Touring in the USA

Few destinations on earth can match the United States of America for sheer star quality. In truth there are many different Americas - the cosmopolitan coastal cities of California and the Eastern Seaboard couldn’t be more different from the rural backwaters of the Deep South, while the mountains and glaciers of Alaska stand in stark contrast to the swaying palm trees and lava-spewing volcanoes of Hawaii.

The West is best if you want to see the country’s most jaw-dropping natural wonders - this is where you’ll find the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Yosemite National Park. Sun-kissed California attracts both surfers and Silicon Valley start-ups, while the East Coast offers up the juxtaposition of New England’s stunning fall foliage with New York’s forest of skyscrapers. Florida is a compelling mix of theme parks, Caribbean keys and multicultural Miami, and the Deep South is where you’ll find all the best tunes, from Memphis and Nashville to New Orleans. And if you’re really feeling lucky, the neon lights of Las Vegas are beckoning...

Touring Highlights of the USA

• First visitors to New York City will want to hit all the classic sights - the Statue of Liberty, Broadway, the Empire State Building - but this is also a city of constant renewal, so don’t miss out on more recent additions like the unique High Line park.
• Often described as America’s most European city, San Francisco blends the bohemian, counter-cultural vibe of Haight Ashbury with the cutting edge tech of Silicon Valley.
• Los Angeles is one of the best cities on earth for people-watching: keep your eyes peeled for botoxed celebs in Beverly Hills, struggling actors on Sunset Boulevard and Speedo-clad roller skaters speeding along Santa Monica Beach!
• Whether you choose to go all in or simply watch from a safe distance, the outrageous adult playground that is Las Vegas simply has to be seen to be believed.
• The Grand Canyon is one of the world’s most awesome sights, a deep chasm in the earth that stretches for almost 300 miles, and you need to see it from the air for a true sense of its scale.
• Every year millions of people flock to Yosemite National Park to marvel at the spectacular landscape of mountains, waterfalls and towering giant sequoia trees.
• Sunny California is synonymous with surfing, so grab your board and ride the waves that inspired the Beach Boys back in ‘63.
• For a better understanding of the history and culture of the American West, why not take the opportunity to stay on a ranch. Nothing beats the feeling of galloping across the desert on horseback or the thrill of a rodeo.
• Monument Valley is the landscape that most of us picture when we think of the Wild West, immortalised by Hollywood and even more impressive in real life.
• The cobbled streets of Boston will take you back to some of the most significant moments in the history of the USA, and you’ll also find some of the best seafood on the East Coast.
• Regardless of what you think about the White House’s current incumbent, it’s hard not to be impressed by Washington DC, home to iconic landmarks including the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
• New Orleans epitomises everything that’s great about the Deep South - fantastic people, toe-tapping music and finger-lickin’ food!
• Miami is a cultural crossroads, a place where Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean converge. South Beach, with its iconic Art Deco architecture and pumping clubs, is still the place to be.
• New England offers plenty to tempt travellers, including cute coastal villages, fantastic seafood, wild beaches and the spectacular fall colours, when the autumn leaves light up the landscape.
• Alaska is the ultimate American wilderness, a staggeringly beautiful panorama of fjords and glaciers where you’ll see bears fishing for salmon, eagles circling overhead and whales breaching the chilly waters off the coast.
• The progressive-minded Pacific Northwest cities of Seattle and Portland are known for their thriving craft beer and foodie scenes, with the added bonus of stunning wilderness such as Olympic National Park right on their doorstep.
• Driving Route 66 is the quintessential American road trip, a 2,500-mile route from Chicago to Los Angeles that passes through some of the county’s most iconic landscapes.
• Towns like Charleston and Savannah are full of leafy squares and beautiful antebellum architecture, and typify the warmth and vivacity of the South.
• The Deep South is a real treat for music lovers. Nashville is the spiritual home of country and western, best enjoyed in a dingy honky-tonk bar, while thousands of Elvis fans flock to Memphis every year to pay their respects at Graceland.
• San Diego is one of the USA’s most likeable cities, home to an excellent zoo, the museums of Balboa Park and the buzzing Gaslight Quarter.
• Think of Texas and you probably think of cowboy hats and oil wells, but the Lone Star State is also home to cultured cities like Dallas and Austin, the perfect counterpoint to the tumbleweeds and slow-paced lifestyle of the hinterland.
• The hills of South Dakota are home to one of America’s most famous monuments, Mount Rushmore, where the giant faces of four presidents - Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt - are sculpted from granite.
• Hawaii is a completely different kettle of fish to mainland America. Stunning volcanic scenery, gushing waterfalls and some of the world’s best surf breaks provide the backdrop to a multi-ethnic society where Polynesian, American and Asian cultures mix.
• Don’t miss the geological wonders of Yellowstone National Park, where geysers burst from the ground and mudpots boil and bubble. The park is also home to an impressive assortment of wildlife, including bison, grizzly bears and wolves.
• Chicago impresses with its bold modern architecture, innovative culinary scene and cultural riches, including the famous Art Institute, one of the oldest and largest galleries in the United States.
• The USA has plenty to offer for both families and the young at heart, home to world famous theme parks such as Disneyland, Universal Studios and Busch Gardens.
• The Rocky Mountains are the spine of North America, stretching over 3,000 miles from British Columbia to New Mexico, and the slopes are home to America’s ‘big five’: grizzly bears, bison, moose, mountain lions and wolves.
• The Great Lakes region stretches along the border between the USA and Canada, offering both beautiful natural scenery and dynamic, cosmopolitan cities like Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis.
• So close to Cuba you can almost smell the cigars, the Florida Keys are a string of sleepy sun-kissed islands with a distinctly bohemian vibe, a world apart from mainland Florida.
• Learn more about the USA’s often overlooked Native American culture at Washington DC’s Museum of the American Indian, or the George Gustav Heye Centre in New York.