10 days in San Juan Islands & North Cascades National Park Itinerary

The tiny town of Friday Harbor is the largest village on the San Juan Islands, and it fits within just 2.6 km (1 sq mi) of space.

Friday Harbor is known for wildlife, nature, and museums. Your trip includes some of its best attractions: get up close to creatures of the deep with a dolphin and whale watching tour, examine the collection at The Whale Museum, get in on the family fun at Zip San Juan, and explore the striking landscape at Cattle Point.

Quickly create a custom-made itinerary for Friday Harbor using our trip planner.

Albuquerque to Friday Harbor is an approximately 9.5-hour combination of flight and ferry. You can also do a combination of bus and ferry; or do a combination of bus, train, and ferry. The time zone difference moving from Mountain Standard Time to Pacific Standard Time is minus 1 hour. Traveling from Albuquerque in May, things will get slightly colder in Friday Harbor: highs are around 65°F and lows about 45°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 16th (Tue) to allow enough time to ride a ferry to Orcas Island.

Orcas Island is known for wildlife, adventure, and nature. Your trip includes some of its best attractions: paddle through the water with Outer Island Expeditions, take in the exciting artwork at Crow Valley Pottery, immerse yourself in nature at Moran State Park, and look for all kinds of wild species at Judd Cove Preserve.

For other places to visit, reviews, maps, and other tourist information, read our Orcas Island holiday planner.

Traveling by ferry from Friday Harbor to Orcas Island takes 1.5 hours. In May, plan for daily highs up to 65°F, and evening lows to 45°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 19th (Fri) to allow enough time to travel to North Cascades National Park.

North Cascades National Park calls visitors to its rugged landscape of high mountain peaks tipped with about 300 glaciers.

Venture out of the city with trips to Stehekin (Rainbow Falls & Stehekin River). There's much more to do: explore and take pictures at N Cascades Hwy, take some stellar pictures from Diablo Lake Vista Point, admire the sheer force of Gorge Creek Falls, and admire the engineering at Diablo Dam.

To see ratings, traveler tips, photos, and tourist information, use the North Cascades National Park trip itinerary planner.

Use the Route module to find suitable travel options from Orcas Island to North Cascades National Park. In May, daily temperatures in North Cascades National Park can reach 65°F, while at night they dip to 46°F. On the 22nd (Mon), wrap the sightseeing up by early afternoon so you can travel back home.