Planning your United States route
United States rewards a route that flows rather than a checklist that sprints. Most visitors arrive at Multiple (JFK, LAX, MIA…) and link a handful of standout places — a classic loop runs New York → Los Angeles → Las Vegas & parks → San Francisco.
Below is a ready-to-use one-week plan, how to stretch it to two weeks, and how to tailor it to how you like to travel. For the full picture see the United States travel guide, and once you’ve fixed your dates read the best time to visit United States so you travel in the right season.
The perfect 7-day United States itinerary
Seven days is the sweet spot for a first trip: enough to see the headline sights without living on buses. This plan keeps you to two or three bases and a sensible pace.
- Days 1–3 · New York (3 days) — Skyscrapers, Broadway, museums and food. Best for city, culture.
- Days 4–5 · Los Angeles (2 days) — Hollywood, beaches and theme parks. Best for family, beach.
- Days 6–7 · Las Vegas & parks (2 days) — Neon strip and gateway to the Southwest parks. Best for adventure, fun.
Budget roughly $630–$4,200 per person for the week depending on your style (excluding international flights) — see the United States budget guide for a full breakdown, or estimate yours with the Budget Calculator.
Stretching it to 10–14 days
With more time you can slow down and add the places a one-week trip skips. A relaxed two-week version looks like this:
- Days 1–4 · New York (4 days) — Skyscrapers, Broadway, museums and food. Best for city, culture.
- Days 5–8 · Los Angeles (4 days) — Hollywood, beaches and theme parks. Best for family, beach.
- Days 9–11 · Las Vegas & parks (3 days) — Neon strip and gateway to the Southwest parks. Best for adventure, fun.
- Days 12–14 · San Francisco (3 days) — Golden Gate, cable cars and wine country. Best for city, nature.
Two weeks also leaves room for a day trip or two between bases — see the “day trips” section on each city guide, starting with New York.
Tailoring the route to your style
The skeleton above flexes easily. Adjust where you spend your days based on what you’re travelling for:
- Adventure: add hikes, dives or day-treks around Las Vegas & parks, San Francisco.
Getting between stops
Fly into Multiple (JFK, LAX, MIA…), then move between cities by a mix of domestic flights, trains, buses and taxis or ride apps. For multi-city trips, an open-jaw ticket (into one city, out of another) saves backtracking.
Book the longer hops ahead in Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Distances between the main spots in United States are very doable — most of this route is short, scenic legs rather than epic overland days.
Before you go
Three things to sort early: your visa (esta or visa — see the United States visa guide), your season (when to visit), and your packing (United States packing list). It’s also worth a quick read of our United States safety guide and the food & culture guide so you arrive ready to dive in.
Want a plan built around your exact dates and interests? Generate one in seconds with the AI Trip Planner.
