Seattle Seaplanes
Seattle Seaplanes
4.5
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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About
For over 40 years Seattle Seaplanes has proudly operated on Lake Union, just minutes from downtown Seattle. Our pilots have logged more than 20,000 hours of flying time and countless water landings. At Seattle Seaplanes, we take pride in our high standards of service! Our experience and enthusiasm will be evident when you choose to fly with us. We're ready to take you there. The entire Seattle Seaplanes crew look forward to welcoming you on-board our seaplanes!
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Robert Vaughan
Marietta, Georgia, United States149 contributions
Jul 2021
I took up Seattle Seaplane sometime in mid-July of 2021. I was originally going to do Mt. Saint Helen but the weather was not clear enough that day. I opted instead to do Puget Sound.
Be advised there a lot of road contruction doing on in the area around Seattle Seaplane. My Uber driver could not get to the front of the place and thus I had to get out and walk to it. About 100 yards or so if I recall correctly.
Their office is very nice and there is a fairly nice sitting area inside. I sat there for while hoping for my flight to Mt. Saint Helen. Then decided to do Puget Sound in order to do something.
They fly Cessna 172(I believe) with floats. They can seat 3 people with the pilot. I
went alone since I was traveling alone and did not know anyone in Seattle to go with me. For an air tour it is very expensive to just go alone but it meant more for me.
The pilot was generally nice and knew how to fly the plane. She is a native of the area from the brief comments she made about her family there that she mentioned. She obviously flown the route numerous times. She named the islands and made comments about things as we flew.
I selected this company because I have never flown on a sea plane before and wanted to experience it. I have flown numerious helicopter and plane tours throughout the world but never a sea plane. Itwas interesting for the take-off and landing. It was a lot smoother than I thought on both.
Overall, I had a great time and saw a large amount of area, especially Puget Sound. I suspect Mt. Saint Helen would had been far more impressive than Puget Sound.
I gave only 4 out 5 stars for several reasons. One is this service does not provides shared ridership except I think for just Seattle. Going alone is ver yexpensive especially with this service but I guessbeing in Seattle makes it so. The pilot I had did not know some info I asked for(such as what kind of fish are in the Puget Sound and type of trees in the area).
Be advised there a lot of road contruction doing on in the area around Seattle Seaplane. My Uber driver could not get to the front of the place and thus I had to get out and walk to it. About 100 yards or so if I recall correctly.
Their office is very nice and there is a fairly nice sitting area inside. I sat there for while hoping for my flight to Mt. Saint Helen. Then decided to do Puget Sound in order to do something.
They fly Cessna 172(I believe) with floats. They can seat 3 people with the pilot. I
went alone since I was traveling alone and did not know anyone in Seattle to go with me. For an air tour it is very expensive to just go alone but it meant more for me.
The pilot was generally nice and knew how to fly the plane. She is a native of the area from the brief comments she made about her family there that she mentioned. She obviously flown the route numerous times. She named the islands and made comments about things as we flew.
I selected this company because I have never flown on a sea plane before and wanted to experience it. I have flown numerious helicopter and plane tours throughout the world but never a sea plane. Itwas interesting for the take-off and landing. It was a lot smoother than I thought on both.
Overall, I had a great time and saw a large amount of area, especially Puget Sound. I suspect Mt. Saint Helen would had been far more impressive than Puget Sound.
I gave only 4 out 5 stars for several reasons. One is this service does not provides shared ridership except I think for just Seattle. Going alone is ver yexpensive especially with this service but I guessbeing in Seattle makes it so. The pilot I had did not know some info I asked for(such as what kind of fish are in the Puget Sound and type of trees in the area).
Written November 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Robert,
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughtful review. It was great flying with you this summer!
The road construction was finished up this last summer, so if you come to see us again it should be much easier to get to us :) We fly both Cessna 172 and Cessna 206 floatplanes, and our Cessna 206 can seat up to 5 passengers. Our Seattle scenic tour is the only flight we regularly offer as a shared flight, but we can occasionally arrange for separate parties to fly together on a mountain tour with advance notice.
Give us a call if you'd like to fly with us again sometime!
Yvette
Written November 17, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
joepatton123
Seattle, WA51 contributions
Jun 2020 • Couples
We had a blast on this trip. Yvette was a great pilot and took great care of us on our trip to the Olympic Mtn Range. I would do this trip every day for the rest of my life if I could. Great staff, professional, knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend!!!
Written June 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
flyboy7974
Philadelphia, PA43 contributions
Mar 2021
In town from the east coast for the day and had couple hours to finish our Friday. Found Seattle Seaplanes online and made a call to Brandon who provided us times, cost and flight info. Made decision to go for it & do not regret, it was awesome. Brandon greeted us, gave us brief overview of our flight path on the map and then made our way to the Cessna 172. Twenty min flight grabbed the best views of the Seattle skyline and Brandon was the perfect guide. If in town, do this!
Written March 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you so much! It was a beautiful evening to fly.
-Brandon
Written March 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
aedrbf
West Hartford, CT1,073 contributions
Sep 2021
Having never been in a seaplane, we ventured forth. Our pilot was very friendly and obviously enjoys her job. She pointed out various sights as we flew in a loop around the city. It was a 20 minut flight. We have now check this off the bucket list and are so glad we had a beautiful sunny day with clear skies for the flight. Thank you for a great experience.
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Vincent P
9 contributions
Sep 2020
We called and were able to book a 2.5 hour flight within 24 hours. That was probably due to COVID-19. I recommend calling earlier. They offer a variety of flights and prices. We opted for the longest possible and saw the most possible. It was an incredibly smooth ride above the cascade mountains and the coast. We had hoped to fly south and see Mt. Ranier and Mt. Saint Helens, but smoke from California wildfires made this impossible. Instead, we flew north over a dormant volcano and the Cascade mountains and then the coast. The pilot pointed out everything of interest along the way. It was the highlight of our visit to Seattle.
Written September 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jackman1
Estero, FL1,061 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
Evette was our captain and the weather was clear. We shared the Cessna with a couple guys. One who’d never flown in a small plane. The trip was smooth and the views were great. A fair price for the experience. About 15 minutes from downtown by Uber. Go have fun
Written June 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
ideas8
USA125 contributions
Aug 2012 • Couples
First, the good. If you've not been in a seaplane before, there is something really fun and unique about the whole experience of taking off and landing on water. That was probably the best part for us. I would definitely rate the tour as fun, and everyone else on board (all 3 of them) seemed to enjoy it too. The pilot was friendly, and everyone we dealt with was nice and accomodating, which is always a plus.
On the downside, the tour is quite short and most of the narration about what you are going to see takes place on the ground. Our pilot gave us a pretty good verbal tour before takeoff, but then as we started moving we were informed that not much would be said while in the air, due to the need to concentrate on flying duties. That may be unavoidable, but if I hadn't already known what I was looking at, I probably would have missed a lot of the sights.
This is not the best way for out-of-towners to really get acquainted with Seattle. That said it was fun little ride and we enjoyed it. We had the Entertainment Book coupon for buy one, get one free, so that was a bonus. If you are on a budget and want to see all the touristy sights, pass on this and do a longer, cheaper city tour. But if you don't mind spending the money and just want something fun to do on a nice day, this fits the bill. Overall, a good tour.
On the downside, the tour is quite short and most of the narration about what you are going to see takes place on the ground. Our pilot gave us a pretty good verbal tour before takeoff, but then as we started moving we were informed that not much would be said while in the air, due to the need to concentrate on flying duties. That may be unavoidable, but if I hadn't already known what I was looking at, I probably would have missed a lot of the sights.
This is not the best way for out-of-towners to really get acquainted with Seattle. That said it was fun little ride and we enjoyed it. We had the Entertainment Book coupon for buy one, get one free, so that was a bonus. If you are on a budget and want to see all the touristy sights, pass on this and do a longer, cheaper city tour. But if you don't mind spending the money and just want something fun to do on a nice day, this fits the bill. Overall, a good tour.
Written September 14, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
BK2
Rolling Meadows, IL105 contributions
Aug 2011
Grandma gave my kids some spending money for their vacation and my older son decided to spend his for a seaplane ride. He is very interested in flying so we let him have the co pilot seat. It was just our family (4 of us) and our pilot. He went through a pre flight check as the plane was drifting on Lake Union. Then it was up in the air with great views of Seattle. The pilot was very personable and let my son take the controls and do some level flying and turns. It was a huge thrill and produced the biggest smile of the trip. It was about a 20 minute flight. We used an entertainment book coupon to help offset some of the cost. Not something you can afford to do all the time, but a unique experience for a vacation. The ride and landing was smooth - I can be a bit nervous sometimes and I had no problems.
Written August 24, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ponyexpresstravel
Seattle, WA47 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
A month ago I booked a private seaplane tour for my husband's birthday. I told them the day and time I wanted, as well as, the fact that it was his birthday and we wanted a private plane.
They called me the morning of at 11:45am asking me where we were. The reservation was for 12pm. They rudely asked, Brandon was his name I believe, where we were. I said we were on the way and running maybe 5 minutes late.
He told me the plane was taking off at 11:55 and it was a group flight. So not only did they not input the reservation properly, but he was very rude AND they took off before they said they were going to.
We have been looking forward to this for a while and were so bummed we didn't get to go.
I will go with Kenmore next time.
They called me the morning of at 11:45am asking me where we were. The reservation was for 12pm. They rudely asked, Brandon was his name I believe, where we were. I said we were on the way and running maybe 5 minutes late.
He told me the plane was taking off at 11:55 and it was a group flight. So not only did they not input the reservation properly, but he was very rude AND they took off before they said they were going to.
We have been looking forward to this for a while and were so bummed we didn't get to go.
I will go with Kenmore next time.
Written June 18, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
I’m sorry to hear you were disappointed, but I do feel that I need to respond and set the facts straight in our defense here. I was the pilot on duty the day of your flight.
We had a 20-minute Seattle scenic tour reserved for you at 12:00 pm, and check-in time for your flight was at 11:45 am. When passengers don’t arrive on time for check-in we will call to make sure that people are finding their way to our base, and offer assistance with directions or parking if needed.
It’s important that people arrive on time for check-in as that is when we will take payment, go over the flight route, take photos for you with the plane, board the plane, and go over safety information. When we called that day, you informed us that you would arrive about 15 minutes past the hour, at 12:15 pm, making you 30 minutes late for check-in. We are generally able to accommodate a late arrival of 5-10 minutes, but on this particular day we were not able to accommodate a 30-minute delay.
I am sorry for any miscommunication that this would be a private tour. Even if this had been reserved as a private flight though, we would not have been able to accommodate a 30-minute-late arrival (with no advance notice) on such a busy day.
The flight did not leave early. I asked our front desk agent to give you a call back before we started boarding and let you know that we would not be able to depart late. You were given the option of rescheduling your flight for another day (or for a later time that same day).
You did not phone ahead to let us know you were running late, we offered to reschedule your flight for another time, and we did not charge you anything at all for the flight you missed.
If you would like to discuss the matter further, please contact us by phone at 800-637-5553.
Sincerely,
Yvette
Written October 9, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sirksael
Overijse, Belgium3 contributions
May 2018 • Business
Together with a colleague, I booked a seaplane tour to mount Rainier as a spur of the moment thing. We could not have made a better decision!
We were lucky with beautiful weather and clear skies, which made this plane ride awesome! Seattle seaplanes was helpful with the booking, our pilot was very experienced and made us feel comfortable and safe. They do provide noise cancelling headsets now, so we could clealy hear the pilot when he pointed out the views. Definitely recommended!
We were lucky with beautiful weather and clear skies, which made this plane ride awesome! Seattle seaplanes was helpful with the booking, our pilot was very experienced and made us feel comfortable and safe. They do provide noise cancelling headsets now, so we could clealy hear the pilot when he pointed out the views. Definitely recommended!
Written May 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you for flying with us!
Written October 8, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
bradmauldin
McKinney, TX
Hi...Me and my wife are visiting Seattle in August and would very much like to book a tour...However, a recent knee injury makes accessibility to getting aboard the plane a potential problem...Don't exactly know what to do...Thanks
SolanaBeach2014
San Diego, CA332 contributions
The plane is a low seaplane with a step up about 2-3 stairs (short) into the plane. She could sit in front as co-pilot. It's off a main road and a ramp to the area where the plane boards.
AddieeAz
Canton, MI4 contributions
The family and I have decided to spend Christmas some place cold this year as we can not take the Arizona heat one more holiday! Now for the hard part, what do we do in Seattle (flying into SEA airport) during Christmas that we can remember forever? We have always wanted to visit Seattle and my daughter wants to live there so if anyone has some ideas of what to do and what is open in December I would truly appreciate the guidance.
Can we take a Seattle Seaplanes tour in December? We are not afraid of the cold whatsoever!
Seattle S
Seattle, WA
Yes, we at Seattle Seaplanes do fly in December.
At this time, our Seattle Scenic Tour is $97.50 per person (plus a $6 fuel surcharge). This is a 20-minute scenic flight that departs from Lake Union and highlights well-known places of interest in the area. A partial list includes Gasworks Park, Bill Gates’ Estate, Discovery Park, Woodland Park Zoo, Elliott Bay, the Ballard Locks, Lake Washington and the Space Needle.
If you decide you want a longer flight you can book a private scenic charter of Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, the Olympic Mountains or the San Jaun Islands.
If you are interested in any of these flights, a lunch/brunch/dinner flight or just have more questions, give us a call:
206-329-9638
Or email us through our website.
As for your daughter wanting to move here someday, let her know we are one of few places who offers a private pilots license training in a seaplane.
We welcome all of you. We are a small company but offers wonderful customer service. We look forward to meeting you and your family someday soon.
Sincerely,
The Crew & Pilots at Seattle Seaplanes
Laura B
Akron, United States3 contributions
Hello, I’m hoping you can help me. My husband and I are planning a trip at the end of July to visit my parents in Port Angeles WA. On previous visits, we would fly into Seatac, catch the Kenmore Air shuttle to Boeing Field and then fly into Fairchild Airport in P.A. As I’m sure you are aware, Kenmore no longer flies to P.A. Do you fly into P.A. from Seatac (and do you provide a shuttle to your airfield?). If you do, what would be the cost for round trip for the two of us?. Please let me know as soon as possible so that I may start making flight reservations from here in Akron OH to Seatac. Right now our options are to rent a car (not what we want to do), or take a bus (Dungeness lines), or use Rocket Transportation. It would definitely be better if we could fly instead of using ground transportation. It is a long enough journey without adding 2-3 hours of ground transport. Sorry… didn’t mean to go on and on. Please let me know if flights are available and the cost. I appreciate your help.
Thank you