9 Unforgettable Family Vacation Ideas
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Feb 11
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We’ve been there: It’s tough finding family vacation ideas that will accommodate a toddler’s nap schedule and a sulky teen’s antipathy toward… everything. You kind of want to just pick a beach resort with a lazy river and a kids’ club and be done with it. (And there’s nothing wrong with that! We have some favorites.) If you’d rather go on a group adventure, consider these nine family vacation ideas—all tried and loved by intrepid clans in the Condé Nast Traveler universe—as your inspiration this year.
This gallery was originally published in July 2018. It has been updated with new information.
GettySeeking auroras (and cod) in Lofoten, Norway
A few winters ago, we did an awesome family trip to Lofoten, Norway—an archipelago some 800 miles from Oslo and 95 miles north of the Arctic Circle—with my Floridian nieces, then ages 11, 10, 9, and 7. We scouted for the Aurora and went fishing for the migratory Arctic cod that arrives here every March. The girls got to try their hands at cutting out cod tongues—a local tradition in the Lofoten Islands that’s reserved for children only. In addition to checking off their bucket list item (seeing snow), my nieces had a true cultural experience that I’m sure they’ll always remember. —Terry Ward, contributing writer
GettyThe Galápagos Islands are the antidote to ‘Fortnite’
We went on an island-based exploration of the Gálapagos Islands—our second time there as a family. The first trip was more than 10 years ago, when the boys were 13 and 11. It was perfect then and now as the ultimate wildlife safari where its big five are incredibly approachable. As our son Matt said, “I’ve snorkeled in a lot of cool places around the world, and it’s always about watching sea life as an observer. But the Galápagos is just different. The penguins and sea turtles have no fear of us at all. They just do their thing. The sea lion pups are desperate to get your attention and play with you, so you’re totally interacting with the wildlife.”
My wife Susie loved the Galápagos too, for a totally different reason than the boys. “Where do you take two college-age boys on what may be one of our last family vacations for a while? The Galápagos checks a lot of boxes: no jet lag, relatively easy flights, warm weather, and lots of activities. We had a blast kayaking, snorkeling, surfing, mountain biking, beach walking, and hiking. And the side benefit was that, although my husband Edward and I have international data plans, the boys do not. This meant a week of no texting with friends, social media, or Fortnite—and more time to spend with Mom and Dad. They were in the moment. We had awesome conversations. One night, we just sat in the hot tub at our beachside hotel in awe of seeing the constellations from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. I call it a fortnight without Fortnite.” —Edward Piegza, founder of Classic Journeys
GettySurf and sushi in Vancouver and Tofino
We’ve been lucky to have our share of winner-winner family vacations, but one of the very best was our 2016 summer trip to Vancouver and Tofino on Vancouver Island. We all still talk about how great this trip was. My daughter was 12 and my son was nine, and they’d both traveled enough to understand the delights of not just the great outdoors (a huge part of what makes coastal, surf-heavy Tofino so special), but also amazing food. We played a game we’ve been doing on trips for years: Everyone had to try something new—every day of the trip. Could be food, an experience, a sport, whatever. In Vancouver, we had an unforgettable night trying grilled octopus and water cake at the Asian Night Market and what’s probably the best sushi of our lives at Minami. Then, after a first-ever float plane ride to Vancouver Island and a gorgeous three-hour drive to Tofino, we found a secluded stretch of beach along a temperate rainforest. We surfed, beach-combed (I’ve never seen so many sand dollars), and took a whale watching trip that revealed a huge sun fish and first-ever sightings of puffins. —Nina K. Hahn, contributing writer
GettySomething for everyone in Israel
When I went to Israel with my four kids—then aged 18, 14, 7 and 4—everyone had a blast. There’s a warmth there; the country really embraces families and children of all ages, and that welcome was coupled with an amazing range of activities. We rappelled off a crater in Mitzpe Ramon; hiked in Sde Boker, a kibbutz in the Negev desert; and did a walking tour of the Machne Yehuda market in Jerusalem followed by a food tour. The best part of the experience? Even though the kids’ ages ran the spectrum, there was literally something for everyone, not to mention the rich history around every corner. Added bonus: Even the ultra-trendy restaurants have kids menus and give you crayons (thanks Hasdna-The Culinary Workshop in Jerusalem). —Beth Lusko, Condé Nast head of sales for home and travel
Courtesy Montage Palmetto BluffBoating and porching in Lowcountry
Kids all love a pool, but that can get boring quickly for the adults trying to keep them from drowning. We struck pay dirt on a trip to Palmetto Bluff, in South Carolina Lowcountry (you can fly into Savannah, Georgia, or Hilton Head to reach it). Here, the Montage Palmetto Bluff is a sprawling resort on the May River with a main inn, riverside cottages, two villages, a nature preserve, walking and biking trails, marina, restaurants, and Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course. Translation: You won’t be bored.
The kids loved having the freedom to jump on their bikes and ride to a nearby treehouse and playground, or R.T.’s general store (not something they get in their day-to-day life). We took a boat out on the River, which was an unintentional lesson in the area’s extensive conservation efforts—we spotted dolphins, a bald eagle, egrets, and blue and gray herons in one afternoon, but never saw the ‘gators—peppered with dock jumping, tubing, kayaking, and shelling at sunset on a sandbank where we collected an eyebrow-raising number of sand dollars. We had pool time, naturally, along with a family Wiffle Ball game on the village square, and an afternoon “porching,” a social hour with lemonade and cookies, nightly S’mores, and daily demonstrations of classic dishes like hoppin’ John and shrimp ‘n grits. —Corina Quinn, director, city guides
Skiing in southeastern France
Shortly before my son Waylon’s first birthday (and about six weeks before COVID-19 ground international family travel to a halt) we landed in Geneva on our way to see my brother, just over the border in France’s Grand Massif region of the Haute-Savoie. The flight was uneventful—the new parent’s prayer—and we set up shop in a chalet near the ski village of Morillon. This was our first international trip since Waylon was born. It was also my first opportunity to ski in Europe. Having family there to share baby responsibilities allowed us all to explore the mountains at our own speeds. Most memorable for me: skiing alongside a waterfall as I dropped into the town of Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval.
Away from the ski runs (which he’s going to have to wait a few more years to tackle), there was so much for Waylon to enjoy. The joy on his one-year-old face as he toddled around in the snow on top of the Col de Joux Plane mountain pass is something I think every parent aspires to create for their kids. And if you were wondering, “Is there an indoor water park in a mall near the Swiss border that my young child will love?” the answer is very much yes. As soon as European borders reopen we’ll be having a redux, including the latest member of the family, Waylon’s cousin Claire, born in September. —Noah Kaufman, editor, city guides
Andrea ComiA Tuscan castle fit for a flock
One year, I was lucky enough to travel with a friend’s family to their favorite villa in Tuscany, Castello di Cabbiavoli. With room to sleep 12, my friends and I claimed the separate 13th-century tower for ourselves, while the rest of the family had plush bedrooms scattered through the main house. The highlight of the villa was, of course, the pool, which we spent our days by with a glass of the refreshing house white wine made by the owners. Dinners—from the full-time cook the villa employs—were in the sumptuous dining room, with plenty of family-style pastas and meats. And during the days, we took the train to cities like Siena and Florence for shopping and sightseeing. It’s easy to see why this Tuscany trip has become something of an annual tradition for my friend’s family, especially as their brood grows. —Stephanie Wu, articles director
M.M. SweetIsland hopping in Hawaii
One of our most memorable multigenerational trips to date was to Hawaii, where we combined a few days of shopping in Oahu with natural wonders on the island of Hawaii. The adults were pleased with the fantastic Japanese restaurants in and around Honolulu, as well as sunset cocktails at the Halekulani. Meanwhile, the kids adored swimming with dolphins on the Big Island, and the 20-somethings got a dose of adventure with a helicopter tour over Volcanoes National Park. It was a trip that was varied but never overwhelming, and the Four Seasons Hualalai was an ideal home base for activities like nightly S’mores, incredible restaurant meals, and plenty of open spaces to lounge around with a good book. —S.W.
rand22A mother-daughter weekend at a Mexican resort
Most people would opt to spend a long weekend in paradise with their significant other, but not me. Instead, I brought my mom. In November 2017 we packed our bags and bid a temporary farewell to chilly northern New Jersey, boarding a flight bound for Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Our final destination was the Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort, set between the subdued sands of San Jose Del Cabo and party-hard Cabo San Lucas.
While it’s true we didn’t capitalize on the more romantic aspects of the place—and there were plenty of them, like special couples massages and rose petals on a bed overlooking the ocean—we managed to get the best of all worlds, finding lots of things to do together and eking out alone time when we needed it. On our first evening, we sat together at the bar, scarfing down freshly made guacamole and sipping margaritas, talking and laughing late into the night. During the day, we spent most of our time sitting side-by-side at the resort’s infinity-edge pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean, each nose-deep in a book; one afternoon, we even rode horses down the beach as the sun set, before showering off and dining on a suite of Italian-inflected dishes outdoors at Vela, under a practically full moon. (And we actually did get sorely needed massages, albeit in separate rooms.) Taking this trip—rather than, say, plotting out an action-packed weekend in a city—gave us a low-stakes chance to really relax and catch up. Forget the rose petals. All anyone really needs is the guac, anyway. —Betsy Blumenthal, associate editor
Source: cntraveler.com
