The United States offers incredible diversity from coast to coast, featuring world-class cities, stunning national parks, vibrant cultural scenes, and iconic landmarks. Experience everything from New York's skyline to California's beaches, from the Grand Canyon to tropical Hawaii.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is the site of the July 1863 Civil War battle, now preserved as Gettysburg National Military Park, a roughly 6,000-acre landscape of fields, ridgelines, and monuments. It works as a day trip because the visitor center, the auto tour route through the battlefield, and the town itself can all be covered between morning and evening. The experience is largely self-paced driving and walking between monument clusters, with the option to add a licensed battlefield guide for a deeper narrative.
Highlights: Gettysburg National Military Park · Battlefield auto tour · Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center · Little Round Top viewpoint · Historic downtown Gettysburg
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a set of three waterfalls on the Niagara River straddling the US-Canada border, with the American and Bridal Veil Falls on the New York side and Horseshoe Falls mostly on the Canadian side. It's a compact day trip because the main viewpoints and boat tour dock are within Niagara Falls State Park, all walkable from each other. The core experience is getting close to the water - by boat, by walkway, or by the tunnels behind the falls - rather than just viewing from a distance.
Highlights: Maid of the Mist boat tour · Cave of the Winds · Niagara Falls State Park (free entry) · Prospect Point observation deck · Rainbow Bridge to Canadian side
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona sits among red sandstone rock formations in a high-desert canyon, known for its network of hiking trails and its concentration of art galleries in town. As a day trip it works because the main formations - Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and the buttes along Oak Creek - are all within a short drive of the town center, so you can combine a hike with time in the galleries and shops. The pace is dictated by heat: most visitors hike in the morning and slow down by early afternoon.
Highlights: Red Rock Scenic Byway · Cathedral Rock trail · Chapel of the Holy Cross · Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village · Jeep off-road tours
Napa Valley, California
Napa Valley is a roughly 30-mile-long wine-growing valley north of San Francisco, lined with wineries along Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail. It suits a day trip because the towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga are strung along the valley in order, letting you move north through them over the course of a day. The core activity is winery visits, most of which require a reservation and involve a seated or standing tasting rather than casual walk-in browsing.
Highlights: Wine tasting at domain Chandon · Oxbow Public Market in Napa · Castello di Amorosa medieval castle winery · Yountville Michelin-starred dining · Hot air balloon rides at sunrise
Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile scenic road running along the crest of the Appalachians between Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. As a day trip from Asheville or Roanoke, you're not driving the whole route but a section of it, stopping at overlooks and short trails along the way. The experience is the drive itself - a slow, winding road with frequent pull-offs - rather than a single destination.
Highlights: Skyline Drive overlooks · Mabry Mill watermill · Linn Cove Viaduct engineering marvel · Appalachian Trail crossings · Fall foliage October through early November
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Organized day tours from most major cities available from $75-150 — Viator and GetYourGuide have extensive listings for Grand Canyon, Napa Valley, and national parks
- Private
- Car hire with driver available from $400-800/day for groups; major concierges in NYC, LA, and Chicago can arrange private tour drivers
- Public
- Amtrak trains excellent for NYC-Philadelphia, NYC-Washington DC, and Boston-Providence; buses via Greyhound and FlixBus for most routes
- Rental
- Car rental from $40-80/day at major companies (Enterprise, Hertz, Avis); book in advance for weekend trips as supply tightens
Multi-day tours from United States
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from United StatesWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start early — most popular day trip destinations are best before 10AM when crowds arrive; national parks especially benefit from early starts
Book Amtrak trains in advance — Northeast Corridor routes fill quickly on weekends and prices rise close to departure
Download offline maps via Google Maps or AllTrails before heading to national parks where cell service is often unavailable
National parks require vehicle entry fees ($25-35); the $80 America the Beautiful annual pass pays off if visiting two or more parks