anna Maria teaches pilates and is a town council member!).

The restaurant has a farm-to-table menu sourcing mostly local ingredients. Guests can choose from a set tasting menu with wine pairing or a la carte. They have limited seating outside in their side alley, which has quaint ambiance since it’s covered by lush foliage.

The menu changes seasonally, but if it’s on the menu get their roast carrots with tahini! Otherwise, you’ll most likely find a homemade pasta on the menu. They’re known for this, so definitely get a pasta dish! They gifted me a meal while I visited and thoroughly enjoyed both of these.

You’ll also notice they don’t have salmon on the menu. That’s because they no longer serve salmon in the restaurant as a way to help protect the local resident whale’s whose food supply is dwindling due to overfishing.

Duck Soup

website | 50 Duck Soup Ln | Tues – Sun, 5 – 9 PM during the high season, Wed or Thurs – Sat otherwise | requires reservations

Duck Soup is another place to go for a fancier dinner on San Juan Island. They serve a rotating menu of farm-to-table cuisine on their gorgeous outdoor patio with a lush forest surrounding it. We saw multiple deer grazing nearby while we ate!

San Juan Island day trip itinerary

As you can see, there’s so much fun to be had on your San Juan Island day trip from Seattle. To maximize how much you can visit, I organized all my favorite stops into the ultimate itinerary for visiting San Juan Island in one day.

Note, this itinerary assumes you take your San Juan Island day trip from Seattle with your car in the summer between May and September and plan for a very long day. If you go outside these times, you’ll need to adjust your schedule based on the ferry and sunset timing. I also recommend visiting on a Friday if you can, as that’s when the majority of restaurants are open and there are less crowds.

Let me plan you a custom itinerary if this one doesn’t work for you!

6 AM: Leave Seattle for the ferry

It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to get to the Anacortes ferry terminal from Seattle. WSDOT recommends you arrive at the ferry line 45-60 minutes ahead of departure. It sucks having to wait in your car, but during the summer season you’ll want to follow this guidance to ensure you get on the boat.

The ferry times change slightly throughout the year, but in the summer there is usually one around 8:55 AM. This is the one you’re shooting for to follow this itinerary so that you get to San Juan Island at around 10 AM

10 AM: Grab breakfast

If you’re visiting on a weekday, head to Bakery San Juan to grab pastries and coffee for a light breakfast. If you’re visiting on a weekend, I’ve heard great things about Salty Fox Coffee in Friday Harbor.

10:30 AM: Grab lunch to-go

If you’re taking your day trip on a weekday, grab lunch at Market Chef. I love their sandwiches both because of their flavor and the fact that they pack easily. If you’re visiting on a Saturday, I’ve heard good things about The Sweet Retreat.

Alternatively you can skip this if you’d prefer to not picnic on the beach or if you’re visiting on the weekend when Market Chef is closed. If you skip this, get lunch after your next stop.

11 AM: Explore South Beach

Head to the southern coast to discover the warmer, more arid area of the island. This is my absolute favorite part of San Juan Island, so I prioritized visiting South Beach first. Walk along the sand dunes and keep an eye out for those wild foxes between the grass.

If you have time, you can take a peak at Jakle’s Lagoon, Fourth of July Beach, or Cattle Point Lighthouse, all of which are nearby in American Camp. I thought Cattle Point Lighthouse was the least interesting, if you don’t have time to visit all of them. But it’s still a quick stop for pretty views among tall grass waving in the wind.

12:30 PM: Walk around shops in Friday Harbor

Note, if you skipped grabbing a lunch to eat at South Beach, now is the time to grab your lunch! If Bakery San Juan or Market Chef aren’t open, you can still stay in Friday Harbor and grab lunch and a beer tasting flight at San Juan Island Brewery. If you do that, you should still have time for some shopping before heading to your next stop.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer not to eat at the brewery or if your next stop’s whale watching tour leaves out of Roche Harbor to the north, get lunch at Westcott Bay Shellfish Co. instead and skip shopping in Friday Harbor.

Now, if you do stay in Friday Harbor, spend time combing the shops for ones that interest you, making sure to visit Fern for modern jewelry and Arctic Craven Gallery for Pacific Northwest art.

I also encourage you to stroll the Port of Friday Harbor’s waterfront park where you’ll find Coast Salish Native artist Susan A. Point’s house post sculpture called “Interaction” that symbolizes the marine and terrestrial ecosystems and humankind’s place in it. You’ll also spot local sculptor Matthew Gray Palmer’s sculpture of Popeye, a celebrity seal that often hangs out in the marina.

2 PM: Go on a whale watching tour

This is likely the number one reason you decided to take a day trip to San Juan Island from Seattle! There are quite a few whale watching tours, but I recommend Spirit of Orca or Maya’s Legacy. Both of them have 3-hour tours that leave around 2 PM, Maya’s Legacy even later if you’d prefer to do a tour around 4 or 5 PM instead.

Which whale watching tour you go with will depend on a few factors besides the timing. All of them offer boat tours, which if you remember is your best chance of seeing orcas. Spirit of Orca offers photography tours, which is a version photo enthusiasts may be attracted to.

If you’d prefer kayaking, San Juan Island Outfitters is the better option for you. It’s unlikely you’ll see whales, but you’ll definitely see a lot of other wildlife like birds and maybe even seals.

Their tours leave out of Roche Harbor, so you’ll need to make your way up there from South Beach. If you go there, poke your head in the 1886 Hotel de Haro at Roche Harbor Resort. This historic hotel is Washington State’s oldest continuously-running lodging. Teddy Roosevelt is said to have stayed there!

After your kayak tour if you have time, visit the San Juan Island Sculpture Park to see beautiful sculptures and art installations scattered throughout a nature preserve. All of it is available for sale if you’re looking to fill your home with work from Pacific Northwest artists!

5:30 PM: Grab dinner

This is your time to enjoy a nicer sit-down meal at one of the fancier restaurants on San Juan Island. If I had to choose, I’d try to get a reservation at Duck Soup, Friday Harbor House, or Coho Restaurant. Duck Soup is probably the most famous among foodies, but Friday Harbor House and Coho are located right in Friday Harbor and more convenient to the ferry. Whichever you choose, you’ll eat well!

7:30 PM: Head to Lime Kiln Park

If you didn’t see whales on tour whale watching tour, a visit to Lime Kiln State Park is your last chance to see them. And wouldn’t it be magical if you got a photo of a breeching orca at sunset with a lighthouse in the background?!

I encourage you to get here about 30 minutes before sunset if you have time. Find a spot along the rocks before getting to the lighthouse for the best photos.

9 PM: Head to the ferry to go back to Seattle

The last ferry is usually around 10 PM, which will get you back to Anacortes around 12 AM since the last ferry stops at every island. If this is too late for you, there’s also typically a 9:15 PM ferry out of Friday Harbor. But you’ll need to decide what you’re cutting from your stay.

Map of San Juan Island

Whew, and that’s it! As you can see there’s a lot to do on this tiny island. While aggressive, you can definitely do a San Juan Island day trip from Seattle.

To give you a sense of space, here is my map of San Juan Island with all the stops recommended in this guide. Make sure to save it so you can access it from your phone during your trip!