2026 Redmond Travel Guide: must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transport & travel experiences (updated in August)

My U.S. visa is still valid for two more years. Once I got to Vancouver, I wanted to experience crossing the border by land to Seattle and feel the romance of "Sleepless in Seattle." Hotel: Hyatt Regency Seattle Transportation: Self-driving + walking Day 1 Cloudy: Vancouver 🚗 University of Washington Seattle 🚗 Kerry Park Day 2 Light rain: Hotel 🚶 Seattle Central Library 🚶 Seattle Waterfront 🚶 Pike Place Market 🚶 Amazon Headquarters Glass Spheres 🚶 Space Needle 🚶 Seattle Pop Culture Museum exterior check-in 🚶 Return to hotel to pick up car 🚗 Microsoft Headquarters Day 3 Sunny: Hotel 🚗 Kerry Park 🚗 Vancouver ❤️ The University of Washington is located by Lake Washington, featuring Gothic architecture and a campus surrounded by green trees. It is said that the campus is even more beautiful during cherry blossom season. ❤️ Kerry Park offers the best vantage point to photograph the Seattle Space Needle and skyline. On clear days, you can even see Mount Rainier in the distance. ❤️ Amazon Headquarters features tropical rainforest plants enclosed in glass spheres, giving a futuristic vibe. Public visiting hours are on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month from 10 am to 6 pm, and you need to book on the official website 15 days in advance. ❤️ Pike Place Market is one of the oldest public farmers' markets in the world, offering fresh seafood, flowers, various foods, and the world’s first Starbucks. It’s a great place to explore. Food recommendations: 🍹 Organic Apple Cider sells various flavors of apple juice. It’s recommended to sample each flavor lightly first to find your favorite. 🥖 Maxim’s Bakery offers traditional Hong Kong-style dim sum with generous portions. We tried BBQ pork buns, shrimp dumplings, and siu mai, all quite tasty. 🍲 Pike Place Chowder is a popular spot known for clam chowder. The lobster roll and clam chowder come highly recommended. ☕️ The world’s first Starbucks café. We went again at 8 am when it was less crowded. It still features the twin-tailed mermaid logo. We had coffee and bought a limited edition coffee cup. 🦞 For lunch, we chose a Cantonese restaurant. Fresh typhoon shelter crab and steamed fish satisfied our Chinese food cravings, and most importantly, we got to eat some stir-fried greens. ❤️ Seattle Central Library is an architecturally charming building made of glass and steel. However, there are many homeless people here who either surf the internet or sleep. We took some photos and left. ❤️ The Space Needle is Seattle’s iconic landmark, with a 360-degree glass observation deck overlooking the cityscape. ❤️ Chihuly Garden and Glass features colorful glass artworks with a dreamlike interplay of light and shadow. There is a combo ticket available for Chihuly Garden and Glass and the Space Needle, so it’s best to book your visit in advance. ❤️ If the weather is sunny in Seattle, it’s recommended to take an Argosy Cruises boat at Pier 54. They offer two routes: a 1-hour cruise along the coastline to see the city skyline, and a 2-hour Locks Cruise that boards at Lake Union, circles Seattle, and disembarks at Pier 54. We didn’t experience it due to rain. See image 18 for specific routes.

I finally achieved my dream of seeing all the tech HQs and this was the last on my list. The Microsoft Visitor Center is located at Building 92. I took a bus from Seattle to Redmond just to visit. The Microsoft campus is massive and I passed by a football field and the Commons on my walk. I joined a group having an orientation and I got to learn a bit of history of Microsoft. Some noteworthy artifacts were also displayed. There's a store inside and the quality of the merch were great so I ended up buying. #urbanexplorer #awesomepic #travel #washington #usa

Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail, located near Seattle, is known for its few crowds, beautiful scenery, and family-friendly atmosphere, making it an ideal summer escape. 🌲 Forest hiking This trail has a gentle overall elevation gain. The route is easy but quite long, requiring some stamina. Along the way, the creek water is crystal clear, the forest is lush, and you can enjoy the sound of flowing water and mountain breezes for a slow-paced hiking experience. 🪨 Family interaction The trail is especially suitable for family hikes. Kids can step on stones and cross small streams, developing focus, balance, and endurance while playing. It’s quiet with few people and no rush, making it a great weekend spot to relax. 🚗 Transportation: About a 1-hour drive from Redmond. 💡 Travel tips: Wear comfortable hiking shoes and watch your step to avoid slipping. Parking at the trailhead requires a Northwest Forest Pass in advance. Come to Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail to enjoy Seattle’s cool and relaxing summer!

Used Marriott points to exchange for tickets and got a seat in the 7th row. As soon as I got home, I watched the highlights to spot myself in the footage. Since the 2014 Brazil World Cup, I've been following Belgium's golden generation, and this time I fulfilled my dream of seeing them in person. I got a clear view of De Bruyne, Courtois, Lukaku, and the new captain Tielemans. Doku struggled to get past defenders on my side, Mounier—who dashed Hazard's dream of being a football king—was running back and forth right in front of me, and I also saw the veteran Salah giving his all. But I have to complain about the transportation... I left home at 9 AM, planning to take the Link from South Bellevue. By 9:30, the parking lot was full, so I had to drive to Redmond near Microsoft to park. It wasn't until 11 AM that I finally got on the Link. Two hours after leaving home, I was still on the east side, getting farther from my destination, and I even missed out on the physical World Cup fan card. For the next match at 8 PM between Egypt and Iran, I've decided to leave at 3 PM.

Every time I go to Seattle, I visit the visitor center at Microsoft headquarters. In addition to the history of Microsoft and the evolution of computers, there are also online games where you can team up to play PK, and Xbox 4D Traffic Jam is available for trial play. Finally, don’t forget to buy some souvenirs. Hardware and software such as computer mice are often discounted.

Address – 16272 Cleveland St, Redmond, WA 98052, USA Environment/Facilities – Clean, simply decorated Specialties – Unique ice cream flavors, including seasonal options Average Price – Single scoop ice cream cone $6.75 (excluding tax) Rating – 85/100

great park for the whole family. has 2 playground areas to choose from. a water spray play area and a bunch of shaded places to rest and get out of the sun. #staycation #park #familyfun

The mountains have no tombs, the heavens and the earth are combined, and they dare to be annihilated. Wherever you go, the peerless valley is at your feet. It is the holy place for hiking hikers, one of the seven wonders of Oregon, the Smith Rock.