Best Places to Visit in the US

Cost: Hotels in Florida average $104 per night

A popular spot for Spring Breakers, the Emerald Coast in Florida (the Sunshine State) on the Gulf of Mexico is known for its stunning sugar-white beaches, perfect weather and turquoise waters. You may even spot some of the area’s interesting wildlife, such as the sea turtles or dolphins. While you’re in the area, Miami and Orlando are both obviously well worth visiting – with the latter especially ideal if you like theme parks and/or Disney.

Cost: Hotels in Asheville start at $52 per night

The small city of Asheville, with a population of around 424,800, may not be as famous as some of the other destinations on this list, but it’s one of the most stunning. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Asheville is ideally situated for viewing the surrounding natural beauty.  It’s close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, a national parkway known for its scenic views, with one of the world’s most diverse display of flora and fauna. The city itself is known for its friendliness, vibrant arts scene (and large artist population), great food and historic architecture, such as the large 19^th century Biltmore Estate and the Art Deco-style City Hall.

Cost: Hotels cost $150–275 per night.

A visit to Washington, D.C. wouldn’t be complete without seeing the city’s abundance of iconic landmarks: the White House, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Pentagon – the list goes on. Washington DC is a showcase of American history and politics, with an array of fascinating museums and monuments. Once you’ve seen the main sights, the city has more to offer, with a lively arts, restaurant and bar scene to explore in the evenings.

Cost: $15 per person (seven-day pass) with some free entrance days

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yosemite (yo-sem-it-ee) National Park is one of the most breath-taking parks in the US, particularly noted for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, huge, ancient sequoia trees, lakes, mountains, glaciers, and biological diversity. The best views can be had from spots such as Tunnel View, but the park’s sheer size (nearly 1,200 square miles) offers plenty of opportunities to take it all in. It’s also a popular site to go camping.

Cost: $306 per night, on average – but shop around

A foodie’s paradise, San Francisco is also known for its diverse population, tech start-up economy and steep, rolling hills. It’s one of the most iconic and popular cities in the US, and it’s easy to see why, with plenty of attractions to visit: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Pier 39, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Twin Peaks, Chinatown, the Cable Car museum and more. Once you’ve finished sightseeing for the day, you can sit down at a restaurant and discover why San Francisco is praised so much for its iconic dishes.

Read about the seven things you should do on a west coast road trip >

Cost: Free to visit

Fans of the TV series Twin Peaks may recognize the next beauty spot on our list. Snoqualmie Falls, a 268-foot (82m) waterfall, is one of the most scenic attractions in Washington state, attracting more than 1.5 million visitors every year. The crashing falls make for a beautiful site, and also serve as a source of hydro-electric power for the region. The falls are featured in the US National Register of Historic Places, and are central to the culture and beliefs of the indigenous Snoqualmie people. Seattle is located around 28 miles to the west, and is also well worth visiting. 

Cost: Hotels cost at least $125 per night

Although any trip to Hawaii is naturally going to involve escapism, beautiful beaches and relaxation, each island has something to offer, depending on what you’re into. If hiking and wildlife are your thing, the Big Island is for you, with the Kīlauea volcano offering an ideal landscape for hikers. If you’re interested in exploring Hawaii’s ocean floor, the Atlantis Submarine Tour in Waikiki, Honolulu is a fascinating way to do so, allowing you to view diverse underwater life and sunken ships or planes.

Other must-see attractions include the USS Arizona Memorial, the lush Waipio Valley on the Big Island, Haleakala National Park on Maui, and the Polynesian Cultural Center, a theme park and living museum in Laie on the island of Oahu.

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