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The Grand Canyon from Powell Point on the South Rim in evening light
Liberty Island from the ferry, with Ellis Island and Jersey City behind
Alcatraz Island seen from the east across San Francisco Bay, with the lighthouse and the prison block on top
A beam of sunlight reaching the floor of Upper Antelope Canyon
The American Falls and Horseshoe Falls from Niagara Falls State Park
The Space Shuttle Atlantis on display with its payload doors open at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Things to do in the USA: 35 experiences worth the trip

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Photo: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0

New York Harbor

Take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Check dates and prices

Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0

San Francisco, California

Take the official ferry to Alcatraz and tour the cellhouse

Check dates and prices

Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0

Page, Arizona

See Antelope Canyon on a Navajo-guided tour

Check dates and prices

Photo: Mferbfriske, CC BY-SA 2.0

Niagara Falls, New York

Get into the spray at Niagara Falls from the US side

Check dates and prices

Photo: 颐园居, CC BY-SA 4.0

Merritt Island, Florida

Spend a day at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Check dates and prices

Photo: Gzzz, CC BY-SA 4.0

The United States is too big for one trip, and this list spreads across the map: national parks in the West, museums and memorials on the East Coast, music in the South. What makes or breaks most of these visits is practical: which park needs a permit, which ferry is the official one, which museum wants a timed pass, which road is open.

Three things come up again and again. Several of the best-known sights sell out in advance (Alcatraz, the Statue of Liberty crown, Half Dome permits, Preservation Hall), so book those first and build the trip around them. Since 1 January 2026, non-US residents aged 16 and over pay a $100 surcharge on top of the entrance fee at the 11 busiest national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion and Sequoia, unless they buy the $250 nonresident annual pass (NPS details). And distances are long: pick one or two regions instead of trying to cross the country.

Where to go

9 regions, 16 places

35 things to do in United States

We earn a commission when you book through our GetYourGuide links, at no extra cost to you.

Sunrise light on the Grand Canyon from the South Rim

Watch sunrise from the Grand Canyon's South Rim

Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona

1 to 2 hours at dawnNo booking needed

Watch the canyon's colours change fastest in the first half hour of light, from busy Mather Point or quieter Yaki Point.

Tours in United StatesMore in Grand Canyon
The 600 block of Frenchmen Street in New Orleans at night

Hear live jazz at Preservation Hall and on Frenchmen Street

New Orleans, Louisiana

An eveningBook ahead

Two very different rooms: traditional jazz in 45-minute sets at Preservation Hall, then bands every night in the small clubs of Frenchmen Street.

Tours in United StatesMore in New Orleans
Highway 1 crossing Bixby Bridge on the Big Sur coast

Drive Highway 1 through Big Sur

Big Sur, California

A full day for Big Sur aloneFree

California's Route 1 along the Big Sur coast is drivable end to end again, with Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls along the way.

Tours in United StatesMore in Big Sur
Washington Square Arch at the foot of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan

Walk Manhattan from the Battery to Central Park

New York City

4 to 5 hours with stopsFree

Follow Broadway up Manhattan from Battery Park on the southern tip to Central Park, with the High Line as an elevated detour.

Tours in United StatesMore in New York City
The trunk of the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park

Walk to the General Sherman Tree in the Giant Forest

Sequoia National Park, California

Half a dayNo booking needed

A short paved walk down to the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on Earth by volume, then more giants on the Congress Trail.

Tours in United StatesMore in California
The Smithsonian Castle seen from the National Mall in Washington

Pick two free Smithsonian museums on the National Mall

National Mall, Washington, D.C.

A full day for two museumsFree

Every Smithsonian museum on the Mall is free; pair two big ones, like Natural History and American History, and they fill a day.

Tours in United StatesMore in Washington, D.C.
The queue outside Franklin Barbecue on East 11th Street before opening

Queue for brisket at Franklin Barbecue in Austin

Austin, Texas

No booking needed

The line most visitors to Austin come for ends at a counter where brisket is sold by weight, from the fatty or the lean end.

Tours in United States
Old Faithful Geyser erupting in Yellowstone

Time Old Faithful and walk the Upper Geyser Basin

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

3 to 4 hoursNo booking needed

Old Faithful erupts on a posted prediction; walk the Upper Geyser Basin while you wait and catch two or three eruptions in a few hours.

Tours in United States
West Mitten, East Mitten and Merrick buttes from the Valley Drive

Drive the Valley Drive loop in Monument Valley

Monument Valley, Arizona and Utah

2 to 3 hours for the Valley DriveNo booking needed

Drive a 17-mile dirt loop past the Mittens and Merrick Butte on Navajo Nation land, then see Mystery Valley with a licensed Navajo guide.

Tours in United StatesMore in Arizona
Neon signs on Beale Street in Memphis late in the evening

Hear blues in the clubs of Beale Street in Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

An eveningNo booking needed

Live blues and soul pour out of open doors on Beale Street, where B.B. King's house band plays between touring acts.

Tours in United States
The south tower and cables of the Golden Gate Bridge seen from the walkway

Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge on the east sidewalk

San Francisco, California

About 1.5 hours there and backFree

Walk the Golden Gate Bridge on the side facing the city and the bay, about 35 minutes each way across the span.

Tours in United StatesMore in San Francisco
Grand Prismatic Spring seen from the overlook trail above Midway Geyser Basin

See Grand Prismatic Spring from the overlook and the boardwalk

Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

1.5 to 2 hours for both viewpointsNo booking needed

See Grand Prismatic Spring twice: along its steaming edge from the boardwalk, then the famous ringed view from a platform above.

Tours in United States
The statue of Abraham Lincoln inside the Lincoln Memorial at night

Visit the Lincoln Memorial after dark

National Mall, Washington, D.C.

About 1 hourFree

After dark the memorial is calmer: the statue lit in its chamber, the view running east down the Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument.

Tours in United StatesMore in Washington, D.C.
The Virgin River where the Riverside Walk ends and the Narrows begin

Wade up the Narrows of the Virgin River in Zion

Zion National Park, Utah

2 hours to a full dayNo booking needed

Walk upstream in the Virgin River itself, between the canyon walls of Zion, on a day hike that needs no permit.

Tours in United StatesMore in Zion and Bryce Canyon
Independence Hall seen from Market Street in Philadelphia

Tour Independence Hall with a timed ticket

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

About 1 hour, plus the Liberty BellTimed entry

A free ranger-led tour takes you into the Assembly Room, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and signed.

Tours in United States
Alcatraz Island seen from the east across San Francisco Bay, with the lighthouse and the prison block on top

Take the official ferry to Alcatraz and tour the cellhouse

San Francisco, California

3 hours or more, including the ferryTimed entry

The official ferry from Pier 33 takes you to the island, then up a steep walk to the cellhouse and its audio tour.

Check dates and pricesAlcatraz ferry ticket packaged with a city bus passTicket guideMore in San Francisco
Two deep-dish pizzas at Lou Malnati's, the Lou and the Chicago Classic

Order the Chicago Classic deep dish at Lou Malnati's

Chicago, Illinois

1 to 1.5 hoursBook ahead

Deep dish from a recipe traced back to 1943: sausage, extra cheese and tomato sauce on a flaky, buttery crust, eaten with knife and fork.

Tours in United StatesMore in Chicago
The American Falls and Horseshoe Falls from Niagara Falls State Park

Get into the spray at Niagara Falls from the US side

Niagara Falls, New York

Half a dayBook ahead

From the New York side you stand right beside the American Falls, then a boat and wooden walkways take you into the spray.

Check dates and pricesGuided walk with Maid of the Mist and Cave of the WindsMore in New York State
The original 1903 Wright Flyer in the National Air and Space Museum

See the Wright Flyer and Apollo 11 at the Air and Space Museum

National Mall, Washington, D.C.

2 to 3 hoursTimed entry

See the original 1903 Wright Flyer and Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 spacesuit in a free museum renovated gallery by gallery.

Tours in United StatesMore in Washington, D.C.
Sunset over the water from Mallory Square in Key West

Join the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square

Key West, Florida

1.5 to 2 hoursFree

Every evening the Mallory Square waterfront fills with high-wire acts, sword swallowers, jugglers and musicians, all free, as the sun goes down.

Tours in United StatesMore in Florida
Delicate Arch on its slickrock bowl in Arches National Park

Hike to Delicate Arch from Wolfe Ranch

Arches National Park, Utah

2 to 3 hoursNo booking needed

Climb open slickrock to a sandstone bowl where Delicate Arch stands on the rim, best at sunrise for cooler air and more space.

Tours in United StatesMore in Utah
The red-brick line of the Freedom Trail in a downtown Boston sidewalk

Follow the Freedom Trail from Boston Common to Bunker Hill

Boston, Massachusetts

2 hours walking, a full day with visitsFree

Follow a line of red brick through Boston past 16 historic sites, from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument, for free.

Tours in United States
The Fifth Avenue facade and steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Spend a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York City

3 hours to a full dayBook ahead

Too big for one visit: choose two or three areas of the Met, such as the Temple of Dendur and the European paintings.

Tours in United StatesMore in New York City
Paddlers on a canoe trail in Everglades National Park

Paddle the mangrove trails near Flamingo in the Everglades

Flamingo, Everglades National Park, Florida

Half a day, plus the driveBook ahead

Paddle through tight mangrove tunnels on the marked canoe trails toward Flamingo, at the southern end of the Everglades.

Tours in United StatesMore in Florida
The Shubert Theatre marquee next to Shubert Alley in the Theater District

See a Broadway show at full price or through TKTS

Theater District, New York City

An evening, about 2.5 hoursBook ahead

A night in one of the old theatres around Times Square: full price for the big hits, up to 50% off on the day.

Tours in United StatesMore in New York City
Mustard flowers between vine rows at a Calistoga winery in Napa Valley

Taste wine in Napa Valley with booked tastings

Napa Valley, California

A full day for 2 or 3 wineriesBook ahead

Three booked tastings in a day, linked by the calmer Silverado Trail, with a driver or the Napa Valley Wine Train doing the driving.

Tours in United StatesMore in California
Liberty Island from the ferry, with Ellis Island and Jersey City behind

Take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

New York Harbor

Most of a day for both islandsTimed entry

One ferry ticket covers both islands: the Statue of Liberty, with 162 steps up to the crown, and the immigration museum on Ellis Island.

Check dates and pricesOfficial Statue City Cruises ferry to both islandsTicket guideMore in New York City
A plate of beignets under powdered sugar at Café Du Monde

Eat beignets with café au lait at Café Du Monde

French Quarter, New Orleans

30 to 45 minutesNo booking needed

Square beignets heaped with powdered sugar and chicory café au lait, under the green-and-white awning across from Jackson Square.

Tours in United StatesMore in New Orleans
The Fremont Street Experience canopy over the pedestrian mall in downtown Las Vegas

See the Fremont Street canopy and the old signs at the Neon Museum

Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada

2 to 3 hoursBook ahead

A free show on the LED canopy over old downtown Las Vegas, then retired casino signs in the Neon Museum's outdoor boneyard.

Tours in United StatesMore in Las Vegas
Hikers on the cables up the east face of Half Dome

Hike Half Dome with a cables permit

Yosemite National Park, California

10 to 12 hoursTimed entry

A long day from Happy Isles ends hauling yourself up Half Dome's steel cables, with a permit drawn by lottery.

Tours in United StatesMore in Yosemite
A beam of sunlight reaching the floor of Upper Antelope Canyon

See Antelope Canyon on a Navajo-guided tour

Page, Arizona

1.5 to 2 hoursBook ahead

Walk the floor of Upper Antelope, where shafts of light reach the sand around midday in summer, with a Navajo guide.

Check dates and pricesUpper Antelope entry with a guided walk from Page
The South Pool of the 9/11 Memorial with the museum pavilion behind

Visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum

Lower Manhattan, New York City

2 to 3 hours with the museumBook ahead

Two reflecting pools in the footprints of the Twin Towers, ringed by the victims' names in bronze, and a museum beneath them.

Tours in United States
The Space Shuttle Atlantis on display with its payload doors open at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Spend a day at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Merritt Island, Florida

A full dayBook ahead

A full day among spacecraft, from Space Shuttle Atlantis to a complete Saturn V rocket hanging overhead at the end of the bus tour.

Check dates and pricesVisitor Complex admission with the bus tour
Towers along the Chicago River seen from a tour boat

Take the architecture river cruise in Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

90 minutesBook ahead

Chicago's skyline makes most sense from the river: 90 minutes past Marina City's corncob towers and the Willis Tower, narrated by trained docents.

Tours in United States
Aerial view of the USS Arizona Memorial over the sunken battleship

Visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii

Timed entry

A boat ride out to the white memorial built over the sunken battleship USS Arizona, free with a timed reservation.

Tours in United States

Plan your trip

  • When to go

    Spring (April to early June) and autumn (September and October) suit most of this list. The Southwest parks are very hot in summer, so hikes such as Delicate Arch and the Narrows are best started early, and the Narrows has its lowest, warmest water in summer and early autumn. The Half Dome cables are only up from late May to mid October, and the Maid of the Mist sails from late April to early November. Summer is peak season in Yellowstone, Yosemite and Sequoia, where the most popular car parks fill by mid morning. Winter is good for New York, New Orleans, Key West and the Everglades, whose dry season runs from December to April.

  • How many days

    Two weeks covers one region well, not the whole country. Three builds that work: the Northeast (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington) by train in 8 to 10 days; a Southwest road loop through the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches and Zion in 8 to 10 days; and San Francisco, Highway 1 through Big Sur and Yosemite or Sequoia in about a week. In must30's view, Yellowstone alone deserves three days, because the geyser basins, wildlife valleys and canyon are hours apart by road.

  • Getting around

    Between Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, Amtrak trains are easier than driving, and inside those cities you do not need a car; New York's subway turnstiles take contactless bank cards. Everywhere else on this list, and for every national park, you will need a car, apart from the park shuttles inside Zion, the Grand Canyon's South Rim and Sequoia. Domestic flights save days between regions. Fill the tank before long empty stretches such as Big Sur, Monument Valley and the road down to Flamingo in the Everglades.

  • Entry and park fees

    Travellers from Visa Waiver Program countries need an e-passport and an approved ESTA. Apply on the official site, esta.cbp.dhs.gov, when you start planning, ideally before buying flights, and avoid lookalike sites that charge extra. At the national parks, the $100 nonresident fee is per person aged 16 and over at 11 parks and comes on top of the usual entrance fee; the $250 nonresident annual pass covers it for the holder and everyone in one private vehicle. Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon are Navajo tribal parks with their own fees, separate from the federal park system.

Questions travellers ask

Do foreign visitors pay more at US national parks?

Yes. Since 1 January 2026, non-US residents aged 16 and over pay a $100 fee per person, on top of the standard entrance fee, at 11 parks: Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion. The $250 nonresident annual pass covers that fee for a whole private vehicle.

Do I need a reservation to enter Yosemite or Arches in 2026?

No. Both parks dropped their timed-entry systems for 2026, so you can drive in during opening hours with a valid entrance pass. Expect queues and full car parks on summer weekends. Hiking the Half Dome cables still needs a permit from the lottery.

How far ahead should I book Alcatraz?

As soon as your dates are fixed. Alcatraz City Cruises is the only operator allowed to take visitors to the island, same-day availability is limited, and popular departures and the Night Tour sell out in advance. Buy on its own site rather than through resellers.

Can you go up to the crown of the Statue of Liberty?

Yes, by advance reservation only through Statue City Cruises, never on the island. Orders are capped at four, each visitor needs photo ID matching the ticket, and the climb is 162 steps up a narrow spiral with no lift. Pedestal tickets are a step down and also sell out.

Is Highway 1 through Big Sur open?

Yes. Caltrans reopened Highway 1 at Regent's Slide on 14 January 2026, restoring through traffic between Carmel and Cambria for the first time in almost three years. Landslides can close it again after heavy rain, so check Caltrans road conditions before you set off.

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