Where to travel with kids this autumn

October is moving time in the animal kingdom, with Africa’s predators on the prowl and turtle hatchlings crawling out from their nests on the shores of the Ionian Sea, while humans hold lavish festivals to honour the dead. There’s also sun to be found and the chance to see the aurora light up northern skies. These half-term trips will thrill, amaze and inspire children.

1. Sri Lanka’s beaches, temples & jungle

Average temperature highs: 30°C
Flight time from the UK: 10h45m

Few countries cram as much into as small a space as Sri Lanka. The island’s interior is home to ancient cities such as Anuradhapura and Dambulla, and lush green jungle. There are roaming elephant herds island-wide and a thriving leopard population in the south. Palm-fringed curves of sand cover the coastline, close to which mighty blue whales ply plankton-rich channels and dolphins spin in the waves. Travelling between places is half the fun — kids will love buzzing around in colourful tuk-tuks and riding the rails along the southwestern coast with the spray of the Indian Ocean flicking at the train’s windows.

Book it: Explore’s nine-day Family Highlights of Sri Lanka tour starts at £1,089 per person, excluding flights.

2. Splashing about on France’s canals

Average temperature highs: 20°C
Flight time from the UK: 2h

Take to the water and navigate the Canal du Rhône à Sète, a waterway that runs parallel to the Mediterranean coast east of Beziers. Piloting and sleeping aboard a boat is all part of the adventure, but families will also love the region’s water parks, mini-golf and the dinosaur park at Le Cap d’Agde. Days spent lazing on the region’s large, uncrowded beaches, such as Mèze, Vias and La Grande-Motte, are another highlight. Or challenge the kids to be the first to spot flocks of flamingos and the Camargue’s native packs of wild white horses.

Book it: A seven-night self-catered stay, sleeping up to five on a self-drive boat (no experience necessary) with Le Boat costs from £699, excluding flights.

3. Christmas comes early in Lapland

Average temperature highs: 3°C
Flight time from the UK: 3h30m.

Autumn nights offer the best chance of seeing the Lapland sky shimmer purple and green in Finland, and there’s no better place for kids to view the aurora than the remote, glass-roofed woodland cabins of the Arctic SnowHotel just north of Rovaniemi. Late October also provides a good chance of seeing snow around Rovaniemi, but by heading deeper into the Arctic Circle, you can find activities guaranteed to thrill children whatever their age, such as husky sledding through the forested wilds of the north. Father Christmas can always be found at Santa Claus Village, but receives far fewer visitors than in December. Nordic Visitor’s five-day Northern Lights Lapland Adventure costs from £1,050 per person, excluding flights.

4. Spooky season in Transylvania

Average temperature highs: 13°C
Flight time from the UK: 3h20m

In central Romania, medieval Bran Castle fires the imagination in macabre ways, particularly around Halloween when it plays heavily on its Dracula links. But away from fiction, Transylvania is a bucolic region of time-capsule villages, pastel-hued old towns and activities to inspire kids. Try hiking, scrambling and zip-lining in the Jurassic-era gorges and waterfalls of Seven Ladder Canyon outside Brașov. Or visit the boating lake and fairground rides at Turda, which are hidden in the cavernous chambers of a 13th-century salt mine.

Book it: Families Worldwide’s eight-day Transylvania Halloween Adventure trip costs from £965 per person, excluding flights.

5. The Great Migration in Tanzania

Average temperature highs: 28°C
Flight time from the UK: 12h.

A million wildebeest join the Great Migration through the endless plains of the northern Serengeti. They journey south from Kenya in search of water and grazing, with predators on their trail. Beyond wildlife-spotting, families can learn survival skills from the Hadzabe bushmen of Lake Eyasi, take part in traditional painting workshops and camp out under the stars. After all that action, kids and grown-ups will love some downtime on the spice island of Zanzibar, relaxing by the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean on sand so soft it melts under your feet.

Book it: Stubborn Mule Travel’s 15-day Tanzania Safari and Beach trip costs £3,750 per person, excluding flights.

6. Fiesta time in Oaxaca

Average temperature highs: 26°C
Flight time from the UK: 15h

The cobblestone streets of Oaxaca in southern Mexico burst into riotous colour in the build-up to Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on 1-2 November. Despite its morbid name, the festival is a celebration of life, with dancing processions, floral displays and lavishly decorated altars to the dead — just like in Disney’s Coco film. Families can snack on sugar-coated edible skulls and follow revellers dressed as skeletons parading through the city. The nearby hilltop ruins of Monte Alban, a Zapotec city with towering stone temples, give a glimpse into an ancient world.

Book it: G Adventures offers a seven-day Mexico’s Day of the Dead in Oaxaca tour for £1,599 per person, excluding flights.

7. Turtle conservation in Kefalonia

Average temperature highs: 22°C
Flight time from the UK: 3h45m.

By day, the seas of this Greek island dazzle turquoise against golden sands, luring travellers with snorkels, paddleboards and kayaks. Inland, children will love taking to the saddle, riding horses along mountain trails through centuries-old olive groves. After dark, baby loggerhead turtles scuttle out of their sandy nests, making a break for the sea. Families can join a local conservation project cleaning beaches, surveying turtle numbers and protecting nests, giving the hatchlings the best chance of survival. Six-day family volunteering experiences with Natucate start from £565 per person, excluding flights and accommodation.