Our Wheelchair Accessible Experience in Seattle, Washington

This Seattle trip felt a little different from the start. My husband and I travel a lot as manual wheelchair users, usually by car, so flying out to the West Coast together was a fun change. We were excited to see a new city and nervous about the usual things that come with flying as wheelchair users: arriving to the airport with plenty of time, hoping our chairs make it safely, making sure nothing goes missing along the way.

Seattle welcomed us with cool, cloudy weather (classic Pacific Northwest). There were a few sunny breaks where we ditched our jackets, but for the most part it was comfortable enough to be out exploring all day without overheating or dealing with rain.

What is amazing about Seattle is how much variety is packed into the city. It's fun to just wander around where one minute you’re near the water watching birds and boats, the next you’re in the middle of the city surrounded by museums, restaurants, and people. That mix of nature and city life was a big reason this trip felt special.

Where We Stayed & Getting Around

We stayed at The Westin Seattle, and overall, it worked well for us. The room and bathroom were easy to move around in. We travel with our own shower seats to help avoid a lot of common hotel bathroom challenges, but The Westin did have shower seats available. One thing that pleasantly surprised us was the carpet. It wasn’t the usual thick, hard-to-push hotel carpet you usually brace for. It was actually easy to move around on.

Getting around Seattle itself was mostly smooth with one very important thing to know: the hills. We rented an accessible van which worked well for this trip. Parking was fairly easy to find with plenty of accessible spots available.

We also walked a lot. The sidewalks, curb cuts, and pavement were generally in good shape with the usual wear and tear. But the hills are no joke and that is something to keep in mind if you plan a visit here. We did have our friends help push us, but if we had been traveling on our own, we would have planned differently: driving more often, parking as close as possible, or avoiding certain areas altogether.

Seattle is very doable, but the hills make planning ahead essential. Grouping activities together and minimizing how often you need to get in and out of the car would go a long way toward making the trip easier.

What We Did

After landing, we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed to brunch at Mr. West Café, then spent time exploring the piers. That stretch along the water is a really nice place to start in Seattle. You see birds, boats, and flowers along the sidewalks, and it’s a flat enough area without much challenge.

Later that afternoon, we went to Fremont Brewing for drinks. We’re not big beer drinkers, but the slushy and the cider were delicious. That night we found an Italian restaurant near the pier called Tavolàta, and it ended up being one of our favorite meals of the trip. The food was incredible and the atmosphere was warm.

The next day started downtown with breakfast at Ben Paris. The mural on the wall was really cool, and the food was just as good as it looked. From there, we walked to the Seattle Aquarium. It’s smaller than you might expect, but still really enjoyable. The birds and jellyfish were the highlights for us — especially the jellyfish, which were honestly mesmerizing to watch.

After that, we headed to the Museum of Pop Culture. Even if you’re not a huge music or movie buff, it’s a fun place to walk through. Seeing the guitars stacked in the center of the museum and the movie props up close made it feel immersive.

One of the most memorable experiences of the trip was a short harbor cruise with Argosy Cruises. It gave us a totally different view of the city and added context with local history along the way. The staff were excellent. They secured our chairs with straps and had someone positioned behind us while going down the ramp. The only moment that felt uncomfortable was at the bottom of the ramp, where it felt like our casters could catch. Since we weren’t controlling our own chairs, it was a little nerve-wracking, but overall, the experience was great. We even spotted California sea lions, which we were told isn’t super common.

That night, we went out for oysters at Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar. Seattle is known for these, and you can find them all over the city. They were fantastic, even though they were served differently than what we’re used to back home. We usually get crackers, cocktail sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, so it was a little different not having that — but if you visit Seattle, try the oysters. It’s an experience.

On our last full day, we finally made it to iconic Pike Place Market, which was the one place we were probably most excited about. It was crowded, which is typical, but still pretty easy to get around. And it didn’t smell like fish, which I was not expecting. If you go, make sure to try the scallops. We got samples, and they were hands down the best scallops we’ve ever had. The various flower vendors are amazing too!

Later that afternoon, we went to a park where Outdoors for All rents handcycles. This was one of the biggest highlights of the trip. Being able to rent a bike at a park the same way anyone else would felt incredibly inclusive.

We wrapped up the trip with dinner on the pier and a quiet final morning heading to the airport.

Ready to Visit Seattle?

Seattle was good to us. From the food to the activities to hotel stay, we could highly recommend a visit here.

I would suggest either traveling with someone who can help you manage some of the hilly terrain, or rent an adapted vehicle so you can park close to everything you want to see. We experienced fantastic weather but as you probably know, it can get rainy, so make sure to pack accordingly.

With a little planning, Seattle is very doable and absolutely worth the visit.

If you’re thinking about going, Wheel the World partners with Visit Seattle and offers verified info on hotels, things to do, and restaurants. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of planning and helps you figure out what will actually work for you before you arrive.

Happy travels!

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