Cruises

Cruises are a great family vacation because you can have the whole gang together, but everyone can choose things that interest them.

• Cruises are also a great bang for your buck, especially if you have tweens or teens who can eat A LOT (hello, all-you-can-eat buffet). Cruises provide lodging, dining, and entertainment for one cost.
• You can choose so many different destinations, from the most popular locations like the Caribbean to more exotic such as Alaska or the Mediterranean.
• You can find the cruise that best fits your family by researching on Cruise Critic.

Grand Tours

Go big or go home. If you want to give the gift of experience, take the family on a guided tour. There are tours to every part of the globe, just pick your favorite destination for your future trip. Guided tours are usually 10- 14 days in length and can cover multiple countries. A few notable tour companies that I would recommend would be:

• Trafalgar
• Globus
• Avanti Destinations
• Gate 1- Gate 1 is one of my favorite tour companies. They have flash sales and discounts. They also offer escorted tours and also on-your-own trips.

Grand tours are where travel agents come in handy. They can help you organize your travel and make sure you’re set up for a great experience.

City Tours

Plan a city tour if you are thinking about giving the gift of a long weekend or getaway. These are great family travel gifts to learn about the city that you are visiting, such as Charleston, SC. Taking a city tour at the beginning of your trip allows you to get your bearings before heading off to explore on your own.

There are many types of city tours you can take. Here are a few traditional and more unusual ways to explore a city:

• Historic walking tour
• Bicycle city tours- These are my personal favs. Check out our post on why City Bike Tours for Families are Great.
• Segway tours
• Ghost tours
• Food tours

Viator delivers online and mobile access to thousands of trip activities including tours, attractions, shore excursions and private guides, in more than 1,500 destinations worldwide.

This is what you want to use to book your city tours.  I’ve used Viator for several family trips and they have all been great.  They offer great prices, which is perfect for a family on a budget, and they have 24/7 customer service, so they are available to help you out whenever you need.

Local Activities

Giving your family the gift of experiences doesn’t mean you have to travel around the world. There are so many fun activities you can explore in your own hometown or in the area you are visiting. Groupon is a great way to find discounts for things to do on vacation.  You can save money on fun activities that make the perfect family travel gifts. Here are some ideas for family-friendly local activities.

• museums
• bowling
• jump parks
• escape rooms
• scavenger hunts

Amusement Parks

There is something magical about going to a theme park, especially Disney. Theme parks and amusement parks are destinations in themselves.

If you are giving a theme park trip as a gift, make sure to have fun with it and create a Scavenger Hunt. This builds anticipation up to the big reveal. We did this one Christmas for a trip to Universal Studios and made the scavenger hunt a Harry Potter theme. The kids had so much fun!

Here are some of my favorite theme parks that make awesome family travel gifts.

• Disney
• Unviersal Studios
• Sea World
• Lego Land
• Busch Gardens
• Six Flags
• Dollywood
• Great Wolf Lodge-this amazing indoor water park is super fun during the bitterly cold winter.

The Bonnie Traveler friends can buy tickets at TicketNetwork.com and save $10 on orders of $200 or more with code TNTIX.

Do you have a sports fan in your family? How about a music lover? History buff? Art addict? Theater aficionado? Get the whole family engaged in each other’s passions and interests. Tickets to events are a great family travel gift idea. You can find discount tickets for many events online.

We are big Denver Broncos football fans in this house. When I was dating my husband-to-be, I bought him 2 tickets to see the Broncos play in Denver for him and his dad. I can’t remember most of the stuff I’ve gotten him as gifts over the years, but he still talks about that game with his dad.

for the drink connoisseur

This one’s not for the kids, but Mom and Dad might like a little weekend getaway. Have you ever thought about a multigenerational trip with grandparents or adult siblings or cousins? My sister gifted my brother-in-law with a guys’ weekend on the Bourbon Trail. Needless to say, it was a hit. Here are some fun tours for the family member with refined taste in drinks:

• Bourbon: The Bourbon Distillery & Horse Farm Tours combines two of the things Kentucky is most known for, race horses and bourbon.
• Wine: California is famous for its wine and the Napa Valley Wineries Tour Including Picnic Lunch will let you tour some distinguished vineyards of the area.
• Beer: Cheers to beers! Portland is the place to get an awesome Pacific Northwest Guided Brewery Tour.

for the outdoorsman

The great outdoors is where adventure awaits. Family time outside makes lasting memories and can build family bonds.

Try camping at least once with your kids, even if it’s in the backyard. If camping is not for you, there are plenty of alternatives to get you into nature. Have you ever heard of “glamping?” Cabins are another choice of enjoying the outdoors. VRBO has cabin rentals and even yurts all across the country.

Congaree National Park is a great day trip for families with kids. The Jr. Ranger Program is a fantastic activity to complete at any National Park.

Here are some gift ideas to treat your family to nature:

• National Park Passes
• State Park Passes
• camping/glamping weekend getaway
• guided fly fishing experience
• horseback riding excursion
• skiing: snow skiing or water skiing
• rent a pontoon boat

for the life-long learner

I love learning. I like reading about faraway places and trying new things (like creating a travel blog!). Sometimes, if traveling is not an option, taking a class could be the perfect fit. What sounds interesting? Try something new and get the whole family involved.

• cooking classes
• language classes
• ethnic dance classes
• cultural art classes
• folk music lessons

For the Adventure Lover

Anticipation is half the fun of a trip. Exciting and thrill-seeking adventures will definitely be a hit as a family travel gift. Make sure to fit in one of these heart-pumping experiences for your next vacation:

• helicopter ride
• whitewater rafting
• zip line and ropes course
• hot air balloon ride
• snorkling
• snowmobile rides
• Jeep crawling– Sandi explains all about this edge-of-your-seat experience.

for the foodie

Tasting local cuisine makes for a well-rounded trip. I love researching which foods are unique to the places I travel. Poutine and Icewine in Canada, shrimp and grits in Charleston, SC, bangers and mash in the UK. They are all so yummy, and these are very generalized. Guided food tours get you deep into the specialties of the city you are exploring. Farmers’ Markets and local dairies let you taste the land.

Can’t travel to taste the world, let the world come to you. There are so many ways to bring new foods to your door. These make great “travel” gifts. Here are some favorite foodie gifts to bite into:

• food tours in the city you are visiting
• cooking classes (at home or on your trip- hello pasta in Italy!)
• ethnic food subscription boxes like Universal Yums
• travel themed gift baskets
• food production tours- visit a Coca Cola plant, Mayfield ice cream plant, check out the York Chocolate Story Tour

Maps/guides

Gift cards

Compression socks

Portable Charger

Travel Cord Organizer

Passport Holder

Luggage

Packing Cubes

Travel Towels

Travel Pillow/Blanket

Eye Mask

Inflatable Airplane Bed

Go Pro Adventure Camera

Kids’ Camera

Drone

Gimbal Stabilizer

Waterproof iPhone Pouch

External Hard Drive

Travel Games

Adventure Kit

Tablet

Travel Game Books

World Travel Book

50 States Fact Book

Kids Travel Journal

Scavenger Hunt

Puzzle Books

Scratch-off Maps

Travel Keepsake Box

Travel Calendar

Subscription Boxes

Geography Game

Tea from Around the World

Operation Christmas Child/Samaritan’s Purse

Heifer International

Compassion International

Trades of Hope