Written by Beth Luberecki published on USAtoday.com
Making your family vacation ideas a reality isn’t always easy. Whether you’re headed to a popular family vacation spot with just your immediate family or planning a big multigenerational vacation with grandparents and cousins, getting all the messy details right can be a challenge. Guided family tours remove all the hassle of mapping out an itinerary and choosing lodging and activities, though, and they’re especially nice once you’ve arrived at your destination and can sit back and let your guide handle the details.
From on-the-go vacations with nonstop action to more relaxed sightseeing experiences for kids (and adults) who prefer to take it slow, there are plenty of great family tours to choose from. Here are the top guided tour companies that make family travel adventures a total breeze.
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1. Adventures by Disney
With the word Disney in its name, it should come as no surprise that Adventures by Disney is a go-to choice for family tours. Adventures by Disney offers immersive guided tours on all seven continents led by Disney-trained “Adventure Guides” and local experts who help families truly experience the culture of each destination visited.
The family tour company’s Land Adventures typically range from 30 to 40 guests, while its Expedition Cruises and River Cruises vary in size by destination. For a more intimate experience, families can book a Private Adventure for up to 12 travelers. All of the company’s family tours deliver “the Disney difference,” which includes special access to local sites, activities and accommodations carefully chosen for families, memorable surprises and the stellar service for which The Walt Disney Company is known.
Tour itineraries are designed to promote family togetherness, but there are also activities geared toward getting the “Junior Adventurers” (children 12 and younger) to have fun together while parents relax or explore on their own. Transfers to and from your arrival and departure spot, all transportation during the tour, accommodations, most meals and snacks, scheduled activities and entertainment and most gratuities are included in Adventures by Disney’s tour price.
2. Thomson Family Adventures
Small group tour operator Thomson Family Adventures has been running family travel tours since the 1990s and its expertise in that area definitely shines through. Itineraries are crafted with carefully vetted accommodations and activities, and the company prides itself on a “white-glove experience” that helps both kids and adults go beyond the basics in a destination to make lasting memories.
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Its family tours feature about three to four families (and no more than 20 guests) on each tour. Expert guides lead the way, and some tours also have special guides called “rafikis” (Swahili for “friend”) to help kids get to know each other and explore the local culture. Bucket-list destinations like Tanzania, Baja, Peru and the Galapagos Islands are popular family tour destinations offered by Thomson Family Adventures.
Tours include accommodations, entrance fees for activities, land transportation, guides and most meals and snacks. Some destinations also include flexibility for families to explore on their own. Family groups can also book just-for-them custom trips for a private family vacation experience.
3. Backroads
Active travel company Backroads offers family trips divided into three distinct age groups: families with kids and teens (best for ages nine and up), families with older teens and 20s and families with adult kids in their 20s and beyond. Doing this allows the company to tailor the tour activities, programming and travel times to specific age groups and bring together folks of similar interests and travel styles.
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Popular family tours include hiking and biking in Alaska, an adventure tour of Costa Rica and a bike tour of Tuscany. Each tour focuses on family activities and dedicated kid time and adult time for socialization among the generations (the kids might all eat together one night, for example, or the adults might head off on a bike ride while younger travelers are otherwise entertained).
Backroads runs its guided tours in the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Family tour groups average about 16 guests per trip, but most U.S. trips can accommodate up to 26 travelers. Tours include accommodations, most meals and snacks, private tours at attractions, bikes and other equipment and most gratuities.
4. Explore Worldwide
The small group family tours offered by Explore Worldwide generally range from three to five families with a maximum group size of between 16 and 20. The tour company offers kid-friendly tours in Asia, Europe, Africa, Central America, the Middle East, the Caribbean and North America that are suitable for children ages seven and up.
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Families can also choose the level of activity they want based on everyone’s ages, interests and abilities. The company’s “Relaxed” tours include morning downtime and pool days. “Moderate” tours have a little more activity but still some downtime. “Full-On” family tours feature busier days and some early morning starts.
Explore Worldwide’s guided family travel tours include all accommodations, most meals and excursions. The company seeks out family-friendly lodging with pools and unique stays like tree tents or houseboats. Expert local tour leaders help keep tour goers of all ages engaged and interested along the way and families can skip an activity if they want to rest, relax, or explore on their own.
5. Tauck
Tour operator Tauck’s collection of family tours (called Tauck Bridges) includes guided land journeys, European river cruises and a small ship ocean cruise in the Galapagos Islands. These tours are designed “from the ground up” specifically for families, prioritizing elements like hotels with swimming pools and family-friendly restaurants built into every itinerary.
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The tours work well for parents traveling with young children, grandparents traveling with their grandchildren and multigenerational family groups. Tour guides called Tauck Directors lead families on these excursions. Popular family trips include tours of the American West like the Cowboy Country tour through Wyoming and South Dakota and the Red Rocks and Painted Canyons tour in Arizona, Utah and Nevada. European itineraries are also popular with families and range from a tour of Ireland to a family river cruise in Portugal.
Tauck’s guided family trips include accommodations, all excursions, admission to all attractions, all gratuities, most meals, airport transfers and luggage handling. Riverboat tours can accommodate up to 130 passengers, while group sizes for land journeys tend to average between 35 and 40 people. Families can also book private customized tours for family groups as small as 10 people.
6. Escape Adventures
Families who want to get out and get moving on vacation will find plenty of group tour options through Escape Adventures. This tour company for active travelers offers a range of family tours throughout the United States (and one in New Zealand) where families can see the sights while biking, hiking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, kayaking, or canyoneering.
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You don’t have to be a family of seasoned adventurers to enjoy all of the company’s family travel tours. While some offerings are tailored to experienced bikers and paddlers, others are well-suited for beginners. Tour descriptions offer information on age level, fitness level and elevation range. Lodging options range from “first-class camping” to cabins to luxury inns.
Tour groups with Escape Adventures are small – just six to 13 guests – and the guide-to-guest ratio averages one guide for every five guests. Tours include all accommodations, transportation during the tour, meals (except where noted on itineraries), snacks and nonalcoholic beverages, group supplies and community gear, park fees, a mobile first-aid and mechanic station and a support vehicle or vehicles. Participants will either need to rent bikes or ship their own to the destination.
7. Intrepid Travel
Family tours offered by Intrepid Travel bring together three to five like-minded families for true cultural immersion in the tour destinations. And because Intrepid’s guided family tours have an average group size of 10 people, guests often gain access to more intimate experiences than those available with larger tour groups.
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Itineraries feature plenty of activity to keep the kids entertained plus some downtime for taking a breather and most hotels along the way have pools. A focus on sustainable travel runs through all of Intrepid Travel’s tours: Families might plant vegetables and gather produce in Costa Rica, visit an orangutan rehabilitation facility in Borneo, or learn about Masaai culture in Kenya. Closer to home, tour-goers can follow a wolf tracker in Yellowstone National Park or watch a glacier calve in Alaska.
Intrepid’s family tours include all accommodations and in-trip transportation as well as some meals and activities. Families can also add on optional activities at some spots for more in-depth exploration.
8. G Adventures
If you’re looking to travel the world in an adventurous and educational way, you can’t beat National Geographic Family Journeys with G Adventures. Appropriate for families with kids ages seven and up, these family tours explore everywhere from U.S. national parks and Iceland’s glaciers and fjords to Costa Rica’s rainforest and the Saharan desert sands of Morocco.
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Tours draw on National Geographic’s expertise in areas like photography, geography, conservation and wildlife to help bring destinations alive for families through interactive activities and experiences. Each tour is led by two “Chief Experience Officers” who are specially trained to work with children and tour descriptions detail the physical activity rating and service level of each particular trip.
Family-friendly hotels are chosen that speak to the culture or character of the destination and have amenities like swimming pools when possible. Meal times include plenty of opportunities to try the local cuisine as well as options for not-so-adventurous eaters. Tours include all accommodations, most meals, transportation and fees for scheduled activities and snacks and water. Families also have time to explore the area on their own and can add on optional activities if they choose.
9. Trafalgar
Travel tour company Trafalgar offers more than 200 itineraries that help families enjoy memory-making experiences. With family tours in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, there’s a wide range of destinations and activities to suit all ages and family members.
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Trafalgar’s tours help families learn about different cultures and take part in out-of-the-ordinary adventures in a stress-free way. Itineraries feature planned activities plus downtime to explore at your own pace, as well as the opportunity to add on optional experiences. Travel Directors take care of the details and provide an insider’s perspective on each destination.
Popular family tours include a Costa Rica excursion filled with wildlife watching and a volcano trek; a pioneer adventure in the American West that includes visits to national parks and a train ride through the scenic landscape; and a tour of Italy offering pizza-making lessons, visits to famous landmarks and even a stint at gladiator school.
Tour group sizes average about 40 people and tours include all accommodations and transportation during the trip plus most activities and meals.
10. Road Scholar
Originally founded as Elderhostel in 1975, the tour company now known as Road Scholar provides a range of tour options for lifelong learners with a focus on “boomers and beyond.” The not-for-profit organization has been offering programs for grandparents and their grandkids since 1985 and now has more than 80 learning adventures for family travelers of all ages.
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Road Scholar’s Grandparent and Family Programs make multigenerational travel easy, allowing families to focus on spending time together and soaking in their destination. Road Scholar trip leaders and other experts take care of all the decisions and make sure that multigenerational travelers don’t miss any must-see or must-do experiences.
Popular tours for grandchildren and grandparents or for multigenerational family groups include a wildlife-filled Costa Rica adventure, a Galapagos excursion where travelers can swim and snorkel with local sea creatures, a tour through South Dakota with a stop at Mount Rushmore and a “Teenagers in Paris” tour for grandparents and their adolescent grandkids. Tour descriptions indicate the activity level needed for participants to keep up with all the action.
Tours include lectures, field trips and hands-on experiences led by experts; all accommodations; most meals; and transportation and gratuities throughout the program. Participants also receive coverage under the Road Scholar Assurance Plan, which provides 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency and insurance for emergency medical evacuation.
11. VBT Bicycling Vacations
For families with older kids and teens interested in multigenerational travel, VBT Bicycling Vacations offers a range of biking tours where participants pedal through scenic destinations around the world, including Italy, Croatia, British Columbia and Chile.
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VBT’s guided bike tours have two trip leaders, one who bikes with the group and one who drives the support van offering water, snacks and a ride for any travelers who need or want a break. Tours also include a bike and helmet, accommodations and most meals, admission fees to attractions and cultural activities.
Families confident in both their biking and navigation skills can opt for a self-guided biking tour. These tours include accommodations, bikes, breakfast, route info and suggestions for local activities, but offer lots of flexibility and the ability to customize your experience. Tour descriptions include info on daily mileage covered and biking time as well as how challenging (or not) the local terrain will be. You can also add an air package for maximum ease.
11 best guided tour companies for family vacations originally appeared on FamilyVacationist.com.
Since 1992, we at Escape Adventures have been blessed to shape and lead adventure travel vacations through some of the most awe-inspiring natural destinations in the world. Each successive season, our passion for adventure grows through memorable moments with our guests. Fresh air, faith, fitness and friends are the building blocks for our ventures, the treasured experiences that keep us moving forward. For those of you who have trekked and traveled with us over the past quarter century, Heather and I express our sincerest gratitude. The memories are priceless.
