Unusual family vacations
It was brilliant to really have a laugh with my parents on vacation. They usually try and do board games and stuff like that to have ‘family time’ – but mountain biking together and then jumping into a gorgeous lake at the end of the day was so much better. Montenegro was our best family vacation ever. ![]()
– Kate, 11 years old
It is difficult to define ‘different’ when it comes to unusual family vacations. There is one thing that unifies all unique family vacations, though. And that is switching off. From screens, school and schedules. By going on a vacation that takes all of those out of the picture, you can share thrilling times together by doing things such as white water rafting, whale watching or wilderness walking. Saharan nights under the stars, sledding with huskies to see the Northern Lights or hiking through the Alps with a donkey. Do it with a tour operator who gets family needs, creates itineraries that really are about families and all vacation stress is gone. All that is left is family time and a lot of fun.
Our Unusual vacations guide family Vacations
Devon eco lodge accommodation, England
Quirky eco lodges, 1 with Hot Tub, on a Devon nature reserve
From
£205 to £810
per accommodation per week
Activity vacation in Montenegro
An active villa vacation at stunning Lake Skadar, Montenegro
From
£645 to £745
7 days
ex flights
Family vacation in Burma
A fabulous family vacation including the best of Burma
From
US $1850 to US $2500
16 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
Alternative family winter vacation in Chamonix, France
Easter family ski, yoga & circus vacation
From
£835
7 days
ex flights
Dordogne self catering cabin sleeping 4
Off-grid, off-beat self catering cabin
From
€650 to €900
per week (sleeps 2-4)
Family horse riding vacation in South Africa
Family horse riding safari vacation in South Africa
From
£1525
9 days
ex flights
Tobago beach accommodation
17 beautiful accommodations in unique eco resort
From
£105 to £345
per accommodation per night
Borneo family tour
A fabulous family vacation including the best of Borneo
From
US $2300 to US $3125
15 days
ex flights
Transylvania vacation accommodation
Stay at a Count's guesthouse
From
€100 to €174
per person per night
Exciting family vacation in China
An exciting family vacation taking in the highlights of China
From
US $3750 to US $4000
16 days
ex flights
Family volunteering with monkeys in South Africa
Hands-on family volunteering with monkeys in South Africa
From
£767
7 days
ex flights
Sweden wildlife vacation, ecolodge vacation
Wildlife break at Sweden's most primitive hotel
From
£630
4 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
Family vacation in Ethiopia, history and culture
A family friendly discovery tour of Ethiopia
From
US $3375
9 days
ex flights
Malaysia rainforest bungalows near Kuala Lumpur
A small orchard resort on the edge of the rainforest
From
MYR 400 to MYR 1100
per accommodation per night
Family vacation to Sao Tome & Principe
Snorkelling, jungle trekking and rich cultural encounters
From
£7800
11 days
ex flights
Mongolia family adventure vacation
Life-enhancing local Mongolian adventure for all the family
From
US $3985
17 days
ex flights
Mercantour family hiking vacation, France
Family walking tour with a donkey in Southern French Alps
From
€575 to €675
7 days
ex flights
Snowdonia self catering accommodation in Wales
Carbon Neutral award winning eco house in Snowdonia
From
£166 to £266
per house per night
Yurt vacation accommodation in Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Beach setting, off grid, pool access, family yurts
From
€1295 to €1750
per accommodation per week
Blue whale Azores family vacation
Best time to see the Blue, Humpback and Fin Whales
From
£835
7 days
ex flights
Gozo family activity vacation in Malta
Family activity vacation on the beautiful Island of Gozo
From
£1195 to £1245
8 days
ex flights
Family rafting vacation on the Salmon River, Idaho, USA
Fun rapids, huge white sand beaches and great scenery
From
US $1445 to US $1690
5 days
ex flights
Inner Hebrides self catering boat in Scotland
Quirky self catering accommodation on Scotland's west coast
From
£204 to £396
per accommodation per night
Kasbah du Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains
Peace and quiet only 40 miles from Marrakech
From
€72.5 to €240
per person per night
Family walking vacations with a donkey, France
Above the Rhône to discover the unspoilt traditional Ardèche
From
€660 to €730
7 days
ex flights
Bareboat sailing vacation in Whitsundays
Sail around the breathtaking Whitsundays
From
£3200 to £9184
7 days
ex flights
Luxury yurt accommodation in Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Stunning off-grid eco yurt by the beach – hybrid car included
From
€155 to €285
per accommodation per night (sleeps 2)
Unusual activities for families
Going wild on water
Kayaking together as a family is a wonderful way to switch off, especially when you are handing over the reins of care to a responsible kayaking guide. Add a bit of white water rafting and wild camping to really up the alternative ante. Sea kayaking in Croatia, paddling on Montenegro’s Lake Skadar or staying on, rather than cruising round, Galapagos Islands are all aqua adventures with a difference.
Walking can be fun
It can sometimes be a hard sell persuading children to go on a walking vacation. However, throw in a donkey to carry your bags as you hike through the Alps, walking on the Great Wall of China on a specialist family vacation, or a swim at the end of each day after a day of Croatian coastal clambering, and they start to warm to the idea. Walking will never seem like a drag again.
Winter wilderness
Although an annual ski trip is like a religion for some families, there are so many different types of winter adventures to be had. If Santa no longer visits your house, regenerate some seasonal magic in Finnish Lapland, sledding with huskies, learning about Sami culture or going on reindeer sleigh rides. Or stay in a tree hotel and go horse riding through the snowy woods where you are suspended, in Swedish Lapland.
Our top Unusual vacations guide family Vacation
Altiplano de Granada activity vacation, Spain
Multi-activity Family vacation in the Spanish Lake District
From
€396 to €607
8 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Unusual vacations guide or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Unusual family vacations advice
Natalie Morawietz, co-founder of our supplier Infinite Adventures:
I highly recommend Alaska for an unusual family vacation in America, but not with very young children as you have to cover very long distances. We always give a safety talk regarding bears too, so you really need to be aware of the rules and you won’t get into trouble. You don’t need to be scared, however. My experience with wildlife generally is that it doesn’t care about humans. It wants to be away from us. So, most of the time, if you stick to the rules, there is nothing to worry about. So, when we pick a lunch spot, it is always in an open space where we can see everything.
I highly recommend Alaska for an unusual family vacation in America, but not with very young children as you have to cover very long distances. We always give a safety talk regarding bears too, so you really need to be aware of the rules and you won’t get into trouble. You don’t need to be scared, however. My experience with wildlife generally is that it doesn’t care about humans. It wants to be away from us. So, most of the time, if you stick to the rules, there is nothing to worry about. So, when we pick a lunch spot, it is always in an open space where we can see everything.
Liddy Pleasants from our supplier, Stubborn Mule shares her tips on an unusual family vacation, to China: “China is ideal for families as there is such an incredible variety of experiences and activities. You might be learning to stir-fry in the morning and floating on a bamboo raft in the afternoon. There is always something going on, whether it is exploring markets, sampling weird and wonderful foods (fried scorpion anyone?), joining in with morning tai chi, walking on the Great Wall or heading into the backstreets by cycle rickshaw. China is suitable as a destination for children of any age as long as the itinerary is carefully planned. Younger children will enjoy having a few days in the same place and traveling at a slower pace, whilst older children will want a range of activities and a bit more 'action'. The thing to remember is that you can't see the whole of China in one visit. It is a vast country and the best trips are those where visitors concentrate on fewer places and explore them in depth.”
More about Unusual vacations guide
This unusual vacations guide takes you on a journey of eclectic adventures, one of which is guaranteed to wow you into doing something different.
To help you work out how to choose an unusual vacation, we've picked out some favourites that come up on our reviews as total dream come trues.
We love our quirky, fun and unusual places to stay on vacation because accommodations like these are created by people who really care.
Choosing a top ten unusual vacations list is nigh on impossible, but not when you ask our responsible travel experts to pick their quirky leaders in the field.
This section features lots of unusual vacation travel tips and advice from our expert suppliers who know that what they do is a little bit different.
Unusual vacation destinations are about people who are providing out of the ordinary experiences in places that you might not usually think about visiting.
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Photo credits: [Page banner: Paul Vinten] [Intro: Jerome Bon]
[Going wild on water: Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi]
[Walking can be fun: Peter Dowley]
[Winter wilderness: Annika Thierfeld]
[Natalie Morawietz advice: pxhere]
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