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    USA

    Travel Guide USA

    The United States of America is a country of continental proportions.

    Contents

    • Why go
    • Highlights
    • Explore regions
    • Local food
    • Good to know
    • Best time to visit
    • Travel advice

    Why Go To USA?

    The USA stretches from New York's skyscrapers, across the canyons of the Southwest, to California's Pacific coast. Additionally, there are 63 national parks featuring geysers, granite walls, and desert landscapes. You can combine major cities with significant museums, New Orleans' vibrant music scene, and long road trips through sparsely populated landscapes all in one journey. Because each region boasts its own unique cuisine, history, and nature, it's worth focusing a trip on two or three distinct areas.

    Where in USA?

    Pick a region. The highlights, road trips and places below follow your choice.

    New York City

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    New York City

    New York City, in the eponymous state, is divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

    New York City is home to approximately 8.6 million inhabitants spread across five boroughs and nearly 780 square kilometers of land area, making it the most populous city in the USA. You get around here by subway, bus, and ferry, with contactless payment via OMNY.

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    Washington, D.C.

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    Washington, D.C.

    Washington, D. C.

    Situated on the Potomac, Washington, D. C.

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    Miami

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    Miami

    Miami is situated in southeastern Florida on Biscayne Bay, with Miami Beach located on a barrier island just opposite. You visit for its beaches, Art Deco architecture, and Cuban-influenced districts.

    According to the 2020 Census, Miami has around 442,000 residents, and the South Florida metropolitan area just over 6.4 million. The city area spans 145 square kilometers, with more than a third of it being the waters of Biscayne Bay.

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    New Orleans

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    New Orleans

    New Orleans is located in the state of Louisiana on the Mississippi River, approximately 170 kilometers upstream from the Gulf of Mexico. You go there for the live music, the Creole cuisine, and the buildings from French and Spanish colonial times.

    New Orleans had just under 384,000 residents in the 2020 census, while the metropolitan area counted over one million. Over half of the city's approximately 906 square kilometers is water; its historic core along the Mississippi is compact.

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    Grand Canyon National Park

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    Grand Canyon National Park

    The Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona protects the 446-kilometer-long canyon of the Colorado River, which is up to 29 kilometers wide and up to 1,857 meters deep.

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    Las Vegas

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    Las Vegas

    Las Vegas is located in a basin of the Mojave Desert in Nevada and is connected to Los Angeles via Interstate 15. Founded in 1905, the city is known for its casino resorts and as a starting point for Grand Canyon scenic flights.

    Las Vegas is located in Southern Nevada's Mojave Desert. The city proper has about 680,000 residents; the Las Vegas Valley is home to some 2.4 million people.

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    Los Angeles

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    Los Angeles

    Los Angeles, with nearly 3.9 million inhabitants, is the second-largest city in the USA and the cultural center of Southern California.

    Los Angeles counted nearly 3.9 million residents in the 2020 census, and by 1921, over 80 percent of the world's film industry was already based here.

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    San Francisco

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    San Francisco

    San Francisco lies in Northern California at the northern tip of a peninsula between the Pacific and San Francisco Bay. The city, founded in 1776 with around 874,000 residents, is known for its steep hills, the Cable Cars, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

    According to the 2020 Census, San Francisco had approximately 874,000 residents within just 122 square kilometers of land, spread over more than 50 hills. You get around best with Muni buses, streetcars, and Cable Cars, using your Clipper Card, and with BART, connecting downtown, the airport, and Oakland.

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    More highlights in USA

    Unique experiences that make USA unforgettable.

    Yosemite National Park

    Yosemite National Park

    The Yosemite National Park is located in the Sierra Nevada in California, about 300 km east of San Francisco. You go there for the Yosemite Valley with its steep rock faces, high waterfalls, and the giant sequoias in the south of the park. Above the valley, El Capitan rises about 914 m, and the Yosemite Falls plunge 739 m in total over three tiers. Near the south entrance, the Mariposa Grove hosts over 500 mature giant sequoias; a shuttle connects the parking lot and the grove. The park has existed since 1890 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984. Admission costs 35 US dollars per car for 7 days. Visitors not…
    Yellowstone National Park

    Yellowstone National Park

    Yellowstone National Park is located in the Rocky Mountains, predominantly in northwest Wyoming, with small parts in Montana and Idaho. Founded in 1872, the park is considered the world's first national park, and you come for the hot springs, geysers, and free-ranging bison. The park boasts over 10,000 hydrothermal features, including more than 500 geysers. The most famous, Old Faithful , erupts on average approximately every 90 minutes. In the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone , the Lower Falls plunge 94 m, and Yellowstone Lake is situated at an elevation of 2,357 m. The park has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978. The…
    Chicago

    Chicago

    Chicago , located in northeastern Illinois on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, is the third-largest city in the USA with around 2.7 million inhabitants. You come primarily for its architecture: After the Great Fire of 1871, the Home Insurance Building, considered the first modern skyscraper, was built here in 1885. The city center is called the Loop , named after the elevated train that circles the business district. In the Willis Tower , you stand on the glass balcony The Ledge on the 103rd floor, about 412 m above the street. The Millennium Park , opened in 2004, features Anish Kapoor's sculpture Cloud Gate, and the Art…

    San Diego

    San Diego liegt ganz im Südwesten der USA, direkt an der Grenze zu Mexiko. Mit rund 1,39 Millionen Einwohnern ist sie die achtgrößte Stadt der USA und die zweitgrößte Kaliforniens, wirkt aber entspannter als Los Angeles im Norden. Das Klima ist mild und trocken, mit warmen Sommern und milden Wintern. Im Frühsommer hängt morgens oft Küstennebel, den die Einheimischen „June Gloom“ nennen. Die Stadt hat viele Gesichter: Marinestützpunkte und Flugzeugträger an der Bucht, spanisch-mexikanische Wurzeln in Old Town, die Museen im Balboa Park, Surfstrände von Ocean Beach bis La Jolla und eine der dichtesten Brauereiszenen der USA. Dazu…

    How to plan your trip to USA

    From the guide to the road: here is what comes next.

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    Regions to Discover

    Explore the diverse regions of USA.

    Louisiana

    Louisiana

    Louisiana is located on the Gulf of Mexico between Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi, and large parts of the state were formed by the Mississippi River with its delta. You travel here for the bayous and swamps and the distinctive culture of Cajuns and Creoles, which extends far beyond New Orleans. As the only US state, Louisiana is divided into Parishes instead of Counties, 64 in total. West of Baton Rouge lies the Atchafalaya Basin , the largest swamp area in the USA. Interstate 10 crosses it on the 29.3 km long Atchafalaya Basin Bridge; alligators and the Louisiana black bear live in the swamp. Further west lies Acadiana , the…
    Utah

    Utah

    Utah lies between Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho in the heart of the American West. You travel here primarily for the five national parks in the south, known as the "Mighty Five," and for the ski resorts in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City. The capital, Salt Lake City, hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002, and they will take place again in Utah in 2034. Northwest of the city lies the Great Salt Lake , a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville. The state is predominantly dry; its highest peak is Kings Peak in the Uinta Mountains. In the south, the parks are close together: Zion with the Narrows of the Virgin…
    Florida

    Florida

    Florida is the peninsula in the southeastern USA, between the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, bordered north by Georgia and Alabama. Visitors come for its approximately 2,170 km of coastline, subtropical to tropical nature, and space and colonial history. To the south, the Everglades National Park preserves over 6,100 km² of the largest tropical wilderness in the USA, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. Southwest of Miami, the Florida Keys string together across 42 bridges to Key West, located about 150 km from Cuba. Roughly 110 km further west lies Dry Tortugas National Park with Fort Jefferson; Biscayne is the state's third…
    Wyoming

    Wyoming

    Wyoming is located in the western USA between Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho, and is traversed by chains of the Rocky Mountains. With approximately 589,000 inhabitants, it is the least populous state, and you come for its national parks, high mountains, and towns steeped in Western history. In the northwest, next to Yellowstone, lies Grand Teton National Park , about 16 km south of it and connected via the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway. Grand Teton reaches 4,199 m, and Jackson Lake is the park's largest lake. In the remote Wind River Range, over 40 peaks rise higher than 13,000 feet, including…
    Hawaii

    Hawaii

    Hawaii is an island chain in the Pacific, approximately 3,200 kilometers southwest of the US mainland, and since 1959, the 50th US state. You travel here for the beaches, active volcanoes, and tropical cliffs, spread across several very distinct islands. Oʻahu is home to the capital Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, where the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, drew the US into World War II. Maui is called the “Valley Isle,” Kauaʻi the “Garden Isle,” and the largest island is Hawaiʻi or “Big Island.” There, Mauna Kea rises 4,205 meters above sea level. The two national parks protect volcanic landscapes: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes on Big Island…
    New York (Federal State)

    New York (Federal State)

    New York State stretches from the Atlantic coast at Long Island to the Great Lakes and the border with the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec. Beyond New York City, you'll discover mid-range mountains, stunning lake districts, and the Niagara Falls, one of North America's most iconic natural wonders. The north is dominated by Adirondack Park : founded in 1892, it's larger than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks combined, and the largest State Park in the USA. Here you'll find Mount Marcy (1,629 m), the state's highest peak, and Lake Placid, which hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 1932 and 1980.…
    Illinois

    Illinois

    Illinois stretches from Lake Michigan in the northeast to the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in the south and west, bordering Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Iowa. Beyond Chicago, your travels lead you to Abraham Lincoln’s sites, traces of Mississippian culture, and sandstone canyons along the Illinois River. The capital is Springfield, where Lincoln lived and is buried. Hence, the state bears the nickname “Land of Lincoln,” and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located in Springfield. Near Collinsville, opposite St. Louis, lies Cahokia . This city of the Mississippian culture had an estimated 15,000…
    Arizona

    Arizona

    Arizona is located in the Southwest USA, bordering California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Mexico. You travel here for the Grand Canyon, the red rock landscapes in the north, and the Sonora Desert with its Saguaro cacti around Phoenix and Tucson. The capital, Phoenix, is also the largest city. The lower-lying south has a desert climate with hot summers, while the Colorado Plateau in the north is cooler and gets snow in winter. The highest peak is Humphreys Peak near Flagstaff, at 3,852 meters. A large part of the northeast is occupied by the Navajo Nation , the largest tribal nation in the USA. Its territory includes Monument…
    California

    California

    California stretches along the Pacific coast between Oregon and Mexico, and with around 39.4 million inhabitants, it is the most populous state in the USA. You come here for its approximately 1,350 kilometers of coastline, for metropolises like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, and for high mountains, deserts, and redwood forests that lie close to each other. In the east, the Sierra Nevada stretches through the state. Its highest peak is Mount Whitney at 4,421 meters, the highest mountain in the USA outside Alaska. Just over 100 kilometers away lies Death Valley : Badwater Basin is located around 85 meters below sea level,…
    Nevada

    Nevada

    Nevada is located east of California, between Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. The state is primarily known as the home of Las Vegas, but you'll also find desert mountains, red sandstone canyons, and one side of Lake Tahoe here. With an average of around 180 millimeters of precipitation per year, Nevada is the driest state in the USA. Most of it belongs to the Great Basin, the south to the Mojave Desert, and over 80 percent of its area is federally administered. Its highest peak is Boundary Peak at 4,007 meters. Carson City is the capital, Reno is the center of the north, and about one-third of Lake Tahoe's water area lies in…

    What you eat in USA

    Brisket

    Brisket

    The beef brisket is seasoned and smoked for many hours over indirect heat using wood like oak, pecan, hickory, or mesquite. Brisket is considered the central dish of Texas barbecue.
    Gumbo

    Gumbo

    A hearty stew with seafood or poultry and sausage, thickened with roux, okra, or filé powder made from sassafras leaves. The Creole version from New Orleans usually contains tomatoes, while the Cajun version features a very dark roux. Gumbo is the official state dish of Louisiana.
    New England Clam Chowder

    New England Clam Chowder

    A creamy soup with clams, potatoes, onions, and bacon. It comes with small Oyster Crackers that you crumble into the soup. The Manhattan variation, however, is red and tomato-based.
    Lobster Roll

    Lobster Roll

    Lobster meat in a toasted New England-style hot dog bun. In Maine, it's served cold with mayonnaise; in Connecticut, warm with butter. It's mainly found along the New England coast.
    Buffalo Wings

    Buffalo Wings

    Unbreaded, fried chicken wings in a sauce of cayenne hot sauce and butter. Hailing from Buffalo, New York State, they are traditionally served with celery sticks and blue cheese dip.
    Key Lime Pie

    Key Lime Pie

    A filling of small Key Lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk on a Graham cracker crust. The cake is associated with the Florida Keys and has been Florida's official cake since 2006.

    Good to Know

    Essential info for your trip planning.

    Land & People

    A Society of ImmigrantsThe USA is home to people whose families originate from nearly every country in the world.

    History & Society

    Indigenous Peoples and IndependenceLong before the Europeans, numerous indigenous peoples lived in the area of what is…

    Food & Drink

    Regional CuisinesThe cuisine of the USA is shaped by immigrants from all over the world and varies greatly by region.

    Practical Info

    Entry and CustomsCitizens of Visa Waiver Program countries, Germany among them, do not need a visa for stays of up to…

    Getting Around

    Arrival and Domestic FlightsMost international visitors arrive by plane.

    RV Travel

    Planning and ReservationsThe USA is a classic destination for RV travel, especially the Southwest with Grand Canyon,…

    Traveling with Kids

    The USA as a Destination for FamiliesThe USA is well set up for families.

    Best Time to Visit

    When is the best time for your trip?

    April
    May
    September
    October
    13–20°C·70–90 mm(moderate rain)
    Diese Monate bieten in weiten Teilen der USA angenehme Temperaturen und moderaten Niederschlag. Die extreme Sommerhitze und Winterkälte werden vermieden, und die Touristenzahlen sind im Allgemeinen geringer als in der Hochsaison, während die Natur im Frühling erwacht oder im Herbst in prächtigen Farben leuchtet.
    Die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika (USA) sind aufgrund ihrer enormen geografischen Ausdehnung und vielfältigen Topografie durch eine außergewöhnlich breite Palette von Klimazonen gekennzeichnet. Die oben angegebenen monatlichen Durchschnittswerte stellen eine starke Vereinfachung dar und spiegeln allenfalls ein sehr verallgemeinertes Klima für die gemäßigten Zonen wider (z.B. Teile des Mittleren Westens oder der mittleren Atlantikküste). Sie sind nicht repräsentativ für spezifische Regionen und dienen lediglich dazu, eine durchgängige Datenstruktur zu erfüllen.Nordosten & Mittlerer Westen: Vier ausgeprägte Jahreszeiten mit kalten, schneereichen Wintern und warmen bis heißen, oft feuchten Sommern. Frühling und Herbst sind mild und farbenprächtig.Südosten & Golfküste: Subtropisches Klima mit milden Wintern und heißen, feuchten Sommern. Die Region ist von Juni bis November von der Hurrikansaison betroffen, mit dem Höhepunkt im August/September/Oktober.Florida: Im Süden tropisch, im Norden subtropisch. Ganzjährig warm bis heiß und feucht, mit einer ausgeprägten Regenzeit im Sommer (Gewitter) und einem hohen Hurrikanrisiko von Juni bis November.Südwesten (Wüstenklima): Extrem heiße und trockene Sommer mit Tagestemperaturen weit über 35°C, oft milden Wintern. Große Temperaturunterschiede zwischen Tag und Nacht sind typisch. Gelegentliche Monsunregenfälle im Spätsommer können zu Sturzfluten führen.Kalifornien (Küstenregion): Mediterranes Klima mit milden, feuchten Wintern und warmen, trockenen Sommern. Das Landesinnere und die Gebirge weisen jedoch kontinentalere oder alpine Bedingungen auf.Pazifischer Nordwesten: Gemäßigtes, maritimes Klima mit milden, regenreichen Wintern und trockeneren, milden bis warmen Sommern.Rocky Mountains: Alpines Klima mit langen, kalten, schneereichen Wintern und kurzen, milden bis warmen Sommern. Die Wetterbedingungen können in höheren Lagen schnell wechseln.Alaska: Subarktisches bis arktisches Klima mit extrem kalten Wintern und kühlen, kurzen Sommern.Hawaii: Tropisches Klima mit ganzjährig warmen Temperaturen und geringen saisonalen Schwankungen. Es gibt eine trockenere und eine feuchtere Jahreszeit, wobei die Regenmenge stark von der Lage (Luv/Lee) abhängt.Wichtige Wetterphänomene: Neben Hurrikanen sind die USA auch bekannt für die Tornado Alley im Mittleren Westen (vor allem Frühling/Frühsommer), Winterstürme (Blizzards) im Norden und Osten sowie Dürren und Waldbrände im Westen, insbesondere im Spätsommer und Herbst.Für eine präzise Reiseplanung ist es unerlässlich, die spezifischen Klimadaten und Wettervorhersagen für die genaue Region und Reisezeit innerhalb der USA zu konsultieren.

    Seasons

    Jan
    Feb
    Mar
    Apr
    May
    Jun
    Jul
    Aug
    Sep
    Oct
    Nov
    Dec
    Hauptsaison (Sommer)
    Nebensaison (Winter)
    Übergangssaison (Frühling)
    Übergangssaison (Herbst)
    Best Time to Visit
    ▶Show detailed monthly data
    MonthTemp (°C)Rain (mm)Sun (h)
    January0.0704.0
    February2.0655.0
    March7.0806.0
    April13.0857.0
    May18.0908.0
    June23.0959.0
    July25.01009.0
    August24.0958.0
    September20.0807.0
    October14.0706.0
    November8.0755.0
    December3.0804.0

    Travel advice

    Safety, entry requirements and health: the official, up-to-date advice for USA is published by the UK government on GOV.UK.

    Go to GOV.UK
    Felix at Kuirau Park in Rotorua, New Zealand

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    All places in USA

    • Arizona
    • Arts District
    • Balboa Park
    • Beverly Hills and West Hollywood
    • California
    • Center and North Strip
    • Chelsea, Meatpacking District and Hudson Yards
    • Chicago
    • Coconut Grove
    • Coral Gables
    • Coronado
    • Downtown and Brickell
    • Downtown and Fremont Street
    • Downtown LA
    • Florida
    • Gaslamp Quarter and East Village
    • Grand Canyon National Park
    • Hawaii
    • Hollywood
    • Illinois
    • Key Biscayne
    • La Jolla
    • Las Vegas
    • Little Havana
    • Little Italy and Embarcadero
    • Los Angeles
    • Louisiana
    • Lower East Side, East Village, Chinatown and Little Italy
    • Lower Manhattan and Financial District
    • Malibu
    • Miami
    • Midtown
    • Nevada
    • New Orleans
    • New York (Federal State)
    • New York City
    • Old Town
    • Pacific Beach and Mission Beach
    • Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
    • San Diego
    • San Francisco
    • Santa Monica
    • SoHo, Greenwich Village and West Village
    • South Beach
    • South Strip
    • Utah
    • Venice
    • Washington, D.C.
    • Wynwood and Design District
    • Wyoming
    • Yellowstone National Park
    • Yosemite National Park

    More about USA

    • Best Time to Visit USA
    • USA with Kids
    • USA by RV