Exploring Kitsap

Hundreds of miles of shoreline, countless opportunities for adventure - the Kitsap Peninsula is PNW small town authenticity at its best. From farmers markets to local breweries to endless pine needle strewn trails winding through the evergreens, Kitsap is where exploration meets adoration.

spring events

Visiting Kitsap? Plan your stay around some of the most iconic Kitsap events. From Viking bonfires to sailing on a historic museum to immersing in Kitsap’s art and culture, experiencing Kitsap is easy with our annual event calendar.

Getting Here

Visiting Kitsap is easy once you have these easy travel tips.

Stay in Kitsap

Book an overnight, weekend or week long adventure and make Kitsap your home base for adventure.

  25 in ‘25  

 2025 is your year for Kitsap adventure!

It's your year for beach walking, coffee sipping, and sailing.

It's your year for incredible food, farmers' markets, and festivals.

2025 is your year to explore the Kitsap Peninsula.

From local breweries to legendary lighthouses, Kitsap is bursting with unique experiences for solo travelers, families, corporate excursions, and friend groups. From Hansville to Bainbridge Island to Olalla and beyond, here are 25 unforgettable Kitsap experiences to get you started for 2025…

We could easily go on for days with all the fun things to do, see, eat, and explore on the Peninsula; narrowing it down to just 25 experiences is harder than you might think! We could easily rattle off 250 more, but hey, you’ve got to start somewhere!       

northwest explorers

Visit Kitsap and explore hidden gems and hyper-local favorites with Chief Explorer, Angela Moorer, host of the new series ‘Northwest Explorer’ on Cascade PBS.

season 1

bainbridge island

Episode 1 ~ A Luxury Village & Magical Hideaway
Episode 2 ~ Hey Day Farm: Field to Fork with Chef Tad
Episode 3 ~ Coffee, Art and Local Charm

bremerton

Episode 4 ~ Local Favorites & Hidden Gems
Episode 5 ~ Waterfront Boardwalk Bliss
Episode 6 ~ Exploring Bremerton

Check out these Annual Kitsap events we love!

marina square suites, downtown bremerton, bremerton waterfront, stay in bremerton, visit bremerton

explore bremerton

It’s SO easy to explore Bremerton when you stay at Marina Square Suites on the waterfront! Steps away from the ferries and marina, walk over or sail in and enjoy the best views and eaccommodations Kitsap has to offer!

We are so proud to partner with Cascade PBS and host of the show Angela Moorer for Season 1 of ‘Northwest Explorer’ showcasing each of our wonderful Kitsap communities.

spring

On the Kitsap Peninsula

  explore  

the Kitsap Peninsula

Explore like a Local

These locals share their favorite (and possibly some fairly secret) spots to enjoy eats, drinks, and adventure on the Kitsap Peninsula. Secret Summer is an annual Summer Series that stays relevant year-round because there is never a bad time to visit and explore the Kitsap Peninsula!

EXPLORE by community

meet kitsap tourism coalition

  • Kitsap County

  • Visit Bainbridge Island

  • downtown bainbridge island Association

  • bainbridge island chamber

  • greater kingston Community chamber

  • Poulsbo Chamber

  • visit poulsbo

  • south kitsap chamber

  • Greater Kitsap Chamber

 ferry 

adventures

Kitsap boasts the biggest and most beautiful ferry system in north america and for a visitor a ferry ride to kingston, port orchard, Bainbridge Island or bremerton can be a highlight of the journey. we encourage you to take to the water on a foot ferry, auto-ferry or a passenger only fast ferry to experience the relaxation and the thrill of sailing across the salish sea…

There are 4 ferry terminals on the Kitsap Peninsula: Kingston, Bainbridge Island, Bremerton & Southworth (Port Orchard). TWO types of ferry service help visitors and locals get to Kitsap from King County - the AUTO FERRY, a large vessel that you can drive your car onto and the FAST FERRY, operated by Kitsap Transit that provides passenger-only service to downtown Seattle in half the time of the auto ferry. Use the links below to check the current routes and schedules to plan your next ferry adventure to the Kitsap Peninsula.

FAST FERRY Schedules

Travel to Kitsap on foot!

AUTO Ferry Schedules

Travel to Kitsap in your car, drive onto the ferry.


spend the day in Kingston

ferry from Edmonds to Kingston in an afternoon

It’s a beautiful 30-minute crossing from Edmunds to Kingston and once you’ve landed on the Peninsula endless small-town PNW adventure awaits! Feet from the ferry terminal is some of North Kitsap’s best cafes, pizzerias, bars, ice cream shops, and eateries…not to mention dozens of wonderful local small businesses worth a stop. Use the link below to plan your next Kingston ferry adventure!


spend the day in Port Orchard

downtown Seattle > Bremerton > Port Orchard

Port Orchard is connected via the ferry system like no other Kitsap community is. Port Orchard boasts easy travel to Fauntleroy (West Seattle), Vashon Island, Bremerton, plus two options for traveling to Downtown Seattle. On the Port Orchard Waterfront you can easily board the last remaining historic ‘Mosquito Fleet’ foot ferry carrying passengers across Sinclair inlet to Bremerton. Visitors to Bremerton can travel to Port Orchard for an hour, an afternoon, or the entire day in exactly 12 minutes, ferries leave from the Port Orchard and Bremerton terminals every 30 minutes. Pick up a copy of Mosquito Fleet of South Puget Sound, by Images of America at Revival PNW to learn more about these relics that buzzed along the waters in bygone days.

Southworth (Port Orchard) > Vashon Island > Fauntleroy (W. Seattle)

Across Port Orchard in the eastern-facing shores, the community of Southworth is home to the Washington State Ferry System’s Southworth- Fauntleroy-Vashon route, a 30 minute crossing to West Seattle with a stop on Vashon Island. Port Orchard, having ferries that link to 3 cities, is the most ferry-connected community in a place known for its maritime history and celebrations. Check out the Mosquito Fleet Fest in Port Orchard on Memorial Day Weekend.

explore kitsap water trails

Kayaker paddling on the Puget Sound while visiting Kitsap

Kitsap is designated as a National Water Trails System. 

Across the Peninsula, there are numerous spots to launch a kayak, SUP or SCUBA or sail. This vast network of constitutes the Kitsap Peninsula National Water Trails System.

Woman sitting on driftwood during a visit to Fay Bainbridge

water trails access point: fay bainbridge park

- 47.702654 / -122.506404 // 5446 Sunrise Dr NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Access Type: Beach with paved parking lot.

Loved for its long sandy beach strewn with driftwood logs, Fay Bainbridge Park is a great place to kayak or SUP while taking in the Puget Sound views.

water trails access point: Port of Manchester

-47.555648 / -122.543696 // 8067 E Main St, Port Orchard, WA 98366

Access Type: Dock, Boat Ramp, Beach with paved parking lot.

Launch your kayak from this beautiful South Kitsap water trail access point and take in the gorgeous views of the distant Seattle skyline and Blake Island. A small park and a sandy beach round out this favorite spot for water access. Just a few feet away the Manchester Pub and Carbon Mexican Steakhouse offer food, drink and merriment for all!

 local 

seafood

fresh from the hood canal

With over 371 miles of shoreline, Kitsap has always been known for fresh seafood options. From local favorite Kettlefish in Silverdale to the always fresh catch from native operated Suquamish Seafoods to the dozens of restaurants featuring PNW sourced shellfish, salmon, crab and seafood - there are so many ways to indulge in fresh local seafood!