Our Top Luxury Family Adventure Travel Destinations

Iceland’s starkly beautiful landscapes can feel like another planet, waiting to be explored. Your family adventure trip to Iceland will start in Reykjavik, where colourful houses are backdropped by volcanoes, glaciers and lava fields.

Learn about Vikings on private family hikes and and ride hardy horses through the Highlands. Continue exploring by bike as your guide shares stories that bring this land of geothermal springs, crater lakes and spurting geysers to vivid life. We recommend an awe-inspiring stop at Gullfoss, whose twin cascades thunder into a canyon.

Need to know: Visit between May and August to see breeding puffins in Faxaflói Bay, where you can also spot whales and white-beaked dolphins all year round.

A family adventure in Switzerland can be as relaxed or as active as you like. Towns and villages occupy hillsides, lakeshores and alpine valleys, surrounded by landscapes that are by turns pretty and dramatic. See Rhine Falls, Europe’s most powerful waterfall.

In the Swiss Alps, which cover more than half the landmass, take the Jungfrau Railway to reach Europe’s highest railway station, where you can walk through a cavern in Aletsch Glacier.

Need to know: The forest in car-free Braunwald, Eastern Switzerland, is ‘home’ to children’s book character Bartli the dwarf. Follow the immersive trail, with huts, caves and a castle. Then, share stories over a chef-prepared picnic in the meadows.

Be immersed in Italy’s rich history and heritage with fun, active adventures you will all enjoy. In Rome, ride e-bikes along the millennia-old Via Appia Antica, one of the empire’s most important trade routes.

Delve into Florence’s history on an active, Renaissance-themed treasure hunt, hike the rugged peaks of the Dolomites, or ride through Tuscany’s medieval villages and vineyards on horseback. And, on the Amalfi Coast, take a bespoke speedboat tour to snorkel around the Li Galli Islands and cruise on the Blue Grotto.

Need to know: In Rome, Villa Spalletti Trivelli has larger Garden Suites and an apartment, perfect for multi-generational families and groups.

Costa Rica is a dream for wildlife lovers. The Central American country’s cloud forests, rainforests and Atlantic and Pacific coastlines are home to around half a million species, and biodiverse landscapes and wildlife encounters abound. 

Cross canopy bridges with views of Arenal Volcano, where you can also rappel down waterfalls and zip line across canyons in the national park. Head out on in-depth, educational tours with naturalist guides who know the best places to spot tapirs, scarlet macaws, toucans and sloths, or feel the thrill of navigating rushing rivers on a rafting tour.

Need to know: Corcovado National Park, on the Oso Peninsula, is the only place to see all four native monkey species: howler, spider, squirrel and white-headed capuchin monkeys.

The incredible site of Machu Picchu is accessible even for younger kids via a luxury train journey from Cusco or the Sacred Valley. Or tackle the one-day Inca Trail, ideal for older children who want the adventure of trekking through Peru’s scenic landscapes. Everyone will love seeing llamas and alpacas grazing by the ruins, surrounded by cloud forest. 

For the ultimate in wild exploration, journey into the Southern Peruvian Amazon for night safaris, or cruising down the mighty river in search of pink river dolphins. Further south, take a boat tour or kayak trip on Lake Titicaca, spending time in the communities of Amantaní Island.

Need to know: Hacienda Concepción is surrounded by Amazon rainforest yet wonderfully accessible for families, with kids’ explorer kits and specially trained guides.

A family kayaking adventure across the Lake District’s La Poza, backed by Calbuco Volcano, is among the unforgettable experiences awaiting in Chile. Captivating landscapes stretch across every corner of this country, including in the Atacama Desert, where you can hike among geysers, lagoons, salt flats and volcanoes. Spend an evening under Atacama’s exceptionally clear skies, stargazing with an astronomer.

In Chilean Patagonia, the three granite peaks of Torres del Paine (‘towers of blue’) loom above glacial lakes and blue icebergs. Older children will love kayaking down the exhilarating rapids of the Futaleufú River or hike across dramatically beautiful terrain.

Need to know: Ride the funicular railway ride to Cerro San Cristóbal for clear views of Santiago’s ‘Sanhattan’ skyline and dramatic Andes backdrop.

New Zealand packs incredible natural wonders and a remarkable range of landscapes into a relatively small footprint. Your private guide can take you to black-sand Gillespies Beach, on hikes along rainforest trails and Fox Glacier, and to geothermal landscapes with bubbling hot springs in Rotorua.

Embark on adrenaline-fuelled explorations, including the famous Nevis bungy, zip lines, white water rafting, and yacht cruises through Marlborough Sounds. Slow things down with a gentle boat ride through the unforgettable Waitomo Caves, whose chambers and cathedrals are illuminated by glow worms.

Need to know: We recommend a horse trek to the highest point of Te Anau Basin by Milford Sound, for views across the valley and rich stories about the landscape.

Vietnam’s lush landscapes and rich history are best discovered on immersive adventures. Hanoi’s lakeside trails lead to ancient pagodas, while surrounding villages and temples are easily reached on a family cycling ride.

You will all get the chance to row on circular, bamboo basket boats near Hoi An, where your concierge can also arrange an off-road jeep adventure through rice paddies and Cam Thanh Water Coconut Village.

Need to know: The best way to explore Halong Bay is on a private charter cruise, passing floating villages and some of the 2,000-plus limestone islands that rise from the water in towers and rainforest-clad cones.

Perfect for outdoor adventures, Thailand’s coastline is laced with white sandy beaches and coves. Explore them, along with some of the more than 1,400 islands on the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea, on a private kayak trip or boat charter. We recommend a cruise around the boulder-esque islets of Phi Phi, and sea turtle-spotting in Similan Islands National Park.

On land, whizz through Bangkok’s exciting streets, and visit temples, by tuk tuk. See Asian elephants on guided drives in Kui Buri or hike to the seven-tiered waterfalls in Erawan National Park.

Need to know: Visit between November and April for cooler, yet typically dry and sunny weather.

Private game drives through savannah and bush in search of the Big Five are a must on any family adventure trip in South Africa. Combine a safari with immersive tours along the Cape Peninsula, where you can look for the ‘Cape Five’: baboons, bonteboks, mountain zebras, ostriches and tortoises.

See colonies of African penguins with a conservationist or scour the Whale Coast for southern right whales. And, for teens and above, we recommend quad biking through the white sand dunes of Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve.

Need to know: The Winelands offer a range of activities suitable for families. Explore the valleys on mountain bikes and ride through vineyards on horseback.

Guided private game drives through Rwanda‘s Akagera National Park offer the chance to spot the Big Five, giraffes and rare shoebill storks on a family safari adventure. We also recommend the canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park, It’s East Africa’s only canopy walk, and at 70 metres above the rainforest floor, gives you a thrilling vantage point from which to spot birds, butterflies and monkeys.

But it’s Volcanoes National Park in the Virunga mountains that holds the biggest draw. With dormant calderas and thick rainforest, it’s home to endangered mountain gorillas. Families with kids aged 15 or over can trek out with guides and expert trackers to share unforgettable family moments observing these gentle creatures in the wild.

Need to know: Singita Kwitonda Lodge, on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, has a four-bedroom villa perfect for bigger family groups.

Every day is an adventure in Morocco. In Marrakesh, dive into the Medina’s mazelike souks and eat street food at Jemaa el-Fnaa night market. Head off on adventures in the High Atlas mountains, traversing scenic hiking trails and trekking to Berber villages where you can make traditional bread with families. 

For an unforgettable family adventure, spend an evening under the stars in the Moroccan Sahara, accompanied by an astronomer who will guide you through the cosmos. Days here are just as enchanting – race across sand dunes on a quad bike or off-road 4×4, or feel the wind in your hair as you slide down the golden slopes on a sand board.

Need to know: Go from late September to early May for milder weather, especially if you’re planning to spend time in the desert.