Sights in United States
America's great sights are spread across a continent, from city monuments in New York and Washington to desert and mountain parks hours from the nearest airport, so most trips mix cities, flights and a hire car. The rule that matters most for foreign visitors in 2026: at 11 of the busiest national parks, non-residents aged 16 and over pay a $100 fee on top of the entrance fee unless they carry the $250 Non-Resident Annual Pass.
Checked 6 October 2026
Our sight guides for United States
Alcatraz Island
San Francisco, United States
The Rock: a federal prison in the middle of San Francisco Bay, told by its guards and inmates.
- From
- $47.95 adult Day Tour, $29.15 child 5–11, $45.15 senior 62+, under 5 free
- Time needed
- 2.5–3 hours including the 15-minute crossing each way; Night Tour about 3 hours
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, United States
San Francisco's orange suspension bridge: free to walk, best seen from the cliffs at either end.
- From
- Free to walk or cycle; car toll $10.25–$11.25 southbound only
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours to walk across and back (3.4 miles round trip); half a day with Fort Point and a viewpoint
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon Village, Arizona, United States
The Colorado River's mile-deep gorge, seen from rim viewpoints a free shuttle ride apart.
- From
- $35 per car, $20 per person on foot or bike
- Time needed
- One full day for the South Rim; two days for sunset, sunrise and a short hike below the rim
Hidden gemMesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park, United States
Ancestral Pueblo villages built into cliff alcoves, entered by ladder with a park ranger.
- From
- $30 per car
- Time needed
- One full day for Chapin Mesa and one or two tours; a second day for Wetherill Mesa and Long House
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
New York, United States
New York's copper giant and the island 12 million immigrants passed through, on one ferry.
- From
- $26 adult, $23 senior 62+, $17 child 4–12, under 4 free
- Time needed
- 4–5 hours for both islands; 90 minutes–2 hours for Liberty Island alone
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, United States
Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic and Lamar Valley wolves in the world's first national park.
- From
- $35 per car, $20 per person on foot or bike
- Time needed
- One long day for the Lower Loop geysers and canyon; 3–4 days to add Lamar Valley and Mammoth
Visiting sights in United States
Passes and combined tickets
The America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass costs $250 (October 2026) and covers a year's entrance at all National Park Service and other federal sites for one car, or the holder plus three adults where fees are per person. It also waives the $100 non-resident fee charged since 2026 at Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion. At Grand Canyon, two adults would otherwise pay $35 for the car plus $200. In cities, New York CityPASS is $149 per adult for five attractions over nine days (plus a $2 fee) and Go City's New York All-Inclusive Pass starts at $169; both still need timed reservations at most attractions.
Free days and discounts
The Smithsonian's museums in Washington, D.C. are free; only the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Zoo need a free timed pass, and Cooper Hewitt in New York charges (October 2026). National park fee-free days still exist (the last two of 2026 are 27 October and 11 November), but from 2026 they apply only to US citizens and residents: non-residents pay the normal fee and any non-resident fee. The cheap Senior Pass, the free Access Pass and the military passes are also for US citizens and residents only. City-pass savings (CityPASS claims up to 51%) only add up if you visit everything.
Getting between the sights
Distances are large and public transport between sights is thin outside the north-east corridor, so most visitors fly between regions and hire a car for the national parks. Amtrak's USA Rail Pass gives 10 coach trips within 30 days for $499 (regular price; it sold for $250 in a January 2026 sale). In 2026 timed-entry reservations on recreation.gov apply at Rocky Mountain (entry 9am–2pm, 22 May to 12 October, $2 booking fee, with a separate Bear Lake Road permit until 18 October), at Haleakalā for sunrise and on Acadia's Cadillac Summit Road. Arches, Glacier (vehicle entry), Yosemite and Mount Rainier dropped their timed entry for 2026. Grand Canyon's entrance stations take cards only.
Tipping, tax and security
Prices on tickets, menus and shelves usually leave out sales tax, which is added at checkout. The combined state and local rate averaged 7.53% nationally in July 2026 and tops 9% in Louisiana, Tennessee, Washington, Arkansas and Alabama; Oregon has none. Some attraction prices do include tax, so read the small print. Tipping is expected: guides commonly get 10–20% of the tour price, and on multi-day tours about $5–10 per person per day for the guide and up to $5 for the driver; restaurant tips start at 20% of the bill before tax. Federal monuments and the Smithsonian museums screen bags at the door, so travel light, and carry photo ID if you hold a park pass.
Seasons, holidays and crowds
Summer (June–August) is peak season at the national parks and the big city sights, and the three-day federal holiday weekends are the busiest days: in 2026 these were Memorial Day (25 May), Independence Day (observed Friday 3 July) and Labor Day (7 September). The federal holidays left in 2026 are Columbus Day (Monday 12 October), Veterans Day (Wednesday 11 November), Thanksgiving (Thursday 26 November) and Christmas Day; some sights close on Thanksgiving and 25 December, the Statue of Liberty ferries among them. Rocky Mountain's timed entry ends on 12 October, and the non-resident fee and photo-ID rule apply all year.
Scams and problems to know about
The commonest overspend is booking through look-alike sites. National park timed entry, campsites and many tours are sold on recreation.gov, and lodging inside a park by that park's authorised concessioner, which nps.gov lists; some third-party booking sites add non-refundable fees, one park concessioner has warned of up to 12%. The 2026 non-resident fee also applies to foreigners on commercial and concessioner tours into the 11 surcharge parks unless they hold the Non-Resident Annual Pass, so check whether a tour price includes it. At famous city sights, touts sell harbour cruises or skip-the-line tickets that never land or enter (see the Statue of Liberty page), and a city pass still needs a booked time slot.
Also worth the trip
Not on Sightsale yet, but worth knowing about.
Smithsonian museums, Washington, D.C.
A row of free national museums along the National Mall, from Air and Space to Natural History. Only a few need a free timed pass.
Questions people ask about visiting United States
Is the America the Beautiful pass worth it for foreign visitors?
Usually yes in 2026. The Non-Resident Annual Pass costs $250 and waives both entrance fees and the new $100 per-person non-resident fee at 11 popular parks such as Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Zion. Two adults visiting Grand Canyon alone would otherwise pay $35 for the car plus $200 (October 2026).
Do I need a reservation to enter US national parks in 2026?
Only at a few. Rocky Mountain needs a timed-entry reservation for 9am–2pm entry from 22 May to 12 October 2026, Haleakalā needs one for sunrise and Acadia for Cadillac Summit Road; book on recreation.gov. Arches, Glacier (vehicle entry), Yosemite and Mount Rainier dropped timed entry for 2026.
Are national park free entrance days free for tourists?
No, not since 2026. The fee-free days (the remaining 2026 dates are 27 October and 11 November) apply only to US citizens and residents. Non-residents pay the regular entrance fee and any non-resident fee unless they hold the Non-Resident Annual Pass.
Is CityPASS or Go City worth it in New York?
Only if you will use most of what is included. New York CityPASS costs $149 per adult for five attractions within nine days, and Go City's All-Inclusive Pass starts at $169 (October 2026). Most attractions still require a timed reservation made through the pass's app.
How much should I tip a tour guide in the US?
Guides commonly get 10–20% of the tour price. On multi-day tours, budget about $5–10 per person per day for the guide and up to $5 for the driver. Remember that sales tax is added on top of most listed prices.
Sources for this page (12)
- National Park Service: Entrance passes (non-resident pass, $100 non-resident fee, 2026 fee-free days) (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Grand Canyon National Park: Entrance fees (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Rocky Mountain National Park: Timed entry permit system 2026 (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Outside: Which national parks require reservations in 2026 (24 February 2026) (accessed 6 October 2026)
- CityPASS New York (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Go City New York All-Inclusive Pass (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Smithsonian Institution: Entry and guidelines (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Amtrak media: USA Rail Pass sale, January 2026 (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Tax Foundation: State and local sales tax rates, midyear 2026 (accessed 6 October 2026)
- British Airways High Life: Tipping in the US, your essential guide (updated February 2025) (accessed 6 October 2026)
- US Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays 2026 (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Xanterra (Yellowstone concessioner): warning about internet reservation services (accessed 6 October 2026)