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    Urban Bliss Life » Travel » Washington » Best Things To Do in Walla Walla, Washington

    Published: January 28, 2020 / Updated: February 7, 2023 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Best Things To Do in Walla Walla, Washington

    130 shares

    Visiting Walla Walla, Washington? Here are some of my favorite Things to Do in Walla Walla!

    downtown walla walla in the fall

    If you enjoy wine travel in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, you'll love a trip to Walla Walla, Washington. Located in the southeastern part of the state, this agriculture town is a well-known wine region that produces some incredible wines.

    I've made an annual trip to Walla Walla almost every year for the past five years. Even though it's a small town, there is always something new to explore: new wineries and wine tasting rooms, new restaurants, new shops.

    Check out this list of some of my favorite things to do in Walla Walla. If you're not quite ready to plan a trip to Washington just yet, be sure to PIN it to Pinterest so you can refer back to it!

    Jump to:
    • 🚙 Road trip: Portland to Walla Walla
    • 🍽 Walla Walla Restaurants
    • 🥩 Dinner at Walla Walla Steak Co.
    • 🍇 Walla Walla wineries
    • Other Walla Walla wineries to visit
    • 🍻 Downtown Walla Walla: Thief Wine and Beer
    • 🍇 Farm to table vineyard dinners
    • 🧅 Visit the farmers market
    • 🏨 Hotels in Walla Walla
    • Book your Walla Walla vacation
    • More Things to Do in Walla Walla
    grapevines in vineyard at Walla Walla vintners

    🚙 Road trip: Portland to Walla Walla

    I-84 road trip Portland to Walla Walla

    Walla Walla, Washington is a beautiful, scenic 4-hour drive from downtown Portland, Oregon. From Portland, go east on I-84 for approximately 243 miles (depending on your exact starting point). Take Exit 179 for I-82 West toward Umatilla. Continue on I-82 West for about 9 miles, then take Exit 1 for to US395S/US 730E toward Umatilla Irigon. Follow US730E and US12E to North 5th Avenue in Walla Walla.

    🍽 Walla Walla Restaurants

    🥓 Breakfast at Bacon and Eggs

    Bacon and Eggs
    57 E Main St, Walla Walla, WA 99362
    Open 8am - 2pm Thursday through Tuesday; closed Wednesday

    This is a hot brunch spot for tourists and locals alike. More than just the namesake classic breakfast combo, here you'll find hearty Pacific Northwest faves like crab crake benedict (pictured above, right). Bacon and Eggs does traditional breakfast and lunch dishes well, in a casual, relaxed environment. You'll find this right in the middle of Main Street in downtown Walla Walla.

    🍝 Dinner at Passatempo Taverna

    Passatempo
    215 W Main St
    Walla Walla, WA 99362
    Open Thursday through Monday, 4pm - 10pm

    Passatempo restaurant walla walla at sunset

    For a lovely dinner out in Walla Walla, I have two favorite restaurants: Saffron Kitchen (which you can read about in my post Where to Eat in Walla Walla), and Passatempo.

    You can't go wrong with any dish you order at Passatempo. Located right at the edge of Main Street in downtown Walla Walla, this rustic Italian restaurant is known for serving fresh, beautiful salads, pastas, and pizzas.

    bowl of clams linguine at Passatempo restaurant in Walla Walla

    I've enjoyed two dinners at Passatempo over the years. I feel like the food has only gotten better! My picks: the beet salad and the clam linguine.

    gnocchi passatempo restaurant
    pasta at Passatempo restaurant

    🥗 Lunch or Dinner at Brasserie Four

    Brasserie Four
    4 E Main St
    Walla Walla, WA 99362
    Open 4-9pm Tuesday through Thursday; Friday & Saturday 11:30am - 9:30pm

    steak frites at brasserie four

    This casual French cafe is always bustling. Here you'll find French classics such as salad nicoise and steak frites (both pictured above), escargot, and Bœuf Bourguignon.

    🥩 Dinner at Walla Walla Steak Co.

    Walla Walla Steak Co.
    416 N 2nd Ave
    Walla Walla, WA 99362
    Open 4:30 - 10pm

    guinea hen from walla walla steak co
    filet mignon and brussels sprouts from walla walla steak co.

    Walla Walla Steak Company was recently named one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine's Best Wine Restaurants of the Year. Located in the old train depot, you'll find classic appetizers, like steak bites, crab cakes, and spinach artichoke dip to start your meal. Then move on to one of their signatures steaks. Or, try the seafood pasta or roasted chicken.

    The Harvest Celebration Dinner I attended last fall was catered by Walla Walla Steak Co. The food was beautifully presented and tasted delicious!

    🍇 Walla Walla wineries

    walla walla vintners vineyard

    The Walla Walla AVA actually straddles the Oregon-Washington Border. Currently, this AVA includes nearly 80 wineries on the Washington side and eight (8) wineries on the Oregon side.

    This region tends to be known for its big reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Wine lovers, you'll want to travel to Walla Walla wine country this April. The region will be celebrating its first annual Wine Month, and there are sure to be lots of excellent events at local wineries, restaurants, and breweries.

    In Walla Walla, you have many options for wine tasting. They make it so easy for you! If you are short on time and want to visit several different wineries, there are wine tasting rooms throughout downtown Walla Walla. You can walk to several within blocks!

    If you have more time, want to enjoy wines with a view, and preferably have a designated driver, you'll love wine tasting in Walla Walla Wineries at their vineyards.

    Click here to view our full Walla Walla Wineries Guide

    Here are a few of the wineries we visited on our last trip. Be sure to read my previous posts about these Walla Walla wineries: Va Piano, Pepper Bridge Winery, Waterbook Winery, L'Ecole Winery, Basel Cellars, Charles Smith Wines, and Browne Family Vineyards.

    Kontos Cellars

    Kontos Cellars
    10 N 2nd Ave
    Walla Walla, WA 99362

    Kontos Cellars wine bottles

    A new-to-us winery that my husband and I absolutely fell in love with on our last wine travels, was Kontos Cellars. Owner Cameron Kontos poured the wines at our tasting, and let me tell you: we enjoyed every single one of them. Which is rare! This family-owned and operated winery makes a stellar Syrah, but we also fully enjoyed a lovely Gossamer white wine here.

    Walla Walla Vintners

    Walla Walla Vintners
    225 Vineyard Ln
    Walla Walla, WA 99362

    red wine glass walla walla vintner vineyards

    If you're out and about Walla Walla, stop by Walla Walla Vintners. This beautiful historic property is a lovely backdrop to taste some of the wines that, I believe, relay the essence of Walla Walla as a wine region. The newer tasting room is cozy and modern, and opens up to a picnic area beside the vineyards. My fave is their Cabernet Franc.

    The Foundry

    Foundry Vineyards
    1111 Abadie St
    Walla Walla, WA 99362

    Foundry Vineyard Pet Nat wines
    Foundry Vineyards wine tasting room in walla walla
    Foundry Vineyard white wine glass store

    For a totally different wine tasting experience, check out Foundry Vineyards. Lisa and Jay Anderson are the sister and brother team behind Foundry. As second generation winemakers and lifelong Walla Wallans, these two creatives are shaking up the wine scene with small lot, low intervention wines.

    If they are available to taste when you visit, don't miss a chance to try the three wines from their Pet Project line. These Pét Nat (pétillant-natural) sparkling wines are made from 100% organic vineyards. They make a Grüner Veltliner Pét Nat, a Rosé Pét Nat, and a Roussane Pét Nat.

    While you're wine tasting, enjoy a glass out back in the sculpture garden. Or, take in the current exhibit in the art gallery. Then pick up some beautiful handcrafted artisan products in the shop adjacent to the tasting bar.

    The Walls Vineyards

    The Walls Vineyard
    1015 W Pine Street
    Walla Walla, WA 99362

    The Walls winery

    The name of the Walls Vineyard comes from the defunct town penitentiary. With names like Concrete Mama (there's a Syrah and a Grenache in this line), and wall art that mimcs the fun bottle art, you know the tasting experience will be unique at The Walls.

    Other Walla Walla wineries to visit

    In addition to the ones listed in this post, and ones I have covered in the past, here are a few more Walla Walla wine faves:

    • Caprio Cellars
    • Dama Wines (LOVE their Cabernet Sauvignon!)
    • Otis Kenyon
    • Eternal Wines
    • Su Lei Cellars

    🍻 Downtown Walla Walla: Thief Wine and Beer

    Thief Fine Wine and Beer
    102 E Main Street
    Walla Walla, WA 99362

    comfy seating area in Thief wine bar
    thief wine bar shop

    While you're exploring downtown Walla Walla, be sure to stop by The Thief Fine Wine and Beer shop. This spacious bottle shop also has comfy spaces and a wine tasting bar. It's a great spot to pop in for a glass of wine or two while you're shopping downtown. Then be sure to pick up a bottle or two of some new fab wines or beer to take home!

    🍇 Farm to table vineyard dinners

    dark night at harvest celebration dinner walla walla vineyard
    menu at harvest celebration dinner walla walla vineyard
    harvest celebration dinner walla walla vineyard
    white wine glasses lined up at harvest celebration dinner walla walla vineyard
    sunset at harvest celebration dinner walla walla vineyard
    table setting at harvest celebration dinner walla walla vineyard
    sunset at harvest celebration dinner walla walla vineyard
    table setting at harvest celebration dinner walla walla vineyard

    These are scenes from the Harvest Celebration Dinner I attended in the fall. It was an incredible night in a stunning venue (Seven Hills Vineyard), with delectable dinner catered by Walla Walla Steak Co., and wines by Vital Wines and Brook & Bull Cellars.

    Thanks to the growing wine industry and the amazing agriculture in this region, you can find similar farm to table types of dinner throughout the year. For instance, there's a Collaborative Winemaker Dinner Series in July. If you are visiting Walla Walla during the late spring, summer, or early fall, be sure to check out the local winemaker dinners and vineyard dinners!

    🧅 Visit the farmers market

    The downtown farmer's market in Walla Walla is open May through October. It's located at the edge of downtown Walla Walla, on Main Street and Fourth. Here you'll find fresh produce, baked goods, meats, beverages, and artisan food products from local vendors. The 4H was at the market on my last visit and had some farm animals with them!

    🏨 Hotels in Walla Walla

    There are a variety of accommodations to suite your taste in Walla Walla. I've stayed at hotels, as well as in an Airbnb owned by a local winery. Here are a few options for hotels in Walla Walla.

    Courtyard by Marriott

    Courtyard by Marriott
    550 West Rose Street
    Walla Walla, WA 99362

    Walla Walla Courtyard Marriott Washington wine country hotel review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    The last two times I've traveled to Walla Walla, Washington, I've stayed at the Courtyard Marriott. The location is awesome - just a short 5-minute walk from downtown shops, wine tasting rooms, and restaurants. The rooms are comfortable and reasonably priced, and the staff is great!

    Read my full hotel review: Hotels in Walla Walla: the Courtyard Marriott.

    Other hotels in Walla Walla include:

    Marcus Whitman Hotel
    6 West Rose Street, Walla Walla, WA
    (509) 525-2200

    Yellowhawk Resort
    2901 Old Milton Highway, Walla Walla, WA
    (509) 522-0200
    I had the pleasure of visiting Yellowhawk Resort recently, and also a few years ago when it was Basel Cellars. Read all about the winery and estate tour, and see photos of the estate. (Updated article coming soon!).

    Book your Walla Walla vacation

    Use the form below to search for Walla Walla hotels to book your next vacation:

    More Things to Do in Walla Walla

    big clock in downtown walla walla washington

    For even more things to do in Walla Walla, check out these past food, wine, and travel articles:

    • Wine Tasting in Walla Walla: L'Ecole Winery
    • Walla Walla Winery: Basel Cellars
    • Where to Eat in Walla Walla

    Another great resource to help you plan your visit is Visit Walla Walla, and the Walla Walla Wine Alliance.

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      Comments

      1. Clair says

        January 30, 2020 at 10:37 pm

        I have got to get to Walla Walla! All of these things to do sound so awesome..especially those winery and farmers market!

        Reply
      2. Ashley R says

        January 30, 2020 at 2:16 pm

        I live in Portland so I will be saving this. We moved here from Texas and love finding new places to travel to.

        Reply
      3. Shayla says

        January 30, 2020 at 10:16 am

        We are likely to be traveling through Walla Walla at some point, so I'll save this! Thank you so much for letting us all know the best places to go here!

        Reply
      4. Lisa Favre says

        January 30, 2020 at 9:20 am

        Can you believe I've never been to a winery before? The wineries in Walla Walla seem absolutely amazing and I'd love to check them out!

        Reply
      5. Erin Lynch says

        January 29, 2020 at 5:04 pm

        You named like ALL my favorite spots Marlynn - Except Passatempo. I haven't been there yet, but it will definitely be on our agenda next time we're in the area!

        Reply
      6. Amber Myers says

        January 29, 2020 at 4:44 pm

        What a pretty area. I've never been to Washington before. I really need to get there one day.

        Reply

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      Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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