Berkeley, Calif. – October 28, 2026 -- Family holiday bookings with active-travel company Backroads are up nearly 20 percent in 2026 compared with 2025, as grandparents, parents and kids swap traditional gifts for shared winter trips, from surfing in Costa Rica to ice caves in Iceland.
Early bookings for 2027 are also strong, particularly for Kids & Teens trips, which are seeing significant year-over-year growth.
Trips group families with kids of similar ages
Backroads offers two family formats. Kids & Teens trips include kid-focused activities led by a dedicated Kids Adventure Leader, so younger travelers get their own adventures while adults explore. Teens & 20s trips follow the classic Backroads format, with other families who have young adult children. Activities, transportation, accommodations and meals are all arranged.
Daily route options let each generation set its own pace
Every day offers routes for every ability level, with Trip Leaders on hand. Grandparents might take the longer all-day hike while teenagers pick the shorter one and spend the afternoon at the pool. Everyone reunites afterward to trade stories.
"When you give your family a trip," said Tom Hale, Backroads founder, president and CEO, "you're giving them something to look forward to," and something to look back on together.
Seven winter destinations anchor the holiday lineup
- Costa Rica: Surfing, sloth and monkey spotting, rafting the Savegre River and soaking in hot springs beneath Arenal Volcano.
- Argentina's Patagonia Lake District: Winter break falls in Patagonia's summer, with kayaking on mountain lakes, horseback riding, hikes to glacier-fed blue lagoons and empanada-making.
- Hawaii's Big Island: Lava tube exploration, coastal biking, kayaking and snorkeling.
- Vietnam: Biking past rice paddies, browsing markets, cruising Halong Bay's limestone karsts and visiting the Mekong Delta and Hoi An.
- Iceland: Glacier walks, ice caves, frozen waterfalls and the possibility of northern lights.
- Santa Barbara & the Channel Islands: Kayaking around Santa Cruz Island and biking the coast and Los Padres National Forest, with nights at family-friendly hotels.
- Canadian Rockies: Ice skating at the historic Post Hotel, searching for moose tracks in Kootenay National Park and snowshoeing through snow-covered forests.
Gift certificates never expire and work for any amount
Backroads Gift Certificates can be bought in any amount and applied to a Biking, Hiking & Walking or Multi-Adventure Trip. With no expiration date, recipients can choose winter break, spring break or summer vacation.