The Most Epic Trips Parents Have Taken With Their Kids

Nepal

With a teenager and a preteen living under his roof, Peter Dudley knew he had to create an itinerary that would keep his sons entertained and challenged. That’s when he came up with the idea of touring Nepal to see Kathmandu, the Chitwan National Park and Pokhara. It was an opportunity to expand their horizons and have one-of-a-kind experiences.

“After a thrilling flight on a rickety two-engine plane into the jungle of Chitwan National Park, an elephant-back safari had us face to face with huge rhinos. We then drove the harrowing mountain roads to Pokhara, where our lodge gave us a glorious view of the sacred peak of Machhapuchhre, centerpiece of the Annapurna range,” he shared. “We trekked a day hike through remote hills and villages, learning from a local guide about the lives of Nepalese people. The cultural adventure and stunning views made this the most magical trip we have ever taken.”

Myanmar

Though it might not be the first destination you envision for a family vacay, Marianne Rogerson selected the underdeveloped region of Myanmar to throw her two kiddos out of their comfort zone. For 10 days, they toured three regions, including Yangon, Bagan and Inle Lake, each offering a new layer of experience and immersion for the family. 

“In Yangon, we led the kids on a scavenger hunt around the incredible Shwedagon Pagoda; Bagan was all about the amazing temples, while in Inle Lake, we explored via longboat, visiting the local artisan workshops and taking in daily life in the water villages,” she shared. “We also enjoyed hot-air ballooning, visiting an elephant sanctuary, learning how to make peanut oil and trying our skills at making handmade paper.”

Beijing & Shanghai

Long flights are never easy, but for Laura Hoffman, the experience of introducing her 14-year-old son, Hunter, to a culture that drastically juxtaposed his own was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. Over Thanksgiving, they made the journey to the colorful, interesting and at times overwhelming country of China. As she described the trip, it was an "exotic puzzle to discover and solve."

“To watch my teenage son light up with such interest and open-mindedness to the Chinese people, culture, food, historic sites and experiences was fantastic as a parent. We hired a private guide to take us around Beijing and the sites are simply incredible. At times, we felt like we were walking in a movie set, like when we walked around the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace or riding rickshaws in the hutongs [neighborhoods] and, of course, The Great Wall of China,” she says. 

Switzerland, France, Hungary, Austria & Slovakia

Though it might make you stressed just thinking about it, Emily Jenks and her partner managed to squeeze in five countries in 14 days with their almost 3-year-old and 1-year-old over the holiday season. Whew! 

While some of the moments were crazy — like when they ran out of diapers in Budapest and had to potty train unexpectedly on the fly in Vienna — Jenks says the experience is one they wouldn’t trade for the world. “From running through the Vienna Natural History Museum three times because our kids were amazed at all the animals to going on an impromptu day trip to France just to have fondue — it's a trip to remember forever,” she shares. “When our 3-year-old — who supposedly ‘isn't going to remember the trip in the future’ — out of the blue grabs a toy and tells us ‘we bought this in Switzerland!’ we know we are raising a world traveler and make traveling with the kids so worth it.”

Rovaniemi, Finland

For any parent, witnessing joy in their children’s eyes is part of the reward of being their mom or dad. For Elizabeth Newcamp, a mom of three, keeping the magical spirit of Santa Claus alive was part of her desire to take them to the snow-covered oasis of Rovaniemi, Finland. “My train-obsessed boys arrived to the winter wonderland by an overnight train nicknamed the ‘Santa Express.’ We participated in once-in-a-lifetime, magical experiences, like reindeer sled rides under the stars, dogsled riding with dad as the driver and roaming around town on sleds. You can even visit Santa at his house in Santa Claus village. It is an experience your children will never forget,” she says.

Perth, Australia

Before you tear up thinking about how intolerably fast your children are growing, take a cue from Julia Simens and remind yourself that travel doesn’t end once they’ve flown the coop. As a way to take them back to their roots, Simens brought her adult daughter and son, Jacqueline and Grant, to the place they were born but not raised: Perth, Australia. “We had a lot of baby photos with Australian backgrounds," Simens laughs. "Twenty years later, when both children were in college, we took them back to their birthplace for a Christmas gift. We got to spend two weeks seeing all the sites they might not remember but had been in when they were babies."

Germany, Italy & Switzerland

Mom of two Holly Johnson packed up her most valuable possessions — her two daughters, Lydia and Vivian — and set to open their eyes to the world. Instead of just learning about history, she and her partner immersed their children by showing them landmarks firsthand. Over the course of a month, they toured through Germany and Italy, then ended in Switzerland. “I loved this trip because my kids learned about history and different cultures from a firsthand perspective. We toured the Colosseum, the Uffizi Gallery, the Vatican, lots of amazing churches and ruins and Pompeii; swam in a hidden lake in Switzerland; hiked to the top of a mountain; and ate lots of delicious food. All in all, it was a trip we will remember for a lifetime,” she shared.

Iceland

Amanda Duff took her less-than-a-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, to Iceland in November 2017 and was surprised to find the country to be incredibly baby-friendly. “From roadside wild horses and off-the-beaten-path thermal pools to picture-perfect glaciers and waterfalls, many of the country's sights can be explored via day trips, which is easy to do when traveling with a baby," Duff says. "Add that to the natural wonders many interesting museums, tons of different types of cuisine and a less-than-five-hour flight from NYC and Boston, and you've got an amazing family vacation destination."

Cross-Country US Road Trip

After watching National Lampoon’s Vacation, you probably got starry-eyed dreaming about taking the same trek — minus the chaos — with your kiddos. Amanda Keely-Thurman did just that with a van full of fam: her husband, her 7-year-old daughter, Keely, her 5-year-old son, Kevin, and her parents. 

Beginning in Orange County, California, and traveling for 60 days through 19 states — including Annapolis, Philadelphia, New Orleans and more — they collected miles and countless memories while only spending a cool $700 on fuel. “Not only was transporting six people in one vehicle more cost-effective than flying, the road trip facilitated a sense of togetherness unlike other modes of travel. Here we all were, traveling in one minivan for hours a day — chatting, singing and laughing,” she shared. “We experienced new places, new foods and even new weather. The kids got to hear stories about their family history and about their grandfather’s childhood to then go see the locations of these amazing stories for themselves,” she described.

4 National Parks of Utah

Mom Debra Locker Griffin couldn’t think of a better birthday trip for her son, Bryce, than seeing the infamous national parks in Utah, one of which he was named after. Along with her husband, they traveled to experience Arches, Canyonlands, Zion and of course, Bryce, for two weeks at the end of summer just as her son was turning 11 years old. “On his actual birthday — July 31 — we hiked Bryce Canyon, and we ate at Bryce Burger at the Bryce Canyon Lodge. Aside from the completely incredible natural wonders and a fantastic rappelling trip, the most amazing part was hearing Bryce say he ran out of words to describe how great the trip was,” she shared.

London & Iceland

Why not let kids take a crack at trip-planning while you're at it? Lori Green LeRoy invited her two sons, 9-year-old Nate and 6-year-old Alex, to pick the must-sees they wanted to experience and decide where they should go. In the end, they landed on London and Iceland and took a trip the whole family cherishes. 

“What was most rewarding was how they marveled at the sights they wanted to visit, like Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and the British Museum — most of which they heard about from history lessons as well as from Harry Potter, Peter Pan and James Bond,” LeRoy explains. “We lived like Londoners by staying in an Airbnb apartment in the heart of Paddington and ate in pubs. The highlight was a private guided tour of Stonehenge at sunrise ‘behind the ropes’ with an archaeologist and then a tour of Salisbury Cathedral with a viewing of one of the only copies of the Magna Carta. My son came home from the trip and created a Shopkins Stonehenge out of Uno cards and Shopkins characters, so it's clear that the trip made an impact!”

Morocco

Instead of booking a cabin by a lake or trekking to an all-inclusive in Mexico, Sara Brinton and her partner decided to introduce their children to a new continent for one of their spring breaks. This decision gave her four kiddos — Asher, Micah, Zeph and Ella — a chance to enjoy a surf-and-yoga camp in Taghazout, Morocco. She says it was a memorable experience because it had a little bit of everything: adventure, authenticity and relaxation. 

“Moroccan culture is warm, and everyone we met loved our kids. One day we went hiking through the desert to an oasis where we jumped off cliffs into sparkling cold water. When our daughter — who was just 3 at the time — got tired, our guide carried her on his back. Every night, the chef made an early dinner for our kids — then we enjoyed a grown-up dinner after they went to bed, making for a trip made for all of us,” says Brinton.

Alaska

Sascha Schlossberg and her partner travel frequently with her two kids and are in the process of selling their belongings in order to travel full-time. But of all of their Instagram-worthy trips, Schlossberg says a recent Alaskan cruise was one of their most beloved. “We dressed our little guys in rain and snow gear while still managing minimalist packing and explored each of the ports via bus, train and dirt dogsledding,” she shared. “We learned that 2-years-olds love whale-watching and that a too-small raincoat is completely ineffective in Ketchikan, Alaska. Glaciers are far more beautiful in person than in family photos, but we took plenty just the same.”

Costa Rica

Is there anything better than hanging up close and personal with monkeys? For Sveltana Rubejov’s two sons, Daniel and Benjamin, the answer is a resounding "Nope!" So when Rubejov organized a trip via Costa Rica Monkey Tours, the experience was fun-filled and action-packed. “On a one-week trip, we’ve got to do horseback riding, zip lines, rock climbing [and] river tubing. We’ve enjoyed amazing bird’s-eye view of Monteverde Cloud Forest,” she shared. “We also took a boat safari, where we spotted monkeys, crocodiles, birds and other animals. Thanks to our knowledgeable guides, my kids learned about Costa Rica’s history and customs.”

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