United States travel guide
The United States rewards ambition: in one trip you can ride a cable car across San Francisco's hills, stand on the rim of the Grand Canyon, hear live music on Nashville's Broadway and take in the Manhattan skyline from the water. The scale is continental, so the experiences are very varied. Choosing between cities is the real decision. New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. suit history and museums on the East Coast; Chicago brings architecture and lakefront culture; Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco cover the Pacific shore. Las Vegas and Orlando serve spectacle and theme parks, and Honolulu adds Hawaii's beaches and volcanic scenery. The best time to travel depends on region: spring and autumn are comfortable in most cities, while summer is hot in the south and southwest and Hawaii is warm all year. The country suits first-timers, families and road-trippers alike. Plan your itinerary city by city with Zippy Trips.
Capital: Washington, D.C..
Visa for Indian passport holders
Visa required, apply before you fly.
Before you go to United States
- Currency
- USD $
- Emergency number
- 911
- Plug type
- Type A, B
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe
- Tipping
- Expected
- Bargaining
- Not expected
- eSIM
- Available
- Card networks
- Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
- ATM fees
- USD 3.00-3.50 at bank ATMs for non-customers; standalone ATMs in bars, hotels and corner shops charge USD 5-8
Cities in United States
- New York City Five boroughs on one of the world's great natural harbours, and the densest big city in America — Central Park, the Statue of Liberty,…
- Los Angeles Southern California's sprawling centre, running from the Pacific across the Santa Monica Mountains into the San Fernando Valley — Hollywood…
- Las Vegas The desert resort that bills itself the Entertainment Capital of the World — the casino Strip actually lies outside the city limits in…
- San Francisco Hill-stacked and fog-prone at the Golden Gate, rebuilt at speed after the 1906 earthquake and fire — cable cars still climb it, Alcatraz…
- Orlando Central Florida's theme-park capital: Walt Disney World lies about 21 miles southwest at Bay Lake, Universal is the only resort inside the…
- Miami A Latin-majority city on Biscayne Bay where seven residents in ten are Hispanic or Latino — South Beach's Art Deco strip, the Cuban blocks…
- Chicago The city that gave the world the steel-framed skyscraper, rebuilt on Lake Michigan after the 1871 fire — Millennium Park, the Art…
- Washington, D.C. The federal district on the Potomac, where the National Mall lines up the Capitol, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial — the…
- Honolulu Hawaii's capital on Oʻahu's southeast shore — Waikiki's surf below Diamond Head, the Pearl Harbor memorials, and a downtown built around…
- Boston New England's Revolutionary capital, where the Freedom Trail links Boston Common — the nation's first public park, 1634 — to the Italian…
- San Diego Where European California began, at the presidio and mission of 1769 — now a mild-climate beach city on the Mexican border, with Balboa…
- Seattle Squeezed onto an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, the northernmost major city in the US — the Space Needle, and Pike Place…
- New Orleans Founded by the French in 1718 on a bend of the Mississippi — Creole townhouses and Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, streetcars through…
- Grand Canyon Village
- Nashville
Frequently asked questions about United States
- Do Indian citizens need a visa for United States?
- Visa required, apply before you fly.
- What currency is used in United States?
- The currency in United States is the US Dollar ($). $1 is about ₹95.
- Can I use cards and ATMs in United States?
- Accepted card networks: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover. Decline dynamic currency conversion at ATMs and card machines.
- Should I tip in United States?
- Tipping in United States: expected. Typically about 18% in restaurants.
- Is tap water safe to drink in United States?
- Tap water is safe.
- What plug type does United States use?
- United States uses Type A, B plugs.
- What is the emergency number in United States?
- Emergency: 911. Police: 911. Ambulance: 911.
- Can I get a SIM or eSIM in United States?
- SIM and eSIM available in United States.
- What is the capital of United States?
- The capital of United States is Washington, D.C. Time there: IST - 9 h 30 min.