When to go on a family adventure vacation

Apart from the fact that we are all limited by the controversial, yet pretty much written in stone, school vacation dates, there are a few other things to take into consideration when working out when to go on a family adventure vacation. The Mediterranean is pretty much guaranteed blissful weather in the height of July and August but hiking or biking with children during this time is madness. Unless you are good at getting everyone up and out early.

You might want to plan a big family adventure for the Easter vacations instead, or indeed Christmas, and not leave everything until the summer months. Or, for adventure, consider other destinations that wouldn’t normally be on your vacation radar during the summer months. Every adventure company differs, and with some of the traditional safaris, for example, there are wildlife watching opportunities all year round.

As well as the obvious magical adventures such as husky riding in Finnish Lapland, you can swap a reindeer for a camel and head to the Moroccan Sahara for lots of Christmas adventures. Kayaking, hiking and cycling in Thailand are the perfect Christmas gifts for all the family, and discovering Peru and the Inca Trail is like everyone’s Christmas come at once.

If you want to go on a big adventure, such as a safari, Easter is a great time, as they pack out during the summer vacations. And it isn’t too unbearably hot either, so check out the likes of South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania and Kenya for this. Also not too hot, is Thailand's breezy Andaman's coast, which is family adventure paradise at this time of year. And the flights are much better value than at Christmas. Closer to home, this is also a great time to get active in countries like Turkey, Croatia and Montenegro, when the temperatures are just perfect for cycling into the hills, and the water just warming up enough for you to take a quick dip after a kayaking session. Peru’s Inca Trail and Amazon activity hubs are also open for business at Easter, if you really want to offer some extraordinary inspiration for the impending exam season. And depending on when Easter falls, Finnish Lapland’s winter season goes on until April, so always worth checking out your options there too.

Europe is always a top choice during the summer vacations, but if you are thinking of a climbing, hiking, biking sort of a vacation, it can be too hot in many places to really make the most of it. Other adventurous places to consider during the long break include Finland, where it is a bit cooler, but with long days to really squeeze every moment of fun out of the vacation. Kayaking on inland lakes or white water rafting in Croatia are good options, far from the madding crowds of the coast, and some at an elevation, and so not as relentlessly hot. And if you head to Canada, Colorado or some of the northern national parks of the USA, you can still find snow in July sometimes, but glistening lakes and rivers to kayak down too. It is also still warm and lovely in Vietnam at this time of year, albeit with a few monsoon showers to cool you down, but on an adventure vacation kayaking along Halong Bay or swimming in Hoi An, you won’t worry too much about the odd splash.

Marijana Filipovic from our partner Cycling Croatia: "If you can visit outside July and August, the prices of everything are less inflated, including restaurants. And you can get around more easily as a family, because the streets here are narrow, so try and avoid the busy times. The last week of August is not so bad as a lot of local schools have started their new year."

Aki Käräjäoja began working with sled dogs in Finland after he finished studying, and fell in love with them. He founded Routa Travel, one of our suppliers, as a way to be around the dogs and live the life he wanted. No guesses as to what he recommends as the best time for family adventure vacations:" The dog sledding season starts in December and ends in early April, but for this and other winter activities, February and March are the best times as there’s more daylight. If you come at the end of December it has its own mystical feel as it’s dark all the time, which can be really great – but I prefer the sunshine."