City Sightseeing Seattle: HOHO Bus Tour + Locks Cruise

Seattle’s best feature on this tour is the combination of city streets and water. You can ride past Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Chinatown, and Pioneer Square, then trade the bus for a two-hour Locks Cruise through the Lake Washington Ship Canal. It gives you a broad first look without forcing you into one long guided group.

I like the flexible hop-on, hop-off format, especially if you want to split sightseeing across one or two days. I also like the route’s practical mix of big attractions and useful downtown stops, including the Seattle Central Library, Amazon Spheres, and the waterfront piers.

The main drawback is timing. The bus runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., while the Locks Cruise leaves Pier 55 at 10:30 a.m. every day, so fitting everything together takes planning. Attraction admission, food, and hotel transfers are not included.

Key points at a glance

• Two ways to see Seattle: Combine a double-decker city loop with a two-hour one-way cruise through the locks.
• 17 useful stops: Reach Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Pioneer Square, Chinatown, the waterfront, and other central sights.
• Best ticket choice: The 48-hour pass gives you far more breathing room than the 24-hour option.
• Early cruise timing: The Locks Cruise leaves Pier 55 at 10:30 a.m. daily, so plan that part first.
• Extra walking option: A 1.1-mile audio-guided route through Pioneer Square adds local context without another scheduled tour.
• Easy boarding: You can join the bus at any listed stop using a mobile or printed voucher.

Why this Seattle combination works

Seattle spreads its main sights across several districts, and walking between them can take time. The bus helps you connect the waterfront, downtown, Pioneer Square, Chinatown, Seattle Center, and the area around the Amazon Spheres without arranging separate rides.

The cruise adds something the bus cannot: a look at Seattle from the water and a passage through the locks. Since it is one-way, it is not simply a sightseeing loop. You need to think about where you will be afterward, but that format can also work well if you are using the cruise to move into another part of the city.

The ticket costs $109 per person. That is not a small spend, so I would judge the value by how much of the package you use. The bus, cruise, audio guide, and walking route are included, but paid entry to the Space Needle, Seattle Sky View Observatory, museums, and other attractions is separate.

For a single short day, the package may feel expensive if you only ride the bus once and take the cruise. It makes better financial sense for a first visit when you plan to ride several times, stop at multiple districts, and use the 48-hour ticket.

Planning your day around the 10:30 a.m. Locks Cruise

The cruise should shape your schedule. It leaves every day at 10:30 a.m. from Pier 55, where you show your voucher and receive separate tickets for the bus and cruise. The information provided does not give a return time or end point for the cruise, so check the current details when booking and plan your onward route carefully.

You can board the bus first, but doing so risks making the morning tight. The bus takes about 80 minutes for the full tour, and departures from Stop 1 begin at 10 a.m. with buses arriving every 30 minutes. That does not leave much room for a full loop before the cruise.

A better plan is to reach Pier 55 early, take the cruise, and use the bus afterward. You can then ride toward Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, Chinatown, or Seattle Center, depending on your interests.

The cruise is one-way, not a sightseeing round trip. I see that as both a benefit and a small complication. You get a genuine point-to-point experience rather than circling the same water, but you need to know where you will finish before you set off.

The bus route, from Seattle Center to the waterfront

Space Needle and Seattle Center

Stop 1 is at the Space Needle and Seattle Center, a natural starting point for many visitors. The Space Needle is one of Seattle’s defining sights, and Seattle Center places you near several major attractions.

The bus begins here at 10 a.m. and makes its final departure from this stop at 4 p.m. Since the full tour lasts about 80 minutes, the late afternoon service is more useful for a ride around the city than for a long series of stops.

If you want to visit the Space Needle itself, remember that admission is not included. The ticket gets you close to the attraction, not inside it.

FRS Clippers and the Edgewater Hotel

The FRS Clippers stop and the Edgewater Hotel stop keep you close to the waterfront and ferry connections. These are handy points for getting oriented near the water before continuing south or inland.

Seattle’s waterfront is one of the main reasons to use this route. You can step off for views, piers, and the salty air, then rejoin the bus instead of committing to a long walk through downtown.

Pier 66 Cruise Terminal

Pier 66 serves as another waterfront access point and is useful for anyone combining this bus route with cruise-related plans. It also gives you another place to break up the ride near the water.

Do not confuse Pier 66 with Pier 55, where the Locks Cruise meets. The two piers are separate stops, and the cruise instructions specifically direct you to Pier 55.

Pier 55 and Argosy Cruises

Pier 55 appears on the route and is also the meeting point for the Locks Cruise. This makes it one of the most important stops on the whole package.

The area is convenient for combining a waterfront stop with the cruise, but give yourself enough time to find the correct boarding point. You will show your voucher there and receive the separate cruise and bus tickets.

Pioneer and Occidental Square

Pioneer Square is one of the most worthwhile stops for history and architecture. The district connects directly with the included audio-guided walking tour, which covers about 1.1 miles and focuses on Seattle’s early days.

I like this option because it lets you explore on foot without adding another fixed tour time. You use your smartphone, and images of the places and objects discussed appear on the screen. That makes the walk more useful than simply wandering around and wondering what you are looking at.

Pioneer Square also rewards a slower pace. Do not treat it as just a bus stop to check off. Get off, take the walking route, and then use the bus to continue toward Chinatown or the library.

Historic Chinatown Gate

The Chinatown Gate marks your arrival in Seattle’s Chinatown district. This stop gives you a clear change of setting from the waterfront and Pioneer Square.

The route does not include food, so plan to pay separately if you want to eat here. The stop is best used as a starting point for your own exploration rather than as a packaged meal experience.

Panama Hotel and Tea House

The Panama Hotel and Tea House adds another Chinatown area stop and gives you a second chance to get off in the district. Having two stops nearby can be useful if you want to explore on foot without backtracking to the gate.

The bus is most helpful here as a connector between neighborhoods. You can visit one part of Chinatown, walk through the district, and rejoin the route at the next suitable stop.

Seattle Sky View Observatory

This stop puts you near Seattle Sky View Observatory, another paid attraction that is not covered by the ticket. The route brings you close, but you will need a separate admission if you choose to go inside.

That distinction matters when you calculate the $109 price. The bus helps you reach the observatory, but the package is transportation and touring, not an all-inclusive attractions pass.

Seattle Central Library

The Seattle Central Library gives the route a useful downtown stop that is not just another major paid viewpoint. It is a practical place to get off while exploring the city center.

It also breaks up the route between the southern districts and Pike Place Market. If you prefer architecture, city streets, and public spaces to a long list of ticketed attractions, this stop may be one of your better choices.

Seattle Convention Centre

The convention center stop is centrally placed and can be useful for reaching nearby downtown streets. It is especially practical if your hotel or plans are in the central business area, though hotel pickup is not included.

Use this stop as a connector rather than a main sightseeing target. Its value is location.

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market is one of the tour’s essential stops. It is a good place to leave the bus and spend time on foot, since the market is about browsing stalls, food counters, and small details rather than looking at it from a passing vehicle.

The route also includes the Pike Brewing Company stop and the Original Starbucks at Pike Place Market. These stops put you near several recognizable Seattle names, but food and drinks are your own expense. The Original Starbucks can be a quick photo stop, though the market itself offers a fuller experience than one branded storefront.

Plan your time here carefully. Pike Place can easily absorb the middle of your day, and the bus only runs until the last departure from Stop 1 at 4 p.m.

Pike Brewing Company and Seattle Art Museum

The Pike Brewing Company stop offers another way into the market and waterfront area. The Seattle Art Museum stop serves visitors who want to add a cultural stop to the route, with admission paid separately.

These stops show the practical strength of the bus. You can tailor the day to your interests rather than follow one fixed path. Just keep track of the bus schedule, since a museum visit or long market stop can leave you waiting for the next bus.

Amazon Spheres

The Amazon Spheres stop gives you access to one of Seattle’s most recognizable modern developments. It is a useful contrast to Pioneer Square and the older waterfront districts.

The route is not only about famous tourist sights. Stops such as the library, convention center, and Amazon Spheres help you see how different parts of central Seattle fit together.

The included walking tour through Pioneer Square

The audio-guided walk covers 1.1 miles and focuses on Seattle’s early days. You use your smartphone, with images displayed on screen as the route explains the objects and places around you.

This is a strong addition for independent visitors. You get structure and background without joining a group or matching a guide’s pace. It also turns Pioneer Square into more than a photo stop.

Bring a charged phone and allow time to walk the full distance. The tour is not a substitute for every attraction in the district, but it gives you a clearer reason to look closely at the streets and buildings.

Audio guide and accessibility details

The bus includes an English audio guide. That makes the tour easy to follow if you want basic context while watching the city pass by, though it is not the same as having a guide who can answer personal questions or adjust the route to your interests.

The experience is wheelchair accessible. Pets and smoking are not allowed. Mobile and printed paper vouchers are accepted, and you can redeem them at any stop along the route.

The voucher can be used on any day within 12 months of the travel date selected at checkout. That provides useful flexibility if your Seattle plans shift, though you still need to check the operating schedule for the day you choose.

There is also a seasonal routing note: on Saturdays in summer, Stop 18 is located in front of the Via 6 building at the west corner of Sixth Avenue and Lenora Street. The main route information describes 17 stops, so check the current stop map if you need that seasonal location.

Choosing between 24 and 48 hours

The 24-hour ticket suits a carefully planned day, especially if you take the cruise in the morning and use the bus for several stops afterward. It is possible, but the fixed cruise departure and limited bus hours make the schedule fairly tight.

I prefer the 48-hour ticket for most people who want to use the package as a city introduction. You can take the cruise on one day, then use the bus on another day for Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, Seattle Center, Chinatown, and the downtown stops.

The extra time also protects you from Seattle’s stop-and-start rhythm. A market visit may run long, the walking tour takes time, and a paid attraction can easily change your plan. With two days, you do not need to force every district into one circuit.

Is the $109 price fair?

The $109 price is easiest to justify if you use all four parts of the experience: the bus, the Locks Cruise, the English audio guide, and the Pioneer Square walking route.

It is less compelling if you mainly want transportation between two places. The bus is designed for sightseeing, not as the cheapest way to get around, and the ticket does not cover attraction entry, meals, or hotel transfers.

I would compare the price with your personal plan. If you intend to visit several central districts and want an easy overview of Seattle, the package can save planning time. If you already know the city and only want the Space Needle or Pike Place Market, buying individual admissions and using regular transport may be better.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it for a first visit, families who want a simple city overview, and anyone who prefers to set their own pace. It also suits visitors with limited time who want to see several districts without walking between all of them.

The experience is less suited to people who want a fully guided, personal tour. The commentary is in English and delivered through an audio guide, while the walking route is smartphone-led. You get freedom, but not a live guide adjusting the day around your questions.

It is also not ideal for anyone who dislikes schedules. The cruise has one daily departure at 10:30 a.m., and the bus has a defined operating window. Plan the cruise first, then build the bus route around it.

Should you book the Seattle bus and Locks Cruise?

Book it if you want a broad introduction to Seattle and will use the 48-hour option, or if you can organize a full day around the 10:30 a.m. cruise. The combination of waterfront views, city districts, Pioneer Square context, and flexible bus stops gives you more range than a bus ride alone.

Think twice if you only want one attraction or need hotel-to-hotel transport. At $109, the value comes from using the package actively. Take the cruise, get off several times, use the Pioneer Square walk, and treat the bus as your sightseeing base rather than a simple ride.

FAQ

How long does the bus tour take?

The full bus tour takes about 80 minutes.

How often does the bus run?

The bus runs every 30 minutes.

What time does the first bus leave?

The first departure from Stop 1 is at 10 a.m.

What time is the last departure from Stop 1?

The last departure from Stop 1 is at 4 p.m.

Where does the Locks Cruise depart?

The Locks Cruise departs from Pier 55.

What time does the Locks Cruise leave?

The cruise leaves every day at 10:30 a.m.

Is the cruise included in the bus ticket?

Yes. The package includes a two-hour one-way Locks Cruise.

Is admission to attractions included?

No. Entry to attractions such as the Space Needle and Seattle Sky View Observatory is not included.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the experience is wheelchair accessible.