What States are Open, How to Access Them and How to Avoid the Crowds

If you’ve been trying to schedule any kind of summer vacation or fall getaway, you know that it’s not just a matter of knowing what country borders are open, it’s a full-time job tracking what states are allowing visitors. And if you find a state that is open for tourism, how do you enjoy it without fighting for space with RV’s and crowded lines.

To help sort through the who, what, where, how and why of travel destinations you can actually visit… now… we’ve summarized states that are open, why you’d want to go there, how you can get in, if you have to quarantine or not, what testing is required, and how to avoid the crowds while maximizing your own enjoyment.

The good news is that a trip of a lifetime is still very much a possibility this summer or fall. National parks have reopened. Travelers have already returned from our first tour to Alaska, as others are packing their bags for trips to Montana, the San Juan Islands, Bryce-Grand Canyon-Zion, Yellowstone, Napa and Sonoma, Vermont… and Alaska again.

Alaska

America’s largest state with the least amount of coronavirus cases, Alaska’s sparse population sets it up splendidly for social distancing. Visit vast national parks, spot brown bears, humpbacks, and—for the first time in decades—experience it all without the million plus cruise ship passengers who usually pour in each season.

COVID-test:

Yes, a negative test (taken within 72 hours of arriving) must be presented. You can pay $250 for a test at the airport on arrival, but it is highly recommended you it them before arriving to save the time required to self-quarantine until the result.
14-day quarantine: No, unless you refuse testing.

Airlines flying to Anchorage:

Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
JetBlue
Delta
United

Ways to avoid the crowds:

Our Kenai Peninsula Multisport tour is six days long and departs August 16 and September 6, 2020.
Our Kenai Peninsula Family tour is six days long and departs August 2, 2020.
Travel with just your family or friends on a private tour on your preferred date. Trips can be for any size group – from one to whatever. And when you have a group of six or more participants in 2020, you’ll pay the same price as our publicly scheduled trip departures – not a penny more!

Utah

This state is national park nirvana—think deep, dramatic canyons and vivid red rock in fantastical formations. From the sunrise to the night skies, Mother Nature’s masterpieces never seem to cease.

COVID-test:

No.
14-day quarantine: No

Airlines flying to St George:

Delta
American
United

Drive times to St George:

Los Angeles to St George: 6h
San Diego to St George: 8 hours
Phoenix to St George 6.5h

Ways to avoid the crowds:

Our Bryce, Grand Canyon, Zion Multisport tour is six days long and departs September 6 and 22, 2020
Travel with only your friends / family by booking a private tour on your chosen date. Private tours can be arranged for any size group, and when you reserve a trip for six or more travelers in 2020, you’ll pay the same price as a publicly scheduled trip.

South Carolina

Grand oaks, pastel mansions and the charming city of Charleston are just some of the things that make South Carolina a state worth visiting.

COVID-test:

No.
14-day quarantine: No.

Airlines flying to Charleston International Airport:

American
United
Southwest
Delta
JetBlue

Drive times to Charleston:

From Atlanta, GA – 5 hours
From Charlotte, NC – 3 hours
From Norfolk, VA – 7 hours
From Richmond, VA – 6.5 hours
From Washington, DC – 8 hours

Ways to avoid the crowds:

Our Charleston & Savannah Culture + Walking tour is six days and departs October 4 and November 8, 2020.
See the sights of South Carolina within a select group of your friends and family if you choose a private tour on your preferred date. Our private trips can be for any size group, and in bookings for six or more travelers in 2020, you will be paying the same price as a publicly scheduled trip.

Montana

Untamed, wild landscape sets the scene here—flowery meadows, thick forests and rugged Rocky Mountain peaks—and the air is deliciously clean. Bonus points because with more sheep than people, Montana is one of the easiest states in which to social distance.

COVID-test:

No. The airport may be performing temperature screenings.
14-day quarantine: No.

Airlines flying into Whitefish Kalispell airport at west entrance to Glacier Park:

Delta
United Airlines
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Allegiant

Our Montana + Glacier National Park Culture + Walking tour is six days long and departs July 19, August 16, September 13, 2020
Our Montana + Glacier National Park Family tour is six days long and departs July 19, 2020

You can choose to travel only with your friends and family on a private tour, giving you the flexibility to pick the travel dates that best suit your schedule.  Your group can be any size, and when that group includes over six participants in 2020, you will pay the same as a publicly scheduled trip.

California

The Golden State glistens with outdoor opportunity. To the north, you’ll find the Napa and Sonoma valleys with their vast vineyards, olive groves and botanical gardens.

COVID-test:

No.
14-day quarantine: No.

Airlines flying into Oakland:

Alaska
Allegiant
Delta
Hawaiian
Southwest
Spirit

Drive times to Napa:

San Francisco – 2 hours
Los Angeles – 6 hours
San Diego – 9 hours

How to avoid the crowds:

Opt for a private tour where you choose the date, and you choose the group. Private trips suit all group sizes, and in 2020, where that means more than six travelers, you won’t pay more than a scheduled trip.

Hawaii

Visits to the Hawaiian Islands give you that fabulous far away feel without requiring you leave the United States. Hawaii is alongside Alaska when it comes to requiring everyone who visits be tested and confirmed coronavirus-free. The idyllic tropical beaches, mythical waterfalls and all-round relaxed atmosphere need no introduction.

COVID-test:

Yes, beginning October 15, all arrivals aged over 5 years from out-of-state will need to provide proof of a valid, negative COVID test, take a temperature check and complete a form. Visitors must tale the test within 72 hours of the last leg of their journey.
Only tests from trusted testing partners will be accepted. Trusted partners include:
– AFC Urgent Care
– Carbon Health
– CityHealth Urgent Care
– Color
– CVS Health
– Discovery Health MD
– Hawaiian Airlines
– Kaiser Permanente (for members only)
– Quest Diagnostics
– Southwest Airlines
– United Airlines
– Vault Health
– Walgreens

14-day quarantine: No with a certified negative test after October 15.

Airlines flying to the Big Island:

Hawaiian
United

How to avoid the crowds:

With our private tours, you can choose whichever departure date you want and travel exclusively with your family and friends. Private tours can suit any group size, and in 2020 where groups include six or more travelers, a private trip will cost the same as a publicly scheduled trip.

Georgia

America’s biggest state east of the Mississippi, Georgia offers true Southern hospitality and is home to historic Savannah.

COVID-test:

No.
14-day quarantine: No

Airlines flying to Savannah airport:

Delta
American
JetBlue
United
Frontier

Driving time to Savannah:

Birmingham, AL – 6 hours
Richmond, VA – 7 hours
Orlando, FL – 4 hours
Nashville, TN – 7.5 hours

Ways to avoid the crowds:

Our Charleston & Savannah Culture + Walking tour is six days and departs October 4 and November 8, 2020.
When you book a private tour, you can choose your departure date and travel only with your family / friends. Classic Journeys private trips can be arranged for any group size, and where groups include six or more participants in 2020, it will cost the same as a scheduled trip.

Wyoming

Wild, wonderful Wyoming is cowboy country with adventure galore across great plains, rushing rivers and Rocky Mountain peaks.

COVID-test:

No.
14-day quarantine: No

Airlines flying into Jackson Hole:

Delta
American
United

Drive times to Jackson Hole:

Salt Lake City – 5 hours

How to avoid the crowds:

Explore Wyoming with just friends and family, whenever suits you, with one of our private tours. Click here for our private journey form, where you can get the brand new, just-scouted itinerary to Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

Vermont

Snow-white in winter, technicolor through spring and summer, fiery-gold in fall—Vermont’s charming villages and sloping mountains are a joy to explore.

COVID-test:

No.

14-day quarantine: no, if you are traveling from a county in the Northeastern U.S. (CT; MA; MD; ME; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VA; Washington, D.C.; and WV) where there is a similar active COVID-19 caseload to Vermont (less than 400 active cases per million) and enter in a personal vehicle.

Airlines flying into Burlington:

Delta
Frontier
JetBlue
United
American

Drive time to Burlington:

Boston – 3.5 hours
New York – 6 hours
Maine – 6 hours
Philadelphia – 6.5 hours

How to avoid the crowds:

Our Vermont Special Edition tour, to see the fall foliage, is five days in length and departs September 27 and October 18, 2020.

If you want to choose your own dates and have just friends or family as fellow travelers, a private tour is perfect. These trips suit any size of group, and where that’s more than six people, you won’t have to pay more than a scheduled trip would cost.

Washington

Maybe Seattle steals the spotlight in this state, but you’re missing out if you don’t explore the rest of Washington. Such as the awesome archipelago in Puget Sound, just a boat ride from the ‘Emerald City’. One draw of the Pacific Northwest’s San Juan islands is that they feel much further away than they actually are—hop in a kayak for some orca-spotting, hike past wild deer or simply sit and watch the world go by in sleepy fishing villages.

COVID-test:

No.
14-day quarantine: No

Airlines flying into Seattle:

Air Canada
Alaska
American
Delta
Frontier
Hawaiian
JetBlue
Southwest
Spirit
United

Drive time to Friday Harbor:

Portland – 6 hours

Explore the rest of our available North American tours here today.