United States of America

From national park hikes and Pacific Highway road trips to Broadway shows and Florida waterparks, the USA's activities are defined by scale and variety across 50 entirely distinct states.

?️ Nature & Outdoor Activities

• Hike the Bright Angel Trail (Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona) — a 15 km trail descending 1,400 m from the South Rim to the Colorado River; the 3 km section to the 1.5 Mile Resthouse is manageable in 2 hours return without a permit.
• Watch humpback whales from Lahaina Harbour (Maui, Hawaii) — humpback whales migrate to Hawaiian waters December to April; licensed whale-watching boats depart Lahaina daily from £35pp for a two-hour morning tour.
• Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road (Glacier National Park, Montana) — a 80 km mountain highway crossing the Continental Divide at 2,026 m through glaciated alpine scenery; open June to mid-October, accessible without a permit in a private vehicle.
• Raft the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon (Moab, Utah) — a full-day whitewater rafting excursion through 42 km of Class III–IV rapids in Canyonlands National Park from £95pp through Mild to Wild Rafting.
• Ski Park City Mountain Resort (Park City, Utah) — the USA's largest ski resort at 3,300 acres of terrain, 330 trails and 41 lifts; 35 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport, operational December to April.

?️ Beaches

• South Beach (Miami Beach, Florida) — A 4 km Art Deco-backed beach of white sand and warm Atlantic water; the most internationally recognisable urban beach in the USA, free public access along its full length.
• Waikiki Beach (Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii) — The world's most famous surf beach; beginner lessons available from £45pp on the gentle shore break directly in front of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
• Cannon Beach (Cannon Beach, Oregon) — A dramatic Pacific beach below the 72 m Haystack Rock sea stack, 90 minutes from Portland by car; consistently cold water but extraordinary coastal scenery.
• Napili Bay (Maui, Hawaii) — A sheltered crescent of white sand on Maui's northwest coast with calm, clear water and reliable sea turtle sightings from the beach without a boat or snorkel tour.
• Assateague Island (Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland) — A 60 km barrier island of undeveloped Atlantic beach inhabited by wild ponies; free national seashore access and consistently uncrowded outside summer weekends.

?️ Food & Drink

• Order Louisiana crawfish étouffée (ee-TOO-fay) — freshwater crawfish smothered in a Cajun butter-and-holy-trinity sauce over white rice — at Dooky Chase's Restaurant on Orleans Avenue in New Orleans; a main course costs approximately £18 and the restaurant has been a civil rights landmark since the 1960s.
• Drink Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at the source — the Stags Leap Wine Cellars in Yountville (the 1976 Paris Tasting winner that beat French Bordeaux) offers guided tastings from £35pp including four pours in the estate's original 1970s stone winery.
• Try a Chicago deep-dish pizza — a 5 cm deep buttered pastry crust filled with mozzarella, Italian sausage and chunky tomato sauce — at Lou Malnati's on North Wells Street in River North; a personal deep-dish costs £14 and takes 45 minutes to bake from scratch.
• Visit Pike Place Market (Seattle, Washington) — the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the USA (since 1907), with Pacific salmon vendors, Dungeness crab, local cheese and the original Starbucks store on Pike Street; most food stalls open from 09:00.
• Eat at Eleven Madison Park (Flatiron District, New York City) — three Michelin stars and consistently ranked in the world's top ten; a plant-based tasting menu of 8–10 courses costs approximately £280pp; bookable at elevenmadisonpark.com six to eight weeks ahead.

? Nightlife & Entertainment

• Broadway theatre district (Midtown Manhattan, New York City) — 41 professional theatres within a 10-block radius of Times Square; tickets from £45 (rush lottery) to £250 (premium stalls) at TKTS discount booth in Duffy Square for same-day availability at 20–50% below box office price.
• Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street (French Quarter, New Orleans) — two entirely different New Orleans nights: Bourbon Street's commercial neon strip versus Frenchmen Street's seven live jazz and blues clubs operating simultaneously from 22:00 to 04:00; no cover charge on Frenchmen Street.
• The Sphere (Paradise, Nevada, Las Vegas) — a 160 m spherical entertainment venue opened in 2023 with a 16K resolution interior screen covering the entire inner surface; U2, Dead & Company and Phish have completed residencies; tickets from £85pp at thesphere.com.
• Hollywood Bowl summer concerts (Hollywood, Los Angeles) — the 17,500-capacity open-air amphitheatre hosts the LA Philharmonic, major touring artists and the annual Fourth of July fireworks concert from June to September; tickets from £18pp, bring a picnic.
• Mardi Gras (New Orleans, Louisiana, February) — the 12-day carnival before Ash Wednesday fills the French Quarter with 1.4 million visitors; the Krewe of Bacchus and Endymion parades on the weekend before Fat Tuesday are the most spectacular; free to watch from the parade route.

? Instagram-Worthy Spots

• Horseshoe Bend (Page, Arizona) — the Colorado River's 270° meander photographed from the sandstone cliff above, 5 km from Page by car; free access, best photographed at sunrise before the tour groups arrive from Page and Las Vegas.
• Times Square at midnight on New Year's Eve (Midtown Manhattan, New York City) — the ball drop above One Times Square is free to watch from the street; arrive before 15:00 to secure a position below the ball; 58,000 pounds of confetti fall at midnight.
• Antelope Canyon (Page, Arizona) — a slot canyon of undulating Navajo sandstone walls lit by overhead shafts of light; accessible only by guided Navajo Nation tour (from £45pp, mandatory booking at navajonationparks.org).
• Golden Gate Bridge from Battery Spencer (Sausalito, California) — the north tower of the bridge photographed from the decommissioned artillery battery above Sausalito with the San Francisco skyline behind; free access, 10-minute drive from Sausalito ferry terminal.
• Reflection Lakes in Yellowstone (Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming) — the Grand Prismatic Spring photographed from the Fairy Falls trailhead overlook, 800 m from the car park; the 112 m wide thermal pool's rings of orange, yellow and green photograph best between 10:00 and 14:00 in clear conditions.

Best Value Deals

? All-Inclusive Holidays

All-inclusive packaging in the USA is concentrated in Hawaii and Florida — the two states with the resort hotel infrastructure to support full-board inclusive programmes. In Hawaii, the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa and the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island operate structured all-inclusive packages from £1,499pp including direct UK flights in shoulder season. In Florida, the Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Your Way package combines park tickets, hotel accommodation and dining credits in a structured inclusive format from £999pp per person for a family of four. Cruise departures from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral offer the most developed all-inclusive product in the US market, with Caribbean itineraries from £799pp including flights.

?‍?‍?‍? Family Holidays

The USA is the world's most purpose-built family holiday destination — Orlando's theme park concentration, Hawaii's beaches and whale watching, the Grand Canyon's accessible rim trails and New York City's child-friendly museum offer (the American Museum of Natural History, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum) cater to families across every age group and interest. The Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida — 28,000 acres of four theme parks, two waterparks and 30 resort hotels — is the single most visited family destination on earth. Universal's Epic Universe, opening in Orlando in May 2025, adds a fifth major theme park to the city's offer. Families combining Florida theme parks with a Miami Beach extension cover beach and entertainment in a single two-week itinerary.

? Luxury Holidays

The USA's luxury hotel market is among the world's most developed — from the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset Boulevard (rates from £650 per night) and the Aman New York on Fifth Avenue (from £1,200 per night) to the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Hawaii's Big Island (from £800 per night). In Las Vegas, the Wynn and Encore resorts on the Strip combine casino, spa, multiple Michelin-starred restaurants and private pool villas from £400 per night. Napa Valley's Meadowood resort — a 250-acre wine country estate with a three-Michelin-star restaurant — represents the pinnacle of American rural luxury at rates from £700 per night. Expect to pay from £1,500pp for a week's luxury USA holiday including flights.

⏳ Last-Minute Deals

Late availability to the USA varies significantly by destination — New York, Miami and Los Angeles produce reliable late deals on both flights and hotels year-round, with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines offering competitive fares within a two to three week booking window outside the Thanksgiving (late November) and Christmas peak windows. Florida in late August and September — after the US school summer holidays but before the UK October half-term — consistently produces the best last-minute value: Orlando hotel rates drop 30–40% below the July peak and flights on TUI and Virgin Atlantic remain competitively priced. Hawaii and national park destinations in summer require three to four months advance booking as domestic US demand fills capacity before UK travellers begin searching.

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? Best Time to Visit USA

The USA's vast geographic range means the best time to visit depends entirely on which region. Florida and the Southeast peak from December to April — warm at 24–28°C, dry and outside hurricane season; summer (June–September) brings heat, humidity and hurricane risk. New York and the Northeast is finest in September and October for autumn foliage and comfortable temperatures of 18–24°C; July and August are hot and humid but the city's outdoor programme is at its most active. California is effectively year-round — San Francisco averages 18°C in July, Los Angeles 28°C; the Napa harvest in September and October is the most atmospheric season. The National Parks peak June to September for accessibility; Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon are manageable in May and October with fewer crowds and 20–30% lower accommodation prices.

? Where to Stay

• Families: Walt Disney World Resort hotels (Lake Buena Vista, Florida) or the Grand Hyatt Kauai for beach-and-activity family programming at the highest standard.
• Couples: The NoMad Hotel Los Angeles in Koreatown or the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn for the USA's most design-conscious boutique addresses at mid-range pricing.
• Luxury seekers: Aman New York (Fifth Avenue, Manhattan) or Four Seasons Resort Hualalai (Kona, Hawaii) for the country's two most celebrated luxury resort addresses.
• First-timers: New York City — specifically Midtown Manhattan between 42nd and 59th Streets — for the most walkable access to the city's principal landmarks, Broadway and Central Park.
• Adventure seekers: Moab, Utah for proximity to Arches National Park, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point and Colorado River rafting within a 60 km radius of a single small town.

? Getting Around

The USA's distances make domestic flights the most practical inter-city transport option — Delta, American Airlines and United between them serve every major city from under £60 single on competitive routes. Car hire is essential outside New York City, Chicago and San Francisco — rates start from £35 per day through Budget, Enterprise or Turo; an automatic transmission is standard and the only practical choice for UK drivers on American freeways. Amtrak's long-distance rail network is scenic but slow — the California Zephyr from Chicago to San Francisco takes 51 hours versus 5 hours by air; useful as a scenic experience rather than a practical transport option. In New York City, the subway (£2.10 per ride) and the NYC Ferry (£2.10 single) cover all five boroughs efficiently; ride-share apps Uber and Lyft operate throughout the USA as the standard alternative to taxis in every city.

? Travel Tips

• ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) is mandatory for UK passport holders visiting the USA — apply at esta.cbp.dhs.gov at least 72 hours before departure; the fee is $21 (approximately £16.50) and the authorisation is valid for two years and multiple entries; never travel to the USA without a valid ESTA as boarding will be refused.
• Tipping in the USA is not optional — 18–20% is the standard restaurant tip (added manually or pre-set on card machines); 15% for taxis and ride-share; £1–2 per drink at a bar; £3–5 per bag for hotel porters; not tipping in a restaurant is considered seriously rude and directly impacts servers who earn a tipped minimum wage of £2.15 per hour in most states.
• Plug type is Type A or B (two flat pins, 120V) — the same as Canada and Mexico; a US-standard adaptor is required for all UK devices; a voltage converter is needed for any non-dual-voltage appliance.
• US driving requires a UK driving licence plus an International Driving Permit (IDP) in some states — obtain one from the Post Office for £5.50 before departure; speed limits are in mph (the same unit as the UK) but distances are in miles.
• Travel insurance covering medical evacuation and hospitalisation is absolutely essential — US hospital costs are among the world's highest; an emergency appendectomy costs approximately $30,000 (£23,500) and intensive care runs to $10,000 (£7,800) per day; ensure your policy has a minimum $5 million medical cover.
• Sales tax in the USA is not included in displayed prices — it is added at the till and varies by state from 0% (Oregon, Montana) to 9.5% (Tennessee); budget an additional 6–10% on all retail and restaurant purchases above the menu price.
• The US dollar (USD) exchanges at approximately $1.26 to £1; withdraw dollars from ATMs on arrival rather than exchanging at UK airports; Wise or Revolut cards offer competitive interbank rates with no foreign transaction fees throughout the USA.
• National Park entry fees apply separately to each park — a single-park entry costs $20–35 per vehicle; the America the Beautiful annual pass ($80/£63) covers entry to all 63 national parks and 400+ federal recreation sites for 12 months and pays for itself after three park visits.
• Drinking age in the USA is 21 — carry photo ID (passport) at all times when purchasing alcohol; bars and restaurants routinely ID customers who appear under 30 and will refuse service without valid government-issued photo identification.
• Cell phone coverage: UK SIM cards work in the USA but roaming charges apply; a US prepaid SIM from T-Mobile or AT&T (£15–25 for 30 days unlimited data) is the most cost-effective option for stays of a week or more.