The Best Family Trips for Every Age and Stage

Counterintuitively, the first year of a child’s life is a great time to take a trip. Before long, infants transform into walking, talking toddlers with strong opinions. Once that happens, life (and travel options) changes dramatically.

For the first year of life, as long as babies reliably nap on the go, parents don’t need to worry about babies getting restless on long flights, sticking to a strict nap schedule, or going out for a late dinner. They also don’t need to worry about their baby wandering away.

Before age one, vacations are still mostly about what parents will enjoy. Oahu, Hawai’i is a great choice for new Moms and Dads in desperate need of rest and relaxation after recovering from the sleepless nights of the newborn phase. Oahu’s Waikiki Beach is known for its calm, clear waters, making it a perfect spot for babies to dip their feet in the ocean for the first time. Plus, Americans don’t need a passport to visit Hawai’i, so little ones who haven’t gotten around to applying for one yet won’t have a problem getting in.

The Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort in Oahu is the perfect choice for families with young children. The resort features Poppins Day Care, a rare kids’ club that accepts children as young as three months old. Plus, they have a fantastic network of kids’ pools, including interactive fountains perfect for the youngest visitors.

Whether at home or on vacation, toddlers can be a handful. Long flights with a two or three-year-old who would rather wander the aisle than sit still pose a logistical challenge. Moreover, when I had toddlers, the classic family beach vacation terrified me. Spending a lot of time near water with little ones who were quick to wander away, didn’t fully understand danger, and couldn’t swim, wasn’t my idea of a good time. Instead, for my family, the terrible two and “threenager” years were largely about domestic city breaks.

Washington, DC, is a great choice for toddling tots. The National Mall is a wide, open space where children can roam for hours. Just off the National Mall are several free Smithsonian Museums that cater to different toddler interests, from spaceships and dinosaurs to rows of “princess dresses” that doubled as ballgowns for First Ladies at their husband’s inauguration. Not far away is a free, world-class zoo. Plus, many Smithsonian museums have interactive rooms designed for the youngest visitors. Even better, Washington, DC, is very walkable and has excellent, affordable public transportation, making it easy to navigate, even with a stroller.

The Hilton Washington, DC, is a family-friendly hotel ideally located between the National Mall and The Wharf, a waterfront area with plenty of restaurants. The hotel also has an outdoor pool that is open seasonally. They can provide family-friendly amenities such as cribs. Even better, kids 17 and under stay free when sharing a room with their parents.

It can be hard to keep preschoolers entertained. A vacation that lets them embrace their wild side is perfect. Jackson Hole and the surrounding area have plenty of room to wander. Teton Village, the epicenter of outdoor activity in Jackson Hole, has a playground, splash pads, a gondola that can take kids to the top of the mountain, and plenty of family-friendly restaurants. Go on gentle hikes in the nearby Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Or head to the Jackson Hole rodeo for a classic Western experience. Seasonally, take a sleigh ride at the National Elk Refuge.

Stay at Flat Creek Ranch for an all-inclusive Dude Ranch experience. While at the ranch, families can go horseback riding, hike on the ranch’s trails, canoe, kayak, or go fly fishing before taking a shuttle into town.

Children who have just started elementary school rejoice in learning about the world around them. They may still have a hard time distinguishing between what is real and what is make-believe. However, they won’t believe in childhood heroes like the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa for much longer. Parents can tap into the magic of this wondrous age, when kids are not quite little but not yet big, by taking them to Santa’s home in Finnish Lapland.

Kids five and up can experience the full magic of Christmas on Intrepid Travel’s Finnish Winter Family Holiday. On this small-group tour, kids will visit Santa Claus’s home and experience unique winter activities like husky dog sledding, a visit to a reindeer farm, and arctic cocooning with other families.

When my son was almost eight, I knew he was ready for a big kid trip. Older elementary school kids are ready to start exploring the world far and wide, making it the perfect stage for a European vacation. Although Bucharest, Romania, might seem like an unlikely choice for a family trip, it’s a very kid-friendly country. As a bonus, it’s less expensive than many more popular European destinations and doesn’t yet grapple with the overtourism that is prevalent in many other European capitals.

Instead of touring grand palaces like Versailles in France, check out castles kids already know from lore and pop culture. Bran’s Castle, otherwise known as Dracula’s home, and the nearby Cantacuzino Castle, are engaging and entertaining without being frightening. Wander through Old Town Bucharest’s cobblestone streets past Belle Époque buildings and centuries-old churches before grabbing dinner. Then, take the kids to Theme Bucharest for the day. Therme is Europe’s biggest bathhouse. On one side, Therme has an enormous waterpark with over a dozen slides, a wave pool, and an interactive water playground. A beach and outdoor splash pad are open seasonally. Parents can take a bit of time for themselves in Therme’s themed saunas, mineral pools, and red light therapy beds.

Stay at Novotel Bucharest City Center, a centrally located family-friendly hotel within walking distance of Old Town and Bucharest’s main train station. The hotel also has a pool, a play area, and an impressive breakfast buffet with plenty of kid-friendly options.

Preteens are ready for prime-time travel. They usually have enough stamina to take more adventurous trips, but the moodiness of the teen years hasn’t yet set in. That makes the preteen years the perfect time to set off on the adventure of a lifetime. Take an expedition cruise to explore untamed, remote areas.

In the Galapagos Islands, kids can snorkel with sea lions and sharks. In Antarctica or Svalbard, Norway, families can kayak next to icebergs and hike through otherworldly, icy landscapes. Or, traverse Greenland or Alaska, taking your children on a new, wild adventure every day.

HX Expeditions, a family-friendly expedition company, has been operating for 130 years. That gives me peace of mind that they can keep my family safe no matter where we go in the world.

HX has onboard naturalists and scientific experts who can handle even the most challenging questions kids throw their way, as well as unique experiences such as family-friendly rides on science boats and science corners. Plus, many sailings include kid-friendly activities such as meet-and-greets with scientists, baking classes, and art sessions.

Cancun, Mexico, may be more closely associated with spring breakers, but it’s a great jumping-off point to explore the Yucatán Peninsula. The Yucatán has beautiful beaches where teens can swim, snorkel, or dive. Then head out to explore the Chichen Itza, a large Mayan complex that includes soaring pyramids, an ancient observatory, and sacrificial sites, among other ruins of the once-great civilization.

Cancun is also home to plenty of cenotes, large swimming holes, sometimes located deep within caves. The Yucatán Peninsula is also home to Xcaret, a park offering natural and cultural activities, including swimming in underground rivers, relaxing in natural pools by the ocean, hiking, and much more.

Teenagers want some independence but aren’t quite ready to roam on their own. Even families who don’t usually stay at all-inclusive resorts might find that staying at one in Cancun is a good fit with teens.

In addition to the typical kids’ clubs at all-inclusives, Hilton Cancun also offers a Teen Space, perfect for teenagers who need a break from their parents. Plus, teens may be in a better mood once they find out they have unlimited access to mocktails, ice cream, and churros at the resort.

By the time kids reach middle adolescence, many parents realize their days of traveling with them are limited. That makes this stage a great time to plan an epic family adventure.

Head deep into Peru to see Machu Picchu, an Inca citadel hidden in the Andes Mountains for centuries, now a wonder of the world. Spend a night or two in the Amazon rainforest to hike through the jungle and see wildlife up close. Then, visit the Sacred Valley for a cultural experience to see how locals live, farm, and craft.

Keep your teens happy by exploring Peru on an Intrepid Family Holiday. By taking a small group tour of Peru, teens (and their parents) will have built-in friends, which will help keep everyone happy.

Japan is popular at any age, but it’s especially intriguing for older teens. By the time kids enter their late teen years, they can truly embrace all that Japan has to offer, from the country’s pop-culture obsession and bullet trains to its tranquil hot springs, temples, and countryside. Whether your teen is into video games and anime or history and cultural experiences, Japan has something to inspire and intrigue.

Must-do experiences include visiting the interactive teamLabs Planets at Universal Studios Japan, experiencing the chaotic Shibuya Scramble, exploring the pop-culture mecca Akihabara Electric Town, facing historical atrocities in Hiroshima, and eating at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant. Plus, Japan is exceptionally safe, so parents can feel confident sending their older teens out to explore on their own. Trips at this age might be the last you take with your child before they fly the coop, so make it memorable.

The Grand Hyatt Tokyo is a great base in Japan. Located in a quiet neighborhood, the Grand Hyatt Tokyo is near a metro stop, offering easy access to the city and beyond. There are several on-site restaurants, from a casual cafe to an upscale steakhouse.

No matter how old kids get, they will always be your baby. If you can convince an adult child to tag along on family vacations, you’ve done something right. A cruise is a great option for a trip with your newly minted grown-up because everyone in the family can spend as much, or as little, time as they like during daytime excursions and nighttime meals. Plus, a lot of tension disappears when you don’t need to worry about how to get from place to place or switch hotels every night.

Travel from Lisbon to Barcelona, or choose another route, with Crystal Cruises. Cruises with Crystal are a far cry from ships with carnival-like atmospheres that children entering adulthood have likely outgrown, and a great way to acknowledge your child’s new grown-up status.