Things to Do in the US Host Cities

FIFA World Cup 2026 spreads across 11 US cities, more host venues than any previous tournament. Whether you are following your team through the group stage, attending a single match, or building a wider trip around the tournament, each city has enough to fill a week on its own. This guide covers the must-do attractions, the local food you should not miss, and the transit situation at each venue so you can plan without surprises.

New York / New Jersey

MetLife Stadium is in East Rutherford, New Jersey, about 12 miles from Midtown Manhattan. Take the NJ Transit train from Penn Station (around 30 minutes) or the direct World Cup shuttle from Times Square. Do not take a cab on match days.

What to Do

• The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (ferry from Battery Park, book well in advance)
• Top of the Rock at 30 Rockefeller Plaza for the best views of Central Park
• The High Line, a free 1.45-mile elevated park through Chelsea
• Brooklyn Bridge Park hosting outdoor match screenings through the tournament
• Katz's Delicatessen on the Lower East Side, open since 1888

What to Eat

• A New York bagel with lox and cream cheese from Absolute Bagels or Ess-A-Bagel
• Pastrami on rye at Katz's: hot sliced beef, spicy brown mustard, seeded rye

Los Angeles

SoFi Stadium is in Inglewood, 16 miles from Downtown LA. Take the Metro C Line from the 7th Street hub. Driving means paying $50 to $100 for parking and sitting in traffic on the 405.

What to Do

• Griffith Observatory: free entry, iconic Hollywood Sign views, inside a 4,310-acre park
• The Getty Center: free with advance reservation, Frank Gehry architecture overlooking the city
• Grand Central Market (Downtown LA): open since 1917, some of the best casual food in the city
• Santa Monica Pier and Venice Boardwalk: the pier is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66 in 2026
• Academy Museum of Motion Pictures: world-class film history in a striking building near the Grove

What to Eat

• Korean BBQ in Koreatown: the largest Koreatown in the US, open until 2 a.m.; Park's BBQ is the benchmark
• Birria tacos with consommé for dipping: LA perfected this dish; look for street trucks in East LA

Dallas

AT&T Stadium is in Arlington, between Dallas and Fort Worth, with no direct rail link. The official transport plan is an express bus shuttle from Victory Park Station on DART's Blue and Green Line. Book shuttle passes early; Uber surge pricing on match days will be severe.

What to Do

• The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza: the JFK assassination museum in the actual Texas School Book Depository building
• Reunion Tower Observation Deck: 470 feet above Dallas, 360-degree views
• Perot Museum of Nature and Science: one of the best science museums in the US
• Deep Ellum: live music neighborhood with murals and the best nightlife in Dallas
• Harold Simmons Park: new 200-acre park along the Trinity River with World Cup-themed public art

What to Eat

• Texas BBQ brisket at Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum: arrive before they open, the line is real
• Tex-Mex at Meso Maya in Uptown: flour tortillas, queso, fajitas, the real version

Miami

Hard Rock Stadium is in Miami Gardens, 16 miles north of South Beach. The Brightline train from Downtown Miami to Miami Gardens station is the most reliable option, then a short shuttle to the venue. Budget 45 to 60 minutes from South Beach.

What to Do

• Wynwood Walls: 80,000 square feet of curated street art from artists in 20+ countries
• Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM): modern art on Biscayne Bay, free first Thursdays
• Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: a Gilded Age bayfront estate with formal Italian gardens
• Little Havana and Calle Ocho: Domino Park, cigar rollers, and the cultural heart of Cuban Miami
• FIFA Fan Festival at Bayfront Park: the largest fan zone in the tournament by square footage, running June 13 through July 5

What to Eat

• Cuban sandwich (Cubano) at Versailles Restaurant on Calle Ocho: roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pressed on Cuban bread
• Cafecito: a small Cuban espresso shot sweetened with sugar foam, under $2 at any walk-up ventanita

Houston

Take the METRORail Red Line to NRG Park station. It runs direct from Downtown and trains run every 6 minutes on match days. From Bush Intercontinental Airport, take the 102 bus downtown then transfer to the Red Line.

What to Do

• Space Center Houston: official NASA visitor center, authentic Saturn V rocket, plan 4 to 5 hours
• The Museum District: 19 museums within 1.5 miles, Museum of Fine Arts free on Thursdays
• Buffalo Bayou Park: 160-acre park through Downtown with kayak rentals and 7 miles of trails
• EaDo (East Downtown): site of the FIFA Fan Festival, breweries, food halls, murals
• FIFA Fan Festival at 2301 Dallas St: features a Space Center Houston collaboration including a 360-degree projection dome inspired by the official match ball

What to Eat

• Viet-Cajun crawfish at Crawfish and Noodles: boiled crawfish with garlic, butter, and Asian spice blends, a Houston invention (James Beard nominated)
• Brisket tacos from any of the taquerias in the Heights or EaDo neighborhoods

Atlanta

Take MARTA light rail to Vine City station, a 10-minute walk from the stadium gates. From Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the Gold or Red Line goes directly to Five Points station, then transfer to the Blue or Green Line for Vine City. Total time: about 35 minutes, no car needed.

What to Do

• Georgia Aquarium: the largest in the Western Hemisphere, whale sharks and manta rays
• National Center for Civil and Human Rights: connects the American civil rights movement to global human rights, 15 minutes from the stadium
• Ponce City Market: a restored 1920s Sears warehouse in the Old Fourth Ward, Skyline Park on the roof, James Beard chefs on the ground floor
• The Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail: 22-mile loop through multiple neighborhoods, rent a Bird scooter and ride from Ponce City Market to Krog Street Market
• Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park: his birth home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and crypt

What to Eat

• Fried chicken and waffles: Busy Bee Cafe for the definitive Atlanta version
• Peach cobbler or peach sweet tea: Georgia is the Peach State and the Ponce City Market food hall does it well

Seattle

Lumen Field is one of the most transit-accessible venues. Take Sound Transit Link 1 Line to Stadium Station, one stop south of Downtown. From Sea-Tac Airport it is a 40-minute direct ride with no transfers. Get an ORCA card at any airport kiosk.

What to Do

• Pike Place Market: the oldest continuously operated farmers market in the US (est. 1907), the original Starbucks, fish-throwing fishmongers, plan 2 hours
• Chihuly Garden and Glass: massive glass sculptures in an outdoor garden right next to the Space Needle, one of the most visually striking museums in the country
• Pioneer Square: 5-minute walk from Lumen Field, great for pre-match; underground tour of the buried Victorian-era city beneath the current streets
• Capitol Hill: Seattle's most vibrant neighborhood, 15-minute walk from Downtown

What to Eat

• Fresh Dungeness crab and Pacific oysters at Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar
• Seattle-style hot dog (cream cheese and grilled onions): unique to this city, available from street carts near Pike Place on match days

Boston

Gillette Stadium is in Foxborough, 30 miles south of Boston. The MBTA runs special Commuter Rail service from South Station directly to Foxboro Station for all seven matches. Buy tickets in the MBTA app before match day. No other practical non-car option exists.

What to Do

• Freedom Trail: 2.5-mile self-guided walk through 16 revolutionary-era sites, marked by a red line on the sidewalk
• Fenway Park: America's oldest ballpark (1912), tours available daily
• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: eccentric personal collection unchanged by her will; the empty frames from the 1990 art heist still hang
• North End: Boston's Italian neighborhood, cobblestone streets, Paul Revere's House, and the cannoli debate

What to Eat

• New England clam chowder: thick, cream-based, Legal Sea Foods is the institution
• A cannoli from the North End: Mike's Pastry vs. Modern Pastry is a genuine local debate; worth trying both

San Francisco Bay Area

Levi's Stadium is in Santa Clara, 45 miles south of San Francisco. Take Caltrain from San Francisco 4th and King station to Santa Clara station (around 1 hour), then a short shuttle to the stadium. Flying in? San Jose Mineta Airport (SJC) is 5 miles from the venue.

What to Do

• Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands: walk or bike across, the Headlands overlook is the definitive view
• Alcatraz Island: book ferry tickets at least 2 weeks in advance
• Muir Woods: 300-year-old coastal redwoods, requires advance timed-entry permit, otherworldly at 6 a.m.
• Ferry Building Marketplace: on the Embarcadero waterfront, best concentration of local producers in the city

What to Eat

• Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl at Fisherman's Wharf: cliche but worth it, the local sourdough cannot be replicated elsewhere
• Mission burrito at La Taqueria on Mission Street: the large foil-wrapped style was invented here

Kansas City

The official transport plan is Connect KC 26: 215 motorcoach buses from 15 regional hubs every 15 to 20 minutes. No parking pass means no driving. The free KC Streetcar covers Downtown and reaches the shuttle hubs.

What to Do and Eat

• National WWI Museum and Memorial: the definitive museum of the First World War anywhere in the world
• American Jazz Museum and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (18th and Vine): two world-class museums sharing one campus
• Kansas City BBQ: smoked over hickory with a thick, sweet, tomato-based sauce; Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que at a gas station in Westwood is a pilgrimage
• Burnt ends: the crispy charred tips of brisket; Kansas City invented the dish; virtually mandatory

Philadelphia

Take SEPTA's Broad Street Line to NRG Station, a 15-minute ride from Center City. The July 4 Round of 16 coincides with the 250th anniversary of American independence; Philadelphia is where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Book accommodation 3 to 4 months in advance for that weekend.

What to Do and Eat

• Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Center: free, UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776
• Reading Terminal Market: open since 1893, DiNic's roast pork sandwich voted best sandwich in America by Travel Channel
• Eastern State Penitentiary: Al Capone's actual cell, one of the most intact historic prisons in the world
• Philly cheesesteak: shaved ribeye on an Amoroso roll, Cheez Whiz (the authentic choice); Pat's and Geno's are directly across the street from each other in South Philly

Sources: FIFA.com official venue pages, city tourism boards, stadium transport authority websites, local news outlets. Match schedule correct as of May 2026.