Family guide
Our family travel guide conjures up what we rate and what we don’t as well as an awesome section entitled 'out of the mouths of babes' which gives you a family vacations travel guide from the mind set of eight to fifteen year olds.
Family adventure vacation tips
Homestay tips
Tim Winkworth, a family travel specialist from our supplier Intrepid Travel: “Lone adults can sometimes find homestays slightly uncomfortable - you don't know how they should behave. But if you go with kids, they're an instant icebreaker. They see a football or a toy and they grab it. All of a sudden this potentially tricky situation turns to laughter. Then they'll all run off together with the local kids. For families, homestays are superb."
Our family adventures Vacations
Activity vacation in Montenegro
An active villa vacation at stunning Lake Skadar, Montenegro
From
£695 to £795
7 days
ex flights
Altiplano de Granada activity vacation, Spain
Multi-activity Family vacation in the Spanish Lake District
From
€396 to €607
8 days
ex flights
Croatia activity vacation for families with teenagers
Rafting, kayaks, canyons & beaches. Family action in Croatia
From
£995
8 days
ex flights
Catalonia family mountain biking & activity vacation, Spain
Family MTB & activities in the Catalan countryside
From
€670 to €820
8 days
ex flights
Family whale and dolphin vacation in the Azores
Learn about dolphins, whales & fiery volcanic Islands!
From
£835
7 days
ex flights
Croatia family activity week
Family 'relaxingly active' vacation on Vis island, Croatia
From
€1090 to €1250
7 days
ex flights
Croatia island family activity vacation for teenagers
Croatia adventure island, land & sea activities for families
From
£995
8 days
ex flights
Slovenia activity vacation for families with teenagers
Perfect adventure for families, teenagers & active children
From
£995
8 days
ex flights
Catalan horse riding vacation in Spain
Horse riding in the beautiful Catalan countryside.
From
€734 to €1165
8 days
ex flights
Family swimming with dolphins in the Azores
A family focused adventure and experience of a lifetime.
From
£835
7 days
ex flights
Alternative family winter vacation in Chamonix, France
Easter family ski, yoga & circus vacation
From
£835 to £845
7 days
ex flights
Dordogne canoeing vacation in France
One of France's most interesting waterways
From
£1799 to £1859
9 days
ex flights
Croatia family adventure vacation, 2 weeks
The Croatia 2 week activity vacation, designed for families !
From
£1990
15 days
ex flights
Winter family vacation in Slovakia, High Tatras
An action-packed family winter vacation in the High Tatras.
From
€879
8 days
ex flights
Sea kayaking vacation in Wales
Sea kayaking exploration on the North Pembrokeshire coast
From
£345 to £655
2 days
ex flights
Lake District family activity vacation
Walk, climb, abseil and canoe around the Borrowdale Valley.
From
£1075 to £1120
7 days
ex flights
Family sea kayaking vacation in Croatia
Relaxing & fun family kayaking vacation on Croatian islands
From
€835
8 days
ex flights
Catalonia family self guided biking vacation, Spain
Customised road cycling tour in Girona, Catalonia
From
€345 to €765
8 days
ex flights
Montenegro activity vacation, adrenaline adventure
A Fantastic Adrenaline Adventure Fun Vacation!
From
€850
8 days
ex flights
Plitvice Lakes family activity vacation in Croatia
Rafting, kayaking, cycling and hiking in Plitvice Lakes
From
£1620 to £1040
8 days
ex flights
Canada family adventure vacation
The perfect outdoor adventure for the whole family
From
US $3449
12 days
ex flights
Family horse riding vacation in South Africa
Family horse riding safari vacation in South Africa
From
£1525
9 days
ex flights
Sweden activity vacation, Stockholm countryside
Multi-activity tour in Stockholm's picturesque countryside
From
SKr 9690
7 days
ex flights
Canoeing and kayaking vacation in Montenegro, Lake Skadar
Wilderness kayak/canoe vacation at a vast lake in Montenegro
From
£745 to £795
7 days
ex flights
Costa Rica 13 day family vacation
Spend your summer vacation in the land of Pura Vida!
From
£1618
13 days
ex flights
Family cruise vacation in Scotland
Short Break, Family Cruise Exploring the West of Scotland
From
£6010 to £7285
4 days
ex flights
Family adventure vacation to France
Life enhancing family adventure & yoga in the French Alps
From
£998
7 days
ex flights
Devon sea kayaking vacation in England
Price per family exclusive use of barn house accommodation
From
£1400
7 days
ex flights
Swimming with wild dolphins in the Azores
Live a dream and swim with wild dolphins
From
£755
7 days
ex flights
Azores family adventure vacation, whales and dolphins
Learn about dolphins, whales & fiery volcanic Islands!
From
£815
7 days
ex flights
Peru tips
Elena Larkin is a Latin America Specialist for our supplier, Natural World Safaris. She is originally from Lima and has travelled in Peru with her young daughter. Here's her family adventure vacation tips: "You have to be very flexible with the activities you choose. Different things will interest different kids. I took my nine-year-old daughter to Machu Picchu and she was bored! But in the Sacred Valley the local community showed her how they dyed their wool - and she was really excited about that. So you have to choose a combination of activities."
Cycling tips
Andrew Straw, founder of our supplier Saddle Skedaddle leads lots of family cycling vacations, and gives good family adventure vacation tips: "Family cycling is a great way to get your kids away from sitting in front of the TV and if they have the manual dexterity with their fingers to play on an X-Box and eye to screen coordination then they will get a grip of the gears and be able to avoid the odd pothole in a jiffy. The trick is to slot in points of interest along the way as they’ll bore quickly, so if you’re doing something like the Hadrian’s Cycleway then a few visits to Roman sites won’t go amiss, but not too many! A few challenges help things along too and there’s nothing they like better than beating mum or dad up a hill especially if the reward is a sticky bun or a multi-coloured gelato from some Italian piazza."Turkey tips
Julie Vural from our supplier Alternatif Outdoor explains how tailor made trips are great for enjoying Turkey with children: “We arrange trips on demand for families of four or more - just provide dates, ages of children, plus preferred activities and style (hotel? camping? rest days?). We tailor activities to abilities, and customise the vacation to suit each family's preference, so everybody enjoys themselves. Multi-activity trips are ideal for children over 10, and there can be several families on a trip so children can make friends. But private trips are available for those who prefer not to be with other families! Our three-day sea kayaking/camping expeditions are ideal for those after more adventure - the paddling is not too strenuous, and we spend two nights camping 'wild' on beaches. On summer nights we encourage people to sleep in our 'one thousand star hotel' – i.e. the open air, without a tent!”Our top family adventures Vacation
Activity vacation in Montenegro
An active villa vacation at stunning Lake Skadar, Montenegro
From
£695 to £795
7 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2022: 17 Apr, 24 Apr, 1 May, 8 May, 15 May, 22 May, 29 May, 5 Jun, 12 Jun, 19 Jun, 26 Jun, 3 Jul, 10 Jul, 17 Jul, 24 Jul, 31 Jul, 7 Aug, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, 28 Aug, 4 Sep, 11 Sep, 18 Sep, 25 Sep, 2 Oct, 9 Oct, 16 Oct, 23 Oct
2022: 17 Apr, 24 Apr, 1 May, 8 May, 15 May, 22 May, 29 May, 5 Jun, 12 Jun, 19 Jun, 26 Jun, 3 Jul, 10 Jul, 17 Jul, 24 Jul, 31 Jul, 7 Aug, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, 28 Aug, 4 Sep, 11 Sep, 18 Sep, 25 Sep, 2 Oct, 9 Oct, 16 Oct, 23 Oct
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about family adventures or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
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RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
ADVENTUROUS FAMILIES
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful tips our travelers have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your family adventure vacation.
We have selected some of the most useful tips our travelers have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your family adventure vacation.
Take good rain gear when you travel during wet season. We were there in December and the weather was good, but sometimes we got surprises![]()
– Iwona Warszawska, Peru Family adventure vacation
Excellent for families who don't just want to sit on a beach but don't want a bootcamp or just one activity. You can kayak, mountain bike, snorkel, swim, jump off rocks into the sea, practise yoga and walk in the cool of the day. The house is in a great position near several coves. Very unspoilt area, not a single shop and cash only, no credit cards accepted in the 2 local restaurants. Good accommodation, Craig and Xania have a flair for design, very comfortable, easy living and very good (vegetarian) food – Fiona Harper on our Croatia family activity week
We were in a large group (16) and it went really well with that number of people. Everything was taken care of and prearranged by Tell Tale travel and there was so much going on that everyone was engaged and involved from 7 years old to 77! A really great trip for a family with mixed ages and stages. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this vacation – Caren Matthews-Lane on our Family Vacation in Thailand
It’s a camping trip so you need to pack carefully, laundry facilities are available at some campsites but the itinerary is so packed that often there is just not enough time. If you do this vacation during the summer it is REALLY hot. Make sure you have a water bottle to fill up and remember that kids will need to drink huge amounts, footwear is important for hiking you will need decent boots or summer trail walking shoes and also walking shoes/sandals that can go in water – Rebecca Hill on our Family vacation to National Parks in America
Just go for it. You don’t need to be a mega cyclist to enjoy the family vacation. Every day brought new experiences. The animals just kept coming out on cue!....Brilliant - I don’t know how we will top it
– Monica Szolin-Jones on our Family cycling vacation in Kenya & Tanzania
We were in a large group (16) and it went really well with that number of people. Everything was taken care of and prearranged by Tell Tale travel and there was so much going on that everyone was engaged and involved from 7 years old to 77! A really great trip for a family with mixed ages and stages. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this vacation – Caren Matthews-Lane on our Family Vacation in Thailand
It’s a camping trip so you need to pack carefully, laundry facilities are available at some campsites but the itinerary is so packed that often there is just not enough time. If you do this vacation during the summer it is REALLY hot. Make sure you have a water bottle to fill up and remember that kids will need to drink huge amounts, footwear is important for hiking you will need decent boots or summer trail walking shoes and also walking shoes/sandals that can go in water – Rebecca Hill on our Family vacation to National Parks in America
Just go for it. You don’t need to be a mega cyclist to enjoy the family vacation. Every day brought new experiences. The animals just kept coming out on cue!....Brilliant - I don’t know how we will top it
– Monica Szolin-Jones on our Family cycling vacation in Kenya & Tanzania
Every activity was at least as good as expected if not better. Great group of people, fantastic fun, all brilliantly orchestrated by our devoted, excellent guide, Dejan.![]()
– Hinds Beatrice, Catalan Pyrenees family activity vacation
More about family adventures
This family adventure travel guide is one that we would like you to look through with your children, and watch their eyes light up and their jaws drop. The choice is vast, and you really don’t have to be super fit or super high achieving to do them either.
Getting the school vacations to match with rivers being full enough to raft down, guaranteeing snow for that Christmas snowshoeing and working out where to see wildlife during Easter... Let us help you plan your family adventure.
One of the questions the travel writers here at Responsible Travel get asked the most is ‘what has been your most exciting trip, the one that your kids still talk about?’. Well, we have mapped a few of our highlights.
The best family adventure vacation activities are when they combine not only the adrenalin factor, but also the element of surprise. Seeing a baby bear while hiking in Yosemite or seeing a seal swim alongside you when kayaking in Wales.
There are often minimum ages for certain activities but remember to always chat with a tour operator, as often height or weight are the real issues, to make sure that safety measures are met. And also remember, there is never a maximum age.
Forget about beach resorts and kids’ clubs. Family adventure vacations are all about discovery, whether that means trekking through cloud forest in Costa Rica or teaching the kids how to guide their own kayak in Andalucía.
Family adventure vacations are run by expert, local instructors who understand the dangers of the mountains or the waves, but whose passion for such landscapes and pushing our boundaries within them is totally infectious.
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