Creating a Bellingham guide just flowed right out of me. It’s the last major city before hitting the Canadian border and it’s hip. There’s a ton of outdoor recreation thanks to its proximity to Mount Baker and the coastline. Plus you’ll find breweries, restaurants, shops, and art galleries to suit all tastes.
If you haven’t visit Bellingham, now’s the time. To help you plan your trip, I’m laying out all my insider tips. Get ready to experience the best of this chill city in Washington state with this ultimate Bellingham guide.
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Bellingham Guide
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Bellingham.
About Bellingham
Bellingham is about 1.5 hours north of Seattle and a little over an hour south of Vancouver, BC. It’s in Whatcom County nestled between the San Juan Islands to the west and Mt. Baker to the east. Its prime location between where land meets sea makes it the perfect location for outdoor adventures.
Bellingham was the homeland of the Coast Salish peoples of the Lummi People and neighboring tribes for hundreds of years. The first European immigrants arrived in about 1852 to set up a lumber mill. Over the next few decades, a gold rush and major railroads helped bring more people to this Pacific Northwest area. Bellingham as we know it today was founded in 1903 and now comprises of about 30 square miles and 100,000 residents.
How to get to Bellingham
The best way to get to Bellingham is with a car because then you can stop on the way to eat at Edmonds’ best restaurants or visit other scenic day trips from Seattle.
If you don’t have access to a car, you can also take the Greyhound bus or Amtrak train from Seattle or Vancouver, BC. From there you can use Bellingham’s local Whatcom Transportation Authority bus system, Uber, or rent a car.
You can also catch a flight into Bellingham International Airport (BIA), but from Seattle’s Sea-Tac Airport it’s about a 45-minute flight. Given driving isn’t much longer, this only makes sense if you’re flying in from somewhere else not within a reasonable driving distance.
BIA only serves flights with Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, and San Juan Airlines. Despite the “international” part of their name, you’ll have to stop at Sea-Tac if you’re coming from Vancouver, BC or somewhere else internationally. The only routes to BIA are between California, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and the San Juan Islands. If there aren’t any direct flights to BIA where you’re coming from, consider flying into Sea-Tac and renting a car or taking a shuttle.
Things to do in Bellingham
Now that we got the logistics out of the way, let’s dive into the best things to do in Bellingham!
visit whatcom falls park
Whatcom Falls Park is 241 acres of paradise right in Bellingham. It has your typical park amenities like playgrounds, dog parks, basketball courts, tennis courts, barbecues, and bathrooms, but the real draw is the forest oasis you can explore from more than 5 miles of hiking trails.
Close to the parking area you’ll find the namesake waterfall that can swell to 40 feet wide during rainier winter months. Get a picture of Stone Bridge while you’re there. This historic structure was built around 1940 using salvaged Chuckanut sandstone and materials that once formed the arches of a downtown Bellingham building.
Other attractions you’ll find in this park include a fish hatchery, historic railroad tressel, and another waterfall not on the park’s trail map: Whirlpool Falls. It’s smaller than Whatcom Falls, but is a popular summer swimming hole wit locals. You can find it just north of the Waterline Bridge.
Take in the views at boulevard park
Boulevard Park is close to downtown Bellingham and is one of the most popular leisurely hiking trails in the city. It has a paved trail that weaves along Bellingham Bay, offering breathtaking views of the water and opportunities to spot whales from the shore.
The paved trail feeds into Taylor Dock, a 1/4-mile boardwalk that juts out onto the water to make you feel like you’re walking on it. When it’s a clear day, it offers pretty photos of the boardwalk reflected in the blue waters.
stroll around lake whatcom park
Lake Whatcom touches the border of Bellingham and offers a ton of outdoor adventure within a short drive of the city. This 10-mile long lake has a ton of beautiful houses that you’ll crane to get a glimpse of as you make your way the 20-minute drive to Lake Whatcom Park on the east shore.
There are about 6 miles of hiking trails in the park, with Hertz Trail and Chanterelle Trail being the two main options. Chanterelle Trail takes you into the woods and is more of a hike hike. You’ll climb 1,000 feet in elevation for 2.4 miles until you reach pretty views of the lake below. Chanterelle Trail is also popular for mountain biking.
If you’re like me and prefer a more leisurely walk, head to the paved Hertz Trail. This flat trail is shared with bikers and weaves along the lake’s shore for about 3 miles. Plus it’s accessed from the less crowded south parking lot, so even on a Saturday you’ll feel like you’re seeing less people than you thought you would when you passed the north parking lot.
On Hertz Trail you’ll go over a quaint wooden bridge spanning a small creek where salmon spawn. Follow a sort of hidden trail before crossing the bridge to catch a better view of the waterfall that you’ll undoubtedly hear when you pass.
escape the crowds at locust beach
Locust Beach is in an unassuming area of Bellingham and is my favorite hidden gem in this Bellingham guide. It’s accessed via a residential-looking road that becomes a dead end under a graffitied bridge. It looks a bit ominous, but if you veer right you’ll see a trail that takes you a short walk down some steps and out onto a stony beach. Since this is off the beaten path, you’ll see mostly locals taking in the water views. Look up and you might also see some bald eagles scouring the area for prey.
Visit Lake Padden
Take a leisurely walk around Lake Padden near Fairhaven, which has about 8 miles of walking trails. The 2.6 mile loop trail around the lake is a picturesque choice. Meander at your leisure and stop along the path on a bench to enjoy the ambiance.
go on a brewery crawl
No Bellingham guide would be complete without suggesting beer tasting. There are more than 15 breweries in Bellingham, many within a walk or short drive from each other. You can pick up a brewery trail passport and get stamps from each to earn swag.
While many people go to the popular Aslan Brewing or Chuckanut Brewing, my favorites are the less crowded ones. For example, Kulshan Brewing‘s second location called K2 is outside of downtown Bellingham and attracts less throngs of people. They often have food trucks parked here and a lot of outdoor seating.
Menace Brewing is another favorite. It’s on a busier road outside downtown Bellingham and serves funky beers with ingredients like chili, grapefruit, and pine. Their menu reminds me of Lucky Envelope a bit, one of the best Seattle breweries in Ballard. They’re also the unofficial Sounders bar for fans of the Seattle soccer team.
Feeling hungry? Head to El Sueñito Brewing Company. It’s a Latin and queer-owned brewery serving yummy Mexican beer and food. In fact, they own Frelard Tamale in Seattle, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Seattle. Get an order of these and the addictive queso in addition to a beer flight.
Shop around historic fairhaven
The Fairhaven historic district is the quaintest part of Bellingham and a must stop if you’re following this Bellingham guide. It’s about a 10-minute drive from downtown Bellingham and is lined with 19th century brick buildings filled with restaurants and boutique shops.
As you stroll the streets, make sure to stop at Whatcom Art Market. It’s a nonprofit co-op owned by 45+ local artists selling their wares.
do chuckanut drive
Fairhaven is right at the start of the famous Chuckanut Drive, a must do. This 20-mile scenic road hugs the Washington coast from Bellingham to Burlington. The drive only takes about 30-minutes without stops, but you’re going to want to go at a leisure pace so you can take in the breathtaking views of the San Juan Islands and Salish Sea.
There are plenty of scenic viewpoints to stop at for photos, or you can get out to do some hikes. A popular one is Oyster Dome Trail, a steep 5-mile hike that gives you unparalleled views of the Olympic Mountains and Samish Bay.
After you’re done exploring, make sure to visit the quintessential Taylor Shellfish Farm. They have a quaint restaurant overlooking the bay where they farm their oysters. It’s a great spot for slurping down fresh bivalves after a day of outdoor adventure.
If you want oysters from a spot more off-the-beaten-path, head to the fine dining restaurant near Taylor Shellfish called The Oyster Bar for a nice sit down meal and views. Or head to the virtually unknown The Oyster Shuckers run by a local oyster farmer who has a seafood market and taqueria next door.
GO TO LARRABEE STATE PARK
One of the stops on Chuckanut Drive you’ll definitely want to make is at Larrabee State Park. This 2,748-acre camping park was Washington’s first state park. It has 8,100 feet of saltwater shoreline on Samish Bay and miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. One of my favorite things to do is to walk along the peaceful shore and look for sea glass in the sand.
Partake in the history & Arts
Bellingham is an artsy town with a ton of murals and opportunities to take in the arts. Just walking around you’re likely to stumble across one of the 80 sculptures within the city limits. Here’s a map of all of them if you’re interested on doing a self-guided walking tour.
There’s also the Whatcom Museum and Spark Museum if you like indoor art exhibits. The Spark Museum is a quirky science museum with a real lightning bolt simulated by Tesla coils.
If you prefer more outdoor art exhibits, check out the Outdoor Sculpture Collection at Western Washington University. They’ve collected sculptures over multiple decades from 20th century artists. You’ll find them strew all around the campus tucked naturally into the environment.
There’s also a quainter sculpture park to the north of Lake Whatcom called Big Rock Garden Park. It’s 2.5 acres and has 37 permanent sculptures.
If history is more your thing, go on a self-guided walking tour of Bellingham’s historic buildings. You can also follow a guided audio tour of different areas of the city for a more immersive experience.
Go biking on one of bellingham’s many trails
Bellingham is a big biking city, so cruising around the city is an awesome way to spend a few hours. It’s not very hilly or busy with cars, so even nervous bikers will have fun meandering the many paved trails.
Sun E-Land Bikes is a local company that offers e-bike rentals, which will help you cover more ground. They offer some self-guided tours, one of which I recreated for a travel planning client to be a little easier to follow using Google Maps.
You can find the two routes I re-created here and here. The first one takes you along the water and to Fairhaven, while the second one takes you to Whatcom Falls Park and back downtown via the Whatcom Creek biking trail. Do both to capture the best of this Bellingham guide!
Take a hike
There are a ton of hiking trails in and around Bellingham. You can see the city’s full list of trail maps here.
One popular area is Galbraith Mountain to the east of Bellingham. Here’s an interactive map to find hiking, mountain biking, and trail running trails.
Chuckanut Mountain near Fairhaven is another good choice for hikes. You can see a full trail map here, but if you want to narrow it down, check out the 9-mile South Lost Lake Trail or 10.4-mile Chuckanut Ridge Trail. You may also want to consider walking from Chuckanut Mountain to Arroyo Park and its many walking trails.
Explore the Bellingham Farmers Market
If you’re visiting on a Saturday, a Bellingham Farmers Market visit is a must. It’s on the third Saturday of the month during the off season of January, February, and March. Then it moves to weekly April through December.
You’ll find about 100 vendors selling their produce, handmade goods, and ready-to-eat treats. There are also buskers offering fun entertainment while you shop.
Where to eat in Bellingham
There are so many restaurants in Bellingham. I’ve included my favorites in this Bellingham guide, but you can find even more on my map of Belllingham below.
Banter
website | 114 Prospect St | cuisine: seasonal American | best for: breakfast and lunch | price range: $10 – $20
Banter is the rebranded name of ANMLY (pronounced like “anomaly”), a Bellingham institution that’s a cross between a cafe and coffee shop. It’s impossibly cool with a plants, vibe-y music, and stylish staff.
You’ll find coffee and interesting drinks like lavender lattes, plus smoothies and baked goods like you’d find in a coffee shop. But they also have a small, yet really yummy food menu focused on simple local ingredients.
They’re arguably best known for their breakfast burrito with mozzarella, hash browns, brown rice, salsa, and chipotle-lime alioli. You can also get eggs, avocado, smoked bacon, and jalapeño on it for extra. I was a bit dubious of mozzarella on a burrito, but it just works. Plus the ratio of tortilla to stuffing is perfect. All in all this burrito is a really satisfying morning pick me up.
However, my absolute favorite dish is their avocado toast when it’s on the menu. When I had it, it was served on local bread with tomatoes, pickles fresno chilis, radish, goat cheese, homemade dukkah, herbs, and lime. It’s just so fresh and has great texture thanks to the creaminess from the avocado and goat cheese, plus the crunch from the dukkah, radish, and bread. In fact, it’s the best dish I ate on my last trip to Bellingham so it gets the number one spot in my Bellingham guide!
AB Crepes
website | 1311 Railroad Ave | cuisine: French | best for: breakfast, lunch, and dinner | price range: $9 – $13
No Bellingham guide would be complete with mentioning this restaurant. AB Crepes is a popular cheap eats spot in downtown Bellingham. It was started by two Western Washington University graduates, Adalberto Avelar and Bayly Peterson, who walked by an empty commercial building and dreamed of opening a business in it. Bayly suggested an all-day casual crepe spot, so the two got to work perfecting the recipe. They pitched the idea to the property owner and they loved it so much, they held the lease for a year while Al and Bayly worked on the business plan.
You’ll find both sweet and savory crepes at AB. My favorite is the savory chicken bacon ranch crepe. It’s mild enough to let you really taste how good the crepe is, but stuffed enough to get that comforting flavor of bacon, ranch, and cheddar.
mallard ice cream
website | 1323 Railroad Ave | cuisine: ice cream | best for: dessert | price range: $2.50 – $7
Mallard is a few storefronts down from AB Crepes. They make high quality ice cream with organic cane sugar, a high butter fat mix, and local organic ingredients.
My favorite flavor is the espresso. It tastes really strong, the sign of a good coffee ice cream. Oftentimes I find the flavor too subtle, but you can really taste coffee in their version. And the texture of their ice cream is creamy, not icy or too hard. Definitely come here for dessert after you finish your crepes!
acme ice cream
website | 1021 Harris Ave | cuisine: ice cream | best for: dessert | price range: $5 – $8
I wrote about how Acme Ice Cream may be making the best store-bought ice cream ever. They started serving pints at local grocery stores in Washington, but now have an ice cream cafe in historic Fairhaven.
Their ice cream is special because it doesn’t have any air in it. The result is a creamy ice cream that has a subtle taffy-like pull when you move the spoon or cone away from your mouth.
My favorite flavor is the butter pecan. I grew up eating this flavor with my dad and I love how their’s is extra flavorful. A lot of butter pecans emphasize the vanilla, but this version is more sweet and nutty. It’s the perfect refreshment between shop hopping in Fairhaven.
iron rooster bakery
website | 1208 10th St | cuisine: French bakery | best for: breakfast and lunch | price range: $5 – $10
Iron Rooster is also in the Fairhaven historic district. The bakery is so quaint with brick walls and gorgeous molding. On the menu you’ll find a variety of sweet and savory treats, such as cookies, croissants, pies, and more.
While the menu changes regularly, I always get the whoopie pie if it’s on the menu. The chocolate in the cookie is really pronounced and the filling not too sweet. If you run out of time to visit all the restaurants in this Bellingham guide, take a box of goodies with you for the ride home!
Saltadena Bakery
website | 1208 10th St | cuisine: bakery | best for: cake | price range: $10 – $15
Saltadena is a buzzy bakery making seriously good cookies and cakes. Since they got started making wedding cakes, a slice of cake is the must get when you visit. Flavors rotate, but if it’s on the menu don’t miss the salted caramel carrot cake. It’s moist, a touch nutty, and the perfect hit of sweet.
camber
website | 221 W Holly St | best for: coffee | price range: $3.50 – $10
Camber is my favorite coffee place in Bellingham and rivals some of the best coffee roasters in Seattle. They roast excellent coffee and serve some funky drinks inside a beautiful historic building with a lot of light and pretty tile.
For example, you may find a drink that has espresso poured over an Earl Grey infused ice cube immersed in juniper syrup. Or maybe there will be a drink with espresso and honey topped with a grapefruit-lemongrass infused chilled cream foam, garnished with crushed house-made honeycomb confection. Basically they create craft cocktail-esque drinks sans the alcohol to create a menu I haven’t seen at any other coffee shop.
Ashuri Baklava Cafe
website | 1211 N State St | cuisine: Turkish | best for: breakfast and lunch | price range: $3-$10
Ashuri transports you to Turkey without ever leaving Bellingham. The cozy cafe is full of bright colors, rugs, and lights to make it feel as if you’re in a bazaar. Their specialty is baklava, which you can get as single pieces to mix and match.
However, my favorite thing about Ashuri is their breakfast. It comes with a savory bread and pastry, high quality cheese, comforting sausage, and egg. It’s my ideal breakfast of grazing, plus it goes well with their Turkish coffees.
pel’meni Restaurant
website | 1211 N State St | cuisine: Russian | best for: lunch and dinner | price range: ~$9
Pel’Meni serves excellent bite-sized Russian dumplings similar to pierogies. You can get a plate of dumplings stuffed with potato, beef, or a combination of both on the plate.
They’re typically served with curry powder, hot sauce, and sour cream, but I like to opt for the dumplings plain because they’re that good. And ok, I think the curry is way too spicy, ha.
Where to stay in Bellingham
Here’s a mix of hotels and unique accommodations perfectly located for visiting the places in this Bellingham guide.
heliotrope hotel
link to book | 19 Elm St | price range: $125 – $150 / night | pet friendly
This hip motel is off the beaten path near Menace Brewing. It has modern decor, AC, and free wifi. It also allows pets if your furry friend will be enjoying this guide to Bellingham too!
hotel bellwether
link to book | 1 Bellwether Way | price range: $250 – $425 / night
Hotel Bellwether is a Bellingham luxury hotel right on the water. It’s one of the most unique hotels in Washington because of its famous Lighthouse Suite, a two story luxury room that gives you 360 degree views like a lighthouse. This hotel’s stunning property is right on the water with little garden nooks everywhere to take in the views. There is also a fine dining restaurant, spa, and putting green onsite.
The Chrysalis inn & Spa
link to book | 804 10th St | price range: $200 – $265 / night | pet friendly
The Chrysalis is another luxury hotel owned by Hilton. It has free wifi and parking, allows pets, and has an onsite restaurant and spa. It’s located near Boulevard Park right on Bellingham Bay with views of Taylor Dock.
hotel leo
link to book | 1224 Cornwall Ave | price range: $125 – $230 / night | pet friendly
This downtown Bellingham boutique hotel is perfectly located for sightseeing. It’s only a few blocks away from AB Crepes and Camber. Plus it has a tower for permanent residents, so you know it’s a sought after location. There’s also a ton of historic charm because it’s in a building built in 1883. But guests will appreciate modern amenities like a social room with pool, gym, and private theater.
Sehome Garden inn
link to book | 801 Newell St | price range: ~$150 / night | pet friendly
This bed and breakfast is on a one-acre botanical garden nestled into the side of Sehome Hill Arboretum. It has bright and funky mid century modern decor and nooks around the property for enjoying the ambiance. This listing is for the king room, which as an ensuite bath. Breakfast is served daily using ingredients from as local as their garden.
coastal boho home
link to book | price range: $140 – $250 / night | pet friendly
If you’d prefer to have the entire place to yourself, this chicly-decorated home is for you. It sleeps up to 6 people and has cozy mattresses and linens in each room. It’s in a more residential area with views of Lake Whatcom, so you can escape the crowds but still have close access to everything Bellingham has to offer.
large home on lake samish
link to book | price range: $475 – $600 / night
If you want a large home right on the water, this is it. The property sits right on the lake with your own boat dock (boat not included) and water equipment like standup paddle boards, kids kayaks, and floaties. There’s also a huge deck overlooking the water, garden, and enough space to sleep 10.
Map of Bellingham, WA
Whew, hopefully you find this Bellingham guide helpful for planning your trip. To give you a sense of space, here is everything I suggested in this guide to Bellingham. It also includes places still on my list to try if you want even more ideas.
Get a custom Bellingham itinerary
Don’t want to do all the work to plan your Bellingham itinerary? Want to visit the surrounding areas for a longer trip? Let me plan a custom trip for you!
Fun day trips from Bellingham
Given Bellingham’s proximity to the San Juan Islands, Canada, and Skagit Valley, it’s a great location for taking day trips to other fun areas in Washington. Here are some of my favorites.
- Discover the Best Things to Do on Lopez Island
- Escape to the Quaint Lummi Island
- Take a Day Trip to San Juan Island
- Go on a Day Trip to Orcas Island
- Explore Fun Things to Do in Skagit Valley
- Eat at the Best Restaurants in Skagit County
- Seek Out the Best Things to Do on Whidbey Island
- Find Peace on the Relaxing Camano Island
- Visit North Cascades National Park to See the Larches
- Eat Your Way Around Skagit Valley on a Small Group Tour
