Fun Activities To Try On Vacation That Will Make Your Trip One To Remember
Vacation is a great time to rest, relax and spend time away from the obligations of normal life. This is a perfect opportunity to enjoy activities that might not be part of your daily routine at home. If you’re planning your next trip and are trying to decide which activities should be on your itinerary, consider adding a few of these options to the list.
Pick Up a New Sport
When traveling as a family, sports can be a great way to get everyone involved. This is ideal if your vacation destination is more rural such as a campground, or even a rented house with plenty of room for play. Find a sport that would suit all of you, such as soccer, basketball or touch football. Of course, consider how you’re getting to your destination and decide what gear you can bring. If you’re driving and have room for balls, gloves and softball bats, great! If you’re flying, a single football may be easier to fit into your suitcase. If you’re traveling solo or as a couple, there are plenty of options for you. Golf and tennis are great choices and can be enjoyed at most resorts. You may end up finding a new sport you’d like to continue playing once you return home!
Try a Walking Tour
When visiting a new city, a walking tour can be a great way to learn all about the town that goes far beyond what you’d learn in a guidebook. Most tours are guided by local citizens who are thrilled to show off their favorite city. In New Orleans, you can tour the famous Garden District, or take a nighttime tour of all the establishments believed to be haunted. In Philadelphia, you can take a historical walking tour and explore the birthplace of the country. International cities with rich culture and history such as Paris, Florence and Amsterdam all have wonderful walking tours as well. If you truly want to get to know a new city, consider a walking tour. You’ll get a ton of exercise and you’ll learn a lot too!
Hop-On and Hop-Off a Bus Tour
If you’re visiting a larger city and time is of the essence, a bus tour can take you to all the major tourist spots. Most bus tours are designed so that you can get off the bus and explore each stop at your leisure. When you’re ready to go to the next stop, you just hop on the next bus and go to the next location. This is ideal for large cities that have a lot to offer, such as New York City, London and Toronto. These tours are great for the whole family as they’re educational and a lot of fun.
Taste the Local Libations
For the adults traveling, it’s great fun to take a tour of the beverages your vacation destination has to offer. Wine tasting after a tour of a vineyard is a romantic way to explore a town. A beer tasting with friends can be a great way to sample the local fare. A tour of a distillery followed by a whiskey tasting is a great way to expand your palate and learn about the distillation process. Most of these places have established roots deep in their area, such as the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, the Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland or the entire Napa Valley in California. Exploring these local flavors will give you a greater appreciation for your vacation destination, and may even result in a new favorite beverage to take home!
Go On a Scavenger Hunt
This is a great activity for everyone from families with little ones to groups of adults. Make a list of items to find or activities to do around the town, split up into teams and have at it! The possibilities are endless. You can require participants to collect actual items such as a to-go coffee cup from a famous coffee shop, or a leaf from a nearby park. You can require photos as proof, such as taking a photo with a landmark or taking a video of a busker performing in the subway. If little ones are involved, make it more fun by including activities like riding the town Ferris wheel or throwing a penny into a fountain. Make the list as long or as short as you want, and of course, decide on the prize. Sometimes simple bragging rights are enough for everyone to bring out their competitive sides!
Have Fun
Whatever activities you decide to do, have a great time! Vacation is about getting away from the daily grind and enjoying activities that aren’t part of your normal routine at home. With any luck, these activities will expand your horizons so you have a new hobby to take home with you. More importantly, these activities are a way for you to appreciate a new city and the people in it.
