Big cities, bigger landscapes and highways built for road trips.
The United States is vast enough to feel like several countries. New York, Chicago and San Francisco are world cities, New Orleans has its own music and food culture, and the national parks are extraordinary: the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone's geysers, Yosemite's granite walls and the red rock of Utah. Beyond the mainland, Hawaii has volcanoes and surf, and Alaska has glaciers and wilderness.
Distances are huge, so most trips focus on one region or one long drive, such as the Pacific Coast Highway or Route 66. Food ranges from barbecue and Tex-Mex to seafood shacks in Maine. Spring and autumn suit most regions best; summer is peak season for the parks, and winter is ideal for skiing or the Southwest.
Best time to visit United States
April, May, September, October.
Places to visit in United States
New York City: Five boroughs of iconic skyline, world-class museums, Broadway theatres and food from every corner of the globe.
Grand Canyon: The world's most famous canyon, with sunrise viewpoints on the South Rim and trails dropping deep into layered red rock.
San Francisco: A hilly, compact city of painted Victorian houses, cable cars, sourdough and the world's most photographed bridge.
Los Angeles: A sprawling city of film studios, beach towns, taco trucks and hilltop museums under near-constant sunshine.
Las Vegas: The desert city of casino resorts, big-name shows and all-night dining, and a base for the parks of the Southwest.
Yellowstone: The world's first national park, with Old Faithful, rainbow hot springs and herds of bison and elk across wild valleys.
Yosemite: A Sierra Nevada valley framed by El Capitan and Half Dome, with towering waterfalls and groves of ancient sequoias.
Washington, D.C.: The American capital, with the National Mall's monuments and the Smithsonian's free museums at its heart.
New Orleans: The birthplace of jazz, with iron-lace balconies, brass bands, beignets and a food culture unlike anywhere else in America.
Chicago: The great city of the Midwest, known for its skyscrapers, blues clubs, the Art Institute and a long Lake Michigan shoreline.
Miami: A sun-soaked city of pastel Art Deco hotels, Latin American culture, street art and long white-sand beaches.
Honolulu: Hawaii's capital on Oʻahu, with the beach at Waikīkī, the Pearl Harbor memorials and the famous surf of the North Shore.
Maui: Hawaii's second-largest island, with the Haleakalā summit, the winding Road to Hana and winter humpback whales.
Boston: One of America's oldest cities, with the Freedom Trail, cobbled Beacon Hill, great universities and fresh New England seafood.
Zion National Park: Utah's most visited park, a deep sandstone canyon famous for the Narrows river hike and the exposed climb to Angels Landing.
Big Sur: A rugged stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway where the Santa Lucia Mountains drop straight into the ocean.
Orlando: Central Florida's home of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and a string of water parks: America's classic family holiday.
Seattle: The Pacific Northwest's main city, set between Puget Sound and the mountains, with Pike Place Market and the Space Needle.
Nashville: Tennessee's capital and the home of country music, with live bands on every stage from Broadway's honky-tonks to the Ryman.
Glacier National Park: Montana's wild mountain park, with jewel-coloured lakes, grizzly country and one of America's great mountain drives.
Monument Valley: The towering red buttes of countless Westerns, on Navajo land straddling the Utah–Arizona border.
Moab: A small Utah town between Arches and Canyonlands national parks, the Southwest's centre for hiking, biking and off-roading.
Denali: Six million acres of Alaskan wilderness around Denali, with grizzlies, caribou and moose along a single park road.
Charleston: A graceful South Carolina port of cobbled lanes, antebellum mansions, historic plantations and superb Southern food.
Great Smoky Mountains: A much-loved national park straddling Tennessee and North Carolina, with forested ridges, waterfalls and old farmsteads.
San Diego: California's laid-back southern city, with a mild climate all year, beach neighbourhoods, Balboa Park and fish tacos.
Sedona: An Arizona town ringed by glowing red sandstone formations, known for hiking, scenic drives and a spiritual reputation.
Florida Keys: A string of coral islands linked by the Overseas Highway, with reefs, fishing, sunsets and the easy-going town of Key West.
Essentials
Currency: US Dollar (USD)
Language: English; Spanish widely spoken
Plugs: Type A / B, 120 V
Driving: Right side
Time zone: UTC−10 to −5
Tipping: 15–20% in restaurants is expected; tip for most services
Getting around: Domestic flights for long hops; a car is essential outside the big cities
Entry: Check the official rules for your passport before booking