Self-Launched Pacific Northwest Road Trip: Seattle to San Francisco
7 days · Pacific Northwest, USA
G Adventures charges £1,350
No-markup version: ~£675 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 7-day self-launched version of G Adventures' Seattle-to-San-Francisco camping road trip. You'll do the same route — Seattle, Mt Rainier, Portland, Bend, Crater Lake, the Redwoods and the Golden Gate — but on a mix of public transport, budget car-share/rental and hostel/campground stays instead of a private tour vehicle and leader. Book park entry, hikes and city experiences yourself; costs below are approximate backpacker rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Seattle — Pike Place and Capitol Hill
Seattle, Washington
Land at Sea-Tac and take the Link Light Rail downtown (~$3, about 40 mins) rather than a $50 taxi. Check into a downtown/Belltown hostel. Spend the afternoon free-wheeling: Pike Place Market (free), the Gum Wall, and the waterfront. In the evening head to Capitol Hill for cheap eats and craft beer. If you want the classic views, the Space Needle or Chihuly Garden and Glass are self-bookable on GetYourGuide/Klook — optional and pricey (~£30-40), so skip if you're on a budget.
🚌Link Light Rail from Sea-Tac to Westlake (~$3 / £2.50); walking + local bus
🛏Downtown Seattle hostel, 4-6 bed dorm (~£30-40/night)
- →Pike Place Market (free)
- →Gum Wall & waterfront walk (free)
- →Capitol Hill evening out
- →Optional: Chihuly Garden and Glass or Space Needle (book via GetYourGuide)
Mt Rainier National Park day trip
Mt Rainier National Park, Washington
Mt Rainier has no public bus service, so the realistic budget option is a shared day tour from Seattle (GetYourGuide/Viator run Mount Rainier small-group day trips from ~£90-110 including park entry) or, if you're travelling with others, splitting a rental car. Either way you get the Paradise area, wildflower meadows and the Skyline Trail (moderate, 5-6 miles) with views of the glacier. Note this day trip typically returns to Seattle in the evening — if you want to camp near the park, book a site at Cougar Rock or Ohanapecosh campground through recreation.gov (~$20-30/tent) and arrange your own transport.
🚌Shared day tour from Seattle (included in activity cost) or rented car split between travellers (~£25-35 pp including fuel)
🛏Seattle hostel (~£30-40) or campground near the park (~£15-20 per person)
- →Mt Rainier National Park entrance & Paradise area
- →Skyline Trail hike
- →Wildlife spotting (black bear, marmot)
Seattle to Portland — get weird in PDX
Portland, Oregon
Take the Amtrak Cascades train from Seattle King Street Station to Portland Union Station (~$35-45, 3h20m) — far more scenic and cheaper than flying. Dump your bag at a hostel in the Pearl District or Hawthorne area, then explore: Powell's Books, the Saturday Market if it's the weekend, and Portland's famous food cart pods for a cheap lunch (£8-10). In the afternoon do a self-guided street-art walk or book a budget craft-beer tour (~£25). Portland is very walkable and has excellent public transport ($2.80 hop card).
🚌Amtrak Cascades Seattle–Portland (~$40 / £32); Portland TriMet buses/tram
🛏Portland hostel dorm (~£30-38/night)
- →Powell's City of Books (free)
- →Portland food cart pods
- →Self-guided street art walk
- →Optional: craft brewery tour (GetYourGuide)
Portland to Bend via the Cascades
Bend, Oregon
Bend is awkward without a car — the cheapest realistic route is the Central Oregon Breeze shuttle from Portland (~$45, about 3.5-4h) or an Amtrak Thruway bus connection. Once in Bend, hire a kayak or SUP on the Deschutes River or Cascade Lakes (~$25-30 for two hours, book direct with a local outfitter) and wander the Old Mill District. Bend's breweries are excellent and cheap-ish — a self-guided brewery crawl beats the $80 organised tour. Stay in the HI Bend hostel or a budget motel.
🚌Central Oregon Breeze shuttle Portland–Bend (~$45 / £36)
🛏HI Bend hostel or budget motel (~£35-45/night)
- →Kayak/SUP on the Deschutes River
- →Old Mill District wander
- →Self-guided brewery crawl
Bend to Crater Lake and the Redwoods
Crater Lake NP to Redwood National Park, California
This is the logistically hardest day self-launched. Without a private vehicle you'll need a rental car from Bend (splitting with 2-3 others keeps it to ~£30-40 each including fuel) or an organised small-group transfer. Drive to Crater Lake National Park for the Rim Drive viewpoints and a short hike — entry is $30 per vehicle. Then push south on US-199 into California to Redwood National and State Parks. Camp at Elk Prairie or Jedediah Smith campground (recreation.gov, ~$20-35/tent). Note: this is a long day (~7h driving), so start early.
🚌Rented car split between travellers (~£35-45 pp incl. fuel) or organised small-group transfer
🛏Redwood National Park campground (~£15-20 pp) or hostel in Arcata/Eureka (~£30-35)
- →Crater Lake Rim Drive & viewpoints
- →Redwood National Park
- →Campfire evening under the trees
Redwoods hike and the California coast
Redwood National Park & the North Coast
Morning hike among the old-growth redwoods — the Lady Bird Johnson Grove and Tall Trees Grove loops are free and easy-moderate (2-4 miles). Drive or take the Redwood Coast Transit bus to the coast for tide-pooling at False Klamath Cove or a beach stop at Trinidad. Budget lunch in Arcata or Eureka. Camp a second night or grab a hostel bed in Arcata. If you're without a car, Redwood Coast Transit links Arcata, Trinidad and Crescent City cheaply (~$5-10).
🚌Redwood Coast Transit local buses (~$5-10) + short drives
🛏Second night camping (~£15-20 pp) or Arcata/Eureka hostel (~£30-35)
- →Lady Bird Johnson Grove hike
- →Tall Trees Grove
- →Tide-pooling on the coast
- →Trinidad beach stop
Redwoods to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
The long slog south: the cheapest way is an Amtrak Thruway/Greyhound bus combination from Arcata or Eureka to San Francisco (~$60-80, 7-9h) — or, if you've got the rental car, drive US-101 through the wine country and stop for photos in Sonoma/Napa. Arrive in SF, hop the 28 or 30 bus to the Golden Gate Bridge for the classic selfie (free), and finish with a walk through Crissy Field or a cable car ride ($8). The trip ends on arrival in SF — add a night in a hostel if you're flying out the next day.
🚌Greyhound/Amtrak Thruway Arcata–San Francisco (~$70 / £56) or rental car via US-101 (~£30-40 pp incl. fuel)
🛏Not included — add an SF hostel night (~£40-50) if needed
- →Golden Gate Bridge (free)
- →Crissy Field walk
- →Optional: cable car ride ($8)
- →Optional: sunset sailing (book via GetYourGuide)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£675 | £1,350 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £675 per person (50%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£675
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Pacific Northwest Road Trip: Seattle to San Francisco cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £675 per person for 7 days in Pacific Northwest, USA. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,350 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £675 — a saving of roughly £675 (50%) per person.
How long is the Pacific Northwest, USA trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Pacific Northwest, USA.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, road-trip, hiking trip through Pacific Northwest, USA, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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