Olympia travel guide
Olympia Tourism | Olympia Guide
You're Going to Love Olympia
With a population of 46.478, Olympia is a must-see destination in Washington, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Olympia deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Olympia
Tours
Art & Performing Arts
Where to Eat in Olympia
Historic District is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Olympia. These include popular favorites such as Oly Taproom (312 Columbia St NW), Gardner's (111 Thurston Ave NW) and Swing Wine Bar (825 Columbia St Sw). If you’re looking for affordable options, Fujiyama Japanese Steak House & Bar - Olympia (2930 Capitol Mall Dr, NW) and Mercato Ristorante (111 Market St NE) are great picks.
When to visit Olympia
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Olympia in July, when the average temperature is 64.4 °F, and the highest can go up to 78.8 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 32 °F, with an average temperature of 39.2 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in December, when precipitation is around 8.7″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Olympia, with an average rainfall of 0.7″.
How to Get to Olympia
Plane
Although Olympia doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Seattle/Tacoma Airport (SEA), which is located 40 miles from Olympia. Seattle King County/Boeing is the most popular, with regular flights from American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, EL AL and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to Olympia departs from Ontario and takes around 2h 36m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Olympia. The train journey from Olympia to Vancouver takes 3h 07m and costs around $29 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Vancouver, expect to pay about $29 for a 3h 07m trip. The train station in Olympia is called Olympia Lacey - Centennial Station, and is located 6 miles from the city center.
Car
Another option to get to Olympia is to pick up a car rental from Seattle, which is about 77 km from Olympia. You’ll find branches of Sixt and Kyte, among others, in Seattle.
Bus
You can travel by bus to Olympia using Quick Shuttle or Amtrak. From Bellingham, the bus ride to Olympia takes 217 km and will cost you around $42. From Richmond, the ticket costs about $32 for a journey of 338 km.
Airlines serving Olympia
Where to stay in popular areas of Olympia
Most booked hotels in Olympia
Renting a car in Olympia
Renting a car in Olympia costs $67 per day, on average, or $134 if you want to rent if for 2 days.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 3% cheaper than airport locations in Olympia.
Expect to pay $3.82 per gallon in Olympia (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $45.88 and $61.17. The most frequently booked car type in Olympia is Mini (Dodge Grand Caravan or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Class Intermediate SUV or similar) are, on average, 73% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.