For 34 years, Exodus’ adventurous spirit has kept them on the lookout for fresh itineraries that offer families more than just two weeks on the beach. Exodus has 40 different active and adventurous trips across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas that all the family can enjoy together, making it simple to share new experiences. If walking and trekking is your clan’s thing then we offer gentle walks around Tuscany, easy glacier walking in Iceland and even tropical rainforest exploration on foot! Travelling either independently, as a small group, or staying at one of our activity centres, we guarantee you a different family holiday. Exodus insists on low impact tourism and increasingly looks to bring benefit to local communities. In recognition of this, Exodus was awarded the coveted title of ‘Most Environmentally Responsible Travel Company’ at the British Travel Awards 2006.

From 2 years for Activity Centre holidays. Each activity and holiday has its own minimum age and children must be accompanied by at least one parent while undertaking an activity.

Footscape is based in Dorset and offers a variety of walking holidays along the spectacular Jurassic Coast (England’s only Natural World Heritage Site) and in Dorset’s timeless rural interior. You can opt for a “scheduled” (fixed date) walking tour, whether guided or self-guided, with transport provided to take you to the start of each day’s hike and back again in the late afternoon. On guided tours you will be led by an experienced local guide. In order to respond to the requirements of families with children, Footscape offers a lot of flexibility on its scheduled self-guided holidays. Daily walking distances can be shortened at either end, if required, as the Footcape vehicle can drop off or pick up anybody who does not want to do the full number of miles. Even alternative activities can be organised. The website has a page specifically describing its services for children. At the end of the holiday, Footscape provides a smart “Certificate of Achievement” to all children, which includes the total number of miles walked. Footscape’s scheduled and “independent” walking holidays along the Jurassic Coast are of particular interest to children, because there are several safe and beautiful beaches along its length. So instead of just spending day after day on a beach, why not walk part or all of a Footscape trail, stopping off for a short swim at those beaches that you cannot resist?

Footscape offers a choice of hand-picked accommodation to suit your taste and pocket, including hotels, inns and Bed & Breakfasts, usually located in a beautiful Dorset village or small town. A full English breakfast is provided each day. Family rooms are often available (with reduced per head rates for the holiday) on many of the scheduled and independent holidays.

With the exception of its “inn to inn” hiking holidays, where you will move from one place to another along the trail each night, with your luggage moved for you, Footscape will accommodate you in the same place for the duration of your holiday, or, for longer hikes, in one hotel, inn or B&B for the first half and another for the second half. On those holidays where transport is provided, Footscape will pick you up from your accommodation each morning and drive you to the trail, mostly along small roads in beautiful countryside. At the end of the day, you will be driven back to your accommodation. This way, you do not have to pack and unpack every day.

Walking is the central activity. Footscape will give you a Footscape Trail Guide for easy reference on your hike. This is a compact illustrated booklet providing detailed walking directions, times and distances, degrees of difficulty, background information on the key places along the trail and practical information on pubs, restaurants and village shops.

There are plenty of opportunites for swimming (and fossil hunting) along the Jurassic Coast trails, which pass several safe and beautiful beaches. Footscape can also organise alternative activities for a part of the day or even the whole day. Such activities can include visits to the Abbotsbury Swannery (especially in May to July when you can see the baby swans), the Great Dorset Maize Maze (July/August), the award-winning Monkey World (all year) and trips on the Swanage steam railway.

For children interested in wildlife, Footscape can provide a chart (with photos) to fill in whenever one of the animals or birds on the list is spotted.

Normally 8 years (except for infants carried by brave parents).

Upland Escapes offer single centre walking holidays in beautiful undiscovered upland regions of Europe. You will stay in charming villages, which are safe and interesting for children to explore. There is no fixed itinerary, simply choose what you wish to do each day depending on how your family is feeling. For each location, a wide choice of self-guided walks is provided of varying levels of difficulty. Three days a week, there is the option to join an organized walk to the top of a local peak or a less accessible area. Car hire (carbon-neutral) is included with the holiday. Family discounts include; infants under 2 go free, children aged 2 - 11 receive a 25% discount and no high season supplements are charged during school holidays. Train travel is available to all destinations (except Gran Canaria) as an alternative to flying - it's fun, interesting and good for the planet!

Gran Canaria: The Highlands.

The main activity is walking. Self-guided walks range from half an hour to a full day, with notes including opportunities for paddling, suggested picnic spots, points of interest, timings and measurements. Organized walks are available at no extra cost on 3 days a week to reach less accessible areas and local summits. Children receive an Upland Explorer activity pack of things to find, see and experience during their holiday. Depending on the region, other activities can be arranged for older children such as white-water rafting, canoeing, canyoning, climbing, horse-riding, bungee-jumping, paragliding, mountain-biking, etc.

World Expeditions has been in operation since 1975. It specialises in trekking and adventure holidays. There are a good selection of family adventure trips including favourites such as trekking in Nepal. The emphasis is on learning and discovery and all the family trips allow time to visit schools and interact with the local children. Private trips can also be arranged and the company particilarly recommends the Inca Trail. The company operates a policy of sustainable tourism and contributes generously to various organisations which in turn support the local people of the places where they operate. See the World Expeditions listing in the Adventure section for details of the family adventure tours.