This is a roundup of the best bucket list travel experiences we've taken on our travels around the world!
Our No.1 travel highlight to date?
Meeting Santa in Lapland! at the Santa Claus Holiday Village in Rovaniemi, Finland in -10°C !(14° F) temperatures, surrounded by forests of snow!
But visiting Disney parks comes close!
We are half-way through a quest to get to all of them around the world. Disney Aulani in Hawaii too.
Staying a night at the one and only IKEA hotel in Almhult, Sweden is close to the top of MY list too. As a dedicated IKEA fan, I could not have loved this experience more.
Add these to your own bucket list and start saving today!
#1: ROVANIEMI, FINLAND
- Santa Claus Holiday Village experience and stay in Rovaniemi, Lapland Finland (Lapland is at the very top of Finland) - meeting the REAL Santa Claus, visiting the official Santa Claus post office where all letters to Santa go, husky ride, reindeer ride
- Meeting the Forest of Joulukka elves
- sleeping on the overnight train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi
Read the round up: Best things to do in Rovaniemi with kids
#2: TOKYO AND JAPAN WITH KIDS
- Kodomo no kuniya park with the super-fun and cheap 'retro theme park' and giant 'roller' slide
- Hanayashiki in Asakusa - one of Japan's oldest theme parks in Asakusa (it's three minutes walk from the Senso-ji shrine)
- Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySEA
- Sanrio Puroland - the MOST beautiful indoor theme park I've ever seen!
- Tokyo Toy Museum - another 'must do' Tokyo experience
- check out this big list of the best Japanese street food in Tokyo
Read the round up: Best things to do in Tokyo with kids
For the adults:
- Mt Mitake hiking and ryokan stay
- Mt Takao and the onsen afterwards
- Kumano no Kodo pilgrimage walk (follow me on my insta page for updates - September 2025)
- Shinanami cycleway (ditto above)
#3: IKEA IN SWEDEN
- staying overnight at IKEA hotel Almhult
- visit the IKEA museum across the carpark (the building was home to the original IKEA store!)
- best things to buy at the IKEA museum shop in Sweden
- checking out the IKEA store in Almhult (2nd largest in the world)
MORE FUN TRAVEL WITH KIDS
LONDON WITH KIDS
- Shrek adventure
- Princess Diana playground
- The Postal Museum
- The Transport museum shop
- Harrods Food Hall - you have to see it, to believe it!
Read the round up: Best things to do in London with kids
AMERICA
NEW YORK
- Heckschers playground
- Dylan’s candy store
Read the round up: Best things to do in New York with kids
LOS ANGELES
- staying at our favourite hotel IN THE WORLD - the Magic Castle hotel (they have a popsicle hotline!)
- Disney All Star Movies hotel at Disney World
- Pasadena children’s museum
Read the round up: Best things to do in Los Angeles with kids
EUROPE
Read the round up: Best things to do in Europe with kids
ROME
- Gladiator tour
- Villa Borghese electric bikes
- Explora museum
Read the round up: Best things to do in Rome with kids
PARIS
- Disneyland Paris (do not miss it. these two Disney Parks have a unique charm!)
Read the round up: Best things to do in Paris with kids
COPENHAGEN
- Experimentarium - in particular, this 'beat the buzzer' game but ALL OF IT. This is the best interactive museum we've ever been to, (and we've been to a LOT of them in every country we've visited)
- Underground train system
- Walking with the Royal Band across town at the end of the Changing of the Guard ceremon
HELSINKI
- Moomin cafe
- Santa Lucia Christmas parade
- Helsinki Christmas market
- Waterfront market
- travelling overnight on the Silja line ship from Stockholm to Helsinki in a 'Moomin'-themed room
- ice skating in Helsinki city square (we met up with Ned's best friend Quinn and his mum and dad, Rebecca and Luke in Helsinki and went ice-skating with them. Peak travel moment, where we just happened to be in the same place on the same day!)
Read the round up: Best things to do in Helsinki with kids
SINGAPORE
- Jewel changi
- The entire Jewel Changi playground - do not miss the Sky Nets!
Read the round up: Best things to do in Singapore with kids
AUSTRALIA
Read the round up: Best things to do in Australia with kids
SYDNEY
- Camp Cove
- Luna Park Coney Island - sliding down old school wooden slides in hessian sacks
- Eat the famous Emperor Puffs - the hot custard treat in Chinatown near Paddy's markets
Read the round up: Best things to do in Sydney with kids
For the adults:
- Lady Bay nude beach (this unexpected adventure in boldness was one of the best days of my life - I've never felt more free!)
GOLD COAST WITH KIDS (OUR HOME)
Read the round up: Best things to do on the Gold Coast with kids
BRISBANE
- Funderwood Hollow playground
Read the round up: Best things to do in Brisbane with kids
BYRON BAY REGION
- The Farm Byron Bay
- The Byron Lighthouse walk
Read the round up: Best things to do in Byron Bay with kids
MELBOURNE
- Albert Park Playgorund
Read the round up: Best things to do in Melbourne with kids
CANBERRA
- Questacon Science Museum
Read the round up: Best things to do in Canberra with kids
NEW ZEALAND WITH KIDS
Read the round up: Best things to do in New Zealand with kids
ROTORUA
- Tamaki Maori village tour
- Rotorua duck tour
- Luge & Gondola
- Hells gate mud spa Rotorua
- Hells gate geothermal park tour
AUCKLAND
Read the round up: Best things to do in Auckland with kids
NAPIER
Read the round up: Best things to do in Napier with kids
TAUPO
Read the round up: Best things to do in Taupo with kids
BALI
- Bali treetop adventure park
- Bali safari park & elephant ride to breakfast (Even though Ned spewed his guts up in the breakfast hall after the bumpy elephant ride before he could eat the buffet!)
- swimming in the epic pool at Hard Rock Hotel Bali
Read the round up: Best things to do in Bali with kids
HONG KONG
- Ngong Ping crystal car ride & Giant Buddha
Read the round up: Best things to do in Hong Kong with kids
