My family talks about our favorite travel memories a lot.
The good ones. The bad ones. The “remember when Dad was so hungry he thought he might actually die?” ones.
Because yes, we have bad moments on vacation.
We get tired. We get hot. We get lost. And most of all, we get hangry.
But most of the time, we’re happy. We’re together. And we’re having a really good time.
The funny thing about vacations, though, is that they seem to fly by. Then we come home, unpack our backpacks, go back to school and work, and somehow all of those incredible experiences start to blur together.
That’s why one of my favorite things to do is sit around the dinner table and relive them.
I want to know what my kids loved, what they hated.
What surprised them.
What they would happily do again.
And, most importantly, what actually stuck with them.
Over the years, there are certain experiences that keep coming up. These are the stories my kids tell their friends. The adventures they bring up years later. The things they hope everyone gets to experience at least once.
So I asked them:
If you could make a travel bucket list for other kids, what would be on it?
Here are their top 10 in no particular order.
1. Ride the Big Red Hop-On Hop-Off Bus in Paris
This one surprised me.
Of all the things we did in Paris, I wasn’t expecting a double-decker sightseeing bus to make the kids’ top 10.
But really, why wouldn’t it?
You get to ride through Paris on a giant red double-decker bus while seeing all of the sights you’ve heard about your entire life.
There was music. There was narration. And, most importantly, you get to see a whole lot of Paris without walking everywhere.
After a long day of sightseeing, that last part matters.
Apparently, my kids would like to officially recommend the Big Red Bus to your kids.
Who am I to argue?
2. The Harry Potter Experience in Watford, England
If you have a Harry Potter fan in your family, put this one on the list.
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is in Watford, just outside London, so it does require a little planning and a bit of a trek to get there. But according to my kids? Completely worth it.
And you don’t necessarily have to be a full-blown Potterhead to enjoy it. Even if you’re more of a “Yeah, I’ve seen the movies” Harry Potter fan, there is so much to see.
It’s one of those experiences where you can actually feel like you’ve stepped inside the movies.
And my kids still talk about it.
3. Disney. Just… Disney.
We are a Disney family. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.
We love the rides more than anything, and I think that’s part of why Disney works so well for our family. We can all find something we enjoy, and we can experience it together.
Our favorites so far are Disney World in Florida and Tokyo Disneyland, but honestly, we’ve had a great time at every Disney park we’ve visited.
Yes, Disney can be expensive. Yes, there are crowds. Yes, someone will be hangry and complaining.
But when we look back at our trips? The rides, the ridiculous amount of walking, the snacks and the family memories are what stick, and for our family, Disney is still a bucket-list experience.
4. Teamlab
We visited TeamLab Biovortex in Kyoto this summer, and my kids are still talking about it.
Especially the room where they gave you the boots. And the room where you could draw pictures and then watch those pictures come to life. And remember the room with all the bubbles, mom?
It was so much fun.
Just don’t research it too much before you go.
Part of the magic is walking in and having absolutely no idea what’s about to happen.
Trust me; just go, and let yourself be surprised.
5. Stay With Elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand
This one comes with a giant asterisk.
Our stay at Chai Lai Orchid in Chiang Mai was one of those experiences that was SO COOL that we’re incredibly glad we did it…
…but we’re not entirely sure we would do it again.
When we planned our trip to Chiang Mai, seeing elephants was high on our list. But finding an experience that treats the animals humanely was extremely important. We specifically looked for a place that did not allow riding, bathing or swimming with the elephants.
That said, this is a highly commercialized experience that does encourage human interaction with the elephants, including feeding and photo opportunities. So please do your own research and make the choice that you’re comfortable with.
Chai Lai Orchid was much more rustic than we’re used to.
There were mosquito nets over the beds, which was a first for us. And there were bugs, lots of bugs. Not bed bugs. Just… bugs that had apparently decided they were paying guests, too.
We still laugh about how rustic the rooms were. Oh, and don’t let me forget about the bathroom- the sloping, corrugated metal structure that it was. At least it got the job done.
We still talk about the bugs. But we also still talk about how incredible it was to wake up with the elephants.
So would we do it again? Maybe not.
Are we glad we did it though?
Absolutely.
6. Explore the 7-Elevens of Asia
You probably didn’t know that 7-Eleven is a bucket-list experience. Well, it is if you’re traveling with my family.
We love a 7-Eleven.
Lawson? We’re there.
FamilyMart? Obviously.
Any convenience store in Asia? Let’s go see what’s inside. Because they are nothing like the convenience stores we’re used to at home.
The food is actually good, and the prices are even better.
There is always something for everyone. My daughter ate tofu noodles about 8–10 times while we were in Japan and Taiwan.
Me? 35 egg salad sandwiches.
I miss those egg salad sandwiches.
So if you’re traveling through Japan or Taiwan, don’t overlook the humble convenience store. Your kids just might find one of their favorite meals there.
7. See a Whale Shark at Churaumi Aquarium
Yes, I know whale sharks exist in other places, but this was our first time seeing one in person.
And not to be dramatic…
It was breathtaking.
I will never forget walking into the Churaumi Theater and seeing the enormous Kuroshio Sea Tank.
You know how sometimes you see something in person that you’ve seen a hundred times in pictures, but somehow it’s completely different?
That was this.
Standing there and watching the whale shark glide through that enormous tank was one of those moments where everyone just stopped and stared. Mesmerized.
It’s a memory we won’t forget.
Now, the only way I can think of topping it is to eventually snorkel with whale sharks.
So… I guess we have another bucket-list item to add.
8. Take a Ha Long Bay Cruise in Vietnam
This was our biggest splurge in Vietnam.
And after watching approximately 4,365 Ha Long Bay videos while trying to decide whether it was worth the money, I finally decided to go for it.
We booked a three-day, two-night cruise, and we all agreed: Worth every penny.
We kayaked.
We went squid fishing.
We had fish pedicures.
We rode bamboo boats.
We rode bicycles.
And there was so much food. Plus, they had no problem accommodating the two vegetarians in our group.
We stayed on the Erina, and they were incredibly kind and upgraded our family to a three-bedroom suite.
That was pretty spectacular.
But the scenery was the real star.
The limestone karsts rising out of the water looked exactly like the pictures I’d spent hours staring at before our trip. Only better.
Some experiences are expensive enough that you really have to think about whether they’re worth the splurge. And for us, this one was.
9. Watch the Eiffel Tower Sparkle at Dusk
This one almost didn’t happen.
We had spent the entire day touring Paris.
Our feet hurt. We were tired. We had already seen the Eiffel Tower.
From dinner, we had a half mile walk back to see it again, and we weren’t sure it would be worth it. But we knew the Eiffel Tower sparkles at night.
And the kids wanted to go back. In fact, they insisted.
And, as it turns out…
The kids were right.
It was worth the walk.
Standing there watching the Eiffel Tower glitter against the evening sky was one of those moments that makes you forget how tired your feet are.
I would do it again. And again. And I will recommend it to everyone who goes to Paris.
Who knew a giant metal structure could be so beautiful?
10. Snorkel With Sea Turtles in Koh Tao, Thailand
On our last day in Koh Tao, we took one of the most amazing excursions of our entire trip.
It was another experience that was a little outside our activity budget, which meant it was also a little outside my comfort zone.
But once again…
Worth every penny.
We had a private boat, and our captain took us to several snorkeling spots while explaining what kinds of marine life we could expect to see. We saw a lot.
For lunch, his wife prepared an incredible meal for us right on the boat.
It was fresh, delicious and, thankfully, she was happy to accommodate our dietary preferences.
And at the end of the day, our captain had one last trick up his sleeve.
Giant sea turtles.
There is something completely different about being in the water next to an animal you’ve only ever seen in an aquarium or on television.
It was awe-inspiring.
And it’s another experience I don’t think any of us will forget.
The Best Part of Travel
Looking back at this list, I think my favorite thing isn’t actually the list itself.
It’s that my kids remember.
They remember the Eiffel Tower sparkling.
They remember the whale shark.
They remember the bugs in Thailand.
They remember the egg salad sandwiches.
They remember the room with the boots at TeamLab.
They remember riding bicycles through Ha Long Bay.
They remember swimming with sea turtles.
And they remember things I didn’t expect them to remember at all.
That’s why I love traveling with my kids.
The vacations may fly by. The backpacks get unpacked. The laundry gets done.
And we go back to school and work.
But years later, we’re still sitting around the dinner table saying,“Remember when we…?”
And those are the moments I’m hoping they’ll carry with them long after the trips are over.
So, according to my kids, these are the 10 experiences they think your kids should get to experience at least once.
I think they’re onto something.
Travel more. Spend less. Make the memories.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend experiences and products our family would genuinely consider or use. Thanks for supporting Always Take the Kids!
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