The NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida has been named the top-rated attraction in the United States, while a snorkeling and sightseeing tour around Oahu in Hawaii claimed the No. 1 spot among the country’s top experiences on TripAdvisor, the travel review platform.
The ranking comes from the winners of Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards for “Best of the Best Things to Do,” which recognizes standout destinations and activities around the world. The winners are ranked based on user reviews and ratings posted on the platform over a 12-month period between April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025, as well as “an additional editorial process,” according to Tripadvisor.
The attractions ranked include everything from natural wonders to human-made marvels and museums, while the experiences ranked cover the best tours, excursions and activities that “make a trip special,” Tripadvisor said in a statement. Experiences are defined by the platform as bookable tours and activities, while attractions are generally locations that can be visited without a reservation.
The NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, located on Florida’s Merritt Island, received over 15,000 five-star reviews and was described by Tripadvisor as “an awe-inspiring family activity.” The complex also ranked third in the global list of top attractions, trailing behind only the Basílica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, which topped the listing, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the French capital, which came second.
Other top U.S. attractions in the list include the Empire State Building and Central Park in New York City; the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee; and the Stetson Mansion in DeLand, Florida. The list also features national treasures such as Alcatraz Island in San Francisco and the National Museum of World War II Aviation in Colorado Springs.
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In the best experiences category, Hawaii’s Grand Tour Around Island 16 Locations plus Snorkeling in Honolulu emerged as the highest-rated U.S. experience. It offers a daylong cultural and ecological tour across Oahu, combining historic sites, beach visits, and marine life encounters.
With nearly 5,000 five-star reviews, Tripadvisor highlighted the tour’s immersive quality and wide-ranging appeal, noting: “Visitors can expect an immersive day of learning about the island’s rich culture, snorkeling among the sea life, and exploring beaches and towns around Oahu.”
The Hawaiian tour also secured the eighth position globally among all experiences, according to Tripadvisor’s 2025 rankings. It was joined on the global list by tours in Italy, Vietnam, Croatia, the United Kingdom and Mexico.
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Other popular U.S. experiences that made the list include the History and Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour in Massachusetts; the Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard First Lady; and the 9/11 Memorial and Ground Zero Tour in New York City.
The annual “Best of the Best” awards celebrate the top 1 percent of the platform’s 8 million listings, making it a significant distinction for the featured sites. Tripadvisor noted on its website that the “Best of the Best” titles are awarded to those who receive a high volume of “above-and-beyond” reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period.
The U.S. was projected to lose billions of dollars in international visitor spending this year, according to a study by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) released in May.
Speaking at Newsweek‘s inaugural New Destinations Travel & Tourism Summit earlier this month, Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the WTTC, said: “Our data shows this year the U.S. is on track to lose $12.5 billion in international visitor spending—that’s a drop of more than 22 percent in 12 months.”
Simpson added: “You cannot rest on your laurels and think that people will be coming. The U.S. is an example of that … too many policymakers assume that tourism will simply look after itself.”
The WTTC president and CEO urged governments not to take tourism for granted. Growth “does not happen by accident,” Simpson said. “It takes investment, political will and clever marketing.”
Top 10 Attractions in the U.S.
- NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Merritt Island, Florida
- Empire State Building in New York, New York
- Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee
- Central Park in New York, New York
- Stetson Mansion in DeLand, Florida
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida
- Brooklyn Bridge in New York, New York
- National Museum of World War II Aviation in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York
- Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, California
Top 10 Experiences in the U.S.
- Grand Tour Around Island 16 Locations plus Snorkeling in Honolulu, Hawaii
- History and Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour in Salem, Massachusetts
- Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard First Lady in Chicago, Illinois
- 9/11 Memorial, Ground Zero Tour with Optional 9/11 Museum Ticket in New York, New York
- Secret Food Tour of Chinatown and Little Italy in New York, New York
- 2 hrs Miami Private Boat Tour with Cooler, Ice, Bluetooth Stereo, Miami, Florida
- Honolulu Xtreme Parasail in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Clear Kayak Tour of Shell Key Preserve and Tampa Bay Area in St. Pete Beach, Florida
- Grand Canyon West, Hoover Dam, Breakfast, Lunch. Optional Skywalk in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Dark Philly Adult Night Tour in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Source: Based on the winners of TripAdvisor’s 2025 Travelers Choice Awards for “Best of the Best Things to Do” in the United States. See the full rankings for each category at the Tripadvisor website.
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