Raising teenagers may not be a 24/7 barrel of laughs, but there’s something about adventure holidays abroad that can be wholly transformative. Exploring a different destination can inspire a new-found confidence in your teen, and the shared adventure will help foster a wonderful family dynamic too.
Indeed, while many teens would prefer a minor acne outbreak to spending time with their parents in public, taking them to an exotic location, somewhere far outside of their comfort zone, is great for family bonding. Here’s our handy guide to holidays your teens will thank you for.
Our top 25 picks for trips with teens
Based on your feedback, we’ve cherry-picked experiences that make for fantastic holidays with teenagers. You can also find customer reviews about each destination in our country sections.
1. Holidays with teenagers in Costa Rica
Thrill the teens with tubing, rafting, and zip-lining with plenty of time to recharge in gorgeous settings
Of all Stubborn Mule’s destinations, Costa Rica is one of the stand-out favourites for families with teens. With your days spent zip-lining, surfing, mountain biking, horse riding, sloth-searching, white-water rafting and cocktail/mocktail sipping, your smartphones may almost be rendered obsolete. There are mountains, volcanoes, beaches, jungle, rainforests, crocodiles, whales, dolphins, turtles, sloths, hummingbirds, and the biggest butterflies you’ve ever seen. And there are beautiful hotels with hammocks where a lazy teen can while away a morning while younger (or more active) siblings go and explore.
Suitable for Summer, Christmas and Easter, Costa Rica is a sure-fire winner. Check out our Costa Rica Top 10 with the Kids feature for inspiration and our customer photos.
2. Holidays with teenagers in Morocco
Hikes in the mountains can range from moderate walks to the more challenging Mount Toubkal trek
From the colourful, noisy souks and squares of fascinating cities such as Marrakech and Essaouira, to hiking in the Atlas mountains or spending the night camping under the stars in the desert, Morocco is a sheer delight for all ages. For teens, it’s a true paradise, packed with ancient kasbahs and troglodyte villages to explore, dunes, oases, and gorges to investigate. Unforgettable encounters include lunch with a Berber family and haggling with market traders.
Particularly appealing in spring and autumn, Morocco is one of our top recommendations with teens. Check out our Morocco with Kids blog for more inspiration, or see our brilliant itineraries – an eight-day Morocco Family Short Break or our 15-day Highlights of Morocco trip.
3. Holidays with teenagers in Sri Lanka
With so many fun activities, Sri Lanka ticks all the boxes for teenagers
Whether you prefer to visit in summer or during Easter or Christmas, there are good reasons why Sri Lanka is a perennial favourite among adventurous families with teens. English is widely spoken, while the country’s compact nature means it’s easy to get around and explore. And then of course there’s what’s on offer. Go leopard tracking in national parks, help wash elephants in a local river, explore 2,000-year-old ruins, swim in a waterfall on a tea plantation, and (one of our favourites with our teens) learn to surf on the gorgeous, palm-fringed beaches along the southern coast.
We’ve loads of ideas about what to see and do there in our Top 10 – Sri Lanka with Kids blog and our Top Five Wildlife Experiences in Sri Lanka.
4. Holidays with teenagers in Norway
For great bragging rights back home, take the kids glacier hiking in the summer months
It’s not often that a destination is equally attractive in winter and summer, but Norway ticks that box. In summer, adventurous families with teens can enjoy long summer days e-biking the troll road, white-water rafting down glacial rivers, or taking a SUP or kayak out on a lake to find that perfect picnic spot. In winter, there’s husky-sledding through pristine snow fields, snowmobiling and snow-shoeing, winter fishing, whale watching, and the bucket-list experience of witnessing the Northern Lights.
Take a look at our itineraries to see what your family would prefer: Norway in Summer or Norway in Winter
5. Holidays with teenagers in Thailand
Teenagers will love Thailand’s vibe, from Bangkok to beach
Tropical beaches, colourful culture and great food make Thailand popular with teens. A backpackers’ heaven, this is the perfect place to inspire kids to take a gap year. Older teens really love the beach vibe here. Cookery lessons are another great way to prepare them for flying the nest and fending for themselves – what better way to impress new friends at uni than with Asian dishes they’ve learnt to prepare here?! Let us also inspire you with photos from families we’ve taken there with our Thailand with Kids Top 10 round-up.
To give you a flavour, our Highlights of Thailand takes you from the thrilling bustle and street-food nirvana of Bangkok to blissful beaches via an overnighter with a hill tribe. Our Southern Thailand Adventure adds on an elephant sanctuary visit and a national park trip.
6. Holidays with teenagers in Tanzania
An African safari is an unforgettable trip of a lifetime for families
Is this the ultimate bucket list holiday? According to many of our families with teenagers, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. It’s the ideal choice before they’re too cool to want to hang out with ‘the olds’ and prefer to travel with their own friends instead. While you can go on safari in Kenya, Namibia or South Africa, the majority of our families plump for Tanzania as their favourite destination to see the Big Five. Why? Take a look at our two-week Tanzania Safari and Beach holiday for a clue.
And who can resist the pull of Zanzibar at the beginning or end of the trip for the ultimate R&R? For holiday inspiration, see our Tanzania with Kids Top 10 round-up and our Tanzania customer reviews.
7. Holidays with teenagers in Croatia
For an action-packed holiday with teenagers, you can’t go wrong with Croatia
Croatia is best known for its 2,000km of spectacular coastline, but there’s far more to do here than soak up the sun and swim. It’s almost as if Croatia was made for the family who thrives on action – think white-water rafting in canyons, kayaking on the Zrmanja River, exploring emerald waterfalls at Plitvice, and paddleboarding in little bays. There’s history and culture by the bucketload too. Teens love to check out locations such as medieval walled Dubrovnik, a filming location for Game of Thrones.
We have some sample itineraries here, including Highlights of Croatia, a Croatia Short-Break, and a Croatia and Slovenia combination itinerary. For visual inspiration, take a look at our Croatia with Kids Top 10.
8. Holidays with teenagers in Mexico
The sheer variety of activities in Mexico’s Yucatan is a sure-fire winner
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is a treasure trove of Mayan ruins, colonial towns, blissful beaches and limestone cenotes (sinkholes). Teens love the snorkelling adventure in Sac Actun cave, discovering giant light-filled caverns adorned with stalactites and stalagmites. Elsewhere, they love climbing by rope ladder down into a cenote and then swimming in the cool waters as bats flit overhead. They also enjoy riding bikes around the pretty town of Valladolid, stopping in the market to buy a fresh tortilla.
Take a look at our Mexico itineraries for further inspiration, Best of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Best of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Belize. For more inspiration, check out our Mexico & Belize Customer Photos feature.
9. Holidays with teenagers in Egypt
Visit Egypt’s world-famous sites and then recharge on a relaxing trip along the Nile
Any trip to Egypt involves a lot of sightseeing: walking around (or inside) the Pyramids at Giza, exploring Abu Simbel, and heading underground in the Valley of the Kings, for example. But every teen needs time to chill, and cruising along the Nile on a traditional felucca is a fabulous way to do it. After time spent meandering down the river, you’ll enjoy a fabulous home-cooked meal on board, before sleeping under the stars, and listening to the lapping waters. Add some R&R at a luxury hotel with a pool, and time to browse in the markets, and you have the perfect teen-friendly adventure.
Take a look at our example itineraries and check out our Egypt with Kids Top 10 round-up and holiday photos from our families who have been to Eygpt.
10. Holidays with teenagers in Japan
Ancient traditions contrast with quirky Japanese fashion and anime graphics – teens will love it here
Far-flung and very, very different to anywhere else you will ever travel, Japan could almost have been made for teens, who lap it all up. There’s the neon dazzle of Tokyo like a sparkling futuristic vision, the almost-human robots, the thrill of Harajuku’s outlandish youth fashions, and the rush of the bullet trains. But there are also the deep traditions of a fascinating culture – experience them in immersive experiences such as samurai displays, fishing, trail walking and visiting hot springs (where you may see adorable snow monkeys bathing).
Our itineraries invite you to pack in the top sights of Japan in Nine Days or to cover even more in our 14-day Highlights of Japan. Our Japan with Kids Top 10 round-up and Kids in Tokyo post will also inspire you.
11. Holidays with teenagers in Iceland
Popular with teens, Iceland is an action-packed destination all year round
Teenagers are old enough to enjoy pretty much everything the ‘land of fire and ice’ has to offer, including exploding geysers (Strokkur erupts every seven minutes – roughly the same amount of time as an average adolescent mood swing).
Go in summer and they’ll be able to walk across the Sólheimajökull glacier, go kayaking, caving and mountain biking, and much, much more. A favourite activity, for ultimate bragging rights, is being able to snorkel between two tectonic plates, the Eurasian and North American, in Thingvellir National Park. Go in winter and you can add on the chance to witness the Aurora Borealis. We’ve two sample itineraries: Iceland in Summer and Iceland in Winter, and check out our Iceland with Kids Top 10 for more ideas.
12. Holidays with teenagers in Vietnam
Take a junk to the quieter spots of Halong Bay where you can swim in spectacular karst scenery
Vietnam has been a top Stubborn Mule destination for years now, thanks in part to direct flights and the fact that because of the length and diversity of the country, somewhere will be perfect, climate-wise, for when you travel. What makes Vietnam such a draw for families with teens, though, is that they’re old enough to do the most active adventures (cycling around Hanoi, swimming in Halong Bay, and zip-lining through vast caves) but also understand some of the more challenging remnants of Vietnamese history, such as the Cu Chi tunnels.
Take a look at what else you could be doing with our Top 10 Vietnam with Kids and our three sample Vietnam itineraries. Did we mention beautiful beaches and fantastic food too?
13. Holidays with teenagers in Greece
Island hopping in Greece is sure-fire winner with teens
Packed with ancient Roman and Greek treasures such as the Acropolis in Athens, resplendent with stunning scenery, and with an embarrassment of glorious islands, Greece is a sure-fire winner for a great family holiday with teenagers. Now they’re older, they’ll be fascinated by sightseeing (in small doses!) and able to do adventurous things such as white-water rafting in Lousios Gorge, climbing Mt Zas (birthplace of Zeus), and sea-kayaking in Nafplio. And there is plenty of scope for lazing by the beach or savouring long, relaxed lunches at the seaside or mountain tavernas.
Take a look at our sample Greece itineraries to see which you prefer. And for more inspiration, see our Greece with Kids Top 10.
14. Holidays with teenagers in Peru
Hiking in Peru’s Sacred Valley (photo thanks to Andrew Heaps)
The urge to update Insta or Snapchat disappears pretty much as soon as you step into the inflatable boats on a white-water rafting trip on the Urubamba River in Peru’s Sacred Valley – what with the white knuckles and need to hang on tight! A brilliant bonding experience for the whole family, this is just one of the activities teens love on a two-week Highlights of Peru trip or three-week Highlights of Peru trip. Also popular is exploring the Amazon by canoe, staying with a local family on an island in Lake Titicaca, and trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Check out our post on Peru with Kids Top 10 round-up for more ideas.
15. Holidays with teenagers in Slovenia
A playground for outdoor teen-friendly activities, they’ll love Slovenia!
Nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic, Slovenia boasts extraordinary natural beauty, its snow-capped peaks soaring above glacial valleys and its emerald-green lakes ideal for a mid-hike refreshing swim. The Julian Alps provide a spectacular backdrop to hiking, cycling, kayaking, SUP-ing and white-water rafting. It’s not all about the mountains, though. Deep beneath the ground are the magnificent Škocjan and Postojna caves offering a glimpse of a vast underground world.
And although it’s not a traditional beach destination, the country has a tiny sliver of coastline with pretty, boat-speckled harbours and sparkling waters. We’ve put together a couple of sample itineraries for families to explore the country, as a standalone – Highlights of Slovenia – or in combination with neighbouring Croatia – Slovenia & Croatia.
16. Holidays with teenagers in Belize
With pristine coral reefs and beaches, ancient ruins, and lush rainforests, Belize will appeal to teenagers
A whisper of wind through the fronds of a palm tree, a shriek from a distant howler monkey, the lapping of waves on a brilliant white tropical beach… Forget Spotify, this is the soundtrack to your teen family holiday in Belize. Spend your days exploring Mayan ruins, venturing deep into a cave dotted with ancient relics, snorkelling amidst nurse sharks and rays, and canoeing through the jungle. If you are looking for somewhere to combine adventure and relaxation, with a healthy dose of Mayan history, look no further. For photos and more inspiration see our Belize with Kids feature.
Take a look at our Belize Adventure Highlights or combine Belize with Guatemala for a more in-depth Central American adventure. Alternatively, our Belize with Mexico is a wonderfully varied holiday.
17. Holidays with teenagers in Namibia
Kids of all ages are wowed by Namibia’s vast open landscapes, the wildlife and the adrenaline activities
Everything in Namibia is on a vast scale. This is a country of wide horizons and breathtaking scenery that lends itself to a family road trip. Younger children can find the distances tricky (although Stubborn Mule’s Claire took her kids when they were young and they loved it). But teens are of an age where this is less of a problem, particularly when the trip is punctuated with such teen-winning activities as quad biking and sandboarding.
There is also world-class wildlife amidst the eerie salt pans of Etosha and ‘get-the-lungs-pumping’ climbing to be done on the world’s largest dunes in Sossusvlei. Add in a few less well-known gems and you have a great recipe for a teen-friendly holiday.
See our Namibia Highlights (two-week) trip for more information and check out our activities round-up in our Namibia with Kids feature.
18. Holidays with teenagers in Guatemala
Our teenagers loved wandering through the colourful streets and browsing the market stalls
If your kids are studying for GCSE or A-level Spanish, this is a brilliant place to bring them. Guatemala is also an eye-opening world apart, both culturally – very traditionally Mayan in parts – and when it comes to the landscapes. Amidst an epic scenery of volcanoes, lakes and jungles peppered with Mayan ruins, you can enjoy dawn walks to the sound of howler monkeys calling one another. Around Lake Atitlán and north of it in Chichicastenango, the indigenous markets are a riot of colourful woven hats and crafts, while picture-perfect Antigua delights teens with its backpacker vibe.
Our Best of Guatemala itinerary takes in all of these highlights, or branch out and discover more with our Guatemala and Belize Highlights, adding on jungle adventures, beaches and snorkelling in Guatemala’s neighbour.
19. Holidays with teenagers in Oman
All the family will enjoy the spectacular views in Oman’s Hajar Mountains
There’s far more on offer here than in Oman’s glitzier neighbour Dubai: mountains, desert, beaches, forts, souks, turtles, dolphins and more. Particularly popular with teens are the wadis, natural canyons that cut deep into the mountains, filled with emerald-green water. Pack a picnic and spend the day walking up a wadi, stopping to swim, jumping off cliffs into deep pools, and meeting local people.
Teens also love wild camping on the beach, sitting around the fire under the stars, feasting on a freshly cooked BBQ and enjoying a moonlit swim, and hiking through Oman’s Grand Canyon to an abandoned village, with jaw-dropping views along the way. Have a look at our Highlights of Oman and our Oman with Kids Top 10 round-up. Or enjoy pictures by journalist Mike Unwin, who travelled to Oman with his teenage daughter with Stubborn Mule.
20. Holidays with teenagers in Nepal
Hiking in Nepal is stunning and you can white-water raft too and go on safari
For top teen bragging rights, it’s difficult to beat a trek in the world’s highest mountain range. Teenagers have (generally speaking) more stamina than younger children, so they can easily tackle a few days of trekking (see our Active Nepal sample itinerary) to enjoy the mountain scenery to the max. But there’s also a ‘no-trek’ option: Nepal Highlights. The myriad of other things to see and do in Nepal range from white-water rafting and hiking to paragliding and tiger spotting in Chitwan National Park.
To know more as to why Nepal makes a fantastic adventure holiday destination with teens, take a look at our Nepal with Kids Top 10 round-up.
21. Holidays with teenagers in Argentina
High-octane activities make Argentina’s Lake District ideal for active teens
Few countries can rival Argentina for sheer variety and there is enough here to keep a teen entertained for weeks. Riding with gauchos across the pampas, tick! Feeling the spray of mighty Iguazu Falls on your face, tick! Trekking across the mountains and glaciers of Patagonia, absolutely! From dancing the tango (maybe with Mum or Dad?) in Buenos Aires to feasting on the world’s biggest and tastiest steaks, the range of activities in Argentina is extraordinary. Not to mention the penguin rookeries in Patagonia and a llama walk in the desert near Salta. Nature lovers, adventurers, football lovers, and foodies will all be delighted.
Take a look at our Buenos Aires, Patagonia & Lake District, or Best of Argentina and Chile sample itineraries to see where you can take your teens.
22. Holidays with teenagers in Borneo
Jungle hikes, orangutans, and some of the best beaches in Malaysia make Borneo a top choice for teens
Borneo has amazing wildlife experiences and jungle adventures in bucketloads, including the thrill of coming face to face with orangutans in their home environment. Every day here offers something that will wow even the most recalcitrant teen. As well as seeing a profusion of species including macaques, pygmy elephants, turtles and gibbons, you can walk through jungle canopies, learn about forest medicine, trek through the rainforest, dive amongst shoals of exotic fish, explore the world’s largest cave systems, go snorkelling and turtle-watching, meet local families on a homestay, and much more.
For the most active families with teens, you could also climb Mt Kinabalu for above-the-cloud views (see our Borneo with Kids Top 10 feature for more). We have several sample itineraries, and for teens, we recommend Active Borneo (two weeks) or Borneo in Depth (three weeks).
23. Holidays with teenagers in Colombia
Tubing is just one of a myriad of activities that teenagers will love in Colombia
There’s so much variety here it’s like five mini-breaks rolled into one holiday. Think incredible wildlife such as tiny brightly coloured frogs, butterflies, armadillos, monkeys and whales, as well as horse riding, rafting and mountain biking. Our teens loved exploring the scenic coffee region on the back of a Willy Jeep (see our Colombia with Kids Top 10 feature). There’s delicious street food in Bogota, graffiti tours in Medellin and a picture-perfect colonial old town at Cartagena. And to round it all off, there are the most exquisite Caribbean beaches for some serious chilling.
See our country overview for the full picture of what Colombia family holidays can entail. Both of our sample Colombia itineraries take 18 days, allowing you to choose between the Best of Colombia or Colombia Off the Beaten Track.
24. Holidays with teenagers in Jordan
Jordan’s Wadi Rum is guaranteed to impress when holidaying with teens
Jordan may be most famous for its Lost City, the ancient Nabatean ruins carved from the red rock at Petra, but there is masses here to keep teenagers occupied. The desert at Wadi Rum is one of the most otherworldly places on the planet, and a backdrop for many a film including Star Wars and The Martian. We know a fabulous hike along a narrow path along the edge of Jebel Rum, where the huge expanse of desert stretches before you. Overnight, you stay in a Bedouin camp under the star-lit desert sky.
You can also float in the Dead Sea, snorkel in the Red Sea, explore Crusader castles and relax on the beach. See our sample Active Jordan and Highlights of Jordan trips, ideal for teens, and check out our Jordan with Kids Top 10, perfect for Easter or October half term.
25. Holidays with teenagers in Brazil
Brazil has an embarrassment of riches for teens, from Rio and Iguazu to the Pantanal and Amazon
Several Stubborn Mulers have travelled to Brazil with their teens so we can say with all confidence that wherever you go in this vast country, yours will thank you for it. After being blown away by Rio, one of the world’s most vibrant cities (hello Copacabana beach, Christ the Redeemer statue and fascinating favelas), you’ll enjoy exciting adventures in whatever direction you travel.
Go north for the ultimate Amazon experience or west to Paraty and the Emerald Coast with its colonial towns, fjords, islands and beaches. Go inland and enjoy boat trips or horse rides through the Pantanal wetlands in search of jaguar. Or head south to one of the natural wonders of the world, the mighty Iguazu Falls. Take a look at our Brazil with Kids feature and check out our three sample Brazil itineraries.
Next steps – we’re here to help
For the whole shebang, check out our Best Family Holiday Destinations ultimate guide. Or check out our handy School Holiday Calendar, for the best places to go in each school holiday.
Do get in touch with us as we’d love to help. You can ring during office hours at 01728 752751 or use our website contact form.
Other useful guides include:
February Half-Term Holidays
Exciting Easter Escapes
May Half Term Holidays
Best Family Summer Holiday Destinations
Best October Half-Term Holiday Destinations
Family Christmas Holidays Abroad
Active Family Holidays in Europe
Solo and Single Parent Holidays
Top 10 Bucket List Family Holidays
Liddy Pleasants, MD Stubborn Mule Travel
I’m always interested to hear about your travels so do email me with your feedback and experiences of holidaying with teenagers.