21 Summer Vacation Ideas the Whole Family Will Love (2024)

Trace the footsteps of African American history vanguards by following along the Civil Rights Trail. Stretching across 15 states, it’s packed with over 100 meaningful museums, monuments, and memorials, from Arkansas’ Central High School National Historic Site, where you can tour the halls once walked by the Little Rock Nine, to South Carolina’s Penn Center, founded in 1862 as a school for freed slaves.

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Looking to have an out-of-this-world vacation? Consider heading to the 72-mile stretch of Central Florida known as the Space Coast. Just east of Orlando, the Space Coast is where you’ll find both NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and the Air Force Space & Missile Museum at Cape Canaveral. There are multiple locations offering prime views of rocket launches, plus easy access to a variety of beaches (including dog-friendly Canova Beach Park) and even Walt Disney World (located about an hour’s drive from the Space Coast).

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For $80, the America the Beautiful Annual Pass provides 12 months’ access to over 2,000 national parks and federal recreation areas for one vehicle and up to four passengers. Summer (peak season for many national parks) is the perfect time to discover less-visited but still highly reviewed options, such as New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns or Washington’s North Cascades.

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The summer months make up Costa Rica’s “green” season—the time of year when the country’s extraordinary rainforests are at their lushest. Besides seeing the vegetation and wildlife at its most spectacular, the upsides to visiting during this time include off-peak prices and fewer crowds for attractions and tours.

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Accessible by ferry from Michigan’s Mackinaw City or St. Ignace, this scenic 3.8 square mile island situated in Lake Huron has prohibited cars since 1898 (when early versions of the vehicle frightened the residents’ horses). Strolling the quaint streets and winding paths on the isle is like stepping back in time. Must-do activities include exploring the area by bike, tasting the island’s renowned fudge, and kicking back in a rocking chair at the 135-year-old Grand Hotel, which boasts the world’s longest porch (stretching 668 feet around the property).

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Eating your way through this vibrant Malaysian capital is a treat any time of year, but it’s most pleasant during the dry season during the summer. Head to Jalan Alor, known as the city’s “food street,” to sample local dishes like nasi lemak (fragrant coconut rice cooked in pandan leaves) and roti canai (buttery flatbread). They’ll make delicious fuel for exploring the stunning limestone peaks and caverns at nearby Batu Caves, ascending the Petronas Twin Towers (the tallest twin structures in the world), or taking a day trip to colorful port city Malacca.

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Can’t decide between an urban adventure and the splendor of the great outdoors? Instead of choosing, head to Colorado for the best of both worlds. In Denver, you’ll find eye-popping art installations like Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station, hip industrial neighborhoods like Dairy Block, lined with lively eateries, and unique venues like the open-air Red Rocks Amphitheater. That’s when you’re not gazing at the Mile High City’s spectacular views, brought to you by the nearby Rocky Mountains—the Rocky Mountain National Park is just an hour and half away by car, and a hard-to-top spot for hiking and camping excursions.

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Nothing says “summer vacay” like a beach trip, and there’s never really a bad time to head to the plentiful miles of seashore in California’s Orange County. Its many cities, from family-oriented Anaheim and Irvine to artsy Laguna Beach and upscale Newport Beach, all make an excellent base for sunny oceanside adventures, not to mention day trips to iconic theme parks (Disneyland or Knott’s Berry Farm, anyone?), or nearby cities Los Angeles and San Diego (each an hour’s drive from Orange County).

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Sailboats and lobster and lighthouses, oh my! Maine offers no shortage of quintessentially New England sights, sounds, and tastes. Easily bookended by weekends in Boston, a leisurely drive north through the Pine Tree State gives you the chance to sail in a schooner off the coast of quaint Kennebunkport, sample world-famous lobster rolls in Cape Elizabeth or Georgetown, sample the renowned restaurants, breweries, and art galleries in scenic Portland, and explore cliffside vistas at Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor.

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Winter hits South Africa between May and August—but in Cape Town, winter means average highs in the upper 60s (not to mention lower prices and smaller crowds for popular attractions like the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway). It’s also high season for one of the most unforgettable activities in the Cape: whale-watching from a spot on the False Bay coastline.

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Want a taste of big-city bustle without Big Apple crowds? Philadelphia boasts over 100 museums, a celebrated food scene (city restaurants scored four James Beard nominations this year), and enough landmarks to keep history buffs busy for days on end. After checking out quintessential Philly sites like the Liberty Bell, the iconic “Rocky steps” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and dueling cheesesteak giants Geno’s and Pat’s on South Philly’s 9th Street, take a detour to buzzy neighborhoods like Fishtown and Northern Liberties to sample local nightlife.

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Top-notch R&R in wide-open spaces, plenty of fresh, farm-to-table food, plus facetime with lovable critters? There’s something for every member of the family to enjoy with a stay at a farm or eco retreat. At New Mexico’s Taos Goji Eco Lodge, you can get up close and personal with llamas, and kick back in rustic chic cabins where literary legends like Aldous Huxley and D.H. Lawrence once stayed.

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London is one of the world’s perennially popular travel destinations, and for good reason—visitors of all ages will find something to love about the millennia-old metropolis. Youngsters will be in awe of the larger-than-life landmarks like Big Ben and the Tower of London; teens will love the Insta appeal of neighborhoods like Soho, Notting Hill, and Camden; and parents and solo travelers of all ages will find a plethora of pubs, open-air markets, and other hot spots to explore.

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The Evergreen State makes an ideal base for exploring the stunning Pacific Northwest. Seattle is a summer vacay standout in itself, with ultra-pleasant temperatures and well-worth-the-visit sightseeing staples from Pike Place Market and the Space Needle to the Seattle Aquarium and the Museum of Pop Culture. From there, you can head north to the San Juan Islands) doable in a day or weekend trip by seaplane or by ferry from Anacortes) to enjoy peak season orca-watching, or feel like you’re in Provence for a few hours with a stop at the 25-acre Pelindaba Lavender Farm.

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Summer translates to “rainy season” for much of the Caribbean, but in Curaçao, the latter part of the year tends to be the wettest. That makes this picture-perfect island a fantastic place to score high-season vibes at low-season prices. While there, you can try your hand at world-class scuba diving, explore the candy-colored buildings in capital city Willemstad (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), or visit the Curaçao Liqueur Distillery (the home of Blue Curaçao)—but honestly, we won’t judge if you plant yourself and the fam on one of the island’s plentiful white-sand beaches and do absolutely nothing.

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Established as a seaside village in 1816, Cape May is known as the oldest beach resort town in the United States. Vintage charm abounds in the picturesque enclave, everywhere from Washington Street, dotted with specialty shops, to the old-school trolley that visitors can hop onto for a tour of the Historic District. The area is also home to plenty of scenic beaches as well as nearby wineries, breweries, and even a well-sized local zoo for the kiddos.

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As the host of the 2002 Winter Olympics, the Sundance Film Festival each January, and the avid skiers who return to its famed mountain slopes year after year, Park City is certainly most famous for its wintertime appeal. However, it’s also well worth a visit in the summer, when occupancy is lower, but outdoor activities from hiking and horseback riding to fishing and golf are in full swing, and the charming shops and eateries lining Main Street aren’t seeing their peak season crowds.

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Nestled beneath the Blue Ridge Mountains and Pisgah National Forest, Asheville has the natural beauty to rival its vibrant local culture. Long known as a bohemian metropolis, Asheville’s quirky charm is unmatched: Check out the weekly drum circle in downtown’s Pritchard Park, the wide selection of funky eateries like Double D’s Coffee and Desserts (housed in a double-decker bus), or the River Arts District, where you can snap shots of the colorful street art or dive in with a studio tour or class in painting or jewelry making. Nature lovers can hike the nearby Blue Ridge or Smokey Mountain trails, while history lovers and movie buffs can take a field trip to the impressive Biltmore estate, which was built by George Vanderbilt and made a memorable appearance in the film Richie Rich.

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Like Washington, Vancouver is a perfect summer vacation spot for any traveler who’s looking to avoid sweltering temps (mid-year highs average around the low 70s). Though the temperature might be mild, the action certainly isn’t: While in British Columbia’s biggest city, you can scale Grouse Mountain via the Skyride cable car, bask on Kitsilano Beach, kayak False Creek, and hit the shops on Robson Street—all in one day. A few must-dos: strolling massive Stanley Park, hopping over to Granville Island to visit the 300-plus shops at the Public Market, and sampling plenty of the eclectic restaurant and street food options on offer, a reflection of the city’s diversity (well over 40 percent of the population is foreign-born).

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For a vacation well worth a spot on your bucket list, consider Tanzania. Late summer is the best time to see the annual great migration: a truly remarkable spectacle of millions of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles traveling the Serengeti as they move toward the Masai Mara in Kenya. Follow up that once-in-a-lifetime wildlife adventure with some R&R on the white-sand beaches of Zanzibar, which has its dry season during the summer and is accessible via ferry or a short flight from Dar Es Salaam.

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