When planning a multi-gen vacation, recommending activities that appeal to all ages is just as important as price and location. Suggest your clients keep their entire brood busy and entertained with these family-friendly adventures available this year.
Action-Packed Africa
Created exclusively for multi-gen groups, Intrepid Travel’s 2017 line-up of family-themed itineraries includes 20 new itineraries, plus two new styles of travel, Comfort and Active Family. With an average small group size of 12, these family-only tours offer travelers the opportunity to use local transportation, eat at family-run restaurants, lodge in homestay accommodations, and have unique cultural experiences. For example, on the 19-day Namibia & Botswana Family Adventure itinerary, guests travel through Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana with the chance to punt along the waterways of the Okavango Delta’s vibrant ecosystem by traditional canoe, climb sand dunes to see a Sossusvlei sunset, and learn the culture, crafts, tracking skills and ancient survival techniques of the San tribe on a bushwalk. Rates start at $3,190 pp including and accommodations, 18 breakfasts, 15 lunches, 15 dinners and ground transportation. For more information, call (800) 970-7299 or visit intrepidtravel.com/theme/family.
Spanish Delights
For families interested in experiencing the sights and flavors of Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Barcelona, Artisans of Leisure recommends its 10-day Best of Spain itinerary. The tour begins in Madrid with a private guided tour of the city, to see historic squares and lively markets, the Royal Palace and world-renowned museums such as the Prado Museum, Reina Sofia, and CaixaForum. On one evening, guests can participate in a private tasting tour of some of Madrid’s most beloved tapas bars. Upon request, additional experiences can be arranged such as tickets to soccer games and bullfights, preferred seats at Zarzuela performances, cooking lessons, touring with an art expert, visits to house-museums, garden tours, shopping excursions, and touring of contemporary art and architecture sites.
Additional highlights of the tour include visits to the Toledo’s medieval center, including the elaborate cathedral and the old Jewish quarter; Cordoba’s UNESCO-listed city center to see its Cathedral-Mosque, ancient Roman bridge, and old Jewish Quarter; and Granada’s Moorish castle, palace and garden complex, Alhambra. For more information, call (800) 214-8144 or visit artisansofleisure.com.
Tennessee Thrills
For a vacation a little closer to home, consider Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where the new Anakeesta Aerial Adventure Park is scheduled to open this spring. Once completed, the more than 70-acre mountainside adventure park will feature aerial trekking, zip lines, tree top canopy walks, and scenic overlooks, plus restaurants and shopping. For accommodations, recommend The Park Vista – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Gatlinburg, located a 3-minute drive or 20-minute walk away. The lodge-style high-rise situated along on the Gatlinburg Trolley Route offers special Family Suites with bunk beds and video games, a multi-level indoor pool/mini-waterpark and whirlpool, and sweeping views of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rates start at $89 in January. For more information on the Anakeesta Aerial Adventure Park, call (865) 235-2777 or visit anakeesta.com. For more information on The Park Vista – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Gatlinburg, please call (865) 436-9211 or visit doubletree3.hilton.com.
