With so many great options in the US, is it worth traveling abroad with kids? The short answer is yes, especially when you consider the family-friendly destinations our writers have visited in recent months. They roamed the UK, Japan, Tanzania, Greece and Swedish Lapland with their kids and discovered some fantastic places for the whole family to enjoy in 2024. Just try not to think about the flight there (especially the return flight)…
Osaka, Japan
Theme parks and tantalizing street food are some of the highlights of visiting Osaka.
Photo credit: Usa-Pyon/Shutterstock
Strolling through Osaka’s neon-lit Shinsekai with my unimpressed teenage son hungry for photogenic food, we passed a takoyaki stand advertising octopus-based fare in a 3D, tentacle-covered display and a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant decorated with giant, rotating nigiri plates. We eventually gravitated toward Jumbo Tsuribune Tsurikichi, a restaurant boasting a vast pool of fish that you can catch with bait and rods provided, and which will cook and serve you whatever you catch — in our case, a monster big enough to feed a family twice our size.
Memorable experiences like these are just the beginning here, where maximalist signs are everywhere, beckoning hungry travelers. Despite rising food costs around the world, affordable dining is easy to find in Osaka, making it an attractive option for those looking to test their taste buds without straining their wallets. Even the pickiest eaters will find something to love in this dynamic destination, and fun-loving families will find a variety of unique dining options. Dine with Pikachu at the popular Pokémon Cafe or enjoy an incredibly cute Mario-inspired meal at Universal Japan’s Super Nintendo World. A new Donkey Kong-themed area scheduled to open in 2024 is expected to offer even more options soon.
Where to stay
For an immersive experience, Ukiyo-e Ryokan offers families a stay on traditional tatami mats, while Cross Hotel Osaka offers comfortable accommodations just a stone’s throw from the bustling food stalls of the Dotonbori area. —Amanda Adler
Tanzania
“I spy” becomes much more interesting when you get to see leopards, hippos and warthogs.
Taking a toddler on a safari is not for the faint of heart, and we knew we needed some serious help if we were going to do it. That’s where Go2Africa comes in: an experienced tour operator with experts who have traveled extensively with toddlers throughout East and Southern Africa. These experts knew which camps were the most family-friendly and how to safely travel between them. They arranged private safari drives for us in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the highest density of megafauna in Africa, and a tranquil corner of the Serengeti National Park. During multiple game drives in the two areas, we spotted lions, leopards, hippos, ostriches, flamingos, warthogs, and roughly a million wildebeest, but what really thrilled my son were the herds of zebras that stayed within reach of our 4WD.
Where to stay
Check out TAASA Lodge, a boutique bush camp on 15,000 acres north of the Serengeti, and Gibb’s Farm, an 80-acre organic and coffee plantation less than an hour from the Ngorongoro Crater. Both facilities employ guides, trackers, and staff who don’t just put up with kids, but really love them. Both have pools, perfect for kids to spend time in between game drives. —Ashley Halpern, Contributing Editor
Athens, Greece
Ancient history comes alive in Athens.
Photo by Sven Hansche/Shutterstock
History and ancient ruins may seem boring to small children at first, but Athens is actually a fun and educational family destination. Before you leave, teach your kids Greek mythology and history. There’s the graphic novel series “Olympians” that reinterprets mythology, and “Greeking Out,” a funny and engaging podcast from National Geographic that my 8-year-old son loves. Once you land, your kids will be eager to see what might otherwise look like crumbling dirt. Last summer, when I visited Athens with my husband and two young children, I booked a private family tour with Be a Greek. The guides kept our two kids (and my husband and I) engaged with treasure hunts, trivia, games, and dynamic storytelling as we walked around the city checking out sites like the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Panathenaic Stadium, and Syntagma Square to watch the changing of the presidential guard.
Visiting the Acropolis can be a bit of a challenge, so go early in the morning or evening when it’s cooler and less crowded. Leave the stroller behind (too many stairs!). Kids can also enjoy the Acropolis Museum (ask for a “family backpack” for educational resources, puzzles, etc.), a ride on the bright red Athens Happy Train, a cable car ride up Lycabettus Hill, and a stroll through the picturesque Plaka district. If you want to escape the heat, head outside the city center to spend time at Astia Beach on the Athens Riviera, or visit the still-under-construction Ellinikon (which already has a great playground and park, with more on the way).
Where to stay
For a central stay, check into the new boutique Apollo Palm Hotel, which has triple rooms perfect for a family of three (or four if one child sleeps in a cot) and also boasts chic design, a gorgeous rooftop bar, and a delicious breakfast buffet. For a resort experience with a kids’ club, beach, and pool, try the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, with spacious rooms and friendly, helpful staff who clearly love kids. —Deborah Lev Tov
The Jokkmokk market has been around for hundreds of years.
Photo by Tommy Alben/Shutterstock
Swedish Lapland
My kids were toddlers when we visited the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Swedish Lapland. I hobbled my kids in strollers across the snowy floors of rooms carved into river ice by artists from around the world. (We slept in heated accommodations on the property.)
My solo visit last winter gave me a few reasons to plan another trip soon with my older buddies. The best winter adventures in this part of Sweden involve more than just chasing the Northern Lights. At the Arctic Baths in the tiny hamlet of Harads, I watched a British family with school-age children jump into the cold water after a sauna. They climbed down a metal ladder straight into the frozen Lule River, jumped gleefully into the water, then made a beeline for the outdoor hot tub.
The nearby Treehotel offers a variety of unique cabins, including ones on stilts shaped like a bird’s nest or a UFO, for pure fantasy fun, along with activities like ice fishing and snowshoeing. Sápmi Nature Camp offers a three-night package with a Sámi host in a Sámi family’s private lavu tent on reindeer pastures. And if you’re visiting in early February, the annual Jokkmokk Winter Market is in full swing, attracting hundreds of indigenous people from across the Sámi regions of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia for an outdoor festival featuring live music, shopping for silverwork and traditional costumes, and a variety of other activities.
Where to stay
All of the aforementioned accommodations are fantastic places worth planning a trip for, but I dream of multigenerational winter adventures at Fjallborg Arctic Lodge, reachable by dogsled from nearby Jukkasjärvi. Families stay in luxurious four-bedroom cabins with private saunas and outdoor hot tubs overlooking Lake Vakkara (there are smaller cabins nearby that can accommodate more people). The lodge’s wilderness guides lead all kinds of excursions, including snowmobiling, snowshoeing and ice fishing. —Terry Ward
London, United Kingdom
With musical theatre, green spaces and countless restaurants, no two days are ever the same in London.
From a very entertaining Yeoman Warder guide at the Tower of London, to a bike tour with London Bicycles, to a visit to the Harry Potter studios (where all eight movies were filmed), our family’s week-long trip across the ocean was educational and fun. We also loved Matilda, the West End musical based on Roald Dahl’s beloved book, and all four of us sang along to the catchy tunes as we left the theater. The city’s many green spaces (Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens with its Princess Diana Memorial Playground, Battersea Park) provide ample opportunities for little ones to stretch their legs, run, or stop and smell the roses. There’s a legendary foodie scene, and meals at Indian street food chain Dishoom and plant-based Mallow in Borough Market were a must, and they did not disappoint.
Where to stay
London is full of great hotels. I loved the elegant 101-room One Aldwych in the heart of Covent Garden, just a few blocks from theaters, restaurants, and museums, including the excellent London Transport Museum (where kids can see double-decker buses and adults can marvel at the history of the Underground). The spacious suites and thoughtful touches like a free minibar, refilled daily (with biscuits and chips for little ones) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-themed afternoon tea make this hotel truly family-friendly. —Tanvi Chheda
