How to Travel Without the iPad

This summer’s Toy Story 5’s central theme showcased kids swapping real-life experiences for the screen. The travel industry responded with hotels, tour operators and safari camps encouraging kids to put down the tablets and immerse themselves in activities that inspire everyone to hang up and hang out.

Here’s a sampling:

© Burg Hotel Lech

At Burg Hotel Lech’s Fondue Parlor, hostess Helga runs the room, playing DJ. Cheese and wine start things off, but once Helga hits the dance floor, dinner turns into a party and phones disappear. Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Boscia turns dinner into evening entertainment with a multisensory journey that begins above ground and descends 13 feet beneath the Kalahari sands.

This October, travelers heading to Venice can immerse themselves in the city’s rich cocktail culture with the return of Venice Cocktail Week, Oct. 21–25; Violino d’Oro will host a Mocktail Week for teens and kids. The Sira, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Lombok supports native, stingless Trigona bees as part of its sustainability initiative and guests can join an immersive, hands-on experience with the bees.

© Singita Kilima

At Singita Kilima in Singita Grumeti, guests can engage in hands-on cooking classes at Singita Community Culinary School. At Louma Country Hotel in West Dorset, families get involved in farm life through animal tours, gathering fresh produce, exploring the kitchen garden and woodland, and discovering how food moves from soil to plate. Segera’s wildlife sanctuary’s immersive experiences are designed to inspire children’s curiosity, creativity and connection with nature through interactive game drives and bird checklists, learning about animal behavior, tracks and conservation practices.

© Forsthofgut Nature Hotel

At Forsthofgut Nature Hotel in Leogang, Austria, the miniGUT children’s farm is inspired by traditional Pinzgau homesteads, where kids help care for animals while learning how local farming traditions continue to shape life in the Alps. On one of Quasar Expedition’s small-sized luxury yachts, guests set sail on a safari-style cruise through the Galapagos Islands. Fregate Island, opening December 2026, will bring guests into their conservation work.

© Fregate Island

Untamed Travelling curates remote journeys that encourage travelers to truly disconnect with stays at remote, WiFi-free properties such as Rumbak Wildlife Lodge in the Himalayas, Vanghat in India’s Corbett Tiger Reserve and Xaus Lodge in South Africa. Natural Selection‘s Shipwreck Lodge is the only luxury property located within Namibia’s remote Skeleton Coast National Park with the 10 rooms in near-total isolation. At Spier Hotel and Wine Farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa, younger guests can get a close look at where food comes from and how the land is cared for.

© Baros Maldives

At Baros Maldives, a 20-minute session at the Marine Centre before each reef tour helps guests identify the reef’s regulars and spend the day immersed in marine life. Stanley Safaris offers tailor-made Zimbabwe experiences allowing families to explore Hwange National Park, home to Africa’s largest elephant herds, through walking safaris, nature activities and cooking lessons — with no age restrictions! Each wayfarer on one of Walk Japan’s self-guided tours is provided with essential logistics and route support created by the pioneer of walking tours in Japan.

© Walk Japan

At Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa in Johannesburg, the concierge can tailor itineraries around the city’s hidden cultural, historical and creative gems. Art is woven into every part of Ellerman House in Cape Town, where more than 1,000 works can be enjoyed on an in-house, guide, private walkthrough of the collection. A more active safari experience awaits adventurous teens and families in Zambia’s South Luangwa, where the walking safari originated, all led by Time + Tide’s senior guides.

© Time + Tide

ThirdHome’s 2027 Founders Circle Adventure takes 15 travelers into the Nicoya Peninsula, one of the world’s five Blue Zones, on a fully hosted itinerary. W Algarve, in Albufeira, blends adventure and bonding. The property’s Whatever/Whenever service curates experiences to the destination’s must-see adventures. Set over 5,900 feet in Arosa, Switzerland, Tschuggen Grand Hotel offers an elevated escape where the whole family can reconnect through wellness, nature and outdoor adventure.

© Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

The Reserve at Grace Bay by Beach Enclave turns family competition into part of the vacation, with tennis, padel, pickleball, basketball, beach volleyball and a golf green. Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve offers hands-on experiences across generations, including island-hopping and snorkeling around Hong Island, exploring mangrove jungles, batik painting and Thai cooking. At Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, families swap screen time for hands-on experiences rooted in Balinese culture and the two-hour Little Explorer: Mandapa Camp Bonfire.