What to do in Southwest Washington

Activities, attractions and tours

Visit Southwest Washington

Types of activities

Where to stay

Southwest Washington travel guide

Vancouver showing street scenes and heritage architecture

Officers Row showing a house and heritage architecture

Vancouver which includes heritage architecture

Southwest Washington Attractions

Let Expedia help you experience the best that Southwest Washington has to offer! If you’re looking for fun itinerary ideas, we can provide you with a list of the top sightseeing attractions, as well as helping you to find unmissable activities. Whether you’re travelling with your family, planning a romantic trip with your loved one, or visiting on business, we’ll make it easy to plan an unforgettable holiday that checks all the boxes.

Activities and Tours

Southwest Washington is crammed with must-see places to visit and things to do. We can help you decide where to stay, and make it a breeze to explore the surrounding areas with our guides on where to go, what to see and when to see it. No matter how long your stay, it’s easy to find places of interest in Southwest Washington to make sure that you enjoy your experience to the fullest and don’t miss a thing. Leave the local knowledge to us and leave the hassle behind.

If you’re planning a visit, why not check out our handy guides to places of interest in the area? You can browse lists of things to do, learn about the most popular attractions, and get help with planning the details of your trip. Expedia makes it easy for you to check out all the top sights.

Southwest Washington Attractions

Expedia has something for everyone, so whether you’re planning to get active on a summer holiday, put a spring in your step with a romantic rendezvous, or pamper yourself with a leisurely winter trip, you’ll find plenty of attractions to keep you entertained. In addition to scheduling local tours, booking reservations and scoring advance event tickets, Expedia makes it easy to book your flight, hotel and rental car in advance, all on one consolidated travel itinerary, making for hassle-free travel and freeing you up to explore the sights of Southwest Washington.

Looking for things to do can be time consuming, but we can take the hassle out of planning your holiday. Whether you’re looking to get active in the great outdoors, sample the cuisine or catch up with the vibrant local culture, our guides to Southwest Washington attractions ensure that you’ll have a successful trip, whatever the season.

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Recommended things to do in Southwest Washington

Number of things to do	459
Cheapest thing to do on Expedia	Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Washington: CA $9
Top 5 things to do	Washington DC Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour Holiday Lights & Nights City Tour with 10+ Stops, Entry Tickets Washington DC Monuments & Highlights: Small-Group Electric Cart Tour Washington DC Hop On-Off Trolley Tour Arlington National Cemetery Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
Half-day tours	Holiday Lights & Nights City Tour with 10+ Stops, Entry Tickets Washington DC Monuments & Highlights: Small-Group Electric Cart Tour No-Wait Washington Monument Direct Entry Tickets & Guidebook Night of Lincoln Assassination: from White House to Ford Theatre Ghost and Graveyard Tour
With kids	Washington DC Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour Holiday Lights & Nights City Tour with 10+ Stops, Entry Tickets Washington DC Monuments & Highlights: Small-Group Electric Cart Tour Washington DC Hop On-Off Trolley Tour Arlington National Cemetery Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

What to do in Southwest Washington

Discover the most popular places to visit in Southwest Washington

Mount St. Helens

Take the 1.5-hour drive north of Portland to see this National Volcanic Monument and a blast zone in repair.

The power of water at the Cascade Locks dam in Oregon in summer

Bonneville Lock and Dam

You can find out about the history of Cascade Locks with a visit to Bonneville Lock and Dam. Wander the riverfront in this romantic area.

Mount St. Helens Forest Learning Center

You can browse the exhibits at Mount St. Helens Forest Learning Center, a museum with a storied past, during your travels to Castle Rock. Check out the shops and top-notch restaurants in this family-friendly area.

Bridge of the Gods

You can find out about the history of Cascade Locks when you stop by Bridge of the Gods. Wander the riverfront in this romantic area.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

Stride around a 19th-century fort, watch live craft demonstrations and learn about Washington’s trading and military history.

Maryhill Stonehenge

You can find out about the history of Maryhill when you stop by Maryhill Stonehenge. While you're in the area, stroll along the riverfront.

Panoramic sunrise landscape over Columbia River, Mt Hood, Portland Oregon, and Vancouver Washington, Pacific Northwest United States

Waterfront Park

Waterfront Park is just one of the places to see in Vancouver, so why not enjoy the other things to explore during your travels?

ilani Casino

Why not roll the dice with a visit to ilani Casino during your time in Ridgefield? Take in the theater scene while you're in the area.

Vancouver Mall

During your trip to Vancouver, you can enjoy retail therapy at Vancouver Mall. Amble around the area's riverfront or seek out the biking trails.

Explore areas of Southwest Washington

Those of us who live in a certain neighborhood of the Lincoln district know that for one month every year we won't have to worry about turning on our porch lights. If the street lamps should fail, well, that's not really of any concern. Say the moon itself were to pop out of the sky and go flying into space. No big deal. Because for a glorious 30 days every winter, we're able to bask in the glow of a house lit bright enough to make artificial sunshine. A sight so startling, it causes commuters to back up traffic as they sit in their cars and gape.

It wasn't always that way. A few years back, the charming old couple who lives in the place started to put out a few lights to decorate their home. The next year they added a few more, and the year after that -- again -- some more. At some point, however, they seem to have developed a kind of high tolerance for luminescence. And when that happened, the floodgates were open. What you see in these photos is the early December version of what, by Christmas day, will be a kind of multi-colored solar flare emanating from the front yard of their home.

It can really be a beautiful thing to behold, as anyone who sees it for the first time can tell you. And those of us who live here have accepted with pride this red and gold meteor which appears in our midst during every gloomy Northwest December.

Can you blame us? We may be the only block on earth entirely visible from space.

#localgem

Downtown Vancouver

Travelers come to Downtown Vancouver for its abundant dining options, and you can see top attractions like Columbia River and Clark County Historical Museum while you're in town.

Charming cabin just outside of Mt. Rainier National Park, with three bedrooms

Paradise Estates

Paradise Estates might not have many top sights, but Mount Rainier Gateway Protected Area and Pothole Lake are two attractions nearby that you can check out.

Salmon Creek

Salmon Creek is popular for its ample dining options, and you might make a stop by Westside Golf Range, a top place to visit in the area.

Nisqually Park

If you're spending some time in Nisqually Park, Mount Rainier National Park and Mount Rainier Gateway Protected Area are top sights worth seeing.

Boardwalk in Silver Lake Castle Rock Wetland in Cowlitz County Boardwalk, Washington Mt St Helens Visitor Center

Hazel Dell

Hazel Dell is well-liked for its restaurants. You can also take some time to explore sights in the surrounding area like Vancouver Mall and Officers Row.

Interstate Bridge Over Columbia River at Sunset

Five Corners

While visiting Five Corners, you might make a stop by sights like Orchards Plaza and Orchard Point.

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