Unusual family holidays
It was brilliant to really have a laugh with my parents on holiday. They usually try and do board games and stuff like that to have ‘family time’ – but mountain biking together and then jumping into a gorgeous lake at the end of the day was so much better. Montenegro was our best family holiday ever. ![]()
– Kate, 11 years old
It is difficult to define ‘different’ when it comes to unusual family holidays. There is one thing that unifies all unique family holidays, though. And that is switching off. From screens, school and schedules. By going on a holiday that takes all of those out of the picture, you can share thrilling times together by doing things such as white water rafting, whale watching or wilderness walking. Saharan nights under the stars, sledding with huskies to see the Northern Lights or hiking through the Alps with a donkey. Do it with a tour operator who gets family needs, creates itineraries that really are about families and all holiday stress is gone. All that is left is family time and a lot of fun.
Our Unusual family Holidays
Devon eco lodge accommodation, England
Quirky eco lodges, 1 with Hot Tub, on a Devon nature reserve
From
£205 to £810
per accommodation per week
Altiplano de Granada activity holiday, Spain
Multi-activity Family holiday in the Spanish Lake District
From
€396 to €607
8 days
ex flights
Family holiday in Burma
A fabulous family holiday including the best of Burma
From
£1500 to £2000
16 days
ex flights
Activity holiday in Montenegro
An active villa holiday at stunning Lake Skadar, Montenegro
From
£645 to £745
7 days
ex flights
Alternative family winter holiday in Chamonix, France
Easter family ski, yoga & circus holiday
From
£835
7 days
ex flights
Family horse riding holiday in South Africa
Family horse riding safari holiday in South Africa
From
£1525
9 days
ex flights
Dordogne self catering cabin sleeping 4
Off-grid, off-beat self catering cabin
From
€650 to €900
per week (sleeps 2-4)
Exciting family holiday in China
An exciting family holiday taking in the highlights of China
From
£2500 to £3000
16 days
ex flights
Transylvania holiday accommodation
Stay at a Count's guesthouse
From
€100 to €174
per person per night
Canoeing and kayaking holiday in Montenegro, Lake Skadar
Wilderness kayak/canoe holiday at a vast lake in Montenegro
From
£745 to £795
7 days
ex flights
Family volunteering with monkeys in South Africa
Hands-on family volunteering with monkeys in South Africa
From
£767
7 days
ex flights
Tobago beach accommodation
17 beautiful accommodations in unique eco resort
From
£105 to £315
per accommodation per night
Borneo family tour
A fabulous family holiday including the best of Borneo
From
£1850 to £2500
15 days
ex flights
Sweden wildlife holiday, Ecolodge short break
Wildlife break at Sweden's most primitive hotel.
From
£630
4 days
ex flights
Maquipucuna cloud forest lodge, Ecuador
Enjoy hummingbirds and virgin forest in Ecuadors cloudforest
From
£242 to £401
3 days
ex flights
Dominica forest cabin holiday accommodation
Panoramic views of the mountains and sea
From
US $156
per accommodation per night (sleeps 2-4)
Family holiday in Ethiopia, history and culture
A family friendly discovery tour of Ethiopia
From
US $3375
9 days
ex flights
Malaysia rainforest bungalows near Kuala Lumpur
A small orchard resort on the edge of the rainforest
From
MYR400 to MYR1100
per accommodation per night
Mongolia family adventure holiday
Life-enhancing local Mongolian adventure for all the family
From
US $3985
17 days
ex flights
Kasbah du Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains
Peace and quiet only 40 miles from Marrakech
From
€72.5 to €240
per person per night
Mercantour family walking holiday, France
Family walking tour with a donkey in Southern French Alps
From
€575 to €675
7 days
ex flights
Cave accommodation in Andalucia, Spain
Unique Cave Houses in the Andalusian mountains
From
£400 to £700
per week
Family volunteering with turtles in Costa Rica
Family turtle conservation volunteering in Costa Rica
From
£749
7 days
ex flights
Yurt holiday accommodation in Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Beach setting, off grid, pool access, family yurts
From
€1295 to €1750
per accommodation per week
Gozo family activity holiday in Malta
Family activity holiday on the beautiful Island of Gozo
From
£1195 to £1245
8 days
ex flights
Family rafting holiday on the Salmon River, Idaho, USA
Fun rapids, huge white sand beaches and great scenery
From
US $1445 to US $1690
5 days
ex flights
Snowdonia Bed and Breakfast accommodation, Wales
Carbon Neutral 1883 guesthouse 700ft up in Snowdonia
From
£50
per person per night
North Devon ecolodge, England
Uniquely quirky Devon eco lodge with hot tub & great views
From
£501 to £1100
per week (sleeps 8)
Family holiday to Sao Tome & Principe
Snorkelling, jungle trekking and rich cultural encounters
From
£7800
11 days
ex flights
Unusual activities for families
Going wild on water
Kayaking together as a family is a wonderful way to switch off, especially when you are handing over the reins of care to a responsible kayaking guide. Add a bit of white water rafting and wild camping to really up the alternative ante. Sea kayaking in Croatia, paddling on Montenegro’s Lake Skadar or staying on, rather than cruising round, Galapagos Islands are all aqua adventures with a difference.
Walking can be fun
It can sometimes be a hard sell persuading children to go on a walking holiday. However, throw in a donkey to carry your bags as you hike through the Alps, walking on the Great Wall of China on a specialist family holiday, or a swim at the end of each day after a day of Croatian coastal clambering, and they start to warm to the idea. Walking will never seem like a drag again.
Winter wilderness
Although an annual ski trip is like a religion for some families, there are so many different types of winter adventures to be had. If Santa no longer visits your house, regenerate some seasonal magic in Finnish Lapland, sledding with huskies, learning about Sami culture or going on reindeer sleigh rides. Or stay in a tree hotel and go horse riding through the snowy woods where you are suspended, in Swedish Lapland.
Our top Unusual family Holiday
Devon eco lodge accommodation, England
Quirky eco lodges, 1 with Hot Tub, on a Devon nature reserve
From
£205 to £810
per accommodation per week
Accommodation
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Unusual or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Unusual family holidays advice
Natalie Morawietz, co-founder of our supplier Infinite Adventures:
I highly recommend Alaska for an unusual family holiday in America, but not with very young children as you have to cover very long distances. We always give a safety talk regarding bears too, so you really need to be aware of the rules and you won’t get into trouble. You don’t need to be scared, however. My experience with wildlife generally is that it doesn’t care about humans. It wants to be away from us. So, most of the time, if you stick to the rules, there is nothing to worry about. So, when we pick a lunch spot, it is always in an open space where we can see everything.
I highly recommend Alaska for an unusual family holiday in America, but not with very young children as you have to cover very long distances. We always give a safety talk regarding bears too, so you really need to be aware of the rules and you won’t get into trouble. You don’t need to be scared, however. My experience with wildlife generally is that it doesn’t care about humans. It wants to be away from us. So, most of the time, if you stick to the rules, there is nothing to worry about. So, when we pick a lunch spot, it is always in an open space where we can see everything.
Liddy Pleasants from our supplier, Stubborn Mule shares her tips on an unusual family holiday, to China: “China is ideal for families as there is such an incredible variety of experiences and activities. You might be learning to stir-fry in the morning and floating on a bamboo raft in the afternoon. There is always something going on, whether it is exploring markets, sampling weird and wonderful foods (fried scorpion anyone?), joining in with morning tai chi, walking on the Great Wall or heading into the backstreets by cycle rickshaw. China is suitable as a destination for children of any age as long as the itinerary is carefully planned. Younger children will enjoy having a few days in the same place and travelling at a slower pace, whilst older children will want a range of activities and a bit more 'action'. The thing to remember is that you can't see the whole of China in one visit. It is a vast country and the best trips are those where visitors concentrate on fewer places and explore them in depth.”
More about Unusual
This unusual holidays guide takes you on a journey of eclectic adventures, one of which is guaranteed to wow you into doing something different.
To help you work out how to choose an unusual holiday, we've picked out some favourites that come up on our reviews as total dream come trues.
We love our quirky, fun and unusual places to stay on holiday because accommodations like these are created by people who really care.
Choosing a top ten unusual holidays list is nigh on impossible, but not when you ask our responsible travel experts to pick their quirky leaders in the field.
This section features lots of unusual holiday travel tips and advice from our expert suppliers who know that what they do is a little bit different.
Unusual holiday destinations are about people who are providing out of the ordinary experiences in places that you might not usually think about visiting.
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