Planning a Walla Walla getaway in the future? We want to make it easy for you to experience the best that our town has to offer. That’s why we’ve put together our Top Things to do in Walla Walla – to showcase the most “not-to-be-missed” experiences you should include on your itinerary. Mix and match some or all of these highlights when planning your vacation in Walla Walla.
1. Signature Events
For a memorable taste of Walla Walla’s community spirit and hospitality, plan your visit around one of our popular signature events.
For events focused on food and wine, visit in February for Walla Walla Restaurant Month, or in May and November for Spring and Fall Release wine weekends.
Enjoy some of Walla Walla’s nearly 200 days of sunshine at the Tour of Walla Walla cycling event in June, Wheelin’ Walla Walla Weekend in September, and the Balloon Stampede in October.
If experiencing live music is a must, visit during the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival in January and June, Walla Walla Guitar Festival in March, and the new Wine Country Amphitheater summer season.
Whatever your getaway style, there’s a signature event to discover.
2. Take a tour
With a guide or without, there are so many fantastic ways to tour Walla Walla.
Book a tour with Kickstand Wine Tours and ride an electric bike between tasting stops, taking in the natural beauty as you coast through the rolling hills and vineyards of Walla Walla wine country.
Have a taste for hops instead? Make sure to check out Walla Walla Brews Cruise, or explore all eight of the area breweries with this roundup post as your digital guide.
Get your steps in while seeing one-of-a-kind outdoor works of art on a self-guided walking tour of the sculptures on Whitman campus.
Walla Walla has a tour to fit just about any mode of transportation.
3. Eat well!
Walla Walla offers a wealth of dining options, from fine dining to food trucks, farm to table winemaker dinners, and locally produced meal kits you can prepare in the comfort of your vacation rental.
From May through September, the first Monday of every month is also Food Truck Night at Burwood Brewery. Explore an entire world of culinary delights while enjoying live music and delicious beer (or root beer for the kids!).
The Downtown Walla Walla Farmer’s Market runs every Saturday (rain or shine) from May through October and is a terrific way to get a taste of the region’s bounty. Treat yourself to pastry from Fat Rolls Walla Walla while you stroll through the booths to shop for farm-fresh local produce as well as souvenirs and gifts from Walla Walla-area creators.
Come with an appetite: Walla Walla has plenty of flavor to satisfy you!
4. Explore the outdoors
Work off your indulgences with a hike around Bennington Lake, or rent a paddleboard and get out on the water.
If cycling is more your speed, Allegro Cyclery and the Bicycle Barn both offer a wide variety of rental options to suit any kind of ride.
In the winter months, take a 40 minute drive to Ski Bluewood where 24 runs and a ton of fresh powder attract skiers, snowboarders and snowsho*rs of all skill levels.
For a more restorative way to move your body, check our events calendar for yoga pop up events happening in local vineyards (and even on an alpaca farm) throughout the warmer spring and summer months.
5. Golf
The Walla Walla Valley is home to some of Washington’s very best golf, with six area courses and endless views teed up for the adventurous golf fan.
Be sure to book a tee time at Wine Valley Golf Club, named the No. 3 public course in Washington (and No. 34 public course in the country).
Other nearby courses include Veterans Memorial Golf Course, Walla Walla Country Club (private), Milton-Freewater Golf Course, and Oregon’s Wildhorse Golf Course.
If golf is on your itinerary, be sure to check out the many “” packages available.
6. Fine Art
In addition to outdoor art installations throughout the Walla Walla Valley, there are numerous indoor art galleries to visit in Walla Walla.
Take a stroll through downtown Walla Walla to visit the Combine Art Collective.
Or combine your exploration of fine art with an exploration of fine wine in the Foundry Vineyards tasting room, where new installations by established artists are on display and updated quarterly.
7. Let us entertain you
Prefer to take in art of the “live” sort? Catch a show at one of Walla Walla’s Theatres.
Stay for a play at the Gesa Power House Theatre, where you can feel the thrill of live performances of all kinds, from magicians and comedians to one-man shows and ensemble pieces.
This performing arts venue was once the Walla Walla Gas Plant, renovated in 2011 in the style of Shakespeare’s Blackfriars Theatre in London and in January 2012 the theater was officially accepted to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Little Theatre of Walla Walla is also a hidden gem worth discovering, showcasing local talents in high caliber productions.
8. Live Music
Walla Walla is quickly becoming the mainstage for any kind of music lover’s getaway.
The Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival performs in the tasting rooms and vineyards of Walla Walla through their Tasting Music performances in January and June, while the Walla Walla Symphony puts on grand selections in Whitman College’s Cordiner Hall year-round.
Local and regional musicians jam out nearly every weekend in winery tasting rooms and outdoor performance spaces. To see who is rocking during your visit, bookmark our events calendar.
9. Experience Downtown
Considered one of America’s Most Beautiful Main Streets, Downtown Main Street is a vibrant destination for shopping, in addition to dining and fine art galleries mentioned above.
Winery tasting rooms, boutiques, bakeries, jewelers, and even soap sellers nestle inside renovated Victorian and Beaux-Arts buildings, giving the street a historic, vibrant character. You could spend an entire day in one just one city block!
Pop into the Museum of Un-Natural History for “opinionated, satiric, iconoclastic creations of questionable taste” curated by local celebrity Gerald Matthews.
Grab lunch in the Plaza on 1st, an open air dining and gathering place adjacent to Walla Walla , Coffee Perk, Yamas Greek Eatery, and Sweet Basil Pizzeria. Or come downtown on a summer evening for live music in the Plaza on 1st.
From shopping to people watching and dancing under the stars, downtown Main Street offers a variety of activities for any kind of traveler.
10. Get Smart(er)
With so much that is NEW to discover in the area, it’s sometimes overlooked that Walla Walla is the cradle of inland Northwest history.
Get an edu-cation while on vacation and visit Fort Walla Walla Museum. Located on the grounds of a 19th-century military fort, the Fort Walla Walla Museum features a pioneer settlement, beautiful gardens, and five exhibit halls housing thousands of artifacts.
A visit to the Whitman Mission National Historic Site offers expansive views and a chance to learn how manifest destiny shaped the region and impacted the homeland tribes.
If experiencing history or exploring other cultures of calls to you, Walla Walla has a vibrant story to tell.
Whenever you’re planning your escape to Walla Walla, there’s a highlight to experience. The variety of adventures awaiting is matched only by the variety available in your lodging options, from luxury accommodations with lakeside bungalows to eclectic B&Bs, historic properties to modern basecamps. Design your itinerary around one of these Top Things to Do, or design your itinerary around where you choose to stay. Whichever route you choose to go, as long as you arrive in Walla Walla, you’re going to have a fantastic vacation.
Start planning yours today
