Top 20 Awesome Things to Do in USA That You Shouldn't Miss!

America's most rewarding experiences are the ones you cannot copy at home: a Broadway musical in the theatre where it opened, a ball game in a century-old stadium, brisket pulled from a Texas smoker at 11am, two nights on a sleeper train across the Rockies. This guide lists 20 of them, chosen because they show how Americans actually spend their free time, and gives each one the practical details: where to do it, the best season, roughly what it costs, how to book, and the mistake first-timers make.

Everything on this list is an activity. If you want the landmarks themselves, our guide to 50 famous landmarks in the USA goes state by state, and our best road trips in the USA covers the classic drives. Many of the experiences below fit neatly into either kind of trip.

How we picked these 20 experiences: Each one had to be something visitors take part in, possible for an international traveller without special contacts, and spread across the country so the list works whichever city you fly into. We left out things already covered in depth in our other USA guides, such as theme parks, national park hikes and festivals, and link to them instead. Prices are given as broad bands because tickets and tours change often (checked October 2026).

• Experiences: 20
• States covered: 15
• Chicago to California by train: 52 hrs
• Fenway Park opened: 1912

Things to do in the USA at a glance

Sort the list by season and region here, then read the full entry for booking details.

20 awesome things to do in the USA: full guide

See a Broadway show in New York

Our top pick, and an evening you need to book ahead, is Broadway. The name covers the 41 large professional theatres in and around the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan, and a show there is the single most popular evening out for visitors to New York. Long-running hits sit next to new musicals and limited-run plays with film stars, so there is always something to suit your taste.

Tickets are expensive at full price, especially for the newest hits. The TKTS booth under the red steps in Times Square sells same-day discount tickets for many shows, and most productions run digital lotteries and rush tickets through their own websites or apps. Evening performances usually start at 7pm or 8pm, and matinees run on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Most theatres are dark on Mondays.

• Where: Theater District, Midtown Manhattan
• Cost: $$ to $$$$
• When: Evenings Tue to Sun, matinees Wed, Sat, Sun
• How to book: Show websites, TKTS, lotteries

First-time New York visitors should enter the show's digital lottery the day before for a chance at cheap seats.

Watch a baseball game at a historic ballpark

Few things are more American than a summer ball game in Boston or Chicago. A Major League Baseball game is three hours of sunshine, hot dogs and slow-building tension, and Americans treat it as a social event as much as a sport. The two ballparks to choose if you can are Fenway Park in Boston, which opened in 1912 and is the oldest in the major leagues, and Wrigley Field in Chicago, opened in 1914, with ivy on its outfield walls and rooftop seats on the apartment buildings across the street.

Seats in the upper levels are cheap compared with other American sports, and you do not need to understand the rules to enjoy it. Games run from late March or April to late September, with play-offs in October. Day games on weekends are the most relaxed.

• Where: Fenway Park, Boston; Wrigley Field, Chicago
• Cost: $ to $$$
• Season: Late March to September
• How to book: MLB Ballpark app or team website

It fills a relaxed summer afternoon. Arrive early to watch batting practice and walk around the ballpark.

Hear live jazz on Frenchmen Street

New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz and still a music city, with night shows that are often free to enter. The best place to hear it today is Frenchmen Street in the Marigny neighbourhood, a short walk from the French Quarter. Within three blocks are a string of small clubs with live bands every night, from traditional brass bands to modern jazz, funk and blues.

Many clubs have no cover charge and ask you to buy a drink per set. Others charge a modest door fee for bigger names. Frenchmen Street is where locals go, and it feels more musical and less rowdy than Bourbon Street. Summers are hot and humid, so the most comfortable months are October to May.

• Where: Frenchmen Street, Marigny
• Cost: $ (drink minimum or small cover)
• When: Nightly, best after 9pm
• Getting there: Walk from the French Quarter

Carry cash for tips; bands pass a bucket between sets.

Cruise the Mississippi on a paddle steamboat

A classic New Orleans outing is a jazz cruise on the river aboard the Steamboat Natchez, a sternwheeler based at the French Quarter riverfront in New Orleans, runs harbour cruises and evening dinner-jazz cruises on the Mississippi River. Its steam calliope, a pipe organ powered by steam, plays before departure, and you can look into the engine room during the trip.

A two-hour daytime cruise shows the working port, the city skyline and the bends of the river. The evening cruise adds a live jazz band and a buffet. It is a gentle, old-fashioned experience that suits families and older travellers.

• Where: Toulouse Street Wharf, French Quarter
• Cost: $$ to $$$
• When: Daily cruises, evening jazz cruises on set days
• How to book: Online or at the wharf

In winter, when sunset comes early, choose the evening cruise.

Eat Central Texas barbecue

This Texas food pilgrimage happens at lunch, and you need to queue early. Central Texas barbecue means beef brisket and sausages smoked for many hours over post oak wood, sold by the pound on butcher paper with white bread, pickles and onions. Austin has the famous city pitmasters, and the small town of Lockhart, about 30 miles south, has been officially named the Barbecue Capital of Texas by the state legislature, with historic smokehouses such as Kreuz Market, Smitty's Market and Black's Barbecue.

The best places sell out. Arrive before opening for the top Austin spots and expect a queue of an hour or more on weekends. Order by weight: a quarter-pound of brisket per person is a fair start. Our traditional American dishes guide covers what else to try.

• Where: Austin and Lockhart, Texas
• Cost: $ to $$
• When: Late morning, until sold out
• Getting there: Car from Austin to Lockhart, about 40 minutes

Go on a weekday and ask for "moist" (fatty) brisket.

Go to a rodeo in Fort Worth

For Texas cowboy culture on a family evening out, the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District keeps the city's cattle-trading history alive. Its Cowtown Coliseum hosts a weekly championship rodeo, usually on Friday and Saturday nights, with bull riding, barrel racing and roping. During the day a small herd of Texas longhorn cattle is driven down Exchange Avenue twice daily.

The district is touristy in places, but the rodeo is genuine competition with real cowboys and cowgirls. Pair it with a western-wear shop for boots and a steak dinner. Fort Worth is about 30 miles west of Dallas.

• Where: Fort Worth Stockyards
• Cost: $ to $$
• When: Rodeo most Friday and Saturday nights
• Getting there: Car or ride-hail from Dallas

First-time visitors to Texas will enjoy it. Check the rodeo schedule online before you go.

Spend a night in Nashville's honky-tonks

Live country music plays free every night in Tennessee's capital. Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville is lined with honky-tonk bars that have live country music from late morning until the early hours, often on several floors at once. Most have no cover charge. The bands play for tips, and the standard of musicianship is very high, because many players are session musicians or hopefuls trying to get noticed in Music City.

Lower Broadway is loud and busy on weekends, with bachelorette parties and party buses. For a quieter experience, go on a weekday afternoon, or look for the songwriter rounds at small venues away from the main strip.

• Where: Lower Broadway, downtown Nashville
• Cost: $ (free entry, tip the band)
• When: Daily, from late morning
• Getting there: Walk from downtown hotels

If you request a song, tip the band.

Tour distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail

This craft-spirits day trip is for adults only. Bourbon is America's native whiskey, and most of it is made in Kentucky. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, run by the state distillers' association, links distilleries around Louisville, Lexington and Bardstown, from household names to small craft producers. Tours show the mash, the fermenting tanks, the stills and the warehouses where barrels age, and end with a tasting.

Distances between distilleries are long and the roads are rural. Hire a driver or book a tour from Louisville, and do not drive yourself between tastings. Tours sell out on weekends and in autumn, so book in advance. You must be 21 to taste.

• Where: Louisville, Bardstown, Lexington
• Cost: $$ per tour
• Best season: Spring and autumn
• Getting there: Tour company or private driver from Louisville

It suits anyone interested in food and drink history.

Take an architecture river cruise in Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, is where the skyscraper grew up, and the best way to see its skyline in daytime is by boat on the Chicago River. The architecture cruise run with the Chicago Architecture Center is the best-known, with a trained volunteer guide explaining the towers along the main and south branches of the river over 75 to 90 minutes. Several other operators run similar tours.

Boats sail from spring to late autumn. The upper deck is open, so bring a jacket even in summer, as the wind off the lake can be cold. Sunset departures are the most photogenic and sell out first.

• Where: Chicago Riverwalk, near Michigan Avenue
• Cost: $$
• Season: Spring to late autumn
• How to book: Online, timed departures

On a first day in Chicago, book the sunset cruise and sit on the open upper deck.

Experience a college football Saturday

Game day in Michigan each autumn draws huge crowds. College football is a religion in large parts of the United States, and some university stadiums hold more than 100,000 fans. Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, nicknamed The Big House, is the largest stadium in the country. The day starts hours before kickoff with tailgating, when fans grill food and socialise in the car parks, followed by marching bands, chants and a stadium full of team colours.

Games run on Saturdays from late August or early September to late November. Tickets for big rivalry games are expensive, but games against smaller opponents can be affordable. Hotels in college towns sell out on game weekends, so book early.

• Where: Ann Arbor, Michigan; also Alabama, Texas, Ohio and more
• Cost: $ to $$$
• Season: September to November, Saturdays
• Tip: Book hotels months ahead

Sports fans should arrive three hours early to join the tailgate.

Ride the San Francisco cable cars

Riding this historic transit system in California is an iconic day out. San Francisco's cable cars are the last manually operated cable car system in the world, still pulled up the city's steep hills by a cable running under the street. Three lines run: Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason from Union Square toward Fisherman's Wharf, and California Street through the Financial District and Nob Hill.

Queues at the Powell Street turnaround can be long in summer. Board a few stops up the line instead, or ride the California Street line, which is usually quieter. Stand on the running board and hold on tight for the classic photo. A single ride is relatively expensive, so a day pass on the Muni transit system can be better value.

• Where: Powell Street, Hyde Street, California Street
• Cost: $ per ride, day passes available
• When: Daily, early morning is quietest
• How to pay: MuniMobile app or Clipper card

On a first visit, ride the Powell-Hyde line for views down to Alcatraz.

Go wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma

California's wine country makes an adults' day trip. Napa Valley and neighbouring Sonoma County, about an hour north of San Francisco, are America's best-known wine regions. Napa is famous for Cabernet Sauvignon and polished estate wineries. Sonoma is more relaxed and more varied, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from cooler areas nearer the coast.

Most wineries now require tasting reservations, and fees in Napa are high. Plan three wineries a day at most, with a long lunch. Harvest season, from late August to October, is the most atmospheric and the busiest. Hire a driver or join a tour if you plan to taste.

• Where: Napa Valley and Sonoma County
• Cost: $$ to $$$$ per tasting
• Best season: Spring, and harvest from late August to October
• Getting there: Car, tour or driver from San Francisco

Book tastings ahead, especially at weekends.

Ride the California Zephyr across the Rockies

This is slow, long-distance travel with an overnight on board and scenery all the way. Amtrak's California Zephyr runs between Chicago and Emeryville, across the bay from San Francisco, in about 52 hours with two nights on board. It crosses the plains of Nebraska, climbs through the Colorado Rockies along canyons that roads do not reach, crosses the Utah and Nevada deserts and descends through the Sierra Nevada into California.

Book a roomette for a private sleeping space with meals included in the dining car, or travel in a reclining coach seat if you are on a budget. The train often runs late, so do not book tight onward connections. Many travellers ride only the most scenic section, between Denver and Salt Lake City or from Reno to the Bay Area.

• Where: Chicago to Emeryville (San Francisco Bay)
• Cost: $$ coach, $$$ sleeper
• Best season: Spring to autumn for daylight in the mountains
• How to book: Amtrak website or app

Spend time in the Sightseer Lounge car, which has floor-to-ceiling windows.

Drive Vermont's back roads in fall foliage season

October is the month for this autumn-colour road trip. New England is famous for its autumn leaves, and Vermont has the most classic scenery: red and gold maple hillsides, white wooden churches, covered bridges and farm stands selling cider doughnuts and maple syrup. Route 100, which runs north to south through the state's green mountain spine, is the best-known foliage drive.

Peak colour usually arrives in northern Vermont in late September and moves south through mid October, and it varies year to year. The state tourism office publishes foliage reports. Inns fill up on October weekends, so book months ahead or travel midweek.

• Where: Route 100 and the Green Mountains
• Cost: $ (scenery is free)
• Best time: Late September to mid October
• Getting there: Car from Boston, about 3 hours

Photographers and couples should stay midweek to find rooms at normal prices.

Eat your way along Maine's lobster shacks

Summer seafood is the point of Maine's coast. The state lands most of America's lobster, and the best way to eat it is at a simple shack on a working harbour: a whole boiled lobster with melted butter, corn on the cob and a view of the boats, or a lobster roll, chunks of lobster meat in a toasted, buttered bun. Coastal towns between Portland and Bar Harbor are full of them.

Lobster prices change with the catch and the season, and menus often show "market price". Many shacks are seasonal and close from late autumn to spring. Bring a jacket; Maine evenings are cool even in August.

• Where: Maine coast, Portland to Bar Harbor
• Cost: $$ (market price)
• Season: June to September
• Getting there: Car along US Route 1

Ask for the roll "Maine style" (cold, with mayonnaise) or "Connecticut style" (warm, with butter).

Go whale watching

For wildlife from a boat, Massachusetts and Hawaii hold two of the best whale-watching areas in the world. Off Cape Cod in Massachusetts, boats from Provincetown and Boston head to the Stellwagen Bank feeding grounds, where humpback, fin and minke whales feed from spring to autumn. In Hawaii, humpback whales arrive from Alaska to breed in winter, and the channels off Maui are the centre of the season, roughly December to April.

Choose an operator that follows the federal approach rules and carries a naturalist. Seas can be rough, so take seasickness tablets before you board.

• Where: Cape Cod and Boston; Maui, Hawaii
• Cost: $$
• Season: Cape Cod spring to autumn; Maui about December to April
• How to book: Licensed tour operators

Families do best on a morning trip, when seas are usually calmer.

Snorkel a living coral reef in the Florida Keys

Florida's underwater world is open all year. The Keys sit along the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, the first underwater park in the country, runs snorkel and glass-bottom boat trips to the reef, and Looe Key near Big Pine Key is another favourite.

Water is warm enough to snorkel all year, but winter fronts can make the sea choppy. Use reef-safe sunscreen and never touch or stand on coral. Hurricane season runs from June to November, so keep plans flexible if you travel then. Our USA wildlife guide covers more of the Keys' marine life.

• Where: Key Largo and the Lower Keys
• Cost: $$
• Best season: Spring and early summer for calm seas
• Getting there: Car from Miami, about 1 hour to Key Largo

Swimmers of all levels can join in. Book a morning boat for the clearest water.

Ski the powder in Utah

Winter in Utah means snow with easy airport access. The state markets its snow as "The Greatest Snow on Earth", and the light, dry powder in the Wasatch Mountains backs up the slogan. Several major resorts, including Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude, Park City and Deer Valley, are within about an hour of Salt Lake City International Airport, so you can land in the morning and ski the same afternoon.

Lift tickets at big American resorts are expensive when bought at the window, so buy online in advance or look at multi-resort passes. Alta does not allow snowboarders. Canyon roads to the resorts get heavy traffic on powder days, so leave early or use the ski buses.

• Where: Wasatch Mountains, near Salt Lake City
• Cost: $$$ to $$$$
• Season: December to March
• Getting there: Car or ski bus from Salt Lake City

Remember to buy lift tickets online before you go.

See the northern lights in Fairbanks, Alaska

Winter nights bring the aurora to Fairbanks, in the interior of Alaska, which sits under the auroral oval, so on clear, dark nights the northern lights appear often. The viewing season runs from late August to April, when nights are long enough. Lodges and tour companies outside the city run aurora-viewing trips to dark spots away from the lights, some with heated cabins.

Winter nights in Fairbanks are extremely cold, often far below freezing, so proper cold-weather clothing is essential. The aurora is never guaranteed; plan at least three or four nights to give yourself good odds.

• Where: Fairbanks and surroundings
• Cost: $$ to $$$ (tours)
• Season: Late August to April
• Getting there: Fly to Fairbanks via Anchorage or Seattle

Stay several nights and check the aurora forecast each evening.

Stargaze in an International Dark Sky Park

The night sky is free to enjoy in Texas and Utah. Much of the American West is still truly dark at night, and dozens of parks are certified as International Dark Sky Parks. Big Bend National Park in West Texas is one of the darkest places in the lower 48 states, and many national parks in Utah, including Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef, hold the designation too. On a moonless night the Milky Way casts a visible glow.

Plan around the new moon, when the sky is darkest. Many parks run free ranger-led astronomy programmes in summer. Bring a red-light torch, which protects your night vision, and layers, because desert nights get cold fast.

• Where: Big Bend, Texas; Utah national parks
• Cost: $ (park entry)
• Best time: Around the new moon, clear nights
• Getting there: Car; parks are remote

Photographers should check the moon calendar before booking.

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How to fit these experiences into one USA trip

The United States is huge, and trying to do everything in one trip is the most common planning mistake. A practical approach is to choose one region and one season. A two-week East Coast trip in September or October could combine a Broadway show, a game at Fenway, a Vermont foliage drive and Maine lobster shacks. A spring trip through the South could link New Orleans jazz and the steamboat, Nashville, the Bourbon Trail and Texas barbecue.

The West suits travellers with more time and a car: San Francisco's cable cars, Napa, the Zephyr through the Rockies and a night of stargazing in Utah. Winter visitors can mix Utah skiing with whale season in Maui, or chase the aurora in Fairbanks. Timing matters for both: Maui's humpback season runs roughly December to mid-April with the best sightings from mid-January to March, and Fairbanks promotes an aurora season from 21 August to 21 April. If you are travelling alone, our solo travel in the USA guide has advice on safe, social places to base yourself.

Tips for doing things in the USA as a visitor

Book the experiences that matter most before you fly, and budget 15% to 20% for tips. Broadway hits, sunset river cruises, winery tastings and football weekends sell out, many activities are seasonal, and you must be 21 to drink, with ID checked at bars and distilleries whatever your age.

• Book popular experiences early. Broadway hits, sunset river cruises, winery tastings and football weekends sell out. Book the ones that matter most before you fly.
• Budget for tips. Tipping guides, drivers, bartenders and musicians is expected in the US. Around 15% to 20% is normal for guides and table service.
• Carry ID for alcohol. You must be 21 to drink in the USA, and bars and distilleries check ID regardless of age. A passport works.
• Check the season. Many experiences are seasonal: baseball runs spring to autumn, Maine lobster shacks close in winter and the aurora needs dark nights.
• Plan for distances. Rural experiences need a car or tour. Never drive after wine or bourbon tastings; book a driver.
• Use official apps. Teams, theatres, transit systems and Amtrak sell tickets through their own apps, often more cheaply than resellers.

Planning a trip to United States? Read our United States travel guide, compare hotels in United States or search flights.