For me, family travel means so much more than attending an endless stream of amusement parks or seeking out the nearest kids club.
In fact, when I look back at the best experiences we have had over the last 5 years, they have all involved city breaks; strolling through the streets, taking in the colours, smells, buildings; eating at street-side cafes and adventuring beyond the obvious.
Far from the children being bored, city breaks have been a real adventure for all of us.
Don’t just take it from us, we have asked some of our favourite Family Travel Bloggers to give us the low-down on their favourite cities around the world, and why they are so great for kids.
This post is part of our Best Destinations series
Barcelona, Spain
Marta from Learning Escapes
The best memory we have about a city break with kids, goes back to amazing Barcelona. On a breezy summer day, we were having a stroll in the Barri Gothic, pleasantly lost in its elaborate maze of winding streets.
It was close to lunchtime and the kids were getting rapidly bored with the same architecture we parents found so intriguing; we knew our time for exploring was almost over and we would soon have to engage in more traditionally child-friendly activities, the zoo maybe or the always beautiful Parc Guell.
Then, at a turn of a corner, a little square opened up in front of us: a car-free, little enclosure of houses, the square had a small tapas bar with a terrace and, adjacent to the tables, an unassuming playground. Our kids dashed ahead and started playing with local children in that safe are; we sat at the bar, soon spoiled by a chilled beer in hand and a plate of Catalan tortilla.
Suddenly no plans were needed and with a great sense of satisfaction, we looked at each other and thought: this is exactly the family holiday we wanted. More on Barcelona
You can also catch our guide to tackling the bets of Barcelona with kids
Edinburgh, Scotland
Elaine from Family Travel Escapades
Edinburgh, Scotland is a great destination for families for various reasons, including its incredible history and scenery. There are plenty of things to do with kids in Edinburgh (some free), and we love the friendliness of the people.
On our recent visit, we found so much to do that we only skimmed the surface. We visited Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Botanic Garden and strolled both “old town” and “new town”.
There were a lot of things we didn’t have time to do that are great activities for families. More on the Royal Mile
Hoi An, Vietnam
Holly from Four around the World
We travelled to Vietnam when our daughter was barely a toddler. While the big cities were chaotic, Hoi An was the perfect combination of culture, great food, friendly people and beaches.
The Vietnamese love kids, making it such a welcoming city, so there is never that feeling of embarrassment when your child makes a mess at dinner. Instead, they get smiles and special attention. Plus most kids are pretty happy with rice and noodles.
You can enjoy wandering through the markets, or seeing the city lit with lanterns when the sun goes down, or simply enjoy time at your resort, or building sandcastles on the beach. More on Vietnam
See also our top 5 tips for tackling Vietnam with kids
Istanbul, Turkey
Nisbah from at Five Adventurers
I love Istanbul and I think it the perfect city break for families especially those with young children. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Istanbul is a true fusion, it has both the old (very historic) to the new, it is the only city to be situated in both Asia and Europe and is a cultural hotpot with sight, sounds and smells to enchant even the youngest of children.
There are mosques of the most ornate nature, cisterns both creepy yet fascinating, historical buildings from empires past and changed through time and time again after each invasion.
The Turkish people adore children and everyone will be welcomed open armed into restaurants and attractions alike. The country allows children to ride on a boat across the Bosporus, board old-fashioned trams and walk through old cobbled streets which have stayed the same for hundreds of years.
A day can be spent in the Grand Bazaar trying dates or pomegranates and smelling spices to my personal favourite of a scavenger hunt. The food is varied and not spicy so perfect for children of all ages. A city break in Istanbul is perfect for families and you will leave richer in culture, history and local hospitality. More on Istanbul
See also our Family Friendly Istanbul Itinerary
Lisbon, Portugal
Mark from Wyld family Travel
Lisbon is an amazing city in the summer with kids. Parks and gardens everywhere, tram rides and tuk tuks- yes, even in Portugal!
Our kids loved walking along the river dipping their feet in and eating ice cream on the sand. There are castles to explore, elevators to ride everywhere in the city of 7 Hills. The best custard tarts in the world await when exploring the UNESCO sites at Belem and street performers hiding in every little square throughout the city. More on Lisbon
London, England
Karen from Mini Travellers
London is my favourite city to travel with my kids not only because it is the closest capital city to us, hence the easiest to get to, but because of the vast amount of free museums and attractions on offer.
Granted in London you can easily spend a small fortune on food or attractions if you aren’t careful, but all the major museums provide free entry and are so well designed and fascinating that you can easily spend days touring the ‘free’ things.
Mine love the Natural History Museum but also the V&A due to all the costumes and bright colours. Getting around on the tube with under 5’s (out of a pram is easy) and free. If you want to spend a little money and find something a little quieter then the London Transport Museum is great too, definitely one for the list!! More on London Transport Museum.
See also our guide to seeing London with young kids and this great detailed 7 day London itinerary
Rome, Italy
Amy from Passports & Pigtails
For me, Rome, is the epicentre of my wanderlust, the city that speaks directly to my heart. Rome is a city that is about so much more than it’s famous architecture, it’s miles of art-lined hallways, it’s statues, fountains, and it’s Via Veneto.
I’ve had the fortune of visiting Rome with and without kids. Each was a unique and treasured experience, and as a family this summer, I was able to share this city, and therefore a piece of my soul, with my daughters.
There is no better opportunity to view history, than from inside the Colosseum or grounds of the forum, or feel the power of worship, even for the non-religious families like us, as you stand in silence under Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel or in a beam of sunshine coming through the oculus of the Pantheon.
And just as everyone is exhausted and the light begins to fade, the kids are recharged by the sights of spray paint artists and fire dancers of Piazza Navona, gelato on the Spanish Steps, a penny thrown into the Trevi Fountain or a cat-shaped Margarita pizza that comes with the late-night eating habits of Europe.
We have visited several vibrant, bustling cities in Europe, but Rome simply touches my core, runs through my veins.
See also our practical guide to visiting Rome with a Baby
San Francisco, USA
Sally-Ann from Toddlers on Tour
San Francisco would have to be my favourite city on the West Coast of the USA. The city has such a relaxed vibe as you easily walk about the streets taking in famous sights like Zig Zag Road (Lombard St), the Painted Ladies (Steiner Street) where you also let the kids have a play across the road at Alamo Park Playground, and then explore the art deco Coit Tower in Pioneer Park (Telegraph Hill Boulevard).
San Francisco is a hilly city so if little legs get tired take them for a fun ride using the San Francisco public transport trolley buses, it is quite entertaining to see how they are driven and controlled.
The other great area to explore is the waterfront of the Port of San Francisco. There is a paved boardwalk along the entire city side of the harbour and where you will get views to the Golden Gate Bridge. It is also where you can catch the ferry for an entertaining and educational tour of Alcatraz (just make sure you book in advance and if you are carrying lots of bags, find a luggage storage place nearby).
Finish off your day in San Francisco by relaxing at Fisherman’s Wharf; meander through the stalls, see the sea lions and have a drink over a bowl of clam chowder. More fall trip ideas
Catch this detailed guide to the best San Francisco Day Trips
Singapore
Marianne from Mum on the Move
Singapore is an excellent place to visit with the kids in tow. It is buggy friendly, nearly all restaurants are child-friendly, and the majority of malls have excellent baby care facilities. Plus there are a whole host of fabulous family-friendly attractions.
A visit to the Singapore Zoo should be at the top of your list, and the next-door Night Safari also makes for a thrilling visit, while across town the beautifully landscaped Jurong Bird Park houses over 8,000 birds and boasts the world’s largest walk-in aviary.
Sentosa Island is family-getaway paradise, jam-packed with kiddy friendly attractions, including Universal Studios, the Southeast Asia Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark. Beyond the tourist attractions, there are two beautiful Botanic Gardens to wander around, the Singapore River to visit by boat, and colourful neighbourhoods, such as Chinatown and Little India, to explore. More on Singapore
See our complete guide to Singapore’s best outdoor activities here
Sydney, Australia
Leah from Kid Bucket List
Sydney is a city rich in history, culture and adventure. It is the perfect city destination for a family with experiences available for every taste.
From a tour of the Sydney Opera House, to a Bridge Climb over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, you and your family can catch two icons in one day. Take a dip at Bondi Beach; a ferry across to Taronga Zoo; or walk the cobblestone alleys of The Rocks where you can glimpse early European Australia.
You’ll find playgrounds littered between every site and plenty of great food spots ready to welcome your family. Ocean, mountains, lakes and rainforests. You’ll find it all in Sydney.
You can also find this great guide to picking out Sydney’s hidden gems for families here
As for the Globetrotters top picks? That’s like asking us to choose between our children!
I am torn… but if I could narrow it to only a handful we would choose our current home Abu Dhabi, my childhood home in Perth and the wonderful vibrant streets of Saigon.
Well, what are you waiting for? How many of our Top 10 destinations have you visited? Are there any top cities for kids you think we have missed?
Catch our update to this post as we explore the TOP 20 INCREDIBLE CITY BREAKS FOR FAMILIES as chosen by international family travel bloggers!
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All photos are credited and copyrighted to the original bloggers listed in this article. This article contains affiliate links to some of the attractions listed, these are not endorsements by the blogger of the services offered.
great article.. thanks for the information…
Love all these suggestion, great!
I agree, city breaks can be wonderful with even babies and small children. It brings a completely different perspective when visiting a city with a baby or toddler. Before kids, we would often spend 3-4 days and see as much as we possibly could in that time. Now with little ones, we are forced to slow down and enjoy time in the city, it’s parks and even it’s playgrounds!
That pretty much sounds like our holidays now! We figure if we love a city enough we’ll be back in years to come to do the grown up stuff, but you do get such an amazing perspective with the kids-eye view – and yes play park experts here too!!
An excellent list- and I totally agree, it’s sometimes the city breaks that brings the most rewards when you’re with kids. I’ve been to most on the list – unfortunately without Monkey though, so will have to revisit! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
I feel that way about so many posts I read – “been there- but can I do it again with the kids please!”
All great cities – some I have been to and others on my wish list. I’ve never considered Vietnam before though!
We found Vietnam to be amazing too – so much so we’re taking the kids back next year to see more beyond the big cities.
What a really useful list, thank you for sharing! We are currently trying to plan a city break with our children and it’s so hard to know which cities will be family friendly.
I think as you can see from a lot of the comments here you can make almost any city family-friendly! If you need some further suggestions though or want to narrow it down by part of the world just let me know, I can put the question back to our faithful panel of family travel bloggers!
Barcelona, London and Edinburgh are definitely up there for me. We loved taking our kids to Barcelona a few years ago – lots for them to do and see x
Great post! I used to live in Edinburgh (pre-kids) and love it so so much I would love to return…with the kids. I am contemplating Singapore, I am just hesitant because its SO EXPENSIVE! but while we are in Japan I figure its a good time to go!
oh, and the restaurants, even fancy celebrity chef’s restaurants give you no attitude about the kids (as long as they behave accordingly)
I agree with Singapore – just so much fun. But for me, Paris is the best city in the world for kids – park on every corner, chips with everything and just so much to do for adults that kids like too (Versailles, the gardens, the bridges and the history)
Paris certainly a popular choice too – yes definitely need to add our part 2!!
Thanks for featuring us. So many cities that I have been to but not revisited with kids. How to fit them all in 🙂 great round up though!
I’m like you – a load of the recommendations I did pre-kids and can’t wait to take them back – just the time to fit them all in!!
The thing about cities is there are always things to do that children will like. Take Moscow, which is where we are. Not known for its child friendliness, but loads of child friendly places nevertheless. After all, Moscovites have kids, and Russians love children!
Personally my idea of hell is a beach holiday with children. Or without children, actually. But cities, I’d be totally up for.
Too true! You don’t have massive metropolis centres without something there for families to do – it opens up so many more options that just a kids club. Thanks for stopping by (Will be looking up more of your Moscow adventures too, we don’t get too many stop by from there!)
What a great lis! City breaks are great for kids – there’s so much to do and see! I can see how this list could go on and on. Singapore is brill for kids. Dubai is another good one and I recently went to Chicago and found that really family friendly. Thanks so much for linking to #citytripping x
Yes Dubai is certainly full of activity – such a purpose built city for tourism. Chicago right up there on my list too!!!!!
I’d definitely add Amsterdam to the list as there’s so much variety in the city, not sure which one I’d remove though to take it back down to just 10 cities! #citytripping
Yes I can see there’d be a lot to keep little ones happy in Amsterdam – not one I’ve tried with kids but visited many times as an adult
I love this post! I so agree that you can have the most wonderful family travel moments in cities. I’d love to visit more cities with my own two. I think Marrakesh is fabulous for children – it’s another world entirely. I’d also recommend Paris. I wrote about planning a trip to Paris with children recently http://suitcasesandsandcastles.com/2015/10/08/how-to-plan-a-one-to-one-trip-to-paris-with-your-child/
Oh Marrakesh is very high up there in my to do list, we are just waiting for a good flight deal to come up to do that one! Did you combine with anywhere else in Morrocco Clare or just on its own? Unsure how much time to allow as its still probably a 7hr+ flight for us want to make the most of it!
We went to Marrakesh for a week. There’s plenty to see and do and it meant that we could spare time for chill out days beside the pool as well as lots of sightseeing.
You could probably combine Marrakesh with the Atlas Mountains which aren’t too far away. There are some lovely family-friendly places to stay up there. I’ve been to Fez too which is well worth a visit but you’d need to fly there. I’m desperate to go to Essaouira on the coast but I think it’s a 3-hour bus trip from Marrakesh so perhaps not great with small children.
Thanks for that useful info – no excuses now got to start planning!!!!
I completely agree – everyone seems to suggest that you can’t go on city breaks with kids but actually we’ve had some wonderful trips with my daughter: Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Glasgow and days in London. I’d love to visit a few more of these too. Thanks for joining up with #citytripping
Love all of those cities! I think there’s just a load more variety in city breaks – as much as I love a resort, it can get very same-same and I don’t feel as immersed in the culture of a new place – great new linky thank you #citytripping
I have been to 5… I would LOVE to try out Vietnam and Istanbul. I think Bali and Dubai are two cities that could be added. Both were incredibly kid friendly 🙂 #CityTripping
For sure – I am definitely going to have to add a part 2 to this, I keep thinking of more fabulous cities we’ve enjoyed as well. We’re heading back to Vietnam next year as we still want to do Hoi an ourselves and more of Saigon – and would LOVE to see more of Istanbul!
Wow! Great round up! Have things noted down for my bucket list 😉 #citytripping
that’s the problem with reading so many blogs – my bucket list NEVER seems to get any shorter!! I realise there’s so much more of the Czech Republic – and China I still need to explore after following you!!
Great list! I’ve been to 4 cities and loved it 🙂 May be I would add Amsterdam with kids, a really nice destination as a family.
Fabulous – we might just have to do a round two of best cities!!
Thank you inviting me to share one of my favourite cities in the world.
Thank you – scribbling down notes for where we need to go in January!
This is a great post! We have just been offered a spur-of-the-moment opportunity to go to Paris for a week. I’ll let you know what we discover…:-)
It was incredibly hard narrowing it down to 10! Paris certainly came up as an option – and what an amazing opportunity you’ll have! happy to give you some tips or maybe some of our blogger team here can add their links to favourite Paris family destinations too.
Hi Shea, I am a Parisian mum of 3, here are some of our favorites to do and see in Paris : http://travel-with-my-kids.com/portfolio/paris-with-kids/ Hope it could help, have a very nice trip 🙂
Great thanks for your suggestions Virginie
Thanks Keri, last time we were in Paris was 16 years ago and all we had to look after was a backpack! Will be a whole different perspective this time round with two little ones in tow. Any ‘must do’ in Paris (with kids) tips greatly appreciated.
Thanks you so much for your message Virginie. I really enjoyed reading through your suggestions and have bookmarked your post to refer back to. Really looking forward to rediscovering Paris with our kids. 🙂