United States Travel Guide: Self-Guided City Walks

The United States is a federal republic of 50 states and Washington, D.C., stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii in the Pacific. The country is worth visiting for the sheer range of experiences within its borders: major cities, distinctive regional cultures, changing landscapes and a history shaped by Indigenous civilizations, migration, conflict and expansion. Neywo has free audio guides for 298 cities in the United States, covering 12,848 narrated places in total.

What to see and do in the United States

Because the United States is continental in scale, the best way to plan a trip is to think in regions. Landscapes, climates and local identities can change dramatically from one state to the next.

Explore the East Coast and New England

The Atlantic coast contains some of the country’s oldest European-settled cities and many places connected with the colonial period, the American Revolution and the development of the United States. The Thirteen Colonies were established under British rule, and disputes over taxation without parliamentary representation helped spark the American Revolution. Independence was declared in 1776, and victory in the Revolutionary War brought recognition of United States sovereignty.

Neywo covers cities including Boston, Providence, Newport, Portsmouth and Bar Harbor. Their narrated places range from the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill Monument in Boston to historic churches, museums and coastal landmarks elsewhere in the region.

Further south, Washington Dc brings the country’s federal structure into focus. The Constitution divides authority among the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The president holds executive authority, Congress makes national law through the House of Representatives and Senate, and the federal judiciary includes the Supreme Court, courts of appeals and district courts. Washington, D.C., is also one of the country’s key destinations for museums and national institutions.

Follow the history of the South

The southern states reveal how deeply American history has been shaped by slavery, secession and the Civil War. Southern states formed the Confederate States of America, and the conflict that followed ended with Union victory, reunification and the abolition of slavery. That history remains central to understanding the country’s politics, landscapes and cultural traditions.

Neywo’s coverage includes Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Cities such as Birmingham, Savannah, New Orleans, Nashville and Memphis offer narrated places connected with architecture, music, religion, civil rights, museums and local history.

New Orleans is particularly useful for discovering the variety of American culture. The country’s cultural life has been formed by centuries of immigration, producing many ethnic groups, customs, languages and creative traditions. Music is especially diverse, from numerous forms of folk and roots music to the regional styles that have travelled far beyond the United States.

Discover the Midwest and the Great Lakes

The Midwest lies between the Great Lakes, inland forests and the grasslands farther west. It is also home to major urban centres where industry, migration, architecture, art and public life meet.

In Illinois, Neywo covers Chicago, with narrated places including the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Theatre and Robie House. Michigan includes Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor and other cities, while Ohio includes Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo. Museums, bridges, theatres, churches and historic buildings help explain how these cities developed.

The region also shows how varied American identity can be. English is the most commonly spoken and written language, but many languages and dialects are used across the country. Sports provide another shared public language: American football, basketball, baseball, soccer and ice hockey are the most popular spectator sports.

Experience the mountains and open landscapes

The Appalachian Mountains and Adirondack Massif separate the East Coast from the Great Lakes and the Midwest. Farther west, the landscape changes to semi-arid plains, mountain regions with alpine climates and the arid Southwest.

For a closer look at this part of the country, explore Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Neywo covers destinations including Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Bozeman, Cody, Boise and Lander. Their narrated places include museums, historic districts, religious buildings, bridges and sites connected with mining, transport and regional history.

The scale of the landscape is one of the defining features of a United States travel guide. The country has 63 national parks, as well as many federally managed monuments, forests and wilderness areas. From one state to another, the climate and scenery can change completely.

See the deserts and cities of the Southwest

The arid Southwest combines desert landscapes with cities shaped by Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican and later American histories. European exploration and colonization created Spanish settlements and missions in places that now include New Mexico, California and Florida.

Neywo covers Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas. In Arizona, narrated cities include Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Page and Tombstone. New Mexico includes Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos and Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Reno and Rhyolite represent different sides of Nevada, while Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso and Fort Worth show the breadth of Texas.

This region is also a good place to notice how the country expanded west through purchase, settlement and conquest of territory controlled by European powers and Indigenous peoples. That expansion was closely bound up with the conflict over slavery and with changing ideas about who should hold power.

Travel through California and the Pacific

California’s coastal climate is Mediterranean, while parts of the Pacific Northwest have oceanic climates. The state’s cities reflect the country’s cultural and creative reach, from museums and historic missions to architecture, technology and film.

Explore California through Neywo’s city guides to Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento, Monterey, Pasadena and many other destinations. Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, a district whose name has become closely associated with the American filmmaking industry. San Francisco offers narrated places including the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point, Treasure Island Museum and the Transamerica Pyramid. Elsewhere, the guides cover art museums, historic districts, missions, theatres, university buildings and coastal landmarks.

The Pacific Northwest provides a different landscape and atmosphere. Oregon includes Portland and Salem, while Washington includes Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane and other cities. The region’s oceanic climate contrasts with the arid Southwest and the Mediterranean climate of coastal California.

Visit Alaska and Hawaii

Alaska and Hawaii make the United States geographically even more diverse. Alaska lies in the northwest, with parts of southern Alaska described as oceanic in climate. Neywo covers Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka and Talkeetna, with narrated places including museums, churches, historic buildings and sites connected with Alaska’s Indigenous, maritime, mining and aviation histories.

Hawaii is an archipelago in the Pacific, and its climate is tropical. Neywo covers Honolulu and Hilo. In Honolulu, narrated places include ʻIolani Palace, the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii, Honolulu Museum of Art and Washington Place. Hilo includes the Palace Theatre, Lyman House Memorial Museum, Pacific Tsunami Museum and Kaūmana Caves County Park.

Explore the United States with Neywo

Download Neywo to discover the United States through 523 walking tours, with 12,848 narrated places across 298 cities. Narration is available in 11 languages. Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace: the app tells you what you are seeing when you arrive, with no group and no schedule.