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Looking for inspiration for a family trip? This guide includes some of the most popular family vacation destinations for families who live and breathe travel. This list includes family-friendly vacation spots from around the world.
The Best Place For A Family Vacation
We are always looking for beautiful destinations to visit with our family. Looking for new ideas for family travel destinations, I decided to reach out to other traveling families and ask them to share their all-time favorite destinations – the best family travel destinations around the world.
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I received a range of responses about an incredible variety of family-friendly destinations from around the world. From winter holidays in the Arctic to deserted beaches in the Pacific, from city breaks to ski resorts, there’s something for everyone.
I am happy to say that some of the world’s most traveled families have contributed to this article. These are individual families who have seen a lot of the world and share their favorite family travel spots that they keep coming back to.
With their help, this guide to the best family travel destinations in the world was created. In this post, you’ll find some great family travel ideas and plenty of inspiration for family vacations for years to come.
Read about travel bloggers’ favorite family travel destinations and scroll down to discover our personal favorites too!
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Port Douglas has the largest reef system in the world and the oldest rainforest to explore. What more could you want? Our girls loved snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, zip lining through the Daintree Rainforest, playing on stunning beaches, looking for wild crocodiles on boat rides and tasting delicious exotic rainforest ice cream.
TIP: The Daintree can easily be visited as a day trip from Cairns or Port Douglas. Here you can find the best selection of organized tours.
Where else can you spot blue whales from a schooner, swim in cold glacial water as continents crumble around you, and feel the roar of Europe’s largest waterfall all within a few hours’ drive of each other. If that’s not enough to whet your appetite, Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world. The Prime Minister can also be looked up in the phone book.
Icelanders understand the special needs of children and families. It is rare to find a restaurant that does not have a designated area for children to play.
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In addition, Iceland is very easy to visit on your own. In summer, you can drive the entire ring road or simply focus on the sights of the southern coast – there is something to see and do even with children. If you don’t want to go to Iceland in winter, you can stay in Reykjavík and go on day trips.
Our experience: We have been to Iceland many times and in all seasons and it really is a great place for a more adventurous family trip! You can find a wide selection of Iceland destination guides, itineraries and practical tips on our blog. For a full rundown, see our guide to Iceland.
Over the past few years, Bali has become one of our favorite family travel destinations. It’s the perfect mix of beach and culture, and there’s always something to do, from going to festivals (which seem to happen all the time) to visiting water parks and hiking through rice paddies.
The weather is warm all year round, although the rainy season (November to March) is exactly what it sounds like. The food is great and cheap. My 10 year old’s favorite restaurant in the world is Cuca near Jimbaran Beach.
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Hotels in Bali are amazing and almost all children are welcome. We stayed in beachfront hotels as well as villas with private pools overlooking river valleys and villas surrounded by rice fields. We always try to do activities like fish feeding, anti-gravity yoga, rice planting, pottery and local walks in our hotels. We are never ready to check.
Although there are more tourists every year, Bali never feels like a tourist. Ubud has a really cool, artsy vibe. Plus, there’s a monkey forest – what kid doesn’t want to be surrounded by monkeys?
Costa Rica is one of the most recommended family travel destinations in the Americas. It has all the ingredients for the perfect family-friendly travel experience: tropical climate, beaches, rainforests, plenty of sightseeing, fun adventure activities and a wide variety of wildlife.
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No matter what family travel experience you’re looking for, Costa Rica has it all.
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Or plan a trip to see the best Costa Rica has to offer and add some relaxing pool/beach time for fun for the whole family.
The good thing about Costa Rica is that it is a very family-friendly destination. And – if you’re coming from the US, you won’t have to cross multiple time zones. It’s also a place you can visit year-round (though tropical rain is always a possibility).
Here you can find a sample 2-week Costa Rica itinerary that covers some of the best places, offers plenty of opportunities to see wildlife, learn about the culture, try some fun activities like rafting, and plan to relax by the pool. or on the beach.
The Greek island of Crete is where we often vacationed as a family. Crete has everything you could want – a wonderful climate, pure relaxation, great beaches, great food and a wonderful slow-paced lifestyle. There are also some great hotels on the island!
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We were often drawn to the small fishing town of Elounda, which has great luxury accommodation and lots to see and do.
If you’re looking for a family destination in Southern Europe, a place where there’s only one, then you can’t go wrong with the Greek Islands and especially Crete!
If you’re thinking about what a winter wonderland could be like, we recommend Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort in Montana, USA. The resort offers a number of family-friendly amenities and activities, including day care and a children’s ski school, as well as shuttle service directly to the resort.
Enjoy the joys of winter outdoors by snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing or sledding; then cozy up by the fire with some hot chocolate.
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The resort and town of Whitefish offers a small-town American feel where life slows down for a while but still offers a great selection of hotels, restaurants and shopping.
We love Gulf Shores with its white sand, shellfish, sunsets and seafood. But what makes it special is the space – wide beaches and less crowds mean we have more space to relax.
But Gulf Shores is more than just a beach. We also enjoy hiking and biking on Gulf State Park trails, catamaran day trips, stand-up paddle boarding, and sunset dinners at local restaurants. This is our home away from home – on the beach!
Everything about Cape Town is simply breathtaking! Nestled beneath the iconic Table Mountain, many people begin their South African adventure on the vibrant V&A coast.
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Close to town you’ll find Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens and the Treetop Walk, the Table Mountain Cable Car or why not take the ferry to see the now infamous Robben Island?
Some days you should venture further afield than Cape Town – head to where the oceans meet at the Cape of Good Hope, visit the penguins at Boulders Beach and watch the seals in Howth Bay.
Then head east to the Stellenbosch wine region – there are so many family-friendly wine farms it’s hard to decide where to start. Complete your Cape Town adventure with a simply stunning sunset over the Atlantic Ocean from Signal Hill or Camps Bay.
Our Experience: We totally agree with Keri – Cape Town and all of South Africa is amazing with kids and one of our favorite places in the world. You can find more tips for visiting South Africa with young children here and here is a sample of the best places to visit in South Africa.
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If you’re looking for a truly unique family vacation destination, definitely consider Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It’s such a special place (and completely different from any other on this list), but it has so much to offer families!
Dubai has so much to see and do, from beaches to deserts, impressive skyscrapers and sensational attractions for the whole family, that you could easily spend several family holidays here and never get bored.
Visit the tallest building in the world, ride a camel in the desert, spend time in one of the many theme parks or swim in some of the most impressive water parks in the world… These are just some of the amazing things to do in Dubai with kids!
And while visiting a destination like this with the whole family can get pretty expensive very quickly, there are plenty of really nice free and cheap things to do.
