Stretching from the ice cold straits of the Arctic Ocean to the North and the Caribbean Sea to the south, the continent of North America stretches across vast swathes of land, through all sorts of different climates, landscapes, and diverse populations.
With a population of almost 580 million people, The first peoples travelled the Bering Strait to North America up to 40,000 years ago, during the last glacial period, and the arrival of European settlers began in 1492. This is a continent truly shaped by history, for better and for worse.
The Native Americans who peopled these lands for millennia have a vast and nuanced history of their relationship with the land, and then since 1492 there has been the history of human interaction in a colonial system, where European settlers changed and shaped the America Native Americans knew. Many African Americans settled in North America after the history of slavery brought them or their ancestors to the West Indies and American mainland, too.
Today, North America is the richest continent in the world by GDP, and has some of the most enthralling and iconic cities on earth - from New York to Chicago to San Francisco to Los Angeles, Las Vegas to Toronto to Vancouver. The list goes on.
The landscape, however, trumps the cities for most visitors. From the Grand Canyon to Yosemite National Park, Niagara Falls to the Rockies to the Great Plains, the stunning natural landscapes North America has to offer should not be overlooked. There are spectacular mountain ranges, fiercely barren deserts, ancient forest land, awe-inspiring waterfalls, canyons, glaciers and caves, and extinct volcanoes and swamps.
Whether you’re looking to get outdoors, hiking under the most immense canvas of stars you’ve ever witnessed, or hot air balloon ride over the Sonoran Desert, Arizona could the best location to kick off your luxury North American tour. To dip in and out of both culture and vultures (literally, Californian Condors and Turkey Vultures soar majestically over these Wild West scenes), California could be the place to be. As well as those sun-kissed surf vibes, you can experience the high life and bright lights of Los Angeles and Hollywood, whilst also making time for a detour into Yosemite, with its 750 miles of trail to explore.
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway for stunning ocean views, or head to Lake Tahoe’s myriad shades of blue and green. For a once-in-a-lifetime city break (that you’ll be keen to repeat!), there is no beating New York. Iconic and sophisticated, the city is jam-packed with arts and entertainment, shopping and fine dining, as well as a famously strong-minded population, an amazing Central Park and the lady presiding over it all, the Statue of Liberty.
North America is a huge continent, throwing up some amazing holiday destinations, with something to suit every taste. Our tailor made, bespoke North America tours are written specifically for you - to make sure your North American holiday is all you had ever dreamed, and more.
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