Overview
The United States of America is in many ways multiple destinations under a single flag — a country so vast and varied that no single holiday can do it justice. From the skyscraper canyons of Manhattan to the red-rock wilderness of Utah, from the neon excess of Las Vegas to the redwood forests of Northern California, from the white-sand beaches of the Florida Keys to the glaciers of Alaska, the USA offers an almost incomprehensible range of travel experiences.
For UK visitors, the most popular gateway is New York City — one of the world's great metropolises and, for most, one of the most thrilling first encounters with America imaginable. The Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, Central Park, Broadway, and world-class museums are packed into a walkable (and excellent subway-connected) island. Las Vegas is the world's entertainment capital — a city that never sleeps, where the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon are all within easy day-trip or road-trip reach.
The national parks are America's greatest gift to the traveller — a system of 63 designated parks protecting some of the world's most extraordinary landscapes. The Grand Canyon (1,800 metres deep, 16km across), Yellowstone (geysers and wolves and bison), Yosemite (granite monoliths and sequoia forests) and Zion (vermilion slot canyons) are just the beginning. A US road trip — Route 66, the Pacific Coast Highway, the Blue Ridge Parkway — is a rite of passage for any serious traveller.
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The city that defined the 20th century — the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island by ferry, the Empire State Building at dusk, Times Square's neon overload, Central Park on a Sunday morning, the Brooklyn Bridge on foot, the Metropolitan Museum, MoMA, and the extraordinary food scene of every cuisine on Earth.
Las Vegas is unlike anywhere else on Earth — 4.5km of hotel-casinos, shows, restaurants, nightclubs and excess on The Strip. The Grand Canyon South Rim is a 4-hour drive; Zion and Bryce Canyon are within a day's drive. The Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon are even closer.
The entertainment capital of the world offers the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, the spectacular Getty Center (free entry, extraordinary art and architecture), Venice Beach's bodybuilders and street performers, Santa Monica Pier and exceptional tacos. San Francisco is a scenic 6-hour drive north.
Florida's diversity is extraordinary: Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando for families; Miami's Art Deco South Beach, vibrant nightlife and Cuban food culture; the coral reef snorkelling and laid-back charm of the Florida Keys; and the alligators, flamingos and airboats of the Everglades.
America's greatest treasures — the Grand Canyon's staggering scale, Yellowstone's geysers and wildlife (wolves, bison, grizzly bears), Yosemite's granite walls and waterfalls, Zion's slot canyons and Bryce's hoodoo amphitheatres. The $80 America the Beautiful annual pass covers all 63 parks.
Plan Your Trip
The best time for city visits (New York, Washington DC, San Francisco) — warm, vibrant and before the summer crowds and heat arrive. National parks are stunning with wildflowers. Shoulder season rates apply in most destinations.
Peak season — school holidays push prices and crowds to their maximum. Excellent for Florida, beach destinations and the national parks (long daylight hours). Very hot in the Southwest (40°C+ in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon) and humid in New York and the South.
Arguably the best time to visit — the crowds thin, prices fall, the weather remains excellent in most states and New England's fall foliage (September–October) is one of nature's great spectacles. Perfect for road trips and outdoor adventures.
A mixed bag — New York at Christmas is magical (though expensive and cold); Florida and California are warm and excellent; ski season (Colorado, Utah) is fantastic. Internal flight deals are common in January and February after the Christmas rush subsides.
Top Areas
The cultural and historical heartland of America — New York City, the political grandeur of Washington D.C., the colonial history of Boston, and the fall foliage beauty of New England. All easily connected by the Amtrak Acela train or short domestic flights. The most popular region for UK first-timers.
America's most unique region — Las Vegas as the base for extraordinary national park road trips covering the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley and the Utah canyon country. The greatest concentration of natural wonders in the developed world.
Los Angeles to San Francisco via the Pacific Coast Highway (one of the world's great drives) encompasses Hollywood glamour, Big Sur's dramatic cliffs, Monterey's sea otters, San Francisco's Victorian streets and Golden Gate Bridge, and — further north — the wine valleys of Napa and Sonoma.
The USA's sunshine state offers year-round warmth, world-class theme parks (Walt Disney World, Universal, SeaWorld), Miami's electrifying culture and beach scene, the serene beauty of the Florida Keys, and the Everglades ecosystem. The Deep South adds New Orleans' jazz culture, Cajun food and antebellum history.
Need to Know
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The perfect add-on to a Florida or East Coast trip — direct flights from Miami, New York and Orlando reach Barbados, Jamaica and Antigua in 3–4 hours.
Explore Caribbean →Direct flights from several US cities reach Cancún in 2–3 hours — making a Mexico beach extension a natural pairing with a US city break.
Explore Mexico →The US's extraordinary neighbour — combine Niagara Falls with New York, Vancouver with Seattle, or do the ultimate road trip from Toronto to Montreal.
Explore Canada →