Family Adventures with Older Kids

Eventually, you’ll get to a stage where a bucket, spade and a beach just doesn’t cut it for the kids anymore. We know how great those types of easy holidays can be for families with young children, but as they get older, more curious and easier to travel with, you’re presented with a wonderful opportunity to have unforgettable adventures with your kids.

The question is, where to go and how to find holidays suitable for families with older children? Here at Not In The Guidebooks, we’ve scoured the earth to find adventures geared towards having unique travel experiences, getting off the beaten track and immersing yourself in new cultures with your family.

Whether it’s exploring the cloud forests, jungles and rural communities of Costa Rica before relaxing for a few days on a beautiful tropical beach, or cruising on a river raft through the lesser-explored corners of Thailand, then visiting buzzing Bangkok and the island of Koh Tao, our adventures for older families aim to combine unique activities and offbeat explorations with that quality time to relax and recharge as a family.

We understand how precious this time away can be, and as you watch your children get older and closer to the day they fly the nest, we believe it’s important to create unforgettable memories they’ll always treasure. At Not In The Guidebooks, we believe our local hosts in stunning destinations around the world can create travel memories that will last a lifetime.

Popular Adventures for Families

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  • The Ultimate Family Thailand Experience

    11 Nights Thailand
    • Unique premium accommodation
    • Great for Families
    • Includes: Bangkok City and Beach stay
    • Includes: River rafting, Trekking, Boat Cruise and Elephant Sanctuary

    Price from

    £7590 per family of four*
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  • Book now for just £99 pp deposit

    4 Night Family Lapland Winter Adventure in Saariselkä

    4 Nights Finland
    • Full board
    • Aurora glass igloos available
    • Reindeer sleigh, snowmobiling
    • Meeting with Santa Claus

    Price from

    £4457 for a family of four*
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  • Discover the Best of Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast

    17 Nights / 18 Days Costa Rica

    This fully immersive Costa Rica Tour takes you to some of the country's most wondrous locations, where you'll feast your..

    Price from

    £5075 pp
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  • Sailing and Hiking the Dodecanese Islands

    6 Nights Greece

    Embark on a wonderful week's sailing, calling at beautiful unspoilt islands, travelling across the deep blue Adriatic se..

    Price from

    £3007 pp
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  • Cuba on 2 Wheels

    9 Nights Cuba

    A 10 day tour featuring leisurely cycling and the ‘must see’ destinations of Havana, Viñales, Cienfuegos and Trinid..

    Price from

    £1077 pp
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  • 3 Night Family Lapland Adventure in a Pyhä Aurora Suite

    3 Nights

    Stay in a unique, first-class setting in the magical winter wonderland of Finnish Lapland. Visit Father Christmas, and m..

    Price from

    £4118 up to a family of 5
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  • Family Adventures in Costa Rica

    Costa Rica's pristine natural beauty makes it the perfect adventure playground for older kids, whether that's wild swimming, kayaking, zip lining or hiking.

    Explore Costa Rica

    Family Adventures in Thailand

    With rugged, remote mountains in the north to explore and stunning sun-kissed beaches in the south, Thailand makes the ideal location for your next family adventure.

    Explore Thailand

    Family Adventures in Sri Lanka

    Whether you're after epic rafting, hiking in stunning scenery, safari to spot elephants in lush hillsides, or just a bit of beach time to chill, Sri Lanka has all this and so much more.

    Explore Sri Lanka

    Family Adventures in Lapland

    Lapland is one of the last true wildernesses in Europe, making it the perfect place to explore by snowmobile, husky safari, or snowshoe in this winter wonderland.

    Explore Lapland

    Family Adventures that get you off the beaten track

    There comes a point when a bucket and spade holiday, or lazing around by the pool all day for a week, just won’t cut it for the kids anymore. Everyone know family holidays are precious, and the last thing you want is bored teenagers looking for something to do and already dreaming of returning home to their mates.

    That’s why we’ve put together a collection of family holidays that are perfect for older kids. They tend to combine beach time with incredible activities, whether that’s white water rafting in Sri Lanka, zip lining through the jungle canopy on a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica, cycling through sugar plantations in Cuba, or speeding through snowy pine forests on a husky safari on a family holiday in Lapland.

    We also believe travel should be a formative experience, and by including local experiences, accommodations and cuisine, our family holidays help to broaden your kids’ horizons, as they are exposed to new cultures and ways of life.

    Carefully curated holidays that keep everyone busy

    We know first hand that the biggest hurdle for parents with teenage kids on holiday is keeping them entertained for the week or two that they’re away. A Not In The Guidebooks itinerary deals with this challenge by packing your trip away with experiential activities and local things to do.

    Thanks to your expert local guide, there’ll be no wondering what the unmissable experiences are, or where to find the very best hidden gems that most tourists miss. They’ll get you right to the beating heart of a destination, getting you and your family off the beaten track to create moments that will last long in the memory.

    Despite all this, we know that holidays are also a time to unwind. That’s why we build in chill time into our itineraries to make sure you leave the holiday feeling refreshed and reinvigorated. For example, after a week or so of spotting elephants in the jungle, exploring manic markets, and kayaking off the coast in Thailand, we understand you might want a couple of days to take a moment to yourself on the beach. By the time you head home, you can be safe in the knowledge that you and your family have had the best of both worlds.

    Why choose Not In The Guidebooks?

    We’re passionate about helping people find the most amazing experiences on their travels, through meeting local people, exploring new places, and discovering alternative activities that make holidays special. We do this by carefully selecting partners in countries around the world who are experts in their local area, sourcing interesting people who can guide you through immersive experiences.

    We’ve got local partners all across the world, from Norway to Namibia, Scotland to Sri Lanka, Portugal to Peru. Choosing a Not In The Guidebooks holiday means you don’t have to choose between a beach holiday or an activity-filled break, you can get the best of both worlds with a unique trip.

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