The Top Experience in Every State, According to TripAdvisor

Alison Fox

November 29, 2019 at 6:00 AM

When you're planning a vacation to a city you've never visited, you probably search for hotels, restaurants, and, of course, the best things to do in your destination.

You wouldn’t leave New York City without taking in views of the Brooklyn Bridge or depart Las Vegas without visiting the The Strip. These are iconic sites that are likely to top any visitor’s bucket list, but they surprisingly aren't the most popular experiences in their respective states.

In fact, in New York, a Statue of Liberty tour is the most booked experience, and in Nevada, most people actually want to get out of the city to see the Grand Canyon West Rim and the Hoover Dam, according to TripAdvisor, which looked at the most booked tours and experiences in each state for 2018.

“No matter where you’re heading, reading reviews is a great way to find out if a tour fits your interests and travel style,” Laurel Greatrix, a TripAdvisor spokeswoman, told Travel + Leisure in an email. “Filtering reviews by traveler type, like families, couples, or solo travelers, allows you to read reviews from travelers like you and find the right experience for your trip.”

Greatrix said that “unique experiences help travelers see a different side of their destination,” and added that while people “are booking classic staples like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour in New York,” they’re also looking for “local experiences like food, beer, and wine tours.”

These are the most popular experiences in all 50 states, according to TripAdvisor.

Alabama: Alabama Gulf Coast Dolphin Cruise

Alaska: Whale Watch and Mendenhall Glacier Combo Tour

Arizona: 45-minute Helicopter Flight Over the Grand Canyon from Tusayan, Arizona

Arkansas: Riverboat Dinner and Dance Cruise in Hot Springs

California: Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Tour

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Colorado: Discover Rocky Mountain National Park from Denver or Boulder

Connecticut: HighFlyer Zipline at Foxwoods

Delaware: 2-hour Tandem Kayak Rental in Rehoboth Bay

Florida: Speedboat Sightseeing Tour of Miami

Georgia: Savannah Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour

Hawaii: Pearl Harbor Tour From Honolulu

Idaho: Snake River Scenic Cruise

Illinois: Chicago Architecture River Cruise

Indiana: Single Person Kayak Day Trip On The Blue River In Indiana

Iowa: Field of Dreams Movie Site Guided Home Tour in Dyersville

Kansas: Kansas City Indoor Skydiving Experience

Kentucky: Thoroughbred Horse Farm Tour in Kentucky

Louisiana: New Orleans Ghost, Voodoo, and Vampire Tour

Maine: 50-minute Narrated Sightseeing Tour of Portland, Maine Aboard a Vintage Fire Truck

Maryland: Sagamore Spirit Distillery Tasting and Tour

Massachusetts: Boston Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour

Michigan: Detroits Rise Fall and Renewal

Minnesota: Historic Northeast Minneapolis Food Tour

Mississippi - City Sightseeing Natchez Hop-on Hop-off Tour

Missouri: Main Street Lake Cruises of Branson

Montana: Half-day Whitewater Rafting Trip

Nebraska: Great Platte River Road Archway Monument

Nevada: Grand Canyon West Rim and Hoover Dam Tour from Las Vegas with Optional Skywalk

New Hampshire: Full-day White Mountain Tour with Cannon Mountain Aerial Tram (Availability may vary seasonally)

New Jersey: Whale and Dolphin Watching Cruise from Cape May

New Mexico: Albuquerque Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Flight

New York: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: Award-Winning, Small-group Tour

North Carolina: Charlotte Comedy City Tour

North Dakota: America the Beautiful - National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass (This is based on the top-rated experience as data on the most-booked experience was not available).

Ohio: The Nati in a Nutshell Cincinnati Food Tour Including Carew Tower Entrance Fee

Oklahoma: Spooks, Spirits, and Scoundrels Ghost Tour of Oklahoma City

Oregon: Morning Half-day Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls Tour from Portland

Pennsylvania: Founding Fathers Tour of Philadelphia