Travelling with your family is one of the most special trips you can take. It’s a chance to bond with your family and make memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime. That’s where we come in. Trafalgar has dozens of incredible family-friendly travel trips that are perfect for kids and adults alike. Whether you’re a thrill-seeking family or a bunch of history buffs, we’ve got something for every family. But what are the very best ones? We asked our guests on Trafalgar’s Facebook and Instagram pages to share which trip they thought was the most family-friendly tour. Here are their top three…
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Best for adventure seekers:
Monkeys, Jungles and Volcanoes – Costa Rica
Our Trafalgar guests voted this trip the most family-friendly tour for adventurous families – and we can see why. It’s an action-packed trip of a lifetime in Costa Rica, renowned as one of the ultimate family travel destinations. You’ll spend your days gliding through rainforest canals from Tortuguero to Manuel Antonio National Parks, where you can spot sea turtles, monkeys, ocelots, caimans, otters, manatees, iguanas, crocodiles, toucans and more.
Go hiking up the slopes of a volcano in Arenal National Park and spot ancient lava rocks. Walk the Arenal Hanging Bridges to get eye-level with sloths, monkeys and birds, and zipline through the treetops of the jungle. Kayak through the mangroves teeming with wildlife like howler monkeys and anteaters. Spend a day at the white sandy beaches and splash in the Pacific Ocean. Or soak in warm, thermal springs in this Pura Vida playground.
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Wildlife encounters
Your kids will also love enriching experiences like meeting reptiles galore at the Snake Garden Wildlife Center in Sarapiquí and learning about sea turtles with a Local Specialist at the Sea Turtle Conservancy Foundation. If you’re visiting during nesting season (July to September), you can even choose to join a naturalist guide to witness the turtles laying their eggs.
If your family loves all things to do with nature, wildlife, and fun thrills, the Monkeys, Jungles and Volcanoes trip is undoubtedly the most family-friendly tour for you.
“I took my 10-year-old grandson on a family tour of Costa Rica. It was fabulous and promoted as family-oriented. Lots of kids things to do.”
Past Trafalgar guest
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Best for mini historians:
Castles & Kilts – London to Edinburgh
This blockbuster trip was voted the most family-friendly tour for its incredible dive into all things history and Harry Potter. You’ll go from watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace to living life as a Roman soldier at Hadrian’s Wall. Take a spin on the London Eye, explore the depths of the London Dungeon, or take a regal walk through Windsor Castle in England.
Learn about the life of English aristocrats at a medieval manor house, then live like lords and ladies with a thrilling two-night stay at the 13th-century Ruthin Castle in Wales. See if you can spot Peter Rabbit when we cruise across Lake Windermere in the Lakes District, the beautiful region that inspired Beatrix Potter and many other writers and poets. Top it all off with a trip to Scotland where you can hear exciting stories at Edinburgh Castle or see the extraordinary Edinburgh Tattoo.
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Harry Potter filming locations
Got some Harry Potter fans in your family? You’ll love heading to Platform 9¾ to get that iconic photo and see if you can spot the Hogwarts Express. You can also seek out the red telephone box where Harry Potter and Mr. Weasley entered the Ministry of Magic in the ‘Order of the Phoenix’. When we head to Oxford, you can imagine yourself as a scholar at the famous Oxford University… Or spot the stunning hall of one of the Divinity Schools, used as the filming location for Hogwart’s hospital wing. And when we visit the charming Cotswolds village of Lacock, you can see Harry Potter’s parent’s house.
Whether you’re into magic or medieval treasures, the Castles and Kilts trip is the most family-friendly tour for you.
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Best for family photo ops:
Shamrocks & Leprechauns – Ireland
It isn’t just the luck of the Irish… There’s a few good reasons why our Trafalgar guests voted this as a top-three most family-friendly tour. Ireland is a classic family travel destination and this 10-day trip really brings out the best of it. You won’t want to blink as you travel through the spectacular Emerald Isle and you’re almost guaranteed to snap some perfect family photos at these iconic destinations.
Walk in the footsteps of giants at the legendary Giant’s Causeway. Marvel at the UNESCO-listed Cliffs of Moher and gaze across the Wild Atlantic Way. Admire the stunning mountains, valleys and lakes of the Ring of Kerry, one of the world’s most scenic drives. Snap a selfie as you score the ‘gift of the gab’ after kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle. You’ll even get to meet the famously-friendly Irish locals. Cuddle puppies and learn the art of sheepdog handling with the Feeney’s on their sheep farm. And rub shoulders with the locals as you tuck into fish n’ chips at the pub.
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Behind-the-scenes movie experiences
If you’ve got some movie buffs in your family, they’ll love visiting the Winterfell Castle movie set where they can dress up in costumes from the show and try their hand at medieval archery. And in Belfast, you’ll get a whole new perspective on the infamous Titanic at the world-class Titanic Belfast Experience.
If you love exploring iconic landscapes and can’t wait to snap some beautiful photos when you travel with family, this is the most-family friendly tour for you.
Do you love to travel with family? What is the most family-friendly tour you’ve been on with Trafalgar? Let us know in the comments below!