New York, Las Vegas & Los Angeles – The Dream Itinerary!

2020 was supposed to be a huge year for travel but obviously my plans have been put on hold. Today, Stefan and I should’ve been visiting Disneyland in California but instead, we’re in lockdown. It’s hard to know what to post about in this crisis but I’ve decided to talk about my Multi-Centre trip to the USA as something to look forward to. As you may know, we were supposed to be in the US for three weeks now but we had to cancel. Thankfully, we managed to get about 90% of our money back. We are planning to re-book the trip towards the end of the year and potentially focus on visiting three cities; New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

We all know how much I love America and especially travelling about the different states. I think Multi Centre Holidays in the US are great for seeing lots of different places in a short amount of time. City hopping around America is actually a lot easier than you think and there are so many options. I thought I would share my ideal itinerary for our trip that we should hopefully get on in the future.

New York

Our first stop off on the trip would be New York which is one of my favourite places in the world. Nothing beats the looking out at that skyline from Brooklyn or taking a wander around Central Park. Ideally, you need at least three days in New York and that’s only to cover the basic sights. There really is so much to see and do whilst visiting New York and there are some incredible districts such as Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Williamsburg and follow in the footsteps of Gossip Girl on the Upper East Side. 

Aside from visiting the world-famous sights such as the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building and Times Square, one important thing that I wanted to do in New York was curate my own little pizza tour. Pizza slice places are everywhere in New York and we all know I love pizza. Joe’s Pizza, Prince St Pizza and Juliana’s are all very high on the pizza hit list. Other foodie hotspots I want to visit is Magnolia Bakery as featured in Sex and the City in Greenwich Village and Ellen’s Stardust Diner which is a musical restaurant with aspiring Broadway stars performing whilst you eat.

Whether it’s Top of the Rock or One World Observatory, there are some incredible viewpoints of the city. The Vessel is a new attraction located in Hudson Yards and it’s actually free to visit if you book a time slot two weeks in advance. It’s a pretty incredible structure and it’s also located at the end of The Highline which is a park built on an old railway line. It’s a lovely walk to see some of the city from a different perspective is a must on any itinerary.

In between a spot of shopping in NYC, there’s always time to fit in a few cultural things. There are some amazing world-class museums worth visiting such as The Natural History Museum, The Met but the MoMa is my personal favourite with artwork from artists such as Andy Warhol and Monet. No visit to NYC is complete without visiting some of the most spectacular buildings such as Grand Central Station and the Public Library which are both steps away from shopping heaven; Fifth Avenue. 

Las Vegas

From my personal experience, getting around the US is pretty easy. Flying between NYC and Las Vegas is about a six-hour journey although you do cross over time zones. Las Vegas is a place you’ll either love or hate and for me, I absolutely love it there. If you’re truly wanting to explore Las Vegas, I would recommend staying somewhere along the central strip. We had booked a room at Bally’s with a view over the Eiffel Tower and the Bellagio Fountains.

Whilst the casinos are a huge part of Las Vegas, there is so much to explore with countless activities and the most incredible hotels in the world. The top thing to do on anyone’s itineraries for Las Vegas is just to walk through and explore all the different hotels on the strip. Most hotels have a theme which is just out of this world. A personal favourite of mine is The Venetian which actually has a full-on replica of the canals of Venice and you can even go on a gondola ride. Paris gives you the opportunity to wander the streets of the French Capital and even go up the Eiffel Tower! You’ve also got New York New York which has its own rollercoaster or the Luxor which follows an Egyptian theme. 

As always the food is a huge part of all my trips and visiting one of the buffets in Las Vegas is a must for any visitor. There are buffets to fit everyone’s budget and all include a huge variety of food. On my last trip, I visited the Bellagio which was around $32 and the selection was huge and the food was delicious. Probably one of the most popular buffets on the strip is the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace which is world renowned for the delicious food but do expect a queue if you visit! If a buffet isn’t your thing, there are so many restaurants in Las Vegas from chain favourites such as In-N-Out to celebrity chef eateries. Gordan Ramsey has a few restaurants in Vegas including a Hell’s Kitchen themed place!

Las Vegas is also a great base for going on a few day trips. One we had on our agenda was to visit the Grand Canyon. Although it’s a long day from Las Vegas, it’s worth the trip to see this stunning wonder. There are so many options when it comes to booking excursions. Personally, I would choose one which visits the South Rim and includes the Grand Canyon Village and also visiting the Hoover Dam on the way. Other trips from the Grand Canyon you can take is visiting places like the Valley of Light, Antelope Canyon or Red Rock Canyon. There’s so much to see and we all know how much of a planner I am, I read lot’s of travel books before I travel. I had managed to pick up a few travel books from The Works which were rather helpful for different US destinations. 

As I said, the possibilities are endless when visiting Las Vegas and you can check out some suggestions of activities in my previous post; 31 Fun Things to do in Las Vegas. 

Anaheim

Although the typical multi-centre trip would be New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, I thought I would pop in a little stop at Anaheim. Just 45 minutes outside of Los Angeles is Anaheim which is the home to the happiest place on earth. Disneyland California in my eyes is a must-visit if you’re in the area. This is actually the original Disneyland and is now formed of two parks; Disneyland and California Adventure. You’ll find some original rides which Walt Disney created himself back in the fifties. 

You probably could do the parks in a day, but to really experience both parks and get a lot of rides, shows and experiences done, I would say you need two days. There are some amazing rides and for Star Wars fans, Galaxy’s Edge is now open. Over at California Adventure, there is Pixar Pier with the Incredicoaster and Cars Land. As I mentioned, we actually were supposed to be in Disneyland this weekend and the Food and Wine Festival was going to be on. It’s worth looking at whether there are any events or festivals taking place when you are there as they usually are pretty amazing. Additionally, the shows and parade are obviously a must-see on anyone’s itinerary. 

Los Angeles

The final stop of the tour is Los Angeles. There are two main things to know about LA. The first being that LA is actually a huge city and you’ll most likely need to get a car or an Uber to get about. Secondly, you’ll be spending a lot of time in that said car as traffic in LA is crazy. However, the traffic is worth it to visit some iconic places. First off, Hollywood needs to be on everyone’s itinerary. The walk of fame is super tacky but worth visiting to get a photo with a few stars! No visit to LA complete without seeing the Hollywood Sign. On the agenda for my next visit is to actually hike up to the sign. However, I really love visiting the Griffiths Observatory at sunset which not only has a great view of the Hollywood sign but the whole of Los Angeles. 

Santa Monica is probably my favourite area in Los Angeles. Not only have you got the shopping promenade but the beautiful beach and pier. Santa Monica Pier is just so iconic. It’s a must to go on the Ferris wheel and rollercoaster at Pacific Park. Just a short walk along the promenade and you’ll come to Venice Beach which always has a lot going on with the skate park and muscle beach. 

As I’m a huge theme park fan, I have to include a visit to Universal Studios which is actually a working film studio. You can actually visit some of the working sets on the tram tour which is very much worth going on. It’s amazing to see behind the scenes of how they film some of the top blockbusters. The park also has some amazing rides including a Wizarding World of Harry Potter area with Hogwarts castle. Dining at the Three Broomsticks is a must for any Harry Potter fan. You can actually visit other film studios such as the Warner Bros Studios and Sony Studios and explore how some of your favourite TV shows and movies have been made.

This multi-centre trip really would be a non-stop vacation, there is so much to see and do in these places. I’d love to hear whether you’d consider a multi-centre trip in the states and if you’ve visited any of these places. Hopefully, we can re-book our trip for later this year and explore some of my favourite US cities. 

XOXO

*This is a collaborative post.