Family travel has a special way of sticking. Nothing etches itself in your heart quite like the memory of watching a pack of energetic African wild dogs frolicking, a lioness and her cubs dozing on the Kalahari with your own kids tucked in close. Or wielding a kitchen blowtorch with them to char pork during a ramen-making session, releasing sea turtle hatchlings into a sunset-tinged sea as a family, hiking to waterfalls and leaping into lagoons alongside local youngsters, or piling into a charming wooden boat for a cruise through a fairytale city.
As a travel journalist and frequent globetrotter, the occasions when I’ve made work into a family trip have turned out to be some of the most joyful. Of course, there are times and places for adults-only journeys, but I’ve personally found that the presence of my daughters has the tendency to make it all feel extra radiant and wondrous, slow and tuned-in. Far more meaningful, too.
While there are family adventures to be had all over this massive planet, naturally not all countries are equally child-friendly nor appropriate for a family trip. With my four-person crew, I’ve come to recognize places that spark something in each of us, that are comfortable to navigate, and stoke endless curiosity and wonder. Below, find my pick of the seven best family vacation spots in the world, each full of magic waiting to be discovered.
British Columbia, Canada
With an abundance of wildlife—humpback whales and orcas, grizzly bears and elk, bald eagles and otters—and some of the most breathtaking and untouched natural environments anywhere, British Columbia has a lot to offer families, especially those who thrive outdoors. The many opportunities to play, cycle, hike, ski, stroll, boat and explore amid fresh air and mesmerizing landscapes is enough to inspire a life-changing move (our trips to B.C. always make us want to decamp there).
And there’s more than enough to fill a holiday, from mountain getaways in Whistler to wilderness adventures on Vancouver Island (think Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge’s seaplane-accessible glamping on 600 pristine acres) and moving First Nations immersions in Haida Gwaii, known as the Galapagos of the north. Of course, no trip is complete without some time in Vancouver, where Fairmont Pacific Rim makes a fantastic basecamp for experiencing the city in all its glory—bike rides and picnics or even First Nations–led forest bathing walks at Stanley Park, Capilano Suspension Bridge jaunts, and FlyOver Canada’s awe-inspiring virtual flights.
United Kingdom
We may share a language, which makes traveling to the United Kingdom with kids super easy to navigate, but the similarities kind of end there.This is a very good thing. The UK is a perennial favorite for folks vacationing with their children, and there are many reasons why. For one, London. Its dozens of attractions—museums, parks, palaces, the London Eye, fancy tea parties, the West End, and historical sites everywhere—plus fabulous hotels (One Aldwych, with its Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea, is a lovely option) make the city a no-brainer.