Hiking as a family is more fun when you don’t have to fuss over details or wrangle gear. These outfitters know how to run a trip that will make your kids love exploring with you.
Above & Beyond Alaska: Hike from Juneau to Mendenhall Glacier, where you’ll explore blue ice caves. Any kid who can fit into crampons (usually age eight or older) can join the adventure.
Bredeson Outdoor Adventures: Spend eight days in the Alps, hiking four to six hours a day, as you make your way from the peaks of the Austrian Tyrol to the fairytale castles of Bavaria.
CW Adventure: Vermont-based CW arranges walks all over the world tailored to guests’ interests, from nature to food to history. Follow an expert guide to Icelandic volcanoes, Costa Rican rainforests, and the wild lakes of northwest England.
Enigma Peru: Spend three nights along the Inca Trail on the way to Machu Picchu. Porters teach kids about Incan history and carry them when they get tired.
Nepal Luxury Treks: The world’s most dramatic scenery is better enjoyed when every hike ends at a lodge with meals and showers. Their six-day Kathmandu Vista trip caps the hiking at 3-4 hours a day, making it doable for kids.
Ultimate Hikes: A kid-friendly outfitter that leads three-day treks through the mountains and forests of New Zealand’s Routeburn trail from November through April.
Wildland Trekking: Spend your days at slot canyons, hoodoos, and backcountry falls in Southern Utah’s Zion, Bryce, and Escalante, your nights cozied up back at an inn. A Grand Canyon trip dips down to Phantom Ranch for a day exploring the canyon’s floor before pack mules help make the climb out whine-free.
Photo by Flickr user Mike Goren