Find Your Perfect Active Vacation with Backroads Family Trips

In our years of working with CB clients to help them make their vacation bucket lists happen, one of the most notable shifts we’ve seen is an uptick in requests for active and adventure travel. Hiking through a national park, biking Alpine paths or kayaking along the coastline not only strengthens connections to the natural world, it offers a chance for families to unplug and spend meaningful time together, free from the distractions of daily life. Plus, the shared experience of pushing through physical challenges encourages teamwork and resilience in a way few other activities can.

Making an active vacation seamless, comfortable and memorable depends on working with the right outfitter, and one of our longtime travel partners in this regard is Backroads, among the earliest companies to specialize in creating outdoors-focused itineraries all over the world. Backroads first made their name with biking trips in the 1970s and ’80s, but the scope is much broader today — the itineraries encompass hiking, river cruising, sailing, snowshoeing, rafting, safaris and cultural exploration (just for starters). With more than 500 itineraries and thousands of departure dates, Backroads family trips are tailored to a nearly infinite spectrum of ages, interests and travel styles. “It really is all about getting the right guest on the right trip,” says Leigh Sassone, assistant director of Backroads’ Travel Advisor Program.

How Ciao Bambino Adds Value to Backroads Family Trips

One of the biggest challenges with choosing the right Backroads itinerary is simply sorting through the options — the inventory is vast! Ciao Bambino Family Travel Advisors have a deep relationship with the company and know the best approach to narrowing down the list. We can consult with you to help you pinpoint the destination and trip format that suits your needs and the ages of your group. Once you’ve decided which itinerary you want to book, we’ll take it from there — we handle all the communication and planning with Backroads from start to finish.

Our value also lies in the days before and after the official trip begins; we’ll book any needed hotels and activities on the front and back ends with no extra planning fees. For example, you might wish to spend a few nights in Paris before you embark on a bike tour of Brittany and Normandy, or explore Buenos Aires on the way home from a hiking tour of Patagonia. We partner with hand-selected accommodations, guides and other resources in destinations all around the world and use our expertise to pair our clients with the right fit.

TIP: Have you already started the process of booking a Backroads trip on your own? Not to worry — you can pass it to your Advisor and we’ll connect with the company to take over the planning where you left off.

Backroads Itineraries: What’s New and Noteworthy for 2025

Backroads has 76 new itineraries for 2025, and they’re continually layering new activities and trip legs into favorite destinations already in the portfolio. Of particular interest to families is a new slate of trips called Home Base — instead of moving hotels multiple times, as is typical with a Backroads itinerary, travelers are based at a single property for the duration and excursions depart from there. Current options include the Dolomites, Puglia, Bavaria and the Cotswolds, with more on tap for the future. Backroads also offers a selection of shorter trips in the U.S., known as Active Weekend Getaways.

New 2025 Destinations and Itineraries

The new Backroads travel opportunities for the coming year are all over the globe and tailored to all sorts of travelers: families with young kids; empty nesters; multigenerational groups; solo travelers and more. Here’s a look at some of the highlights (peruse a full list of new itineraries here).

Madeira. Hike amid ancient forests, enjoy boating on the Atlantic and explore towns such as Funchal on this lush Portuguese island. Weather permitting, there’s even time to relax on the beach.

Greenland and Iceland. Backroads has launched its first-ever Greenland itinerary, paired with Iceland for an unforgettable arctic adventure. Starting and ending in Reykjavik, the trip includes dips in a thermal river and the Blue Lagoon, treks past spectacular waterfalls, visits to turf house ruins and remote Inuit communities, and hikes along ice fjords.

Finland. This is another brand-new Backroads destination, and four different itineraries accommodate a range of activity levels, all with the goal of witnessing the Northern Lights. Interact with reindeer and sled dogs, walk through boreal forests and bask in a traditional Finnish sauna along the way.

Greece’s Peloponnese. The Greek Isles are Backroads standbys, but new trips on the mainland allow travelers to explore this lesser-visited region of the country. The Peloponnese was the home of legendary ancient sites like Olympia and Sparta, and there’s a wealth of UNESCO-listed ruins to explore between pedaling through the countryside and getting out on the Aegean.

Danube River. In partnership with AmaWaterways, a new multi-adventure Danube River cruise incorporates hiking and biking excursions and urban exploration in Prague, Budapest and other cities. It’s perfect for those who want the ease and amenities of a cruise ship yet prefer active time outdoors.

Women’s adventures. One of the fastest-growing Backroads markets, new women-only itineraries are available in destinations across the globe, from Maine to Morocco. Hike amid the peaks of Banff National Park; traverse New Zealand’s South Island trails on foot or combine idyllic walks with cooking classes in Tuscany, all in the company of like-minded women.

Things to Know About Backroads Family Trips

• There’s a myth that you have to be an extreme athlete to participate in a Backroads adventure. Not so, says Leigh — trips are ranked by activity level and difficulty, with 1 being easiest and 5 being the most challenging. Guests can choose from the daily activities according to how they feel; for example, they might participate in a guided tour of a cultural site or a culinary tasting instead of a bike ride. There’s also enough downtime that no one ends the trip exhausted. “You’re not hiking all day every day,” Leigh says. All Backroads itineraries do require a baseline amount of physical activity, but even travelers with limitations have options that can work for them.
• Itineraries are segmented by age — empty nesters or those who have teens and grown kids can choose an adults-only trip or avoid traveling with young children, for instance. The minimum age for Backroads family itineraries is generally 4, and kids need to be at least 7 to 9 to ride their own bike, depending on the destination.
• Group trips like these are often a wonderful fit for single parents or those traveling solo with kids, as the logistics are simplified and there’s built-in structure that takes pressure off the parent to keep the young ones entertained.
• Backroads itineraries labeled Dolce Tempo run at an easygoing pace and use e-bikes for the biking portions. Typically, they include half a day of active excursions and half a day of cultural activities or sightseeing. (You can request complimentary e-bikes for traditional biking itineraries as well.)
• Because the average group size is 15, large families or groups can and sometimes do buy out an entire departure.
• Solo travelers can join any Backroads itinerary for a single supplement.

When to Travel, When to Book

Backroads publishes upcoming trip dates and itineraries a year in advance, and many travelers reserve their spots as soon as bookings open, so early action is key. Rates fluctuate in peak and shoulder seasons, reflecting pricing from Backroads’ hotel partners. “The Amalfi Coast in July is definitely more expensive than the Amalfi Coast in May,” Leigh says.

If your dates are flexible, shoulder seasons are a great time to go, with lower costs and lighter crowds — think Scotland in early October or Peru over the holidays. That said, Backroads schedules their itineraries during the seasons that are most enjoyable in a given destination. “We’re not going to be running trips to Tuscany in the winter,” Leigh explains.

As far as the most popular spots, the top five right now are Croatia, Portugal, the Canadian Rockies, Provence and Italy’s Dolomites, Leigh says. U.S. national parks, Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and the San Juan Islands are also in high demand. And for families, Switzerland and Costa Rica lead the pack. The bottom line: Book sooner rather than later! Connect with our Advisor team to choose your Backroads itinerary and start planning for the coming year.

Relevant Links:

Browse all ideas for biking and multisport trips on Ciao Bambino

Exploring the Dolomites in Italy: An active family’s dream

Our favorite national parks for family hiking

Best places to visit in Switzerland with kids

Best time to visit Croatia: Off-season experiences we love

An idyllic summer escape on Orcas Island, Washington

Why Newfoundland travel is an active family’s delight

Photos courtesy of Backroads. 

Editor’s note: This post was accurate when published. We advise checking independently for the latest information and updates. Ciao Bambino does not accept responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in, or for any actions taken based on, the information presented.