USA, Canada, Mexico | Viator Travel Blog

Matsuri in Las Vegas

10. November 2009

What's the latest in Las Vegas shows? It's called Matsuri, at the Imperial Palace on the Strip. Matsuri means "Festival" in Japanese, and that's exactly what this show feels like - a festival of Japanese dancers and acrobats, full of dazzling color and bravado. For a limited time we're giving away 2 free tickets to Matsuri...

[contest] Win 20 Free Nights at any Hampton Hotel!

21. October 2009

164 Comments

[contest] Win 20 Free Nights at any Hampton Hotel!

Editor's Note: The contest is now closed. Thanks again for contributing such fantastic answers, and stay tuned for the announcement of a winner! Enter our Hampton Hotel contest to wins 20 FREE nights at any Hampton Hotel (you'll have 1,700+ locations to chose from... Manhattan to New Orleans, San Francisco to San Antonio, Puerto Rico to Mexico to Canada and beyond!). And you'll receive a $200 Viator.com gift certificate. All you need to do is answer one question: What do YOU wish in life came with a 100% guarantee?

[contest] Win 2 SF Helicopter + 2 Academy of Sciences Tickets!

20. October 2009

59 Comments

[contest] Win 2 SF Helicopter + 2 Academy of Sciences Tickets!

[Editor's note: The contest is now closed! Thanks again for entering, stay tuned and we'll announce a winner soon.] We're giving away two free tickets on a San Francisco helicopter tour plus two free tickets on a behind-the-scenes platinum tour of the California Academy of Sciences. We are asking everybody who enters the contest one simple question. Why YOU?

15 Tips for Traveling with Kids

7. October 2009

1 Comment

Traveling with little and big kids, ages five and up, can really be a hoot. Whether taking my 18-year-old niece on her first New York City trip or Burning Man festival, or planning a Crater Lake expedition with my 6-year-old stepdaughter, adapting my usual travel habits makes trips different and more enjoyable for me, too.

Atlas Obscura: DYI Temples, Castles, Cathedrals

30. September 2009

2 Comments

Atlas Obscura: DYI Temples, Castles, Cathedrals

For those of you anxiously awaiting this next installment of wonder-inspiring, off-the-beaten-path places that don’t make it into traditional guidebooks. This week's Atlas Obscura theme is self-built temples (in Italy), castles (in the U.S.) and cathedrals (in Spain)!

Funeral & Vigil for Edgar Allan Poe

16. September 2009

1 Comment

Hon, you may know Baltimore as Charm City USA. But did you know 'Bawlmore' is also home to Edgar Allan Poe? OK OK so Poe was actually born in New York City. Whaddabout it? Baltimore's claim to fame is that Poe died here. He was found unconscious in the streets of Baltimore and admitted to the Washington College Hospital. He died on October 7, 1849, and was buried in an unmarked grave. An unmarked grave?? Now that's something to celebrate, Baltimore!

Hipster’s Guide to San Francico’s Mission District

4. September 2009

1 Comment

Hipster’s Guide to San Francico’s Mission District

With his first public reading of Howl on Fillmore Street in 1955, Allen Ginsberg brought the Beat Generation to life. He, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassidy, Gary Snyder, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti left a mighty mark on The City By The Bay. And while the neighborhoods and temperament of San Francisco have changed in many ways, that rebellious, creative, do-it-yourself spirit is still very much alive. You just need to look for it.

An Open Letter to Complainers

31. August 2009

16 Comments

Being a frequent traveler has its memorable moments, and one of them occurred recently when I had the chance to dine at a well-known Georgian restaurant in Moscow, Russia. It was a great meal, and the restaurant’s location combined with the balmy summer weather provided the perfect opportunity for a late-night stroll through the streets [...]

Viva la Summer: San Francisco

28. August 2009

1 Comment

As part of Viator’s celebration of summer 2009, we’re pointing a spotlight at top summer destinations around the world. This week’s featured destination is San Francisco. As always our first order of business: we’re pleased to honor our Viva la Summer traveler of the week. This week it’s Eduardo S. from the USA. He submitted a photo of himself and his daughter taken on a Muir Woods & Sausalito day trip from San Francisco. We love the smiles and the tall trees - the redwoods of Northern California are truly amazing if you've never seen them up close.

Maui: Just the Ticket for Beach Novices

20. August 2009

1 Comment

Maui seemed suspiciously easy. It could be reached in five hours via a non-stop flight from San Francisco, on the airline that awards me bonus miles for my travel. There would be no issues with language, immigration, food, water, weather, currency, or driving on the wrong side of the road. What wasn’t there to like, other than the possibility that the inviting stream we had waded into would gather speed and carry us over a lovely waterfall and into oblivion.