Tacoma travel guide

Tacoma Tourism | Tacoma Guide

You're Going to Love Tacoma

With a population of 198,397, Tacoma is a must-see destination in Washington, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Tacoma has to offer.

Where to Eat in Tacoma

If you’re looking for affordable options, Lobster Shop (4015 Ruston Way) and Asado (2810 6th Avenue) are great picks.

When to visit Tacoma

Tacoma in February
Estimated hotel price
$114
1 night at 3-star hotel
Tacoma in February
Estimated hotel price
$114
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Tacoma in July, when the average temperature is 66.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 77 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is December, when it can get as cold as 35.6 °F, with an average temperature of 41 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in November, when precipitation is around 6.7″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Tacoma, with an average rainfall of 0.7″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Tacoma

Plane

When flying to Tacoma, you’ll arrive at Seattle/Tacoma Airport (SEA), which is located 15 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Tacoma include American Airlines, Air France and Aeromexico. The shortest domestic flight to Tacoma departs from Las Vegas and takes around 2h 39m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Tacoma. The train journey from Tacoma 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 Tacoma is called Tacoma, and is located 1.2 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Tacoma is to pick up a car rental from Seattle, which is about 25 miles from Tacoma. You’ll find branches of Fox and Sixt, among others, in Seattle.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Tacoma using Bus or Amtrak. From Richmond, the bus ride to Tacoma takes 210 miles and will cost you around $28. From Richmond, the ticket costs about $28 for a journey of 210 miles.

Plane

When flying to Tacoma, you’ll arrive at Seattle/Tacoma Airport (SEA), which is located 15 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Tacoma include American Airlines, Air France and Aeromexico. The shortest domestic flight to Tacoma departs from Las Vegas and takes around 2h 39m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Tacoma. The train journey from Tacoma 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 Tacoma is called Tacoma, and is located 1.2 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Tacoma is to pick up a car rental from Seattle, which is about 25 miles from Tacoma. You’ll find branches of Fox and Sixt, among others, in Seattle.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Tacoma using Bus or Amtrak. From Richmond, the bus ride to Tacoma takes 210 miles and will cost you around $28. From Richmond, the ticket costs about $28 for a journey of 210 miles.

Airlines serving Tacoma

Lufthansa
Good (7,346 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,416 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,795 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,717 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,757 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (9,615 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (933 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,674 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,622 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,753 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (10,067 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (4,155 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (481 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (7,361 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,331 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,983 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,370 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,285 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (9,365 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (812 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Tacoma

Average rates range from around $229 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $584 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of Tacoma

Most booked hotels in Tacoma

Silver Cloud Hotel Tacoma at Point Ruston Waterfront
4 stars
Excellent (9.2, 1108 reviews)
$275+
Silver Cloud Inn-Tacoma Waterfront
3 stars
Excellent (8.5, 817 reviews)
$239+
Country Inn & Suites Seattle-Tacoma Airport
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, 3064 reviews)
$165+
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tacoma Downtown
2 stars
Excellent (8.1, 644 reviews)
$163+
Hotel Murano
4 stars
Good (7.9, 1543 reviews)
$218+
Red Roof Inn Seattle Airport - SEATAC
2 stars
Good (7.3, 1489 reviews)
$97+

Renting a car in Tacoma

Renting a car in Tacoma costs $85 per day, on average, or $256 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Budget, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Tacoma is the Hertz branch at 4802 S Tacoma Way, which is 3 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 9% cheaper than airport locations in Tacoma.

Expect to pay $3.82 per gallon in Tacoma (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 Tacoma is Full-size (Ford Transit or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Nissan Leaf or similar) are, on average, 76% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Tacoma costs $85 per day, on average, or $256 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Budget, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Tacoma is the Hertz branch at 4802 S Tacoma Way, which is 3 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 9% cheaper than airport locations in Tacoma.

Expect to pay $3.82 per gallon in Tacoma (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 Tacoma is Full-size (Ford Transit or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Nissan Leaf or similar) are, on average, 76% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.