Routes · North America

Singapore to the Salish Sea: Port Townsend and the San Juan Islands

Singapore → Port Townsend → San Juan Islands

Victorian seaport & orca waters Best season (general guide): Jun–Sep

North-west of Seattle, the Salish Sea is a world of islands, ferries and quiet harbours. This route spends three nights in Port Townsend and three in the San Juan Islands. From Singapore you'll fly to Seattle, then continue by road and ferry; Washington State Ferries is the largest ferry system in the United States.

How to pace it: Port Townsend boomed in the late nineteenth century on hopes of becoming a railway terminus. When the railway didn't come, growth stopped, and that left one of the best-preserved Victorian seaports in the country, with ornate brick buildings downtown, now a National Historic Landmark district, and houses on the bluff. Walk them on day two. Day three is for Fort Worden, a former army post guarding the entrance to Puget Sound, now a state park with beaches and bunkers; it appeared in An Officer and a Gentleman.

On day four, take the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and visit the Whale Museum. Day five is for Lime Kiln Point State Park on the west side, a place to watch from shore for the Southern Resident orcas, which feed here in summer, and for San Juan Island National Historical Park, which recalls the Pig War of 1859, a border dispute set off by the shooting of a pig. Spend day six kayaking the coves. If you have time, Mount Constitution in Moran State Park on Orcas Island is the islands' highest point.

Practical notes: June to September is the driest season and the busiest on the ferries, so plan crossings ahead. Oysters and Dungeness crab are the local seafood.

Safety: this is a domestic US route with no State Department advisory; Canada asks travellers to the US to take normal security precautions (updated 10 Oct 2026).

Partner links may earn LarkTours a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, availability and terms are set by each partner.