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🇺🇸Things to Do in United States
From the Statue of Liberty to the Grand Canyon - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
The US is too large for a single itinerary - it's really several different trips depending on which coast, or which national park region, you pick. New York and Washington D.C. suit a history-and-city trip; the national parks of the West are a completely different kind of travel entirely, usually needing a rental car. Here are 10 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Statue of Liberty & New York City
Liberty Island and Ellis Island's immigration museum, alongside Times Square, Central Park and the rest of Manhattan. Book the ferry with a Crown or Pedestal ticket well in advance - both sell out weeks ahead in summer.
📍 New York City
🚉 Nearest station: Bowling Green on the 4 and 5, or South Ferry on the 1 - both a few minutes from Battery Park, where the only authorised ferry to Liberty Island departs.
Grand Canyon
A mile-deep canyon carved by the Colorado River over millions of years. The South Rim is the most visited and most accessible by car; the North Rim is quieter but closes in winter.
📍 Arizona
🚉 The Grand Canyon Railway runs a daily train from Williams, Arizona to a depot inside the South Rim village; otherwise Flagstaff is the nearest Amtrak stop, with shuttle buses covering the last 90 minutes.
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
The city's landmark suspension bridge, walkable or cyclable across, with the best photo angles from Battery Spencer or Baker Beach on the north side.
📍 San Francisco
🚉 Muni bus 28 stops at the bridge's southern viewpoint, and Golden Gate Transit routes 101 and 130 cross it towards Marin; the nearest BART station is Civic Center, then a transfer.
Las Vegas Strip
A four-mile stretch of casino resorts, each built as its own spectacle - and a common base for day trips to the Grand Canyon or Death Valley, both a few hours' drive away.
📍 Las Vegas, Nevada
🚉 The Las Vegas Monorail runs behind the east-side resorts from Sahara to MGM Grand, and the Deuce bus works the Strip itself around the clock - there is no rail link from the airport, so take a rideshare or the Centennial Express.
Washington, D.C.
The National Mall's monuments and the Smithsonian museums, nearly all of which are free to enter - a rarity for a major museum system anywhere in the world.
📍 Washington, D.C.
🚉 Nearest station: Smithsonian on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, which exits onto the National Mall between the monuments and the museums; Union Station handles Amtrak arrivals.
Walt Disney World, Orlando
The largest and most-visited theme park resort on Earth, spread across four parks. Book ride reservations through the app the moment your park day starts - popular rides fill their return windows within minutes.
📍 Orlando, Florida
🚉 There is no public rail to the resort: Brightline runs to Orlando International Airport, and from there it is a shuttle or rideshare, after which Disney's own buses, monorail and boats cover the parks.
Yellowstone National Park
America's first national park, best known for the Old Faithful geyser and its resident bison herds. Roads through the park's interior close seasonally - check conditions before planning a specific route.
📍 Wyoming
🚉 No railway or scheduled bus serves the park - fly into Bozeman, Jackson or Cody and drive, which is also how you cover the 140-mile Grand Loop once inside.
Hollywood, Los Angeles
The Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign, along with studio tours at Universal and Warner Bros. for a look behind the filmmaking itself.
📍 Los Angeles
🚉 Nearest station: Hollywood/Highland on the Metro B Line, which comes up at the Chinese Theatre and the Walk of Fame.
Miami South Beach
Art Deco architecture along a wide Atlantic beach, with Cuban-influenced Little Havana a short drive inland for a completely different side of the city.
📍 Miami, Florida
🚉 No train reaches the sand: take Metrorail or the free Metromover downtown, then bus 120 or 150 across the causeway - route 150 runs direct from Miami International Airport.
Yosemite National Park
Granite cliffs (El Capitan and Half Dome), waterfalls, and giant sequoia groves in California's Sierra Nevada. A day-use reservation is often required for peak-season entry - check before driving up.
📍 California
🚉 Take Amtrak to Merced, then the YARTS bus, which runs into Yosemite Valley year-round and is often quicker than driving in summer, when park roads and car parks fill by mid-morning.
Mark United States, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in the USA?
A single region - one coast, or one national park cluster - suits a week to 10 days well, given how much driving distance separates most attractions. Combining coasts in one trip usually means flying between them rather than driving.
What's the best time to visit the USA?
It depends heavily on region: national parks in the West are best May-September; the Northeast and D.C. are pleasant spring through fall; Florida and the Southwest are best avoided in peak summer heat and hurricane season (June-November on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts).
Is the USA good for a first-time visit?
Yes, but pick one region rather than trying to cover the country - a rental car is close to essential outside major cities, since public transport between attractions is limited compared to Europe or Japan.
Do I need a visa to visit the United States?
Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries (including the UK, most of the EU, Australia and Japan) can visit for up to 90 days with an approved ESTA instead of a visa; other nationalities need a US tourist visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: travel.state.gov.
What are some things to do in the United States on a tight budget?
The Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. are free, national parks sell an annual pass that pays for itself after about three visits, and city parks like Central Park cost nothing to spend a full day in.
Can I rent a car in the United States, and what licence do I need?
Yes, and for the national parks it is close to essential. Driving rules are set state by state, but every state accepts a valid foreign licence for a visit; if yours is not in English, carry an International Driving Permit with it, which must be issued in your own country before you travel. Rental companies are stricter than the law: most require the driver to be 25, will rent to 21-24 year olds with a daily surcharge, and want a credit card in the driver's name. Each state's own rules are linked from USAGov at usa.gov; the major rental networks are Enterprise, Hertz and Avis.