If you have school-aged children, Spring Break can be the perfect time to travel. It’s a full week off that isn’t around Christmas, a good opportunity for a break before the busy last few months of school, and is a good time to travel without summer crowds and heat. Our top recommended Spring Break trip ideas for families try to meet these criteria:
- Can be done in one week. It’s not the time for a big overseas trip.
- Are in an environment with good weather in early Spring. The Canadian Rockies are beautiful, but will still be cold and icy in late March. Or if you’re looking for a warm beach and think you’re safe picking Myrtle Beach, it could be cool and rainy with cold ocean waters.
- Offer both relaxation and fun. This one will vary based on your family’s needs, but for many, it’s nice to be able to relax and have a break from the busy school year. But if you go all-in with adult relaxation, you may have bored kids that make it impossible for you to enjoy. Having fun adventures as a family makes the longest-lasting memories, so the best trips usually have a combination of both.
- Aren’t overly crowded with other Spring Breakers. Sorry Disney World, but you lose in this category (although we have done Disney several times during Spring Break because it meets the other criteria).
In 2027, Easter falls earlier than in other years (March 28), which will mean a higher concentration of Spring Breaks the weeks of:
- March 22-26 (Holy Week)
- March 29-April 2 (the week after Easter)
If your Spring Break falls outside these two weeks, you may have better luck with crowds. But if you’re like us and have Spring Break one of those weeks, popular places are going to be more crowded.
With all of the above in mind…
Our top Spring Break trip ideas for families traveling from the US and Canada:
1. Southwest US
The Southwest is one of the most beautiful parts of the world, but it can get very hot in the summer and almost everything you’ll want to see and do is outdoors. Early Spring is a great time to visit when the weather is mild. There is still a chance of cold weather (we’ve been in Sedona during a snowstorm during Spring Break), but hiking and exploring these areas are more enjoyable when it’s slightly cold than when it’s miserably hot. There will be crowds at the most popular areas like Grand Canyon National Park, but they are manageable. There are also some great hotels and resorts throughout the Southwest if you want some relaxation time.
You can’t see everything in a week, but you can see a lot! We have a few itineraries for the Southwest that can help you plan a trip on your own, or we can plan a custom trip for you.
- Arizona Road Trip – Tucson, Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon National Park (or pick just a few of these locations and spend more time in them)
- Southern Utah – Enjoy the fabulous “Utah Five” National Parks plus Monument Valley and Cedar Breaks National Monument.
- Texas and New Mexico Road Trip – San Antonio, Fredericksburg, Guadalupe National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands National Park, and ending in Tucson, AZ.
2. Caribbean Cruise
Cruises are great for families because all food, activities, and kids’ clubs are included. Plus, a cruise takes you to multiple places to explore without having to unpack and offers the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. Cruises to the Bahamas are often the most affordable at this time of year, but the Bahamas can still have cool days, and the water is still cold in early Spring. If you’re dreaming of tropical weather and swimming in the ocean, look at cruises that take you further south in the Caribbean.
Eastern Caribbean cruises that take you to multiple islands like St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, etc. are great. Or do a Western Caribbean cruise that takes you to stops in Mexico, Belize, Honduras, etc. These southern cruises will give you the best chance of warm weather and warm oceans. Most of these cruises depart from Miami and include 2 days at sea because you’re traveling farther than the Bahamas, so pick a ship with fun things to do! We can help you find the right cruise for your family at no cost >
2A. Southern Caribbean (resort instead of a cruise)
For people who don’t like cruises, you can also just pick one spot in the Caribbean to visit. You won’t see as many places, and you’ll have to pay for an international flight, but the slower pace of staying in one spot might suit your family better. Our family likes to be active and do more than just lie on a beach all day, so our favorite places are ones where we can do fun activities both in and outside a resort. A few personal favorites:
- Riviera Maya (between Cancun and Tulum) – there are so many resorts and activity options in this tropical part of Mexico! Swim in cenotes, snorkel with sea turtles, visit Mayan ruins, visit the Xcaret parks, go zip-lining through the jungle, and much more. There are many resorts to suit many needs. We like Vidanta (gorgeous, great service, great food, but not all-inclusive), Hotel Xcaret (with older kids and teens), and Dreams Natura (with little kids). We can also help you pick the right resort for you for free >
- Belize – so much natural beauty! Great snorkeling and scuba diving, fun jungle adventures, and some of the nicest and friendliest people (and the native language is English)! Our favorite resort in Belize (and in our top 5 in the world!) is Thatch Caye Resort. It’s truly an incredible resort, but not necessarily the best for all kids (no fun pools and slides or kids’ clubs, which are rarer in Belize).
- Saint Lucia – it’s hard to pick a favorite of the Eastern Caribbean islands, but we’ll pick this one. Beautiful beaches, mountains, and rainforests provide plenty of fun options! You can zip-line through the rainforest, visit a drive-in volcano, relax on beautiful beaches, hike a mountain with gorgeous views, snorkel and more!
- Turks and Caicos – not as pretty as Saint Lucia in my opinion (I love the mountains/beach combo) but if you’re looking for a family-friendly resort on a gorgeous beach with crystal-clear water that is all-inclusive and has fun kids activities like a water park and a kids’ camp, then you can’t go wrong with Beaches Turks and Caicos. You’ll spend more time at your resort here than in some of the places above, but you can still venture off-site for fun excursions. We do recommend booking this one with a travel agent for the best deals. If you don’t already have a travel agent, we would love to help you.
(A quick note – we do LOVE the Bahamas, but we also love to swim in warm water, and the water is still cool in March/April so it is not included in this list. We have gone in winter before because the rates were great, and we wore wetsuits in the ocean and shivered through water parks, and it was still fun, but May-Oct. is better.)
3. Southern California
The weather is usually sunny and mild at this time of year, making it a perfect time to enjoy outdoor activities and attractions. You could explore multiple areas in one week:
- San Diego – enjoy watching sea lions on the beach, visit the amazing San Diego Zoo, and do many other kid-friendly activities.
- Disneyland – The original Disney park is truly magical! It will be less crowded than Disney World during Spring Break and is an easier park to manage overall.
- Los Angeles – See the Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, tour TV/movie studios, visit Griffith Park, visit Universal Studios Hollywood, and more.
- Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park – head West of the major cities and enjoy some gorgeous natural beauty without the summer heat!
We have a few itineraries that can help you plan a great trip:
- Southern California: Major Attractions – San Diego, Disneyland, and LA in one week
- Southern & Central California – If you can extend your Spring Break, this is a great 2-week trip itinerary (we did this for Spring Break one year and missed a few days of school while all our kids were still in Elementary school)
4. Sanibel and Captiva Islands
These islands on the southwest coast of Florida have white sand beaches and crystal blue water, without having to leave the contiguous US! The weather during this time of year is warm enough to enjoy time on the beach without it being terribly hot and humid. This means it’s a popular time to visit the area, but it’s not overwhelming, and all restaurants and activities are open since it’s their peak season.
This is a great option for families who like to mostly relax and play on the beach. But if you’d like to do some fun activities, we recommend checking out the programs at Sanibel Sea School, including private paddling excursions and learning programs where your kids can see and learn about marine life.
Or find a family-friendly resort >
5. Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. can get really hot and humid and miserable to walk around, but Spring Break is a perfect time to visit! The weather is mild and it often overlaps with cherry blossom season, making the National Mall light up with flowering pink trees. It’s a great city for kids because of all the great kid-friendly museums that are FREE! Plus the National Zoo and other great family-friendly attractions. It’s also a great place to let your kids run around in the lawns of the Mall, dip their feet in a fountain, have a picnic, or take a scenic bike ride – all without the oppressive heat and humidity!
Check out this Washington, D.C. itinerary to help you plan >
Honorable Mention: Orlando
Visiting Orlando during Spring Break season is going to be crowded, BUT it’s not as crowded as the week between Christmas and New Year’s and the weather is usually quite nice. It could still be hot, but not nearly as hot and humid as summer, and much less rainy compared to summer and fall.
- Walt Disney World – this will be the most crowded of the Orlando-area theme parks. If you want to stay on property, we recommend booking as soon as you can because popular hotels can sell out. If you book with an agent, they can look for deals for you and retroactively apply them. You will want to have a good plan of action, and we recommend at least purchasing Lightning Lane MultiPass to help cut down on the time spent waiting in line. We have done Disney World for Spring Break multiple times and know how to navigate the crowds. Check out our Disney World advice and consider using us to plan all or part of your trip, and we can give you customized advice and plans. Contact us to get started >
- Universal Orlando – the second-most crowded parks. We recommend staying at a Universal Signature Resort if it’s in your budget so you get Universal Express Unlimited Passes included. These passes allow you to skip the regular line at all eligible attractions and have much shorter wait times, which is very helpful during Spring Break season. The Express Pass that comes with a Signature Resort does not include the newest park, Epic Universe. You can buy separate Express passes for this park, but they are very expensive. If that’s out of budget, you can do a lot by arriving early, staying until close, and giving yourself two days to explore this new park if time allows. We are both Disney and Universal experts and can help you navigate choosing the right hotel and tickets and give you a custom plan to help you navigate crowds.
- Sea World Orlando – the underrated 3rd family of parks in Orlando. It includes the main Sea World park which is part zoo/aquarium and part theme park, with some of the best roller coasters in the area. They also have Discovery Cove, which limits the number of tickets sold per day so it’s never overcrowded, making it a great pick for Spring Break. A day at Discovery Cove can feel like a welcome retreat from days spent at other theme parks. Learn more about why Sea World is great for families >
- Legoland – this park is West of Orlando and is perfect for kids ages 3-12, especially if they love LEGOs! The crowds won’t be anything like the major parks, but some of the attractions have low capacity, which makes the lines move a bit slow. We recommend starting at the back of the park and working your way forward to go against the crowds.
- Think outside the theme parks! While you’re in Central Florida, you can take a short drive to other great areas like Cape Canaveral to see where they launch rockets, Cocoa Beach if you want a beach day, or our personal favorite – Blue Spring State Park, where you can see wild manatees! Manatees gather in the warm spring waters of this park during the winter months. There are usually still some manatees around in late March during Spring Break season before they start moving back to the ocean.
Now go plan a great Spring Break trip and get ready for some priceless family memories!
