travel tok

Travelling with teens is actually a bit of a joy.

No pushchairs, no racing back for sleep time, no bags stuffed full of snacks “just in case”. Instead, you’ve got young adults with opinions. In my house at least, lots of opinions. And very strong feelings about what makes a holiday worth going on. And slightly unbelievably… a lot of those ideas now come from TikTok. TikTok has quietly become one of the biggest places people get travel inspiration.

Have a quick look at #TravelTok and you’ll find everything from hidden Greek beaches to family safaris in Kenya, all wrapped up in neat little 20-second videos. For teens, it’s not just mindless scrolling; it’s how they discover places and decide what’s cool… and what absolutely isn’t.

Apparently Gen Z now uses TikTok as their first search engine when they’re thinking about travel. Which explains why kids suddenly turn up at the dinner table with very specific plans; whether that’s taking on the mad water slides at Dubai’s Aquaventure or swinging out over the jungle on the Bali Swing. So for families with older children, the trips that work best tend to mix some proper downtime with those slightly wow, slightly adrenaline-fuelled moments that teens genuinely get excited about.

Things like:

● Wildlife moments – safaris in Africa, whale watching in Iceland, or getting involved in turtle conservation projects

● A bit of adventure – canyoning in the Alps, surfing in Portugal, zip-lining through the Costa Rican rainforest

● City buzz – street food in Bangkok, skate culture in LA, night markets in Tokyo, or mooching around food halls in Lisbon

● Those “oh wow” places – cenotes in Mexico, big mountain viewpoints, infinity pools… and of course a few Mamma Mia! moments in the Greek islands

They’re the sort of experiences that look great on social media, but more importantly, they’re the ones everyone actually remembers.

And honestly? I’m never quite sure who gets more excited by these ideas… me or my kids.