13 countries to visit with your kids before they start kindergarten
Written October 2026
Before your kids start kindergarten, there's a little window when you can travel almost whenever you want. You can skip the school-holiday crowds and stay somewhere for two weeks without anyone missing homework. In a lot of the world, under-5s ride the train and swim at the town pool for free, too.
Some countries are just easier with a toddler or a preschooler: an elevator in every subway station, a playground at the top of the gondola, a hotel that takes the kids for the afternoon. These are the ones we'd look at first, and every one of them is still a great trip at 8 or 12.
The 13 countries at a glance
Ages are when each trip is at its easiest, and the dollar signs compare the countries with each other.
- Bali: a real break for parents, with drop-off kids clubs. Ages 3 to 5, May to September, $$
- Switzerland: playgrounds at the top of the lifts, and free trains for under-6s. Ages 2 to 5, late May to mid-October, $$$
- Italy: pizza, pasta and gelato for picky eaters. Ages 1 to 5, spring and fall, $$
- Sweden: Stockholm by stroller, with free museums for kids. Ages 0 to 5, late May to August, $$$
- Portugal: priority service for anyone with a child up to 2. Ages 0 to 5, April to June and September to October, $$
- Denmark: staffed playgrounds and free transit for kids. Ages 1 to 5, June to August, $$$
- Spain: late dinners and busy plazas. Ages 2 to 5, April to June and September to October, $$
- Vietnam: a car and driver at your own pace. Ages 2 to 5, February to May on the central coast, $
- Singapore: the easy first trip abroad. Ages 1 to 5, any month (February to April is drier), $$$
- South Korea: elevators everywhere and indoor play. Ages 0 to 5, April to May and September to October, $$
- Iceland: big scenery a short walk from the car. Ages 1 to 5, June to August, $$$
- Guatemala: temples, chocolate and volcanoes. Ages 3 to 5, November to April, $
- Thailand: big family hotels for less. Ages 2 to 5, November to February, $
Bali, Indonesia
Bali is for parents who want an actual break, and the help is built for preschoolers: kids clubs that take 3- and 4-year-olds for the morning, babysitters through the hotel for the evening, and resort pools with a shallow end for the little ones.
Canggu or Nusa Dua
South Bali, Indonesia
Canggu is surf, cafés and rice paddies, about a 90-minute drive from the airport, and its beach is for watching the waves more than paddling in them. Parklife Bali is there: a park, playground and family restaurant where under-3s play with a parent and kids 3 and up can be left with the staff while you go to lunch.
Nusa Dua is about 30 minutes from the airport, a strip of big resorts on the calmer east side where most of our Bali family hotels are, and it's where we'd go with a toddler. Sanur, up the coast, is the same kind of easy water with a beach path for the stroller. For a day out, Waterbom Bali in Kuta has a kids' area with no height minimum and a splash playground with toddler slides.
- Best ages
- 3 to 5, when the kids clubs take them
- When to go
- May to September, the dry season
- Budget
- $$
- Pack
- Rash guards, sun hats and water shoes
- Good to know
- Visitors pay Bali's tourist levy online or on arrival. FINNS Recreation Club in Canggu is closed for a rebuild, with its first stage due in May 2027.
COMO Canggu
Canggu, Bali
Right on the surf (it used to be COMO Uma Canggu), with two- and three-bedroom residences and babysitting for the evenings. Kids under 5 eat free from the à la carte menu, and older ones can take surf lessons.
- Clubs
- Play by COMO, ages 4 to 12, supervised. Under-4s stay with a parent or a babysitter.
From the hotel's Play by COMO page, October 2026
Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort
Nusa Dua, Bali
The Kids Villa takes babies, as long as a parent stays with anyone under 4. There's a shallow kids' pool, connecting rooms, and suites where the staff will set up a play tent for the under-5s.
- Clubs
- Kids Villa, ages 0 to 12, two hours a day included. Under-4s with a parent.
From the resort's family page, October 2026
Hilton Bali Resort
Nusa Dua, Bali
On the clifftop at the south end of Nusa Dua, with a private beach and four connecting outdoor pools. The club has a climbing wall with trainers and animal feeding, and the Game Cave next to it keeps an older sibling busy.
- Clubs
- Kid's Club, ages 4 to 12, daily.
From the resort's kids club page, October 2026
Switzerland
Switzerland is made for the playground years. Kids under 6 ride the trains free, and the mountain playgrounds sit right where the gondola lets you off, built for the age that wants a swing more than a summit.
Grindelwald, Mürren and Engelberg
The Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland
Above car-free Mürren, a four-minute funicular climbs to Allmendhubel and its Flower Park, a playground of giant alpine flowers with a marmot hole to crawl through and a water maze next door. The funicular runs from late May to mid-October. From Grindelwald, the First gondola stops at Bort, where the alpine playground has a mountain stream to dam and rocking marmots to ride.
In Engelberg, the Robinson playground at Grotzenwäldli is a pirate playground around a little lake, with rafts, an island and a tower with a slide, a short walk from the Brunni valley station. Down in Lucerne, the Swiss Museum of Transport is trains, planes and boats to climb in, and free for under-6s. Zurich has plenty of playgrounds of its own.
- Best ages
- 2 to 5
- When to go
- Late May to mid-October, when the lifts and mountain playgrounds run
- Budget
- $$$
- Pack
- A carrier or hiking backpack, a rain jacket and warm layers
- Good to know
- Kids under 6 travel free on SBB and the Jungfrau Railways. From 6 to 15, a Junior Travelcard (with a parent) or a Children's Co-Travelcard (with another adult) covers them for a year.
Sunstar Hotel Grindelwald
Grindelwald
Family rooms with a balcony (the Eiger side looks straight at the mountain), a playroom for kids, a small playground outside and a pool. Cribs are free if you mention one when you book, and the First gondola is in the village.
Hotel Eiger Mürren
Mürren
Across from Mürren's train station, with an indoor pool. The Family Suite has a bedroom and a separate living room with extra beds, for two adults and up to three kids, and children under 2 stay free. It closes between seasons and reopens on December 15.
Kempinski Palace Engelberg
Engelberg
A grand hotel with a kids club that has its own little kitchen for baking muffins, a reading corner and a craft table. Kids can eat lunch and dinner in the club while you eat somewhere quieter.
Italy
A preschooler's menu is short, and Italy serves all of it on every corner: pizza, plain pasta, bread and gelato. Nobody blinks at a toddler at the next table, and the smallest kids get in free by height (under 90 cm at Gardaland, under 1 meter at Rome's zoo).
Rome, Florence and Lake Garda
Italy
In Rome, pizza al taglio is sold by weight and cut to whatever width you point at, so a kid can have a sliver of plain margherita while you try three kinds. Villa Borghese has one of Rome's best playgrounds, rowboats on the lake, the Casina di Raffaello play center (ages 3 to 14, with a corner for babies) and the Bioparco zoo. Explora, the children's museum, runs timed sessions you book online and is closed on Mondays. More places to stay are in the Rome family hotels guide.
Florence has a small, walkable center, a carousel in Piazza della Repubblica and plenty of family hotels. Lake Garda is the slow version, with lake beaches and Gardaland, which has Peppa Pig Land inside.
- Best ages
- 1 to 5
- When to go
- Spring and fall
- Budget
- $$
- Pack
- A light stroller with big wheels for the cobbles, or a carrier, and bug spray in summer
- Good to know
- Pharmacies and supermarkets sell formula (latte in polvere, in stages 1 to 3). On Rome's metro, the Line A stops at Spagna, Barberini, Repubblica and Vittorio Emanuele have no lifts.
Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Monte Mario, Rome
Up on Monte Mario in its own park, a taxi ride from the sights, with a big outdoor pool, two family pools (one just for small children) and an indoor pool under a glass dome.
- Clubs
- Kids Club, ages 4 to 11, afternoons in the summer season.
From the hotel's kids club page, October 2026
iQ Hotel Roma
Near Termini, Rome
About a seven-minute walk from Termini, so the airport train and both metro lines are close. The Quad room sleeps four in one room, cribs are free on request, and there's a rooftop restaurant for the evenings nobody wants to go far.
Sweden
Stockholm is easiest while your kid still rides in a stroller. On most city buses one adult with a stroller boards free through the back doors, under-7s ride free with anyone who has a ticket, and the museums kids want to see are free for them too.
Djurgården and the city
Stockholm, Sweden
Djurgården fills a day with little kids, and the ferry over from Slussen is part of the SL network. Skansen is an open-air museum and zoo, free for under-16s with a ticket added to yours, and Lill-Skansen inside it has rabbits, guinea pigs, play tunnels and a machine where kids give their pacifier to the cats in exchange for a diploma. Every toilet there has a changing table.
Junibacken, by the Djurgården bridge, is a house of Swedish children's books with a story train, made for ages 0 to 8. The Vasa Museum is free for anyone under 18, with lifts to every floor. Back in town, the staffed playground at Vasaparken has been a city favorite since the 1930s, and it's one of our Stockholm picks. More places to stay are in the Stockholm family hotels guide.
- Best ages
- 0 to 5
- When to go
- Late May to August
- Budget
- $$$
- Pack
- A bike lock for the stroller (Junibacken has you park it outside) and a soft carrier
- Good to know
- Under-7s ride SL free with anyone who has a ticket. The free stroller ride is on buses only, and not on the blue routes 1 to 6.
Hotel Diplomat
Strandvägen, Stockholm
A waterfront hotel a bridge away from Djurgården. In summer and over the fall break, the Family Time package takes half off the kids' room and feeds under-12s free from the children's menu. A crib comes with a baby bath and a changing mat, and the hotel lends BabyBjörn carriers and arranges babysitting.
Scandic Park
Östermalm, Stockholm
Facing Humlegården park, half a kilometer from Stadion metro. The Standard Family Four sleeps four in one room with a sofa bed and a fridge, and kids 12 and under stay free in their parents' room.
Biz Apartment Gärdet
Gärdet, Stockholm
Apartments with kitchens, a grocery store in the building and laundry rooms to book, for a longer stay. The One Bedroom has a separate bedroom and living room, and cleaning is weekly rather than daily.
Portugal
Portugal is at its best with a baby or a toddler. By law, anywhere that serves the public in person has to serve someone with a child up to 2 first, at the supermarket checkout, the pharmacy, the post office and the ticket desk.
Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve
Portugal
Lisbon has the most to do. At the Pavilhão do Conhecimento science museum, Casa Inacabada is an unfinished house where 3- to 6-year-olds in hard hats build the walls with cranes and wheelbarrows, and the Oceanário is in the same park by the river. The zoo is across town. More places to stay are in the Lisbon family hotels guide.
Porto is smaller and slower. Livraria Lello, the bookshop with the famous staircase, runs timed entry, lets kids 3 and under in free with proof of age, and gives priority to anyone with a baby. The Algarve is the beach-and-pool version, with resorts that run kids clubs from spring to fall. We compare the two cities in Lisbon or Porto with kids.
- Best ages
- 0 to 5, and the priority rule covers under-2s
- When to go
- April to June, September and October
- Budget
- $$
- Pack
- Your kids' passports or ID cards for Lello's door, and a carrier for the hills
- Good to know
- The priority rule is Decreto-Lei 58/2016. It covers people with a child up to 2, and appointments and hospital triage are the exceptions.
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Martinhal Lisbon Chiado
Chiado, Lisbon
Martinhal's Chiado building is all apartments with kitchens, and the Two Bedroom Deluxe has a kids' room with bunk beds. Cribs, bottle warmers, sterilizers and strollers are free on request, and the evening Pyjama Club means a dinner out on your own.
- Clubs
- Crèche for 6 to 36 months and the Raposinhos Kids Club for 3 to 9, both included. Parents can stay a few minutes at the first session, then it's drop-off.
From Martinhal's Chiado clubs page and FAQ, October 2026
Jupiter Albufeira Hotel, Family and Fun
Montechoro, Albufeira
An all-inclusive with an aqua park of its own and a Baby Corner open around the clock (high chairs, a microwave, a kettle and a nursing area). It's about 10 minutes by car from the beach, and the One Bedroom Family Suite has a separate bedroom.
- Clubs
- Kids Club, ages 4 to 12, April to October, with parents staying alongside. The slides start at 1.20 m.
From the hotel's FAQ, October 2026
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Hotel Spot Family Suites
Bolhão, Porto
Suites from one bedroom up to a master suite for six, a couple of hundred meters from the Bolhão market, with breakfast included and a crib free on request.
Denmark
Copenhagen thinks about small kids in the details. Two children under 12 ride free with each adult who has a ticket, strollers ride free on buses, trains and the metro, and the staffed playgrounds and Experimentarium's Miniverse are made for 1- to 5-year-olds.
Copenhagen
Denmark
Fælledparken has two of the staffed playgrounds: Tårnlegepladsen, five of the city's towers built at kid height and joined by walkways and slides (it's on our list of Copenhagen's most unusual playgrounds), and Trafiklegepladsen, a little road network for bikes. Tivoli Gardens is free for under-3s with a paying adult, marks its rides for the little ones, and has a baby-changing house with nursing chairs by the playground.
At Experimentarium in Hellerup, the Miniverse is a whole area for the littlest visitors, included in the ticket, and the zoo is free for under-3s. More places to stay are in the Copenhagen family hotels guide.
- Best ages
- 1 to 5
- When to go
- June to August, or Tivoli at Christmas
- Budget
- $$$
- Pack
- Your kids' passports, and your EHIC if you're insured in the EU or EEA
- Good to know
- Hospital treatment is free for anyone who can show they're under 18. Adults insured outside the EU, EEA and the Nordic countries can be billed. Call 1813, the medical helpline, before going to an emergency room, and 112 in an emergency.
Tivoli Hotel
Kalvebod Brygge, Copenhagen
A Rasmus Klump playroom with a ball wall and a play kitchen, a playground on the second floor and kids' movies in the evening. The large family room is two rooms with a connecting door, and cribs are always available. Swim diapers aren't allowed in the pool, so it's for kids who are out of diapers.
Zoku Copenhagen
Amager, Copenhagen
By the DR Byen metro stop. The Zoku Loft XXL has a king bed up in the loft and a connected bedroom with a double and its own bathroom, plus a full kitchen with a dishwasher, which covers the early dinners.
Comfort Hotel Vesterbro
Vesterbro, Copenhagen
Five minutes from Central Station and Tivoli, and the least expensive of the three. Family rooms have a double and sofa beds, there are connecting rooms on request, and the breakfast buffet does gluten-free and lactose-free.
Spain
Spain is easy while your kids still fall asleep anywhere. Dinner runs from about 8 to 11:30, kids are out in the plazas well after dark, and a toddler asleep in a stroller at the next table is part of the scene. If yours eat at 5:30, tapas bars and an apartment kitchen cover it.
Madrid and Barcelona
Spain
In Madrid, El Retiro has rowboats on the big pond, playgrounds of every size and a free puppet theater on weekends all year. Chocolatería San Ginés serves churros and chocolate around the clock from Thursday to Saturday, and until 11:30 at night the rest of the week.
In Barcelona, Parc de la Ciutadella has play areas and rowboats, and the zoo takes up about half the park. At CosmoCaixa, Clik is a hands-on area for 3- to 11-year-olds with zones for air, water and building. We keep lists of Barcelona's best playgrounds and family hotels in Barcelona and Madrid.
- Best ages
- 2 to 5
- When to go
- April to June, September and October
- Budget
- $$
- Pack
- A stroller that reclines flat, for dinners that run past bedtime
- Good to know
- Lunch is roughly 1 to 4 and dinner 8 to 11:30, and snacks bridge the gap.
Apartaments-Hotel Hispanos 7 Suiza
Sagrada Família, Barcelona
An apartment hotel near the Sagrada Família, cleaned every day. The apartment for five has two double bedrooms, a sofa bed, two bathrooms, a terrace and a full kitchen, and there are high chairs for babies.
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Suites Viena Plaza de España
Plaza de España, Madrid
Every room has a kitchenette, handy when Spanish dinner hours are too late for a tired kid. The Family Suite Executive with Salon has a king bedroom and a separate living room with a pull-out sofa, with a crib on request.
Vietnam
With a car and driver by the day, Vietnam runs on a preschooler's schedule: the beach in the morning, a nap in the car, Hoi An's lanterns at dusk. It's also one of the least expensive trips here, which makes a long stay easy.
Hoi An and Da Nang
Central Vietnam
With under-5s we'd base on the central coast rather than in Ho Chi Minh City. Hoi An's old town is lanterns and wooden boats, Da Nang has the beach resorts, and a driver takes you between the two whenever the kids are ready. VinWonders Nam Hoi An, south of Hoi An, is a theme park with a river safari and more than 95 indoor games.
If your trip does go through Ho Chi Minh City, Suoi Tien is a big theme park built around Vietnamese legends, with a freshwater beach, free for kids under 100 cm and right on Metro Line 1. Dam Sen Water Park has a children's pool and is closed on Tuesdays.
- Best ages
- 2 to 5
- When to go
- February to May on the central coast
- Budget
- $
- Pack
- A travel car seat, and a carrier for the sidewalks
- Good to know
- Vietnam's child-seat law (since July 2026) leaves out taxis and commercial cars, and the transfer services don't supply seats. Con Cưng, a mother-and-baby chain with more than a thousand stores, has formula and diapers.
InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort
Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang
Built down a steep hillside to its own private beach, with a little cable car between the levels (a ride in itself). Two-, three- and four-bedroom residences have private pools, under-6s eat free from the kids menu, and the concierge books babysitters.
- Clubs
- Planet Trekkers, ages 4 to 12, included and supervised. Under-4s with a parent or nanny.
From the resort's kids club page, October 2026
Pullman Danang Beach Resort
Bac My An Beach, Da Nang
About 15 minutes from the airport, right on the sand, with a shuttle to Hoi An. The Family Suite has two bedrooms, and an on-call nanny can be booked two days ahead.
- Clubs
- Kids' Club with a Toddler Room and a Preschooler Room, free for in-house kids.
From the resort's kids club page, October 2026
Palm Garden Beach Resort & Spa
Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An
Easier on the budget than the Da Nang resorts, and also on the beach, near Hoi An. The Two Bedroom Villa has a kitchen, there's a free playroom open until 10 at night and a playground outside, and babysitting can be booked ahead.
Singapore
Singapore is the easy first trip abroad with a toddler. Every MRT station has a lift, the two children's gardens with toddler water play cost nothing, and the airport has free play areas before you've even reached immigration.
Singapore
Singapore
Jewel at Changi has the indoor waterfall and strollers to borrow, and the terminals have free play areas on both sides of immigration. In town there are two children's gardens: the Far East Organization Children's Garden at Gardens by the Bay, with a toddler zone of water tunnels for ages 1 to 5, open Thursday to Sunday outside school holidays, and the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden at the Botanic Gardens, closed on Mondays. At the Singapore Zoo, KidzWorld has water play and an animal carousel, and the tram around the zoo is free.
It's hot and humid all year, with afternoon storms, which is why water play is half of what kids do here. Our guides to family hotels in Singapore and hotels with connecting rooms have more places to stay.
- Best ages
- 1 to 5
- When to go
- Any month; February to April is drier
- Budget
- $$$
- Pack
- Swimsuits and a change of clothes in the day bag, and a compact umbrella
- Good to know
- Kids under 0.9 m ride buses and the MRT free. Taller kids under 7 ride free with a Child Concession Card from a SimplyGo ticket office. Open strollers up to 120 by 70 cm can go on buses.
Shangri-La Singapore
Orange Grove Road, Singapore
A resort in the city, a 15-minute walk from Orchard Boulevard or Stevens station. The pool has slides with vertical drops and shallow wading pools, the Tower Wing has themed family suites (castle, safari, space), and the Garden Wing's Deluxe Family Terrace sleeps two adults and two kids in a king.
- Clubs
- buds by Shangri-La, by the three-hour session. Under-4s with an adult.
From the hotel's buds page, October 2026
Village Hotel Sentosa
Sentosa, Singapore
A children's play pool, an adventure pool and a lazy river, all on Sentosa. Family rooms connect, each with its own bathroom, and the Sentosa Express monorail is free for up to four with your hotel confirmation.
South Korea
Seoul is built for the stroller and diaper years. Every subway station has an elevator route from the street to the platform, the bigger stations have a nursing room by the station office, and department stores have a baby lounge on the kids' floor.
Seoul
South Korea
Seoul Children's Grand Park is free to walk into, with a zoo, playgrounds and the Seoul Children's Museum inside. The Children's Museum at the National Museum of Korea is free too, in timed sessions you book online, and the National Children's Science Center has a play area for babies under 36 months.
For a rainy day there's the Lotte World Aquarium. Fraser Place, Orakai and Lotte Hotel World are all on our longer list of Seoul family hotels. Lotte World is an indoor theme park whose Kiddie Zone has a story theater with no height limit, and the AREX train from Incheon to Seoul Station is free for a child under 6 on your lap.
- Best ages
- 0 to 5
- When to go
- April and May, or September and October
- Budget
- $$
- Pack
- Socks for everyone, for the indoor play spaces
- Good to know
- Under-6s ride the subway free, up to three per adult, and ride the AREX airport train free on a lap.
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Fraser Place Central Seoul
Seoul Station, Seoul
Serviced apartments by Seoul Station, where the airport train ends. The One Bedroom Super Deluxe Family sleeps four with two bathrooms, a kitchen and a washing machine, the indoor pool has a kids' wading pool, and cribs are free.
Orakai Insadong Suites
Insadong, Seoul
Suites with a separate bedroom and living room, a full kitchen and a washer-dryer, in the old lanes of Insadong near the palaces. There's an indoor pool, and a crib is free on request.
Lotte Hotel World
Jamsil, Seoul
Guests walk straight into Lotte World through the Wonder Door, with early entry and a re-entry. There's an indoor pool with a kids' pool, and the family twin rooms sleep three, so a family of four adds an extra bed.
- Clubs
- Kids Lounge, ages 25 months to 6, with a parent.
From the hotel's Kids Lounge page, October 2026
Iceland
Most of Iceland's big sights are a few minutes' walk from the car, about the right length of hike for a 3-year-old. The town pools are the other half of the trip: warm, everywhere, and free for young kids in Reykjavík.
Reykjavík and the South Coast
Iceland
In Reykjavík (we have a whole guide to it with young kids), Laugardalslaug has a kids' pool, a wading pool, a little slide and hot tubs, and kids up to 9 swim free with a guardian. Ásvallalaug in Hafnarfjörður is all indoors, with a warm children's pool, a wading pool full of toys and a slide. The Family Park and Zoo has farm animals and rides, free for under-6s. Whales of Iceland has life-size whale models and is free up to 6.
Out of town, Þingvellir has a visitor center at Hakið and a walk down into the Almannagjá gorge, and Seljalandsfoss is right by its parking lot. The path behind the falls is wet and slippery (icy in winter), so with small kids we'd watch from the front. At Reynisfjara, the black-sand beach, sneaker waves run far up the sand, and since February 2026 visitors can only go as far as the upper ridge.
- Best ages
- 1 to 5
- When to go
- June to August
- Budget
- $$$
- Pack
- Swimsuits, waterproof pants and jackets for the waterfall spray, and shoe spikes in winter
- Good to know
- Kids under 135 cm ride in a car seat, facing backward until at least 15 months. Rental companies add one when you book, and Reykjavik Excursions supplies seats for kids 9 to 18 kg with 24 hours' notice (its tours take kids from 1).
Reykjavik Residence Apartment Hotel
Hverfisgata, Reykjavík
A street from Laugavegur, with full kitchens in the one-bedroom (sleeps four) and the bigger two- and three-bedrooms. Cooking in saves a lot in a country where eating out adds up fast.
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Grandi by Center Hotels
Grandi, Reykjavík
By the old harbor, next door to Whales of Iceland. The Family Room takes two adults and two kids under 12 with a king and a sofa bed, the suite has a separate bedroom, and cribs cost extra.
Hótel Lækur
Hella, South Iceland
A country hotel on a working farm, with Icelandic farm animals guests can visit, a hot tub and a football field. The family cottages have a double bedroom and a loft with twin beds, and it's a good base for the waterfalls along the South Coast.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a big trip at a small price, a short flight from the US. Hotels in Antigua and on Lake Atitlán have pools, kids' spaces and babysitting, and the days are made of things a 4-year-old can actually do: make chocolate, cross a lake in a boat, and watch Volcán de Fuego puff smoke from a rooftop in Antigua. Under-10s get into Tikal free.
Antigua, Lake Atitlán and Tikal
Guatemala
Antigua is the base, about 1,500 meters up, with cobbled streets (a carrier beats a stroller here) and the ChocoMuseo on the main plaza, where kids join the bean-to-bar workshop at a child price. Hobbitenango, 25 minutes out, is an eco-park of hobbit houses with volcano views. Chichicastenango's market, on Thursdays and Sundays, is a day trip up to almost 2,000 meters, and Museo Ixchel in Guatemala City has Maya textiles (closed on Sundays).
At Lake Atitlán, the Reserva Natural Atitlán near Panajachel has a butterfly house, hanging bridges and little ziplines for kids. The lanchas are the buses of the lake, and the crossings are calmest in the morning, before the afternoon wind they call the Xocomil. Tikal is an hour from Flores, and a full loop of the ruins is up to 10 km of shaded forest path.
- Best ages
- 3 to 5
- When to go
- November to April, the dry season
- Budget
- $
- Pack
- A soft carrier, a child's life vest for the lanchas, and a car seat
- Good to know
- Shared shuttles connect Antigua, the lake and the airport but don't carry car seats, and under-3s ride on a lap. Private transfers can add a seat. Hotels ask for each child's passport at check-in.
Porta Hotel Antigua
Antigua Guatemala
Three blocks from the central park, with heated pools, gardens and a Kid's House with a playground on weekends and holidays. Up to two kids 11 and under stay free, cribs are free, and a room takes up to five.
Porta Hotel del Lago
Panajachel, Lake Atitlán
Panajachel's lakefront, right where the boats leave, with a free-form pool and babysitting. Rooms take up to five, the same as its sister hotel in Antigua.
Jungle Lodge Tikal
Inside Tikal National Park
It first housed the archaeologists who excavated Tikal and sits next to the ruins, so you're at the temples before the heat. The Premium rooms by the pool sleep four in two full beds, and there's a shuttle from Flores airport. After 10 at night the power runs only the ceiling fan, a night light and an outlet.
Thailand
The hotels do the work in Thailand. Kids' pools, kids clubs that take toddlers with a parent, and two-bedroom suites come at prices closer to a plain room in Europe, and Bangkok's malls are air-conditioned and easy with a stroller.
Bangkok and Hua Hin
Thailand
For big outings in Bangkok there's SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World under the Siam Paragon mall (ramps everywhere, strollers welcome) and Safari World, a drive-through safari and marine park that's closed on Mondays. KidZania Bangkok closed in 2021. Hua Hin is the beach that's easiest from the city, and lifeguards are rare on Thai beaches, so for little kids the hotel pool does most of the swimming. Our guides to Bangkok hotels with kids' pools and Krabi or Koh Samui with kids cover more of the coast.
- Best ages
- 2 to 5
- When to go
- November to February in Bangkok and Hua Hin
- Budget
- $
- Pack
- Bug spray, swimsuits, and a light stroller for the malls
- Good to know
- The monkeys at temples and beaches are wild animals, and Thailand's own advice is never to feed or pet them.
Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok
Siam, Bangkok
A garden resort next to Siam Paragon, with the kids club looking out over the pool. The Premier Family Room is two rooms combined, with a king and twins, and seven family suites are themed on animals.
- Clubs
- Kempinski Kids' Club, up to age 12, daily. Under-3s with a parent or babysitter.
From the hotel's kids club page, October 2026
Grande Centre Point Ploenchit
Wireless Road, Bangkok
Apartment-style suites for less than the resort hotels. The Two Bedroom Balcony Suite gives each bedroom its own bathroom and comes with a kitchenette and a washing machine, and there's a pool.
Holiday Inn Resort Vana Nava Hua Hin
Hua Hin
Attached to the Vana Nava Water Jungle, and guests get unlimited access to its kids' pools and more than 20 rides. Kids eat free, and the suites go up to three bedrooms.
What to pack for international travel with kids under 5
Most of what a baby or preschooler goes through in a day is sold in every country here: diapers, wipes, swim diapers, sunscreen, bug spray, snacks and food pouches. Pack enough for the first two days and buy the rest there. What's worth bringing from home is anything your kid is particular about, and anything with a safety standard behind it.
- Flight: a change of clothes for your kid and a spare shirt for you, snacks they already like, an empty water bottle to fill after security, and a bottle, pacifier or lollipop for takeoff and landing
- Strollers and carriers: a light stroller that folds with one hand, plus a soft carrier for cobbled old towns and the museums that park strollers outside
- Car seat: a travel seat if you'll be driving in Iceland, Vietnam or Guatemala
- Sleep: the sleep sack, lovey or stuffed animal from home, a white-noise app, and something to darken the window for Nordic summer nights
- Health and hygiene: the fever reducer your kid will actually take, a thermometer, any prescriptions, and a copy of your travel insurance
- Clothing: layers for the Alps and Iceland, rash guards and sun hats for Southeast Asia, socks for indoor play spaces, and one outfit more than seems necessary
- Entertainment: a few small new toys to hand out one at a time, downloaded shows, and stickers, which work on planes, trains and restaurant tables
If your baby drinks a specific formula, bring enough for the whole trip or enough to switch over slowly, since the brands change from country to country.
More from around the world
Resorts built for children
Where to travel with a baby under 6 months
Trips with kids that never make the usual listsPhoto credits
13 countries to visit with your kids before they start kindergarten: Bob Tan (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Canggu or Nusa Dua: Aspere (CC0) · COMO Canggu: COMO Uma Canggu (Used with permission) · Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort: GdML (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Hilton Bali Resort: FBilula (CC BY 4.0) · Sunstar Hotel Grindelwald: Leonhard Lenz (CC0) · Hotel Eiger Mürren: otterboris (CC BY 3.0) · Kempinski Palace Engelberg: Badener (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Rome, Florence and Lake Garda: Krzysztof Golik (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel: sailko (CC BY-SA 3.0) · iQ Hotel Roma: Nicholas Hartmann (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Djurgården and the city: Leo Johannes (Public domain) · Hotel Diplomat: Ssu (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Scandic Park: I99pema (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Biz Apartment Gärdet: Fluffigkatt (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve: John Samuel (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Martinhal Lisbon Chiado: Bahnfrend (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Jupiter Albufeira Hotel, Family and Fun: Concepcion AMAT ORTA (CC BY 3.0) · Hotel Spot Family Suites: Brunnaiz (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Copenhagen: Leif Jørgensen (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Tivoli Hotel: Leif Jørgensen (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Zoku Copenhagen: kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Comfort Hotel Vesterbro: Leif Jørgensen (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Madrid and Barcelona: Javier Perez Montes (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Apartaments-Hotel Hispanos 7 Suiza: Alvesgaspar (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Suites Viena Plaza de España: David Short (CC BY 2.0) · Hoi An and Da Nang: Steffen Schmitz (CC BY-SA 4.0) · InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort: Daderot (CC0) · Pullman Danang Beach Resort: Daderot (CC0) · Palm Garden Beach Resort & Spa: Dragfyre (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Singapore: Mustang Joe (CC0) · Shangri-La Singapore: Andrew Mitchell (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Village Hotel Sentosa: Fry72 (Karel Frydrýšek) (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Seoul: SJ Yang (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Fraser Place Central Seoul: HaulS (CC0) · Orakai Insadong Suites: 東大策略顧問有限公司 from Taiwan 台灣（中華民國） (CC BY 2.0) · Lotte Hotel World: Pectus Solentis (CC BY-SA 2.0 KR) · Reykjavík and the South Coast: Jakub Hałun (CC BY 4.0) · Reykjavik Residence Apartment Hotel: Akigka (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Grandi by Center Hotels: Aapo Haapanen from Tampere, Finland (CC BY 2.0) · Hótel Lækur: Syrio (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Antigua, Lake Atitlán and Tikal: chensiyuan (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Porta Hotel Antigua: Ahvega (CC BY 2.0) · Porta Hotel del Lago: chensiyuan (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Jungle Lodge Tikal: Greg Willis (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Bangkok and Hua Hin: Elmschrat (CC0) · Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok: Sry85 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Grande Centre Point Ploenchit: Caspar (CC BY-SA 2.5) · Holiday Inn Resort Vana Nava Hua Hin: Holiday Inn Resort Vana Nava Hua Hin (Used with permission)