Family trip

It’s not an official tourism category: it’s a profile of who travels. What defines the trip is not the place but the group, which brings together children and adults of different ages, and the choice of activities that everyone can do together.

In practice, this changes the whole itinerary. Days are shorter, with one main outing and free time; accommodation weighs more in the decision because you spend more time there; and the destination’s infrastructure matters a lot, such as bathrooms, shade, simple food and short distances.

Activities with minimum age or height requirements, like rafting, zipline and diving, are a matter of adventure tourism. This page covers what children of any age can usually do.

Gramado, in the Serra Gaúcha, concentrates theme parks, museums and chocolate factories within a few kilometers, and from late October to January hosts Natal Luz, with parades and shows. In Penha, on the Santa Catarina coast, there is one of the largest theme parks in Latin America, with rides for all ages, a zoo and shows.

Olímpia, in the interior of São Paulo, is known for its warm-water water parks that operate year‑round. In Aquiraz, on the Ceará coast, a large water park sits facing the sea. And São Paulo has interactive science museums, an aquarium, a zoo, a planetarium and urban parks with several days of programming.

In Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, the Iguaçu Falls are visited by walkways with little effort, and the city also has an Atlantic Forest bird park. On the Alagoas coast, Maragogi has natural pools formed among reefs, with shallow calm water at low tide. In the São Paulo countryside, Socorro brings together farm hotels with kids’ programs, animals and outdoor activities.

For trips within Brazil, each child and teenager needs an original identification document. Rules for minors traveling without parents, with only one parent or with other relatives have their own details: confirm before traveling with the transport company and with the juvenile court, if applicable.

On the itinerary, plan one main outing per day, preferably in the morning, and leave the afternoon free. Checking the minimum height for rides before buying tickets avoids disappointment. On long car trips, stops every two hours help.

In your carry-on: a snack, water, a change of clothes, a sweater, sunscreen, a hat, age-appropriate insect repellent, and the child’s regular medications.