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United States

19 destinations & festivals · 2 etiquette rules

Photo: Mgimelfarb · CC0

Before you go

Read before you go

Red lineDriving

Driving in the US: what to do when police pull you over

  • Signal right and pull over safely to the right
  • Roll down your window after stopping, before the officer reaches you
  • At night, turn on the interior light
  • Keep both hands on the wheel and ask passengers to keep their hands visible too
  • Getting out and walking towards the police car
  • Suddenly reaching for the glovebox, a pocket or under the seat

Sudden movements may be read as a threat and become dangerous. The wording of the rules varies slightly between states.

Not yet verifiedSource: Texas Department of Public Safety driver handbook

TabooTipping

USA: tipping is almost always expected

  • Restaurants with table service: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill
  • Bartenders: US$1–2 a drink, or 15–20% of the bill
  • Taxis: 15–20% of the fare, at least US$1
  • Hotel housekeeping: US$2–5 a day
  • Not tipping at restaurants with table service

Not illegal, but seen as very rude.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Emily Post Institute: tipping guide

Festivals

Festivals & celebrations

Places & local life

Landmarks, hidden gems & local life

Grand Canyon · photo 1

Classic landmarkArizona, USA

Grand Canyon

Earth's growth rings carved by the Colorado River over two billion years — the crown of America's national parks

Yellowstone · photo 1

Classic landmarkWyoming / Montana / Idaho, USA

Yellowstone National Park

The world's first national park: a wilderness epic of geysers and bison

Statue of Liberty · photo 1

Classic landmarkNew York, USA

Statue of Liberty

The light of liberty given by France in 1886: the welcoming goddess of New York Harbor

Times Square · photo 1

Classic landmarkNew York, USA

Times Square

'The Crossroads of the World': the neon-lit, crowded heart of New York

Hollywood Walk of Fame · photo 1

Classic landmarkCalifornia, USA

Hollywood Walk of Fame

A Walk of Fame paved with 2,700 stars: the dream factory of the film capital

Waikīkī · photo 1

Classic landmarkHawaiʻi, USA

Waikīkī, Hawaiʻi

The smiling beaches of the Rainbow State, birthplace of surfing under blue skies

Golden Gate Bridge · photo 1

Classic landmarkCalifornia, USA

Golden Gate Bridge

A suspension rainbow in International Orange: San Francisco's calling card

Tuna poke

FoodHonolulu, Hawaiʻi, USA

Hawaiian poke

'Poke' simply means 'to cut' in Hawaiian: fishermen's offcuts mixed with salt and candlenut as a snack.

Salmon bagel

FoodNew York, USA

New York bagel

A bread ring that's boiled and then baked, brought to New York by Polish Jewish immigrants.

Beignets at Café du Monde

FoodNew Orleans, USA

New Orleans beignets

Square fried dough brought by French colonists, with café au lait made with chicory.

Northern lights over the hills near Fairbanks

Classic landmarkAlaska, USA (Fairbanks)

Fairbanks

A gold-rush town where the aurora is visible on more than 200 nights a year on average.

The main building of Bishop Museum (founded 1889)

Classic landmarkHonolulu, Hawaiʻi, USA

Bishop Museum

A cultural treasure house with the world's largest collection of Polynesian artefacts.

Ironwork balconies on Dumaine Street in the French Quarter

Classic landmarkNew Orleans, Louisiana, USA

French Quarter

New Orleans' old town: ironwork balconies, street jazz — and most of the houses were actually built under Spanish rule.

The USS Arizona Memorial from the air

Classic landmarkPearl Harbor, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, USA

USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor

A white memorial over the wreck of a sunken battleship; the surprise attack of 7 December 1941 changed the course of the Second World War.

The Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee

Classic landmarkLos Angeles (Mount Lee), USA

Hollywood Sign

Originally just a real-estate advert reading 'HOLLYWOODLAND', meant to stand for only a year and a half.

Alcatraz seen from the east

Classic landmarkSan Francisco Bay, USA

Alcatraz

The federal prison that held Al Capone; three inmates who escaped in 1962 were never found.

Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration

Classic landmarkNew York Harbor, USA

Ellis Island Immigration Museum

Between 1892 and 1954 about 12 million immigrants were inspected on this small island before setting foot in America.

Bow Bridge in Central Park

Classic landmarkNew York (Manhattan), USA

Central Park

843 acres of green in the middle of Manhattan, the breakthrough work of Frederick Law Olmsted, father of American landscape architecture.