There are many spectacular places to visit in the United States , an immense country that brings together large metropolises such as New York or Chicago, natural wonders that will leave you speechless such as Yellowstone or Niagara Falls, or car or motorcycle tours to get to know the deepest America. through highways such as Route 66.
To enjoy all these jewels you would need several months, so it is highly recommended to divide the country into zones, especially between west and east, where most points of interest are concentrated, and visit each of them on a journey.
The best time to travel to the US is in spring (April and May) and autumn (September and October), when you avoid the extreme heat of summer and the cold of winter, there is less tourism and accommodation prices are more affordable.
Remember that to enter the country it is mandatory to request the ESTA document through this official page and have the best travel insurance for the United States , since health is very expensive and any problem can mortgage you for life.
New York
New York, full of nicknames such as the city of skyscrapers , the city of asphalt or the one that never sleeps , is one of the tourist places in the United States that never disappoints and always exceeds all expectations.
If this is your first time in the city, we recommend spending between 7 and 10 days to get to know its most famous buildings and attractions such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, Broadway, Times Square or the Statue of Liberty, as well as getting lost in its neighborhoods. more authentic like Harlem, Queens or Brooklyn, where you can feel like one more New Yorker.
Although for us, the best thing about New York is that no matter how many times you visit it, something new always appears that will surprise you, from a museum, a theater show or a musical, a design store, an original cafeteria or a new viewpoint, like the fantastic The Vessel, which makes it tremendously addictive.
In order not to miss anything important in the city, we recommend you follow this New York guide that includes articles such as the most beautiful places to visit in New York , the best things to do in New York or the restaurants where to eat in New York cheaply, among many others.
Yellowstone
On our first trip to the Western United States, if there is a place that left its mark on us, it was Yellowstone Park , the oldest national park and one of the great natural wonders of the world.
A circular itinerary by car between geysers, hot springs, boiling mud pools, fumaroles and canyons of this gigantic volcanic caldera will take you about 4 or 5 days and among its highlights are the Old Fairy geyser, the Grand Prismatic, the Lower Falls or Great Falls and the limestone terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, although the experience of driving and coming across herds of bison, maples or even a bear is unique.
We arrived at Yellowstone from San Francisco in a trip of more than 11 hours, although another faster option is to take a flight to Jackson, located 70 kilometers from the south entrance or to Idaho Falls, about 200 kilometers from the west entrance.
You can stay at the Lazy G Motel , 5 minutes by car from the entrance, in the West Yellowstone area, although it is also a good option to sleep inside, in one of the hotels in the park.
Route 66
Another of the best things to do in the United States is to complete Route 66 in about two weeks, either by car, motorcycle or motorhome, which goes from the city of Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, in a journey of almost 4,000 kilometers.
With more than 100 years of history and considered one of the legendary trips that any traveler would like to do, this mythical route passes through several sections of the old highway The Main Street of America (The Main Street of America) in which it is still they preserve motels, gas stations and roadside cafes with the same decoration of the 50s and that give it an authentic character, although also focused on tourism.
Among the most essential stops are Las Vegas ,Cadillac Ranch , the towns of Williams and Seligman, the Wigwam motel, the Mr D’z restaurant in Kingman and especially the Grand Canyon, one of the most incredible places to visit in the United States , which we will talk about later.
San Francisco, one of the places to visit in the United States
San Francisco, located on a beautiful bay and considered the most European city in the country, is, along with New York, one of our favorite places in the United States.
This city full of charm and diversity, which also has a pleasant climate for most of the year, is perfect for spending a few relaxing days enjoying neighborhoods such as the Castro and Fisherman’s Wharf, climbing the steep streets with its historic tram, crossing the emblematic Golden Gate or visit the cinematographic Alcatraz jail.
To get to know the best of this city, we advise you to follow this San Francisco guide that has interesting posts such as the best things to see and do in San Francisco and the itineraries ofSan Francisco in one day , San Francisco in two days and San Francisco in 3 days .
If you have extra time in the city, we recommend renting a car and taking a trip to Yosemite Park, Sequoia and Death Valley, or taking the scenic highway to Los Angeles.
Niagara Falls
Located between the borders of Canada and the United States, Niagara Falls is one of the most impressive natural spectacles in the world and that we are sure you will not forget.
This spectacular waterfall of the Niagara River, 1,000 meters wide and 54 meters high, is one of the best excursions in New York , as it has a good daily connection by bus (7 hours) and plane (1 hour).
Once at the falls you can enjoy the views from the lookouts from both countries (those on the Canadian side are more photogenic), see the Horseshoe Falls, board the Maid of the Mist boat to feel the power and sound of the water up close , fly over them with a helicopter flight or have fun with some of its most popular attractions such as the Whirlpool Aero Car, the Mistrider Zipline zip line and the Journey Behind the Falls.
To complete the experience you can stay at one of the hotels overlooking Niagara Falls such as the Hilton Niagara Falls , the Niagara Falls Marriott or The Oakes Hotel.
Hawaii
After a route through the most essential places to visit in the United States , you can spend a few days relaxing on the paradisiacal beaches of Hawaii, an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean and with direct flights from the big cities on the West Coast such as San Francisco or The Angels.
The only way to move between the different islands is by plane and once there it is advisable to rent a good car to explore the fantastic landscapes of volcanoes, hidden coves and lush forests, where many scenes from the popular Lost series were filmed .
Although the archipelago has many islands, the ones that are usually visited are the four largest: Oahu (the most touristic and with the greatest offer of accommodation), Maui (impressive beaches and good atmosphere), Big Island (large volcanoes) and Kauai ( the most virgin and green).
The minimum time to get to know all the tourist places of these 4 islands, without much haste, would be about 15 days, so if you have less time we recommend you discard some and invest more time in enjoying the beaches and the routes of trekking.
Chicago, one of the cities to see in the United States
Chicago, known as the Windy City or the Second City, and located on the shores of Lake Michigan, is another of the places in the United States that you cannot miss.
Destroyed in a great fire in 1871 and frightened by gangsters like Al Capone during the dry law period, this city has been able to rise from its ashes to become a great metropolis of imposing skyscrapers, well-kept parks, modern architecture, interesting museums and sandy beaches around the lake, where you can sunbathe or have a picnic.
Although its main points of interest such as the Millennium Park, the Navy Pier, the Art Institute or the Willis Tower can be seen in about two days, it is advisable to spend more time to enjoy all the experiences that the city offers, such as trying its pizza Chicago style or see the world’s best preserved T-Rex skeleton at the Field Museum.
Grand Canyon of the Colorado
After a great route through the National Parks of the Western United States passing through Arches, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon and Bryce Canyon, you can put the icing on the cake with a visit to the Grand Canyon, another of the natural treasures of the world.
This immense canyon that goes from 6 to 40 kilometers wide and reaches depths of more than 1,500 meters, was created by the erosion, over millions of years, of the Colorado River.
It is currently divided into three areas that can be visited and although the most popular is the South Rim as it concentrates the most points of interest, if you come from Las Vegas it is more convenient to visit the West Rim area, located just two hours away and with the incredible Skywalk observation deck, a transparent platform that hangs from the cliff.
If you come by private car, you can leave it in one of the enabled car parks and get around with the park’s shuttles that stop at the different viewpoints. Also, don’t forget to book this helicopter ride on the South Rim or this one on the West Rim , one of the our most brutal experiences of the trip.
Florida
A few days of vacation in the state of Florida enjoying the beach and the attractions of Orlando’s theme parks, is another of the best things to do in the United States.
The best way to get to know this area is to land in Miami, there are direct flights from Spain, and spend a day or two in this city with a Latin rhythm and beautiful beaches where you can bask in the sun.
Once the visits are complete, you can rent a car to travel the highway of the Florida Keys, observe alligators and crocodiles in the Everglades National Park, visit the historic St. Augustine, see space rockets in the Kennedy Space Center and above all, spend a few fun last days in the parks of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.
Alaskan
To finish this list of tourist places in the United States, we suggest you take a motorhome trip through the wild landscapes of Alaska, ideal for lovers of the most unspoiled nature.
Known as the “last frontier”, this state offers enough attractions to spend about 3 weeks discovering its incredible mountain landscapes, rivers, fjords and glaciers, as well as the possibility of seeing bears hunting salmon and the northern lights, if you travel in winter.
Among its essentials are Denali, Kenai and Wrangell-San Elías National Parks, the town of Homer and taking a cruise to observe glaciers and whales up close, among many others.