Half a day, pre-cruise
Arriving a day early and only have a morning? Stay on the Thea Foss Waterway: the hot shop and the museum cluster are walkable from one place, which matters when you are travelling with bags.
Tacoma from Seattle
Add Tacoma before or after your Alaska cruise
A regional extension for the spare days either side of a Seattle sailing.
Alaska cruises out of this region sail from Seattle's cruise terminals, not from Tacoma. Tacoma works as an extra day or night either side of the sailing.
Four ways to use the spare time
Pick by how much time you have and whether you are travelling with luggage.
One day, post-cruise
Disembarkation mornings are slow and flights are often late in the day. A Tacoma day absorbs that awkward gap better than waiting in Seattle, and the shoreline is a gentle end to a cruise.
One night in Tacoma
An overnight splits the visit into a relaxed afternoon and an unhurried morning, and puts you closer to the airport than central Seattle is.
Two days in the region
With two spare days you can pair Tacoma with Mount Rainier, weather and park roads permitting. Our regional guide covers the sequencing and the official conditions sources.
One relaxed day with luggage in mind
A pre- or post-cruise day in Tacoma
Built around the reality of cruise days: bags to store or a hotel to check into, and a hard deadline in Seattle. Fewer moves, more waterfront.
Morning · Step 1
Waterfront and glass
Stay on the Thea Foss Waterway. Everything here is walkable from one place, which matters on a day when you are travelling with luggage.
- Museum of Glass
Downtown
A waterfront museum built around a working glass studio, connected to downtown by the Chihuly Bridge of Glass.
Directions - Thea Foss Waterway Esplanade
Downtown
A flat waterside path along the Thea Foss Waterway, linking the museum cluster with marinas and viewpoints.
Directions - Foss Waterway Seaport
Maritime heritage museum on the Thea Foss Waterway.
Directions
- Museum of Glass
Afternoon · Step 2
One park, one museum
Add either the north-end park or a second downtown museum — not both. Keep the return to Seattle comfortably inside your boarding or flight window.
- Point Defiance Park
North End
A large waterfront park with forest trails, gardens, beach access and a ferry terminal at its edge.
Directions - Washington State History Museum
A state history museum in downtown Tacoma's museum district, next to Union Station.
Directions
- Point Defiance Park
Evening · Step 3
Dinner, then back to Seattle
Eat in Tacoma and travel back with margin. Confirm the last train or bus of the day with the operator before you plan a late dinner.
- Ruston Way Waterfront
Two-mile shoreline path along Commencement Bay.
Directions - Union Station
Downtown
A restored 1911 railway station in the Museum District, notable for its rotunda and glass installations.
Directions
- Ruston Way Waterfront
Opening days, admission and last departures are set by each venue and operator, not by us — check the links on each place page before you set out.
Staying in Tacoma
Published places to stay in our directory. Rates and availability are the property's own.
- Best Western Plus Tacoma Hotel
Hotel on S Hosmer St between Tacoma Mall and I-5, at the Hosmer Street exit.
Directions - Candlewood Suites Tacoma Mall
Extended-stay suites with kitchens on S Hosmer St near Tacoma Mall, in the same dual-brand building as Holiday Inn Tacoma Mall.
Directions - Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tacoma
Hotel just off I-5 on S Hosmer St, south of Tacoma Mall, with free breakfast and an indoor pool.
Directions - Holiday Inn Tacoma Mall
Full-service hotel on S Hosmer St near Tacoma Mall and I-5, sharing a dual-brand building with Candlewood Suites.
Directions - Hotel Murano
Downtown Tacoma hotel with a glass-art collection throughout the building.
Directions - McMenamins Elks Temple
Restored 1916 Elks lodge turned hotel, bars and restaurant beside the Spanish Steps.
Directions - Silver Cloud Hotel Tacoma – Waterfront
Hotel built out over the water on Ruston Way.
Directions
Getting between Seattle and Tacoma
Trains and regional buses connect the two cities, and rideshare works for luggage days. Getting here without a car names the operators for each leg, and Traffic & road conditions shows live highway conditions if you are driving on a cruise deadline.
Common questions
- Do Alaska cruises leave from Tacoma?
- Not as a rule — Alaska cruises in this region sail from Seattle's cruise terminals. Tacoma is an extra day or night in the same region, not the departure port. Always use your cruise line's own terminal information.
- How far is Tacoma from the Seattle cruise terminals?
- Tacoma is about 30 miles (50 km) south of central Seattle. Trains, regional buses and rideshare all connect the two cities, and we link to the operators rather than printing travel times that traffic decides.
- Is a Tacoma day realistic on embarkation day?
- We would not recommend it. Boarding windows are firm and traffic is not predictable. A day before or after the sailing is far more comfortable.
- Where should I store luggage?
- There is no service we can vouch for, so we will not name one. Hotels will usually hold bags for guests on either side of a stay — ask your hotel directly.
More Tacoma from Seattle
- Tacoma day trip from SeattleFour hours or a full day, stop by stop
- Getting here without a carTrain, express bus, T Line and local buses
- SEA Airport to TacomaArriving at the airport and continuing south
- For international visitorsUnits, tipping, tax, cards, transit and hours
- Before or after an Alaska cruiseUsing spare days either side of a Seattle sailing
- Seattle, Tacoma and Mount RainierSequencing the city and the mountain
Independent guide. Tacoma Trekker is not affiliated with Sound Transit, Amtrak, Pierce Transit, the Port of Seattle, any cruise line, the National Park Service or the cities of Seattle, SeaTac or Tacoma. Timetables, fares, admission and hours are published by those organisations and can change at any time.