4 Family Tours to Travel Responsibly but Stress-Free
From cultural treks around Kathmandu to sleeping in treehouses on the Kenyan coast, sustainable travel company Yūgen Earthside brings responsible private tours to family travelers.
Travel planning means different things to different people.
Over here at Heyterra, we love it all: road-tripping across Jordan, jumping on a guided tour, or occasionally just seeing where the wind takes us. Whether or not we have a baby strapped to our chest or little ones in tow, our most important guiding tenet is exploring the world as responsibly as possible.
Easier said than done. Busy parents itching to connect with a new place while bonding with their family may not have the extra time beforehand to research their dream trip. Planning out what to do, see and eat stay while also doing laundry, packing, and finding a cat sitter, not to mention staying on budget and staying sustainable; it’s a lot to handle on top of everyday life. And, vacation time being such a precious commodity, we can’t always leave it all up to chance.
Booking a privately guided tour is a great hack for avoiding that pre-travel stress, guaranteeing a meaningful and sustainably minded experience, and taking the guesswork out of making the best choices for you and the planet.
Hawa Mahal Palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
If this busy parent sounds like you, you will probably love Yūgen Earthside as much as we do. Their mission, in short, is to respect natural environments, promote local economies, and support communities through authentic interactions. These three heavy hitters go far in making a trip sustainable, and yet they are the hardest to ensure before actually arriving at a destination. For privately guided tours, Yūgen Earthside does all the groundwork for you. That means researching and curating rich, rewarding itineraries and then partnering with sustainable tour operators all over the globe “to provide responsible adventures to mindful travelers.”
It may seem over-indulgent to outsource this work, but Yūgen Earthside offers adventures at many different price points, all of which reflect fair compensation to each individual involved along the way. Booking with a vetted company like YE is the first step toward making sure your tourist dollars stay in the local economy. Plus, privately guided tours can be tailored to your schedule, your interests and your needs. If, at the end of the day, a private tour falls outside your budget or doesn’t mesh with your travel MO, check out their awesome selection of self-guided tours.
Either way, now that you’ve taken a moment out of your busy schedule, sneak a peek at a few of Yūgen Earthside’s itineraries sure to awaken the wanderlust in all of us.
India Golden Triangle Cultural Tour
The colors, the chaos, the senses—with a population of 1.4 billion (set to overtake China as the world’s most populous country in 2023), India is a country that stimulates all the elements, with or without the kids. But for intrepid families who are up for the challenge, India may be one of the most transformative countries you will ever visit.
Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, the bustling cities that make up the triangle in this tour’s name, offer a wealth of experience that can be hard to tap into. Especially with kids. Yūgen Earthside brings visitors into the heart of these places, combining visits to the important monuments with deep dives into the street life and local lore. Authentic, sustainably designed homestays – including one in a palace – and beautiful, customizable meals round out this itinerary, along with optional village-life or nature-conservancy experiences. This kind of larger-than-life destination can leave such a lasting, positive impression on our youngsters when done right.
Tip: Read our essential tips for traveling through South Asia with young kids to make sure you’re prepped logistically.
World Peace Pagoda, Pakhara, Nepal. Photo by Lomash.
Nepal Cultural and Trekking Tour
For families who have already made the trek, Nepal is arguably a more challenging destination than even India (cue: altitude, mountains and the endless battle with layering clothes on a toddler). But it also goes down in many families’ books as one of their most rewarding travel experiences.
This 8-day tour covers a lot of ground, but at a slow enough pace that little legs won’t get tired. From panoramic views of the Himalayas and UNESCO World Heritage sites, to a closer look at traditional village life and artisanal pottery making, it lets intrepid families in on the cultural heartbeat of this beautiful country. The trekking component accommodates all ages of children— for the young kids (~2yo), they can provide extra porter assistance to carry them if they get tired. For older kids ~10yo, they can advise great treks in terms of ease and length of path.
For those seeking to immerse themselves respectfully and responsibly in a place that still adheres to ancient customs, this is the perfect opportunity.
Turkiye Food & Wine Adventure
Taking the intensity level down a few notches, this 8-day itinerary built around local food and history is perfect for families aiming to chill out and experience a more slower version of travel. Taking the time to soak up the splendor and idiosyncrasies of a place is often all we need in order to disconnect from our busy lives. With delicious Aegean cuisine, live music, cooking classes, farmers market visits and fascinating historical sites, there’s something for everyone in the family to discover, and it offers a prime example of how slow travel benefits both travelers and destinations alike.
Yugen Earthside encourages visitors to choose this trip during a shoulder season to maximize the beauty of the experience and minimize its environmental impact.
Kenya Mida Creek Village Experience
Treehouses, swimming, canoes, mangroves, stargazing, campfires, tent life, cooking classes, coconut milk…Need we say more? This full-immersion experience sounds like summer camp for the whole family, but reaps all the benefits of slow, shoulder-season, off-the-beaten path travel. Visitors live side-by-side with villagers and learn firsthand knowledge about everything from local indigenous species to how to build a makuti roof. Combine this laidback 3-day adventure with another Yugen Earthside experience in East Africa, such as a wildlife-friendly safari, or use it as a gateway into your own personal itinerary.
