Earlier this week, I posted an album of photos on Instagram of all our family vacations and asked if I had ever influenced anyone to take a trip. The response was OVERWHELMING. I loved reading through the comments (over 1000!) and seeing how many of my followers have shared in similar experiences— Iceland, Copenhagen, Yosemite, Park City, etc. As we try and figure out what trips are in our future, I thought I would turn the tables and ask you guys to influence me.
What was your favorite family vacation that you absolutely know my family would love to experience too? Where did you go, where did you stay, what did you do, and what was most memorable about the trip?
My hope is that this thread becomes a good travel resource for everyone!
When I was a kid, my family used to go to Vegas and Zion National Park at Christmas. This was when my brother and I were older, I was in high school when we first went and we continued the tradition for about 8 years. We would fly into Vegas for a night or two and catch a show or two and walk the strip then drive to Zion for a few more days to enjoy the park when it wasn't as crowded. We always stayed at the Desert Pearl Inn and ate at Oscar's Cafe for our Christmas dinner. The town right by Zion, Springdale, is very cute with shops and restaurants. Zion is also close to Arches and Bryce Canyon if you wanted to check out some other national parks. I am hoping that my brother and I can take our families, along with our mom, back to Zion sometime soon.
I was going to say Zion as well! We did a cross country trip two years ago in an RV for a month and went to 13 national parks. Zion was our favorite, especially the hike through the Narrows. Kids talk about it all the time. The girls were 9 and 11 at the time.
Costa Rica by a mile! At the time I had a 7 year old and a 16 year old and they both maintain to this day (10 years later) that is their favorite vacation. So much to see - volcanos, canyons, beaches, animals - the people are SO SO nice. They accept (welcome!) US dollars, and it was pretty affordable as well, from Phoenix anyway. 10/10 would highly recommend.
Last summer we took our kids to Italy- Umbria specifically. It was somewhere I grew up going (I’m Scottish) and we did a long weekend in London first then Italy. It is one of the most child friendly places we’ve ever been, and I don’t mean in a kid activity way, just that people expected kids to be everywhere. Their highlight was wine tasting. They got a tiny sip of all the wines, and now love telling people that their favorite was rose. Cannot recommend it enough. It was a magical vacation.
Eek! My twins graduate from high school in May and they are going to Germany, France, and Spain then meeting us in Italy. We’ve never been to Italy so I’m thrilled hearing from others how magical it is!!
My daughter went on a school trip to Costa Rica and Panama last summer- she is pretty outdoorsy and very athletic. She talks about Costa Rica ALL.OF.THE.TIME. They zip lined, snorkeled, went to volcanos, saw animals, she so badly wants to go back with her family and surf. As a family we love a relaxing, all inclusive in Mexico, especially with how hectic high school has been for kids. And then one of my sons loves NYC (so do I) and as uneventful and fairly inexpensive as it is, renting a VRBO near Mission Beach in San Diego is probably my family’s all time favorite.
We live in Colorado but it's my absolute favorite place to vacation (#2 being Germany) Colorado: RMNP, alpine coasters, Vail, Aspen, Dinosaur National Monument, four corners, Mesa Verde, sand dunes, Bent's Old Fort, Manitou Springs, Florissant fossil beds. Be sure to take back roads everywhere to find some really awesome ghost towns.
Germany, go to Munich and get completely lost. Then Heidelberg to get lost some more, then top it off with a couple castles.
The best we've been to is Phoenix Gold Mine, it's in Idaho Springs. Their panning is amazing and the tour was fantastic. Second best was Country Boy Mine, it's in Breckenridge. Their panning isn't as great, but the tour was slightly better than Phoenix.
ahahah I specifically went during autumn because i wanted to live the cloudy / rainy / mysterious atmosphere around the lochs, visiting the castles etc... That's how I always pictured Scotland and I absolutely loved it!!
I went to grad school in Scotland (University of Edinburgh) and it was some of the best times of my life. Edinburgh is a dream - amazing food, amazing people, gorgeous scenery, fantastic museums... I could go on. And the Highlands? Magical.
SOUTH AFRICA!! Best trip we've done yet (Morocco has now moved to second place). We spent two nights in Franschhoek, four nights in Cape Town (not enough time!) and a beyond amazing four nights on safari in Sabi Sands. Waking up before dawn to spend time with the most exquisite animals (we saw the big 5 every day!) was beyond! And then the sundowner driver (complete with sundowners of course). We stayed at Savanna Private Game Reserve and I can't say enough about the service we received. Everyone we met was wonderful. And the food delicious! It's difficult to put into words the EXPERIENCE of safari, because it's just that, an EXPERIENCE. Seeing those beautiful animals up close and personal really puts into perspective how small we are as humans. Our trip was planned by Shelley Rapp at Rapture Travels and she nailed it (as she always does)! She knew all the activities each of us would appreciate. Highly recommend her! And Ilana, you already know we're ready to go back so we can all go together as soon as you're ready. : )
Agreed on Morocco. We loved taking the trains in Morocco and from Marrakesh it's so much fun to drive to Oarzazate and then on to Zagoura. Have done a couple camel / overnight camps out there and it's so cool. I personally love the atlantic coastline of northern morocco, especially around Asilah, and Tangier is one of my favorite port towns. Sadly Chefchaouen is now very overrun but still magical.
I came here to say the exact same destinations! South Africa and Morocco are two of my top recommends for a totally different cultural experience where you can mix up nature, city, sheer beauty, and get a bit of luxury if you're looking for it. We just got back from Marrakech and absolutely adored our time, despite all three kids being into different things, and I definitely think it's a perfect big kid destination. We learned some Arabic, explored the souks, took a ton of photos of amazing architecture, and my youngest had fhe best time camel riding - next time would add in the Ourika Valley. Last time I did Cape Town and the wine region was when my eldest was 7 months and can't wait to take him back to South Africa as a teen. We want to visit District Six as he'a studied it in literature class, as well as the obvious sites of Table Mountain, the Waterfront, Kirstenbosch and definitely go see the penguins round the coast (which was his favourite as a baby!!). We love to stay in Camps Bay for the sheer gorgeousness.
Sarah-couldn't agree more! Marrakech is so so special. My husbands mom was from Marrakech and his dad from Casablanca so when we went to Morocco in 2018 is was an incredibly emotional, beautiful trip. We even saw where both of them lived. Crazy special!
We live just a few hours away from Lake Tahoe, CA and it has always been my favourite place to vacation with my three sons. I grew up vacationing there as a kid and all through adulthood so I’ve continued the tradition. There’s lots to do in the summer - hiking, biking, river rafting, miniature golf, ziplining, etc. - and lots not to do like hanging out at the beach all day. And it’s relatively affordable given that we don’t have to fly anywhere and we rent a house or condo so that we can cook most meals at home. We just don’t have the budget for a family of five to jet off to Europe or take a cruise
We went skiing in Tahoe in 2019 because my stepbrother was on sabbatical there. It's not the easiest place for us to travel to from New York but we loved it so much!
Yellowstone was amazing. We spent about 7 full days there when my daughter was almost 4. Would have been better for her to be a little older since she was the only kid, but we had a blast. And we could have spent a few more days there to really spend more time in each area.
Internationally, Amsterdam. I did a walking tour, had some amazing food, saw Anne Frank's house, Van Gogh museum. And all in 2 very quick days. To be fair, I went alone, but the exact same things would be good for big kids, but perhaps on a longer timeline.
We visited Yellowstone last summer with our 3 & 6 year olds and it was awesome! Could have used more time there and if the kids were older would have done more hiking but it was our best family vacation so far!
Last year, I took a cruise through Norway and it was phenomenal. Truly, it was breathtaking. Personally, I thought cruising was great because Norway is an expensive country, so the ship served as your hotel, transportation, and dining. Also, because it went out of Southampton (England), we had really easy flights. We also did touring of the English countryside and London, pre and post. We saw Stonehenge and great Cathedral towns. We saw Highclere Castle from Downton Abbey...... I cannot recommend enough.
Alaska is really amazing--the scale, the wilderness, the variety of landscapes really are hard to describe. We flew to Anchorage and rented a car to drive down to Kenai Fjords National Park and Homer. A boat ride and hike at Kachamak Bay State Park was a highlight of that part of the trip (despite muddy conditions), with a glacial lake, sea otters, and fresh oysters from a floating farm stand. Then we flew to Juneau and took a ferry up to Haines. The Fjordlines ferry ride was our daughter's favorite part of the trip. We saw whales, sea lions, porpoises, and more, plus they served delicious clam chowder and cookies. Haines and Skagway were charming and beautiful and we tagged on a road trip up to Haines Junction in the Yukon of Canada. There were a thousand more details--fascinating cultural features, great food, etc.--but the takeaway is that Alaska is officially my 10 year old daughter's current favorite place on the planet (but Thailand is a close second).
Randomly, Cincinnati was our favorite vacation so far. It was a last-minute trip to replace a trip to Disney we cancelled at the height of the Delta wave. We (me, hubby, then 6yo and 4yo) drove up from Louisiana, stopping at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL, then spent nearly a week in Cincy, going to the zoo, a baseball game, the museum complex, meeting my husband's friends (he grew up there), eating bagels and chili, and more. On the way home, we stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park and did a tour of the primary cave. It was very cool (literally and figuratively).
My five-year-old also votes for Chicago (public transportation and museums are always huge winners for us), and the house in Florida we rented with a pool when we finally re-did our Disney trip last year. Disney is NOT on the list for them or me.
We’ve really enjoyed doing road trips on the East Coast. Last summer we spent 2-3 days each in CT, ME, VT, NH, and NY. Road trips allow us to find activities that each of us are interested in and we’re never in the car for more than a couple of hours! We also try to stop for the “worlds largest” stuff because it’s fun!
Germany! We went last summer and all loved it. Berlin/Potsdam, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Bern and Cologne. Super easy train transportation between cities (almost always on time!) Lots of Airbnb and hotel options and most cities are set up similarly with public parks, bike rentals, pharmacies, and good restaurants. Our kids are older than yours, so it may be easier/more interesting a few years from now, but definitely worth planning!
It’s a toss up between Maui/ Kauai and Telluride in the summer for us. Hawaii was gorgeous and my teen (Mazzy’s age) loved the Four Season so much in Maui that I worry it’s ruined her for all else. But Telluride was next level. It’s jaw droppingly gorgeous, phenomenal food, not commercialized, and an easy drive to 4(!) national parks. It’s also so safe—part of what my teen lived was the ability to wander freely. Neither vacation was cheap. But both were simply amazing. And in general, I’d give a plug to any ski town in the late summer months. Great weather, no bugs, minimal crowds, great shopping, food and hiking/ scenery. We’ve been to Vail, Breckenridge and Jackson Hole in the summer months too and loved them all!
I agree with “any ski town in the late summer months.” I would avoid the shoulder season months (as travel agents call them) like April, May, September & October. The college kids that staff the shops and resorts are back in school and - especially since the pandemic but even before- the ski towns feel like ghost towns. Shops and restaurants close down in Park City, for example, in those months. We made that mistake once. Booked a nice dinner at the St Regis and service was practically nonexistent. It was pretty though!
We did an all-inclusive in Jamaica which I rallied against for years because I always like to get out there and experience everything a location has to offer. But, it turned out to be one of our family’s favorite vacations. The kids were 5 and 8 and loved meeting and playing with other kids at the kids club and the adults enjoyed a few hours to themselves. It was fun to come back at the end of the day and share our experiences. Not to mention I didn’t have to plan a thing which made for maximum relaxation!
We had a similar experience at Iberostar in Mexico. We are not usually the all inclusive kids club type but the kids absolutely loved all the activities geared to them, left us for the majority of the day and Mike and I felt like we were on an actual vacation.
Then you should do one of these in Seychelles, Mauritius, or Maldives. And stop over and visit us in Dubai on the way. Dubai is such a fun city as a tourist (I live here so it doesn't count) but it is so fun for tweens and teens and the perfect 3-4 day stopover on the way to an exotic vacation.
Belize! We went over Winter Break and spent 4 days in the Jungle at Laminai Outpost Lodge which was the coolest experience and then 4 days on the beach in Amberigis Caye and explored via Golf Cart. We also loved our trip to Budapest, Hungary which was very kid friendly, Val Disere for Skiing, White Water Rafting and Oregon Coast, Tanque Verde for horses!
We did Canada a few years ago and it was so much fun. Visited Niagara, then headed to St. Catherine’s and Niagara on the Lake. Bike rides and hikes, wineries and road side stands. We then went to Toronto for a few days which was so fun, toured the city and took the ferry to Centre Island beach. It was low key but our kids loved it! They were thrilled to see a Toys R Us and actual Kinderjoy 🤷♀️
We seem to find fun wherever we go— the best vacations are the ones where you are all open to spontaneous possibilities. Best resorts for families: Melia (Paradisus) Cabo Real, Westin Hapuna Beach, Edgewood Lake Tahoe, and Tanque Verde Dude Ranch.
coincidentally - we just came from Dubai where we enjoyed skiing at SkiDubai (in the mall!). It's a massive place, with its own chairlift and even has black diamond run! my daughter enjoyed her 1hr discovery lesson so much we went back the next day for another. Great timing - just read your post about your ski holiday!
Costa Rica with our then 13, 17, & 18 year-olds. Amazing!! We loved Arenal and wished we had stayed there longer. So much to do! And the food is amazing. We also wen to Hawaii - Honolulu & Kauai. Kauai is freaking beautiful and was the best part of the trip. My kids were 16, 20, 21 for that one, but we went the entire extended family. Kids ages 7-21!
A whirlwind last minute trip to Paris for my 40th Birthday with my husband and 8 year old daughter at the time. I had three weeks to book hotel, flights and research tours. It was the best 3 days ever! No we didn't see everything and that was ok. We saw the highlights and we were able to just take it at our own pace. That was almost five years ago, we are planning another trip next year and my goal is to not over complicate it.
My family loves Oahu because you get a beach vacation and a city vacation in one. We stay right on Waikiki and don't rent a car most days because you can walk or lyft to a million things. You can hike, swim, visit museums and cultural centers, take surf lessons, and eat so much great food, especially fresh fish and Asian food, our favorites.
We also love road trips where you can go back to the same place many times and have the comfort of knowing that you're going to love it, and the fun/challenge to find a few new things each time. Our favorite road trip locations from Denver are Breckenridge, Vail, and Santa Fe, NM.
I know you said Amsterdam is at the top of your list. Our family loves the Netherlands beyond Amsterdam. Definitely go into the city and see the major sites, but we have the best time exploring other smaller towns. If you can go in the spring when the tulips are blooming, Keukenhof is a must. have stayed several times outside of the city in Zaandam. It’s a quick train ride but you’re not staying right in Amsterdam. We also enjoyed Delft, Haarlem, The Hague, the beach at Zaandvort, and our last trip we checked out Hoge Veluwe National Park. It has the second largest Van Gogh collection in the world, plus bicycles to borrow and explore the park.
Cape Cod was a great alternative to a typical beach trip. We're from the south so our beach trips generally involve Florida or South Carolina. We flew into Boston, didn't schedule time to explore but easily could build in some time to see sight in Boston. Rented a car and drove down to the Cape to stay at a VRBO in the Hyacinth area. Walkable with fun trails to a nearby beach and a few food spots. Quick drive to Hyacinth's main street with lots of dining and shops. Other than spending time at the beach we also went on a whale watching tour (whale sighting guaranteed!) and explored Provincetown, visited the JFK museum and a Pirate Museum, went putt-putting, kayak and sup boarded through a beautiful marsh creek, ferried to Martha's Vineyard for a day -- rode bikes and jumped off Jaw's Bridge, ate lots of ice cream, and even grilled out at our VRBO a time or two. The area is rich in history and provided a great alternative to the south's beaches at summer time.
1) Sri Lanka - this is number 1. There are like 3 weeks of stuff to do in Sri Lanka - Buddhist sites, colonial sites, ancient sites, hiking, monuments, amazing beaches, walled towns, the best food ever, absolutely lovely people.
2) Austria - Vienna and Salzburg are fabulous cities, and the countryside is soo accessible on public buses and trains, dive into an alpen lake, delicious food, beautiful scenery.
3) Egypt - should be at the top of anyone's list. Cairo / pyramids / Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan, and the best snorkeling in the world in Dahab.
4) Botswana - the Okavanga delta is incredible and really accessible flying in and out of Victoria Falls (and seeing Victoria falls) as well as floating down the Zambezi is amazing.
5) Armenia - overlooked and amazing food, people, wine, sites ancient and modern. Yerevan is one of my favorite cities ever.
6) The Perigeux region of France - absolutely stunning and honestly amazing even compared with Dordogne region. Tons of small places to stay and a million ancient towns, markets, swimming holes, and sites to visit by car.
I've done all of these with kids ranging in age from 0-9, and i bet they would all be even more fun with slightly older kids. We just haven't let little kids stand in the way of fun travel ;) so drag them everywhere. We are off to Portugal in 2 days!
Aspen / Snowmass! Your family will love it and for all different reasons. Obviously the skiing is unbelievable, but Mike will also love how easy everything is from the ski-in ski-out lockers to the free transportation. You will love how clean and modern the accommodations are (plus the people watching is next level because, well, Aspen!!) Mazzy and Harlow will love all of the non-ski activities like the selfie-den/game lounge, the ice skating rink, the snow coaster, ice cream shop, rock climbing wall, fireside s'mores, crepe shop, curling, bowling alley, a recreation center with a pool and slides, and a hot tub in the condo building the size of a swimming pool. It’s also incredibly safe there. I let my kids (10 & 8) do most things by themselves. You will all love that! The condo actually overlooks the village so you can see them at most of these places if you aren’t fully comfortable with it. You have to check it out! https://www.gosnowmass.com/activities/
We went to Italy's Puglia region when my son was 6yo. Flying into Bari, we rented a car for a week and a half and toured through Molfetta, Mattinata, Polignano a Mare, Matera, Taranto and back to spend the last day in Bari. It was so cool to spend a night or two in each small town, three of them by the beach (our first all-pebble beach ever was in Mattinata) inside really old, cute and unique B&B's - in Matera we stayed at a B&B that was technically a cave carved into the mountain, emulating the first inhabitants of the city over 10,000 years ago! It happened to be during a time of year when tourism was low, but that was pre-pandemic so I have no clue what things are like now. Best parts that my son still remembers at 10yo: all the beach time we got and all the gelato we ate every day!
We used to take family road trips from Florida to NJ where my dad is from. Had a blast on the boardwalk & doing touristy things. Niagara Falls was also fun to see as a kid.
My favorite vacations, though, have been as an adult going with my boyfriends family to Drummond Island, MI for a week every summer. Drummond Island is a small island accessible by ferry in the upper peninsula. These are the most relaxing and fun vacations. Boating, fishing, hiking, are among my favorite activities. We took a day trip to Mackinaw Island from Drummond (no cars allowed on this tiny tourist island) and had a blast! I highly recommend the UP, specifically Drummond Island.
Is there a way to access some of Ilana's older trips' itineraries? The Yosemite, Savannah, Norway, Quebec ones all sound amazing. As a paid subscriber, are there archives that we can access that give those details? I see the New Zealand trip saved in IG highlights but am not seeing the other ones. Thank you to anyone who can lead me in the right direction.
We took our kids ages at 12 and 8 to Paris for Christmas this last year. It was Paris so of course it was magical but even more so at the holidays. We were there a week and saw A LOT of the sites. My kids loved all of the museums and were definitely old enough to take it all in.
Additionally, I live in Seattle and a trip out to the PNW to see another corner of the country could be great too. From seeing Seattle to Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park, the San Juan Islands and other endless possible itineraries.
We stayed in the arenal volcano area for the first half of our trip, I can’t remember which hotel, but it was near the hot springs (which were amazing). We did zip lining here as our highlight. We then went to the coast (pacific side) and stayed at the Westin all inclusive there. Best activity during that part of our stay was an excursion through the Guachepelin reserve. Spectacular.
related to family vacations - do you still make photo albums or the photo books? I have thousands of photos on my iPhone and I don't know what to do with them. would want to make photo books for each holiday/special occasion but don't know which is better - album or photo books.
Vietnam! No question. Amazing food, gorgeous people, big cities, small villages, stunning beaches, bike rides, boat trips, something for everyone.
Oh I'd love to hear more about this. Did you go with your kids? where did you stay?
A friend just got back from Vietnam after a short, short visit and is now planning to bring her entire family. She was enchanted.
When I was a kid, my family used to go to Vegas and Zion National Park at Christmas. This was when my brother and I were older, I was in high school when we first went and we continued the tradition for about 8 years. We would fly into Vegas for a night or two and catch a show or two and walk the strip then drive to Zion for a few more days to enjoy the park when it wasn't as crowded. We always stayed at the Desert Pearl Inn and ate at Oscar's Cafe for our Christmas dinner. The town right by Zion, Springdale, is very cute with shops and restaurants. Zion is also close to Arches and Bryce Canyon if you wanted to check out some other national parks. I am hoping that my brother and I can take our families, along with our mom, back to Zion sometime soon.
If you go to Zion when it’s warm/hot, hiking the Narrows is a must. My boys absolutely loved the adventure.
I was going to say Zion as well! We did a cross country trip two years ago in an RV for a month and went to 13 national parks. Zion was our favorite, especially the hike through the Narrows. Kids talk about it all the time. The girls were 9 and 11 at the time.
Costa Rica by a mile! At the time I had a 7 year old and a 16 year old and they both maintain to this day (10 years later) that is their favorite vacation. So much to see - volcanos, canyons, beaches, animals - the people are SO SO nice. They accept (welcome!) US dollars, and it was pretty affordable as well, from Phoenix anyway. 10/10 would highly recommend.
So fun! My husband and I went before we had kids who are now 12 and 8. I think taking them there sounds wonderful.
Read your comment the day it was published and have not stopped thinking about going there next! Where did you stay?
Oooh this is next on my list.
Last summer we took our kids to Italy- Umbria specifically. It was somewhere I grew up going (I’m Scottish) and we did a long weekend in London first then Italy. It is one of the most child friendly places we’ve ever been, and I don’t mean in a kid activity way, just that people expected kids to be everywhere. Their highlight was wine tasting. They got a tiny sip of all the wines, and now love telling people that their favorite was rose. Cannot recommend it enough. It was a magical vacation.
Eek! My twins graduate from high school in May and they are going to Germany, France, and Spain then meeting us in Italy. We’ve never been to Italy so I’m thrilled hearing from others how magical it is!!
My daughter went on a school trip to Costa Rica and Panama last summer- she is pretty outdoorsy and very athletic. She talks about Costa Rica ALL.OF.THE.TIME. They zip lined, snorkeled, went to volcanos, saw animals, she so badly wants to go back with her family and surf. As a family we love a relaxing, all inclusive in Mexico, especially with how hectic high school has been for kids. And then one of my sons loves NYC (so do I) and as uneventful and fairly inexpensive as it is, renting a VRBO near Mission Beach in San Diego is probably my family’s all time favorite.
We live in Colorado but it's my absolute favorite place to vacation (#2 being Germany) Colorado: RMNP, alpine coasters, Vail, Aspen, Dinosaur National Monument, four corners, Mesa Verde, sand dunes, Bent's Old Fort, Manitou Springs, Florissant fossil beds. Be sure to take back roads everywhere to find some really awesome ghost towns.
Germany, go to Munich and get completely lost. Then Heidelberg to get lost some more, then top it off with a couple castles.
I really want to take my kids to
Pan for gold this summer. We are going to Aspen for Food and Wine. Do you have a place you’d reccommend?
The best we've been to is Phoenix Gold Mine, it's in Idaho Springs. Their panning is amazing and the tour was fantastic. Second best was Country Boy Mine, it's in Breckenridge. Their panning isn't as great, but the tour was slightly better than Phoenix.
Thank you!
I totally fell in love with Scotland!!! The landscapes are amazing, people are SO nice! We went during autumn and the colors were just amazing....
Oh I'm so on convince-the-Wiles-family-to-go-to-Scotland train. I studied abroad there and just went back in March and I love it so much!!!
Ha, I’m from Scotland and I cannot imagine why anyone would vacation there. 🙈 If there is no sun, it’s not a vacation.
😂 I’m in Wales and totally agree about the sun!
Although Scotland and Wales are beautiful.
ahahah I specifically went during autumn because i wanted to live the cloudy / rainy / mysterious atmosphere around the lochs, visiting the castles etc... That's how I always pictured Scotland and I absolutely loved it!!
I went to grad school in Scotland (University of Edinburgh) and it was some of the best times of my life. Edinburgh is a dream - amazing food, amazing people, gorgeous scenery, fantastic museums... I could go on. And the Highlands? Magical.
SOUTH AFRICA!! Best trip we've done yet (Morocco has now moved to second place). We spent two nights in Franschhoek, four nights in Cape Town (not enough time!) and a beyond amazing four nights on safari in Sabi Sands. Waking up before dawn to spend time with the most exquisite animals (we saw the big 5 every day!) was beyond! And then the sundowner driver (complete with sundowners of course). We stayed at Savanna Private Game Reserve and I can't say enough about the service we received. Everyone we met was wonderful. And the food delicious! It's difficult to put into words the EXPERIENCE of safari, because it's just that, an EXPERIENCE. Seeing those beautiful animals up close and personal really puts into perspective how small we are as humans. Our trip was planned by Shelley Rapp at Rapture Travels and she nailed it (as she always does)! She knew all the activities each of us would appreciate. Highly recommend her! And Ilana, you already know we're ready to go back so we can all go together as soon as you're ready. : )
Agreed on Morocco. We loved taking the trains in Morocco and from Marrakesh it's so much fun to drive to Oarzazate and then on to Zagoura. Have done a couple camel / overnight camps out there and it's so cool. I personally love the atlantic coastline of northern morocco, especially around Asilah, and Tangier is one of my favorite port towns. Sadly Chefchaouen is now very overrun but still magical.
I came here to say the exact same destinations! South Africa and Morocco are two of my top recommends for a totally different cultural experience where you can mix up nature, city, sheer beauty, and get a bit of luxury if you're looking for it. We just got back from Marrakech and absolutely adored our time, despite all three kids being into different things, and I definitely think it's a perfect big kid destination. We learned some Arabic, explored the souks, took a ton of photos of amazing architecture, and my youngest had fhe best time camel riding - next time would add in the Ourika Valley. Last time I did Cape Town and the wine region was when my eldest was 7 months and can't wait to take him back to South Africa as a teen. We want to visit District Six as he'a studied it in literature class, as well as the obvious sites of Table Mountain, the Waterfront, Kirstenbosch and definitely go see the penguins round the coast (which was his favourite as a baby!!). We love to stay in Camps Bay for the sheer gorgeousness.
Sarah-couldn't agree more! Marrakech is so so special. My husbands mom was from Marrakech and his dad from Casablanca so when we went to Morocco in 2018 is was an incredibly emotional, beautiful trip. We even saw where both of them lived. Crazy special!
We live just a few hours away from Lake Tahoe, CA and it has always been my favourite place to vacation with my three sons. I grew up vacationing there as a kid and all through adulthood so I’ve continued the tradition. There’s lots to do in the summer - hiking, biking, river rafting, miniature golf, ziplining, etc. - and lots not to do like hanging out at the beach all day. And it’s relatively affordable given that we don’t have to fly anywhere and we rent a house or condo so that we can cook most meals at home. We just don’t have the budget for a family of five to jet off to Europe or take a cruise
We went skiing in Tahoe in 2019 because my stepbrother was on sabbatical there. It's not the easiest place for us to travel to from New York but we loved it so much!
I’m sure there are similar lakes closer to NYC for you to visit :)
Yellowstone was amazing. We spent about 7 full days there when my daughter was almost 4. Would have been better for her to be a little older since she was the only kid, but we had a blast. And we could have spent a few more days there to really spend more time in each area.
Internationally, Amsterdam. I did a walking tour, had some amazing food, saw Anne Frank's house, Van Gogh museum. And all in 2 very quick days. To be fair, I went alone, but the exact same things would be good for big kids, but perhaps on a longer timeline.
Amsterdam is on the very top of my list!
We visited Yellowstone last summer with our 3 & 6 year olds and it was awesome! Could have used more time there and if the kids were older would have done more hiking but it was our best family vacation so far!
Last year, I took a cruise through Norway and it was phenomenal. Truly, it was breathtaking. Personally, I thought cruising was great because Norway is an expensive country, so the ship served as your hotel, transportation, and dining. Also, because it went out of Southampton (England), we had really easy flights. We also did touring of the English countryside and London, pre and post. We saw Stonehenge and great Cathedral towns. We saw Highclere Castle from Downton Abbey...... I cannot recommend enough.
Alaska is really amazing--the scale, the wilderness, the variety of landscapes really are hard to describe. We flew to Anchorage and rented a car to drive down to Kenai Fjords National Park and Homer. A boat ride and hike at Kachamak Bay State Park was a highlight of that part of the trip (despite muddy conditions), with a glacial lake, sea otters, and fresh oysters from a floating farm stand. Then we flew to Juneau and took a ferry up to Haines. The Fjordlines ferry ride was our daughter's favorite part of the trip. We saw whales, sea lions, porpoises, and more, plus they served delicious clam chowder and cookies. Haines and Skagway were charming and beautiful and we tagged on a road trip up to Haines Junction in the Yukon of Canada. There were a thousand more details--fascinating cultural features, great food, etc.--but the takeaway is that Alaska is officially my 10 year old daughter's current favorite place on the planet (but Thailand is a close second).
Randomly, Cincinnati was our favorite vacation so far. It was a last-minute trip to replace a trip to Disney we cancelled at the height of the Delta wave. We (me, hubby, then 6yo and 4yo) drove up from Louisiana, stopping at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL, then spent nearly a week in Cincy, going to the zoo, a baseball game, the museum complex, meeting my husband's friends (he grew up there), eating bagels and chili, and more. On the way home, we stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park and did a tour of the primary cave. It was very cool (literally and figuratively).
My five-year-old also votes for Chicago (public transportation and museums are always huge winners for us), and the house in Florida we rented with a pool when we finally re-did our Disney trip last year. Disney is NOT on the list for them or me.
We’ve really enjoyed doing road trips on the East Coast. Last summer we spent 2-3 days each in CT, ME, VT, NH, and NY. Road trips allow us to find activities that each of us are interested in and we’re never in the car for more than a couple of hours! We also try to stop for the “worlds largest” stuff because it’s fun!
Germany! We went last summer and all loved it. Berlin/Potsdam, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Bern and Cologne. Super easy train transportation between cities (almost always on time!) Lots of Airbnb and hotel options and most cities are set up similarly with public parks, bike rentals, pharmacies, and good restaurants. Our kids are older than yours, so it may be easier/more interesting a few years from now, but definitely worth planning!
It’s a toss up between Maui/ Kauai and Telluride in the summer for us. Hawaii was gorgeous and my teen (Mazzy’s age) loved the Four Season so much in Maui that I worry it’s ruined her for all else. But Telluride was next level. It’s jaw droppingly gorgeous, phenomenal food, not commercialized, and an easy drive to 4(!) national parks. It’s also so safe—part of what my teen lived was the ability to wander freely. Neither vacation was cheap. But both were simply amazing. And in general, I’d give a plug to any ski town in the late summer months. Great weather, no bugs, minimal crowds, great shopping, food and hiking/ scenery. We’ve been to Vail, Breckenridge and Jackson Hole in the summer months too and loved them all!
I agree with “any ski town in the late summer months.” I would avoid the shoulder season months (as travel agents call them) like April, May, September & October. The college kids that staff the shops and resorts are back in school and - especially since the pandemic but even before- the ski towns feel like ghost towns. Shops and restaurants close down in Park City, for example, in those months. We made that mistake once. Booked a nice dinner at the St Regis and service was practically nonexistent. It was pretty though!
Agreed. The latest we’ve gone is first week of august.
I love the idea of visiting a ski town in the summer! Which was your favorite?
Telluride or Aspen are both incredible in summer.
We did an all-inclusive in Jamaica which I rallied against for years because I always like to get out there and experience everything a location has to offer. But, it turned out to be one of our family’s favorite vacations. The kids were 5 and 8 and loved meeting and playing with other kids at the kids club and the adults enjoyed a few hours to themselves. It was fun to come back at the end of the day and share our experiences. Not to mention I didn’t have to plan a thing which made for maximum relaxation!
We had a similar experience at Iberostar in Mexico. We are not usually the all inclusive kids club type but the kids absolutely loved all the activities geared to them, left us for the majority of the day and Mike and I felt like we were on an actual vacation.
Then you should do one of these in Seychelles, Mauritius, or Maldives. And stop over and visit us in Dubai on the way. Dubai is such a fun city as a tourist (I live here so it doesn't count) but it is so fun for tweens and teens and the perfect 3-4 day stopover on the way to an exotic vacation.
We’re going to Jamaica this summer! Which resort did you stay at?
Beaches Negril
Belize! We went over Winter Break and spent 4 days in the Jungle at Laminai Outpost Lodge which was the coolest experience and then 4 days on the beach in Amberigis Caye and explored via Golf Cart. We also loved our trip to Budapest, Hungary which was very kid friendly, Val Disere for Skiing, White Water Rafting and Oregon Coast, Tanque Verde for horses!
Oh Belize sounds dreamy! Putting that on my list. Budapest is already on there!
We did Canada a few years ago and it was so much fun. Visited Niagara, then headed to St. Catherine’s and Niagara on the Lake. Bike rides and hikes, wineries and road side stands. We then went to Toronto for a few days which was so fun, toured the city and took the ferry to Centre Island beach. It was low key but our kids loved it! They were thrilled to see a Toys R Us and actual Kinderjoy 🤷♀️
We seem to find fun wherever we go— the best vacations are the ones where you are all open to spontaneous possibilities. Best resorts for families: Melia (Paradisus) Cabo Real, Westin Hapuna Beach, Edgewood Lake Tahoe, and Tanque Verde Dude Ranch.
coincidentally - we just came from Dubai where we enjoyed skiing at SkiDubai (in the mall!). It's a massive place, with its own chairlift and even has black diamond run! my daughter enjoyed her 1hr discovery lesson so much we went back the next day for another. Great timing - just read your post about your ski holiday!
Costa Rica with our then 13, 17, & 18 year-olds. Amazing!! We loved Arenal and wished we had stayed there longer. So much to do! And the food is amazing. We also wen to Hawaii - Honolulu & Kauai. Kauai is freaking beautiful and was the best part of the trip. My kids were 16, 20, 21 for that one, but we went the entire extended family. Kids ages 7-21!
A whirlwind last minute trip to Paris for my 40th Birthday with my husband and 8 year old daughter at the time. I had three weeks to book hotel, flights and research tours. It was the best 3 days ever! No we didn't see everything and that was ok. We saw the highlights and we were able to just take it at our own pace. That was almost five years ago, we are planning another trip next year and my goal is to not over complicate it.
My family loves Oahu because you get a beach vacation and a city vacation in one. We stay right on Waikiki and don't rent a car most days because you can walk or lyft to a million things. You can hike, swim, visit museums and cultural centers, take surf lessons, and eat so much great food, especially fresh fish and Asian food, our favorites.
We also love road trips where you can go back to the same place many times and have the comfort of knowing that you're going to love it, and the fun/challenge to find a few new things each time. Our favorite road trip locations from Denver are Breckenridge, Vail, and Santa Fe, NM.
I know you said Amsterdam is at the top of your list. Our family loves the Netherlands beyond Amsterdam. Definitely go into the city and see the major sites, but we have the best time exploring other smaller towns. If you can go in the spring when the tulips are blooming, Keukenhof is a must. have stayed several times outside of the city in Zaandam. It’s a quick train ride but you’re not staying right in Amsterdam. We also enjoyed Delft, Haarlem, The Hague, the beach at Zaandvort, and our last trip we checked out Hoge Veluwe National Park. It has the second largest Van Gogh collection in the world, plus bicycles to borrow and explore the park.
Cape Cod was a great alternative to a typical beach trip. We're from the south so our beach trips generally involve Florida or South Carolina. We flew into Boston, didn't schedule time to explore but easily could build in some time to see sight in Boston. Rented a car and drove down to the Cape to stay at a VRBO in the Hyacinth area. Walkable with fun trails to a nearby beach and a few food spots. Quick drive to Hyacinth's main street with lots of dining and shops. Other than spending time at the beach we also went on a whale watching tour (whale sighting guaranteed!) and explored Provincetown, visited the JFK museum and a Pirate Museum, went putt-putting, kayak and sup boarded through a beautiful marsh creek, ferried to Martha's Vineyard for a day -- rode bikes and jumped off Jaw's Bridge, ate lots of ice cream, and even grilled out at our VRBO a time or two. The area is rich in history and provided a great alternative to the south's beaches at summer time.
1) Sri Lanka - this is number 1. There are like 3 weeks of stuff to do in Sri Lanka - Buddhist sites, colonial sites, ancient sites, hiking, monuments, amazing beaches, walled towns, the best food ever, absolutely lovely people.
2) Austria - Vienna and Salzburg are fabulous cities, and the countryside is soo accessible on public buses and trains, dive into an alpen lake, delicious food, beautiful scenery.
3) Egypt - should be at the top of anyone's list. Cairo / pyramids / Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan, and the best snorkeling in the world in Dahab.
4) Botswana - the Okavanga delta is incredible and really accessible flying in and out of Victoria Falls (and seeing Victoria falls) as well as floating down the Zambezi is amazing.
5) Armenia - overlooked and amazing food, people, wine, sites ancient and modern. Yerevan is one of my favorite cities ever.
6) The Perigeux region of France - absolutely stunning and honestly amazing even compared with Dordogne region. Tons of small places to stay and a million ancient towns, markets, swimming holes, and sites to visit by car.
I've done all of these with kids ranging in age from 0-9, and i bet they would all be even more fun with slightly older kids. We just haven't let little kids stand in the way of fun travel ;) so drag them everywhere. We are off to Portugal in 2 days!
Aspen / Snowmass! Your family will love it and for all different reasons. Obviously the skiing is unbelievable, but Mike will also love how easy everything is from the ski-in ski-out lockers to the free transportation. You will love how clean and modern the accommodations are (plus the people watching is next level because, well, Aspen!!) Mazzy and Harlow will love all of the non-ski activities like the selfie-den/game lounge, the ice skating rink, the snow coaster, ice cream shop, rock climbing wall, fireside s'mores, crepe shop, curling, bowling alley, a recreation center with a pool and slides, and a hot tub in the condo building the size of a swimming pool. It’s also incredibly safe there. I let my kids (10 & 8) do most things by themselves. You will all love that! The condo actually overlooks the village so you can see them at most of these places if you aren’t fully comfortable with it. You have to check it out! https://www.gosnowmass.com/activities/
We went to Italy's Puglia region when my son was 6yo. Flying into Bari, we rented a car for a week and a half and toured through Molfetta, Mattinata, Polignano a Mare, Matera, Taranto and back to spend the last day in Bari. It was so cool to spend a night or two in each small town, three of them by the beach (our first all-pebble beach ever was in Mattinata) inside really old, cute and unique B&B's - in Matera we stayed at a B&B that was technically a cave carved into the mountain, emulating the first inhabitants of the city over 10,000 years ago! It happened to be during a time of year when tourism was low, but that was pre-pandemic so I have no clue what things are like now. Best parts that my son still remembers at 10yo: all the beach time we got and all the gelato we ate every day!
We used to take family road trips from Florida to NJ where my dad is from. Had a blast on the boardwalk & doing touristy things. Niagara Falls was also fun to see as a kid.
My favorite vacations, though, have been as an adult going with my boyfriends family to Drummond Island, MI for a week every summer. Drummond Island is a small island accessible by ferry in the upper peninsula. These are the most relaxing and fun vacations. Boating, fishing, hiking, are among my favorite activities. We took a day trip to Mackinaw Island from Drummond (no cars allowed on this tiny tourist island) and had a blast! I highly recommend the UP, specifically Drummond Island.
Is there a way to access some of Ilana's older trips' itineraries? The Yosemite, Savannah, Norway, Quebec ones all sound amazing. As a paid subscriber, are there archives that we can access that give those details? I see the New Zealand trip saved in IG highlights but am not seeing the other ones. Thank you to anyone who can lead me in the right direction.
They're on Mommyshorts.com! Use the search function and you can pretty easily find what you're looking for.
We took our kids ages at 12 and 8 to Paris for Christmas this last year. It was Paris so of course it was magical but even more so at the holidays. We were there a week and saw A LOT of the sites. My kids loved all of the museums and were definitely old enough to take it all in.
Additionally, I live in Seattle and a trip out to the PNW to see another corner of the country could be great too. From seeing Seattle to Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park, the San Juan Islands and other endless possible itineraries.
We stayed in the arenal volcano area for the first half of our trip, I can’t remember which hotel, but it was near the hot springs (which were amazing). We did zip lining here as our highlight. We then went to the coast (pacific side) and stayed at the Westin all inclusive there. Best activity during that part of our stay was an excursion through the Guachepelin reserve. Spectacular.
related to family vacations - do you still make photo albums or the photo books? I have thousands of photos on my iPhone and I don't know what to do with them. would want to make photo books for each holiday/special occasion but don't know which is better - album or photo books.