ULTIMATE Family Travel Bucket List Ideas

Are you looking to create a family travel bucket list? We have a family travel bucket list and we try and tick off as many places as we can. In this guide we round up the ultimate family travel destinations to help inspire your own bucket list ideas and embrace your own fearless family travel. 

The ideas in this blog post have been inspired by trips that we have already done, want to do and some inspiration from some of our other favorite family travel bloggers to help you plan your own trips. 

Family Travel Bucket List Ideas

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To make this list easy to navigate we have grouped our family travel bucket list ideas by continent. Feel free to jump down to the section that is most applicable to you or keep reading for the most comprehensive ideas. 

Family Travel Bucket List Ideas in Europe

Europe is one of my all time favorite travel places. I just love the diversity of places and activities that you can do on a European family vacation.

From beautiful beaches, great amusement parks and fantastic European City breaks for kids, here are our favorite things to do in Europe with kids. 

See London Landmarks 

London is one of my favorite travel destinations in Europe, and even with kids London is a great place to visit.

And a trip to London does not have to be expensive! In fact it is possible to do London on a budget with plenty of free things to do in London with kids. 

One of our favorite things to do is tour London on a 4 day or 7 day London itinerary to see everything from the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham palace, cruising down the Thames on a rib boat or touring some of London’s best museums. 

Ride a Carousel under the Eiffel Tower

Paris, although known as a romantic destination is also a great family travel destination. In fact we loved visiting Paris with our toddler. 

Although there are many great things to do in Paris one of our favorite things to do is ride the carousel under the Eiffel Tower. It makes for some amazing photographs! 

We also love heading from a day trip from Paris to Disneyland Paris, which fulfulls one of our other bucket list ideas, to visit all of the Disney Parks around the World. 

Chase the Northern Lights in Iceland 

Iceland is one of my favorite family travel destinations. It is full of natural beauty such as waterfalls, black sand beaches, geysirs and glaciers. 

But one of my favorite things to do is to head out at night and try and see the Northern Lights. This beautiful spectacle is special whenever you see them but especially with kids. 

To read more about how we visited Iceland with a toddler check out this post. 

Marvel at Architecture in Barcelona

Barcelona is a beautiful, vibrant and colorful city. We visited Barcelona with a baby but are desperate to return when our little ones are bigger to see the stunning architecture. 

From the Sagrada Familia to the Gaudi, Barcelona is full of amazing buildings but also has the benefit of beautiful beaches too!

Visit Lapland 

This is perhaps one to prioritise for when you are traveling to Europe with young kids. Lapland, is the home of Father Christmas and is a special trip to take with children when they are still believers in the magic. From meeting Santa to dog sledding and more, this is a truly magical destination.

Tour Italy with kids 

My favorite country to visit in Europe with kids has to be Italy. From the beautiful cities of Rome, Florence and Venice to more rural countryside and beaches such as those in Puglia, Italy really has something on offer for the while family no matter what age your children are. 

Take a Canal Tour in Amsterdam 

We called Amsterdam home for several years. And although Amsterdam is more renowned as a more grown up destination, it is actually one of the best places to visit with kids. 

It has lots of family friendly museums and parks, and amazing kid friendly food with pancakes, stroopwafels and cheese! However our favorite thing to do do is take a canal tour around the city. 

And if your budget allows, we recommend trying to visit Amsterdam in April when the tulips are in bloom and is the perfect time to visit Keukenhof Gardens. 

Visit the Christmas Markets 

Another seasonal thing to do in Europe with kids is visiting the amazing Christmas Markets. Again, although some people may think that Christmas Markets are more an adult thing to do, there are in fact plenty of Christmas Markets in Europe that are actually aimed at Children. 

Perhaps the most family friendly Christmas Market in Europe has to be Nuremberg which actually has a whole market dedicated to children. 

Other great markets include Strasbourg and Munich, but for more off the beaten track Christmas Markets and events we also love Stockholm. 

Family Travel Bucket List Ideas in Asia

If you are looking for some more budget friendly and tropical family travel bucket list ideas then Asia might be the place for you. 

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a fabulous place to visit with kids. We went to Hong Kong with our toddler and we found ample things to do. 

From visiting theme parks such as Disneyland and Ocean Park to more cultural attractions such as the Peak Tramway, the Big Buddha or seeing or riding the Aqua Luna there is more than enough to fill a family friendly Hong Kong itinerary.

Tour Japan

Although I love all the places and items on this family travel bucket list, Japan is a country that warrants a bucket list of its own. There is just so much to see and do there. 

From riding the super fast bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto, heading into nature on the Northern island of Hokkaido, visiting religious sites such as Fushimi Inari Shrine and Mejii Shrine, to theme parks such as Disneysea, Disneyland and Universal. I think Japan might be the best bucket list destination for families who want to try a bit of everything! 

Walk the Great Wall of China with kids 

The Great Wall of China is one of the new wonders of the world, and is one of the best to visit with kids in my opinion. 

There are several areas of the great wall of China that you can visit and it depends on the age of your children as to which area is the best to visit with kids. 

As we were walking the Great Wall of China with a toddler we decided to head to one of the more restored areas that was closest to Beijing itself. For this reason we visited the Mutianyu section, which is only a 90 minute drive from Beijing. 

We combined our trip to the Great Wall with a visit to see the Forbidden City and Tianamen Square.

Beautiful Beaches in the Maldives

But if you want beautiful beaches on your trip to Asia then the Maldives can’t be beaten. The thing we recommend considering when you visit the Maldives with kids is how far you want to be from Male. 

For instance, as we traveled to Maldives with a baby we wanted to be close to the amenities in Male so went to a resort with a speedboat transfer. However if you are traveling with older children you could take a seaplane to a resort that is further away. 

See Elephants in Sri Lanka 

Sri Lanka is an amazing destination for families who love wildlife. We recommend heading to the national parks such as Yala or Udawalawe to see elephants and if you are lucky spot an elusive leopard. 

On top of that Sri Lanka has amazing beaches and some great kid friendly hikes such as Adam’s Peak. 

Pose at the top of the tallest building in the world in Dubai

Dubai is home to many recording breaking places however the most famous has to be the Burj Khalifa. 

There is so much to fill a 7 day Dubai itinerary from scaling the Burj Khalifa, going dune bashing in the desert to enjoying the amazing water and theme parks and even some great retail therapy. There is something for all kids, big and small in Dubai.

Africa Destinations for your Family Travel Bucket List 

Africa is a wonderous continent, however it can be a tricky place to travel to especially with young children due to the fact that for large parts it is a malarial zone. 

Therefore for this section we have tried to limit the amount of malarial zones we have recommended.

Take a Safari In South Africa

If you are traveling to the Kruger National Park in South Africa the malarial risk is, as of time of writing categorised as low. 

It is a great place to take your kids for their first safari for this reason. Here you can see the Big 5, i.e. Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo, which are the animals that most people want to see on an African safari. 

There are also some resorts such as Sun City which is an easy place to do your first safari.

Go Gorilla Trekking in Uganda 

This one is definitely for those traveling with older children as there is a minimum age of 15 to go gorilla trekking but it will be worth the wait. 

Gorilla trekking in Uganda was one of my best ever travel experiences and truly life affirming. It is something I can not wait to do again once my kids become old enough teenagers. 

See the Pyramids in Egypt 

Another iconic structure that should be on anyone’s bucket list has to the Pyramids of Egypt and the Sphinx. Just be sure to plan your visit for the right time of year to cope with the desert sun.

Barter in the markets of Marrakech

Morocco on the whole, but Marrakech is a place that has been fast rising up on my bucket list of destinations. There is something very special about wandering around the Souqs and Medinas and bartering for spices and souvenirs while immersing yourself in a new culture with kids. 

Family Travel Bucket List Ideas in North America 

In this section we will look at Mexican, Canadian and of course USA bucket list ideas. 

Marvel at the View at the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of those iconic vistas that everyone should see at least once. 

Watch Old Faithful Erupt at Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is the oldest national park in the USA and therefore a must for any family travel bucket list. 

And no visit to Yellowstone is complete without seeing the Grand Prismatic Lake, spotting wildlife such as wolves and bison and of course watching the eruption of the Old Faithful geysir. 

Road Trip South Dakota

Probably the place that surprised me most from this bucket list is South Dakota. With a combination of wild beauty, national parks and one of the best state parks in the country, South Dakota might be the outdoors family heaven. 

We spent 7 days road tripping South Dakota, which I think is the perfect amount of time to see everything this amazing state has on offer. 

Climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty

New York City has to be on anyones bucket list. From seeing shows on Broadway, watching baseball or even visiting world-class museums, NYC has a bit of something for everyone. But top of my bucket list for New York has to be seeing the skyline of New York from the top of Lady Liberty. 

Do a California Road Trip 

California has something on offer no matter what sort of vacation you like. From the beautiful beaches and wildlife attractions in San Diego in Southern California, and the world famous sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz in San Francisco in Northern California. 

However my favorite thing to do in California is to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway stopping at all the beautiful beaches and beach towns on the way. 

Visit Disneyland or Disney World

My kids would never forgive me if I created a family travel bucket list and didn’t add Disney too it! We have done both Walt Disney World and Disneyland with our toddlers, and I have to say my favorite is Disneyland. For me there is something about visiting the original park that Walt designed. 

However, both offer different things for families and the budget for each will largely depend on your starting point so put the most convenient one for you on your bucket list. 

See the White House in Washington DC

A history and an understanding of your country is important, and a great place to learn about this is in Washington DC. 

From the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and amazing Smithsonian museums this is a great trip to take with older kids. 

See All 5 of the Utah National Parks 

Utah has 5 amazing National Parks which are collectively known as the MIghty 5 because they are all worthy of being on even the simplest bucket list.

They are: 

• Arches,
• Bryce Canyon,
• Canyonlands,
• Capitol Reef, and
• Zion National Park.

And they all can be easily ticket off your bucket list in one amazing Utah road trip. 

Take an Alaska Cruise

Alaska is the most Northern of the US states, and can be one of the more challenging to travel around especially when you are traveling with small children. 

So why not tick Alaska off your bucket list the easy way by taking a beautiful Alaskan cruise. 

Australasian Family Bucket List 

Although for most Americans and Brits Australasia can be a challenge to get it, you will be rewarded once there with some amazing bucket list vacations and special experiences such as:

See Uluru

No trip to Australia is complete without heading into the outback. And there is one sight that has to be done  – Uluru.  

Previously known as Ayers Rock, Uluru is sacred to indigenous Australians and is must for any Australia bucket list. 

Swim at the Great Barrier Reef

From desert to sea, Australia has something for everyone but for my nature loving kids top of their bucket list was visiting the Great Barrier Reef.

You can swim in the crystal clear waters at the Great Barrier Reef all year round and a great way to get up close to nature is to go snorkeling. However for less confident swimmers there are glass bottom boats. But if you are visiting with teenagers you might consider trying scuba diving too! 

Visit Bora Bora (and Moorea and/or Tahiti)

Top of many people’s bucket list is a visit to the tropical island paradise of Bora Bora (or neighbouring Moorea or Tahiti). 

Enjoy the snorkelling, water sports of simply spend some family time relaxing  in one of the most beautiful places on earth! 

And there you have it, our ULTIMATE Family travel bucket list? Tell us what would be on your bucket list below!