Multigenerational trips in Asia
A trip for three generations succeeds or fails on pace. The grandparents want to sit down at eleven, the children want to move at ten, and the parents in the middle want everyone to have a good day. Asia can suit all of them, because the long lunch, the late afternoon swim and the private driver are part of how travel there already works. The work is in the design, and most of it is about saying no to things.
The plans below follow a few rules. One base for at least three nights wherever possible. A private car and driver instead of public transport. A single main activity each day, with the rest left open. And a hotel with enough space that people can separate for a few hours without anyone feeling left out.
Pace, not distance
The common mistake is to plan by what the youngest and the fittest can do. Plan by what the person with the least energy can enjoy. That usually means no more than one early start in three days, a rest after lunch and no transfer longer than about three hours without a stop.
Fewer places is the answer. A ten-day trip with three bases is more relaxing, and more memorable, than one with six.
Choosing the destination
Thailand is the easiest first choice: short flights, good food for every age, beaches and elephants at ethical sanctuaries, and hotels that are used to families. Japan works well because trains run on time, distances are short and the food is easy for children. Sri Lanka packs a lot into a small island, with a famous train, wildlife and a coastal fort, though drives are slow.
Bhutan and Nepal are beautiful, but they involve altitude and rough roads. Paro and Thimphu sit above 2,000 metres, and some older travellers feel it. Talk to a doctor first, and choose lower valleys over high passes.
Rooms, transport and meals
Ask for connecting rooms or a family suite, and check whether the hotel has a lift, because many do not. In ryokans and some heritage hotels, floor seating and steps are normal. Tell us about any mobility needs before we choose, not after.
A private driver costs more than a taxi, but it lets a grandparent get out of the sun and gives the family one place to leave their bags. For meals, order for the table and share, so that no one has to commit to a dish they might not like.
When to go
Avoid the hottest months for older travellers: April and May in India and the Thai interior, and July and August almost everywhere in the north. The cool, dry season, from November to February in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka's west, is the most comfortable. School holidays raise prices and fill the best rooms, so book well in advance if you are tied to them.
Letting the group split
Not everyone wants to do everything, and a good plan accepts that. Build in two or three half-days when the group divides: the grandparents take a slow morning at the hotel or a short guided walk, the teenagers go cycling or take a class, and the parents choose which to join. Everyone meets again for lunch.
It sounds like a small thing. It is usually what keeps a family trip friendly from the first day to the last.
11 days · Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai
Thailand Unhurried
An observation-only elephant sanctuary, a family cooking class, longtail boats to the Hong islands
from €300 per person per day
Built for a family: beaches, an ethical elephant sanctuary and an easy pace, with the option of a larger room or two connected ones.
8 days · Kyoto, Nara, Osaka
Temples, Tea & Tokyo
Fushimi Inari at dawn, Nara's deer and temples, a sushi counter in Tokyo
from €550 per person per day
Short distances, trains that run on time and food that suits everyone. Spring is lovely, and busy, so book early.
14 days · Colombo, Sigiriya, Kandy
Sri Lanka: Coast & Culture
Sigiriya, the hill-country train, Yala safaris and Galle Fort
from €200 per person per day
A small island with a lot to see, a scenic train and wildlife. The drives are slow, so we split them with overnight stops.
Tell us how many people, their ages and any mobility or dietary needs, and we will build the days around the slowest walker.
How many nights should we spend in each place?
At least three, and two is the minimum worth unpacking for. Moving every night uses the day up on bags and transfers. For ten days, two or three bases is a good number. Tell us your fastest and slowest walkers, and we will plan the transfers around the slowest.
Is a private driver really necessary?
Not always, but it often makes a multigenerational trip work. In Japan the trains are better than a car for the long legs. In Thailand and Sri Lanka a driver carries the bags, keeps the car cool, stops when someone needs to and removes the problem of finding taxis for a group. We usually combine the two.
What about medical needs?
Tell us early. Check vaccinations and travel insurance, including cover for existing conditions, with a doctor and your insurer. We can plan around medication, diet and the distance to a hospital, but we do not give medical advice, and altitude in Bhutan and Nepal needs a doctor's view first.
When to go
Asia by month · January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December
Other guides
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