Top 5 Things to do in Leavenworth
Although Leavenworth is only a two and half hour drive away from Seattle, it feels like a completely different world. This small town is surrounded by the mountains and the Wenatchee River. This was an old logging town that started to dwindle after the railroad got re-routed in 1925. In the 1960s, city leaders decided to make this a themed town to help attract more visitors and given its location surrounded by mountains, Leavenworth became a Bavarian village. It seems to have worked as today, Leavenworth sees more than 2.5 million visitors a year. Here are some tips and things to do while you are exploring the Bavarian town of Leavenworth.
Best time to visit Leavenworth
Leavenworth is a town where you can visit anytime of the year, depending on what you want to see and do. Around Christmas time, this town goes all out. By the end of October, they already have Christmas lights on most of the buildings and trees. Christmas activities start in November and they include sleigh rides and a Reindeer farm. If you have kids, or if you are a kid in heart, make sure to check out the year round Reindeer Farm. During winter time, there are lots of nearby ski resorts as well. My favorite time is Fall though dude to all of the leaves changing color. This town also has an Oktoberfest for the first 3 weekends in October.
Given how close this town is Seattle, it does get a lot of weekend travelers. Weekends are definitely more busy than during the week. We like to go middle of the week so it is not quite as packed. There are limited number of restaurants and its not uncommon to have over an hour wait even during the week.
How to get to Leavenworth
Most people will likely be coming from the Seattle Area. It is about 2.5 hours away from Seattle, making it an easy weekend getaway. There are 2 roads that get you to Leavenworth, HWY 2 and I-90. Both take about the same time and are very scenic. I recommend doing a loop between the two different roads if returning to Seattle. We have also done the Cascade Loop which is Hwy 2 out to Leavenworth, Hwy 153 up to Winthrop, Hwy 20 through North Cascades National Park and then back down I-5 to Seattle. This is a very scenic drive, but would not recommend unless you have some time to explore North Cascades National Park as well.
How much time do you need?
It technically is doable for a day trip from Seattle, but that means driving about 5 hours in a day as well as seeing this town. I recommend staying at least one night, preferably two nights if you plan to do some outdoor activities. If you plan to just check out Front St and the town, one night is plenty.
Where to stay?
There are many different hotels and Air BNB options for Leavenworth and you can also stay in nearby Wenatchee. If you do happen to be in Wenatchee for breakfast, make sure to check out The Wild Huckleberry that has amazing food and huge pancakes.
Icicle Village Resort is great for families as there are lots of different activities for kids to do and is walking distance to downtown. We have also stayed at SpringHill Suites in Wenatchee as well.
Top 5 things to do in Leavenworth
Eat German food
There are so many good restaurants to choose from in Leavenworth, but these are some of my favorites. If you don’t like German food, don’t worry there are lots of other options available as well.
Andreas Keller German Restaurant offers great food as well as the feeling of being in a German Cellar. It is located in the basement, so it can be a little difficult to find but is worth the hunt. All the waiters are dressed in traditional German attire and at night they have someone playing an accordion. This place gets busy and don’t be surprised if you have an hour wait, even if it is a quite night out on the street. The food is more pricy than others, but I think worth it.
Address: 829 Front St Leavenworth, WA
Hours: Open daily at 11:30am, closing hours vary depending on season.
Munchen Haus is another restaurant located on Front Street and is a good place for lunch. They have Brats (The Big Bob) with lots of different toppings to choose from. Don’t forget the Pretzel which is amazing.
Address: 709 Front St Leavenworth, WA
Hours: Open daily at 11am, closing hours vary depending on season
Website
If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, stop in at The Gingerbread Factory. It is above Andreas Keller Restaurant.
Address: 829 Front St Leavenworth, WA
Hours: Open daily a 9am, closes at 6pm Friday-Sunday and 4pm Monday-Thursday
Take a Drive
Despite being to Leavenworth several times, it took me a few times to even hear about this beautiful drive. Icicle Creek Rd travels up a canyon bordering the creek the entire way. There are several available pullouts for you to get out and take photos along the way. During autumn, there are beautiful fall colors in this area.
Visit the Island
Blackbird Island is connected to Leavenworth by a bridge near Blackbird Lodge. Once you are on it, there are 3 different trails you can choose from that lead to the otherside of the island and then Enchantment Park. There is a small hill down to the island, but once you are on the island it is relatively flat. It takes about half hour to walk the entire island. The river trail (on the left when you come from Blackbird Lodge) parallels the river with lots of places for good views.
Go to the Nutcracker Museum
This is one of the unique things to do while in Leavenworth. The Nutcracker Museum has over 7000 different nutcrackers, some dating back to the 1600s. It started after George and Arlene Wagner donated their collection of nutcrackers in 1995. The collection varies from some almost 2000 years old to more recent ones. There are even a few sections dedicated to Disney or Halloween themed nutcrackers. If you want to learn even more about nutcrackers, they have a film to watch as well that is included in your admission.
Address: 735 Front St Leavenworth, WA
Cost: $5 for adults, $3.50 for 65yo+, $2 for children 6 and over and free for under 6yo.
Hours: Open daily 11am-5pm
Explore Front Street and the year round Christmas store
The main thing here to do is enjoy Front St which offers many restaurants and shops. Kris Kringle is a store dedicated to all things Christmas and is open year round. It has been around for over 30 years. You will mostly find ornaments here, but they have some decorations for sale as well.
Other things to consider
If you are up for an adventure and the weather is right, consider doing the Colchuck Lake hike. This hike is around 9 miles with over 2000 ft in elevation gain but leads to a beautiful lake. If this is too intense for you, there are lots of other trails around this area for every activity level.
Leavenworth Reindeer Farm is open year round Friday to Monday where you can hear about the reindeer as well as get some photos. Reservations are recommended or required depending on when you are going.
Attend one of the many festivals that Leavenworth puts on. Leavenworth has some big festivals, including the annual Oktoberfest as well as Christmas festival. They also have more unique ones, including the spring Bird Fest to celebrate the migratory bird return to the area. There is an even calendar on Leavenworth city page that has all the happenings of the town.
There are many other seasonal options you can do in Leavenworth depending on what time you are going there. During the summer, they have white water rafting, floats down the river, and horse riding. Given this town’s location, it is a great place for winter sports as well. Check out Stevens Pass Ski Resort on your way to Leavenworth.
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