Middle East Family Holidays

Just for families

The clue’s in the title. These trips are for families only (including any aunts, uncles or cousins who’d like to come along, of course). As long as you’re travelling with a child under the age of 18, you’re a family in our eyes. Plus, unlike other travel companies, children aged 17 years and younger receive a 10% discount off the price of their trip.

Travel with other families

Travelling the Intrepid way is a bit like travelling with a group of friends. These trips are made up of 3–5 like-minded families, and the kids tend to hit it off straight away, allowing you to enjoy some well-earned R&R. We often find the whole family ends up making friendships with people from all over the world, staying in touch long after the adventure ends.

Small group sizes

Intrepid’s family group sizes are small enough to avoid the crowds and reach some out-of-the-way places, but big enough for a good social mix. Our average group size of 10 allows us to hop aboard local boats, buses or trains, eat at friendly, family-run restaurants and kick back in traditional accommodation and homestays.

Action packed

We know the biggest challenge on a family trip is keeping the kids entertained. So we’ve planned in advance. Nearly all of our hotels feature pools, and each day has a great mix of action-packed adventure and flexible free time. Your local leader can also suggest activities based on your kid’s hobbies or school curriculum.

Safety first

Our leaders are specially trained to run family adventures, so you’re well taken care of. You can also rest easy knowing we conduct safety assessments on all our activities to meet local standards as well as our own comprehensive safety policy. 

Sustainable travel

We strive to use travel as a force for good. That’s why we choose to give back to the communities we visit, carbon offset all our trips and take our social and environmental responsibilities seriously. We’ve been officially certified as the world’s largest travel B Corp, which means when you choose Intrepid Travel, you can rest assured you’re travelling to improve the planet.

Butterfly Valley, Turkey

Move over, Oludeniz – Butterfly Valley is the place to go on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast. Lush white sands and clear blue waters vie for attention with dramatic cliffs and, funnily enough, butterflies – which outnumber human visitors many thousands of times over. Don’t leave without spotting the the Jersey tiger butterfly.

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Valley of the Kings, Egypt

Almost obligatory in Egypt is a visit to the ancient tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. The secluded valley is where 63 pharaohs were buried as part of their journey to the afterlife. The plot thickens as time goes by – some of these chambers were discovered barely a decade ago.

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The Dead Sea, Jordan

‘Floating without a care in the world’ takes on a new meaning in this famously salty sea. Staying afloat is certainly not on your list of problems, thanks to the 33 percent salinity rate of the water. Nor is running into a jellyfish, because Dead means just that – there’s nothing living down there.

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Saklikent Gorge, Turkey

At 18 kilometres long (and four of them accessible), this spectacular gorge is flanked by walls up to 300 metres high. A suspended walkway charts a course through shaded cliffs, revealing pretty cascades formed by the melting snow above. Its water pools are a great way to cool off in summer.

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Gulet in Turkey

Kick back and relax on a gulet ­– a traditional Turkish sailing boat that’s been used as a form of transport for centuries. Stargazing and falling asleep in the lap of the Mediterranean Sea is pretty hard to beat for a day out with the kids.

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Felucca in Egypt

Glide down the Nile on an felucca, a traditional wooden boat with canvas sails. Watching rural Egyptian daily life play out on the banks and sleeping on deck under the stars is a memorable experience, not to mention full-board Nubian hospitality.

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