Vacation Spots for Older Kids content provided by Mom With a Map staff writer
Kids don’t stay little forever! They grow up, get moody with you, start talking back, and want to be as independent as possible. As a parent, it can be hard to reconcile that with your usual trips to Disneyland or camping in your favorite spots, seeing as the kids want to see and experience new things.
That’s why choosing vacation spots with your kids’ ages in mind is a great idea. It ensures everyone can enjoy the trip, make memories that are worth looking back on, and the kids are more likely to smile in the photos as well! So let’s go through three ideas for vacation spots for older kids below; these places are good for exploring, trying new foods, and providing a little sense of independence.
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Cusco, Peru
Cusco isn’t usually the first thought people have when thinking about visiting Peru – with Lima being the far more obvious option – but Cusco is a great city to explore if you have older kids interested in history.
There are lots of interesting museums, plenty of places to get a bite to eat, and the amazingly ancient site of Machu Picchu is only a train ride away. Make sure you take a full day to explore the latter, as the kids themselves will definitely love exploring the remains of the city, getting ‘lost’ within all its corridors and chambers, and meeting plenty of the native Alpacas that explore the region.
The Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos is an archipelago of amazing sites, sounds, and wildlife. It’s a great place to visit no matter what age you are, and if you’re wondering how to get to galapagos with the kids in tow, all you need to do is get on a plane from Ecuador. Easy and simple!
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Once you’re there, you can visit all the different islands, document species much like Charles Darwin did back in the day, and dip in and out of the ocean between hikes in the many forests. It’s a wild expanse that welcomes visitors in their droves, and older kids will love to spend time there if they’re given a camera of their own.
Florence, Italy
Italy is a great place to visit just for the Sorbet, but it also has plenty of places to shop and many amazing sites to spend the day at. Florence is also a pretty small yet dense place, meaning any teenagers won’t be able to complain about being dragged all over it!
There will be a cafe on every corner, where tasty baked goods can be bought, and there are various museums and interactive centers to be found around as well. The hotels are pretty good for families as well!
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If you’ve got older kids in the family, make sure you take them on vacations that are good for them as well. Some destinations will be more interesting than others, but you can motivate them to take part and explore with new and fun things to try out.
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