Seoul, South Korea to Seattle, USA from $500

🌍 About seattle

Seattle's Pike Place Market has run continuously since 1907 — come early, before the fish-throwing crowds, and eat oysters rather than the famous clam chowder, which is New England-style anyway: the Pacific Northwest ones (ask for Hama Hama) are small, cold-water and briny in a way East Coast oysters aren't. The genuinely odd sight is Pioneer Square's underground: after the 1889 fire the city rebuilt a full storey higher, and you can tour the original streets buried below. Time it for July through September — that's the dry, warm window, and the only stretch you can count on clear views of Rainier. The rain runs late October to March (November is the wettest month), so a cheap winter fare buys you grey and drizzle. September is the sweet spot: summer weather, thinner crowds.