Discover the 5 Best Places for Family Vacation Spots in India
The best family vacation spots in India make for some of the most rewarding journeys you will ever take together. Children remember the elephants, the markets and the mountains long after the photographs fade, and grandparents find the pace and the hospitality easy to enjoy. These five family vacation spots in India each suit families for different reasons.
Coorg, Karnataka: coffee, forests and gentle walks
Coorg (Kodagu) sits in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, a green landscape of coffee and spice plantations, rivers and waterfalls. Families stay on working estates, walk through the coffee in the morning mist, and visit the elephant camp at Dubare. The cooler climate makes it a welcome change from the plains. Coorg features on our Kerala and Karnataka tour.
Ladakh: high valleys and monasteries
Ladakh is high desert, with whitewashed monasteries such as Thiksey and Diskit set against bare mountains and the turquoise water of Pangong Tso. It suits families with older children who enjoy the outdoors. Leh sits at about 3,500 metres, so the first two days should be spent resting while everyone acclimatises. The best months are May to September. Our Ladakh tour pairs Leh with Jaipur.
Manali, Himachal Pradesh: mountain adventure
Manali lies in the Kullu valley beside the Beas river, with the Pir Panjal range rising behind. For families who like activity it offers river rafting, gentle treks, paragliding at Solang and, in winter, snow. Old Manali and the Hadimba temple, set in a cedar forest, are lovely for a quiet afternoon.
Shillong, Meghalaya: the abode of clouds
Meghalaya means “abode of the clouds”, and its capital Shillong is a pleasant hill town of pine forests and lakes. From here families can visit Umiam Lake, the waterfalls of Cherrapunji and the living root bridges, grown by the Khasi people from the roots of rubber trees. It is one of the more unusual family vacation spots in India, and is part of our Assam and Meghalaya tour.
The Andaman Islands: beaches and reefs
For time by the sea, the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal have some of the clearest water in India. Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) is known for Radhanagar beach, and the coral reefs are ideal for snorkelling with children. The best season runs from November to April.
Travelling with several generations
Many of the families we plan for travel with grandparents as well as children, and India suits this well. Hotels are used to looking after older guests, private cars make long days comfortable, and a good guide can adjust the pace of a walk or a visit without fuss. It helps to plan rest into the middle of each day, to choose hotels with lifts and gardens, and to keep the number of flights low.
Short, memorable experiences work best for younger children: a boat ride at dawn, a cooking lesson, a morning with elephants or an afternoon at a craft village. With a little care, any of these family vacation spots in India can give every generation something of its own to remember.
Choosing family vacation spots in India
- Travel between October and March for most of the country, and May to September for Ladakh.
- Choose fewer places and stay longer; children travel best without constant packing.
- Private transport with an experienced driver makes long days on the road far easier.
- Look for hotels with connecting rooms or villas, gardens and pools; on family journeys, a pool is often the most popular part of the day.
If you are considering a family journey, tell us who is travelling and we will suggest a route that suits every generation. You may also find our guide for first-time visitors helpful, and the official Incredible India website has useful background on each region.
