These are the best places to travel this summer

Idaho

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
Sawtooth Mountain Range, Idaho

Getty Images/iStockphoto

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Idaho

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

Wedged between Montana and Oregon, and often overlooked as a result, Idaho is one of Western USA's most underrated destinations. This rather large chunk of land has 114 mountain ranges and some of the most rugged mountains in the Lower 48. Over 60% of the state is public land, and with 3.9 million acres of Wilderness, it's the third-wildest state in the union.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Basque Block, Boise,  Idaho.

    Basque Block

    Boise

    Boise is home to one of the largest Basque populations outside Spain, with up to 15,000 residing here. The original émigrés arrived in the 1910s to work…

  • Amazing Boise River on an early Autumn morning.

    Boise River Greenbelt

    Boise

    The glowing emerald of Treasure Valley began as an ambitious plan in the 1960s to prevent development in the Boise River's floodplain and provide open…

  • World Center for Birds of Prey

    World Center for Birds of Prey

    Boise

    The Peregrine Fund's worldwide raptor conservation programs have brought many species back from the brink of extinction – including the iconic California…

  • Idaho state capitol building at dusk, wide low angle view with ground-level skylight illuminated.

    Idaho State Capitol

    Boise

    The joy of US state capitol buildings is that visitors can admire some of the nation's best architecture for free. The Boise building, constructed from…

  • Basque Museum & Cultural Center

    Basque Museum & Cultural Center

    Boise

    Sandwiched between the ethnic taverns, restaurants and bars is the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, a commendable effort to unveil the intricacies of…

  • Boise Art Museum

    Boise Art Museum

    Boise

    Inside 90-acre Julia Davis Park, this small but bright museum displays mostly contemporary art in all media, including the occasional Warhol, and touring…

  • Yankee Fork Gold Dredge

    Yankee Fork Gold Dredge

    Idaho

    The biggest spud in Idaho is not a potato, but the 17.5-ton pylon that held the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge in place as it chewed its way upstream, digging…

  • Driggs Geotourism Center

    Driggs Geotourism Center

    Idaho

    This museum and information center packs a lot of knowledge into a small space. Exhibits on the culture, heritage, food, geology and recreational…

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Idaho

Go Beyond

Idaho and beyond