14 Best Mother-Daughter Trips to Make Memories for a Lifetime

Best for Wildlife Encounters

If you love wildlife and get excited about the possibility of seeing Alaskan Brown Bears in a safe way, this trip to Natural Habitat’s Bear Camp is for you. From May to August, you can fly from Homer to a remote wilderness glamping site near Chinitna Bay at the southern end of Lake Clark National Park to experience bears like you never thought possible.

The camp’s naturalists, who are bear experts, will guide you on mellow walking safaris that will take you close enough to photograph bears in portrait mode. More than 80 bears live in the area, including mamas and cubs. Only guests of the camp have access to private viewing platforms to see the bears in action.

Best for Big City

More than 30 million people live in Tokyo, Japan, but despite its population density, it doesn’t feel overcrowded. Japanese people are known for being incredibly conscientious and tidy—Japanese football fans famously brought their own trashbags to clean up after themselves in the World Cup—which makes it a welcoming and safe place to visit.

There’s plenty of shopping, dining, entertainment, and other attractions in Tokyo to keep you busy. The mass transit system is easy and efficient so you won’t have trouble finding your way from the Senso-ji Temple to the Shibuya Crossing. My favorite bubble tea can be found at CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice in Shibuya.

The Four Seasons Marunouchi is the smallest in the world with just 57 rooms and suites, which makes for a warm and elegant atmosphere. This family-friendly hotel offers both American-style breakfast as well as traditional Japanese fare and there’s a hot spring onsen bath in the spa.

Best for a Once-in-a-Lifetime

Gorilla trekking is an experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list. A 2-hour drive northwest of Kigali, the town of Musanze, Rwanda is home to Volcanoes National Park and 12 critically endangered mountain gorilla families who live in the Virunga Massif.

It takes 1 to 8 hours to hike through moderate jungle terrain with the help of guides and trackers to find the gorillas. Visitors are allowed to spend an hour observing and taking photos from a respectful distance. There are baby and toddler gorillas in the families and it’s especially heartwarming to see the mother and child interactions.

Permits and group sizes are limited. Tour fees fund conservation and anti-poaching efforts to protect the remaining gorillas. The Five Volcanoes is a nice boutique hotel with a good restaurant and friendly staff located near the gorilla trekking guide meeting point.

*Our tour was organized through the Rwandan Tourism Board

Best for National Parks and Cycling

Make the Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City your base camp and you’ll be within an hour’s drive to some of the most historic attractions in the United States. Tour Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, and the Crazy Horse Memorial, and then head to Wind Cave National Park or Badlands National Park to do some hiking or biking. Go to Deadwood to see the Adams House and Mount Moriah Cemetery and then you’re only an hour away from Devil’s Tower National Monument just across the border in eastern Wyoming.

Insider tip: If you’re hoping to avoid the crowds, visit at night instead. From late May through September, you can watch the lighting 45-minute lighting ceremony at 9 p.m. every night.

You can visit the Mount Rushmore twice on the same day using the same entrance fee, so you can go during the day and again at night.

Best for a Splurgy Arctic Expedition Cruise

Take an all-inclusive luxury expedition cruise aboard an all-suite, ice-class-rated discovery yacht to the depths of the Arctic Ocean at the top of the world. Scenic Luxury Cruises and its skilled crew of polar specialists provide guests with rare opportunities to see arctic wildlife, such as polar bears, walruses, seals, reindeer, whales, and Arctic birds in their natural habitats while circumnavigating Svalbard.

You’ll never forget the dramatic scenery with calving glaciers, icebergs, glacial waterfalls, and the Arctic Ocean bespeckled with ancient drift ice. The ship’s state-of-the-art cabins, restaurants, lounges, and spa will make you swoon.

Insider tip: In between polar bear sightings, you can partake in one of the 10 dining experiences, such as the rotating Night Market, which serves exquisite creations and changes fare offerings daily to keep it even more interesting. If you’re in need of additional pampering, you can book mother-daughter spa treatments at the Senses Spa and Thermal Lounge.

Best for Spas

You could dedicate an entire week to visiting thermal spas in Budapest. The largest and most popular spa in Budapest is the Szechenyi Thermal Baths, which features 15 indoor pools and three big outdoor pools as well as saunas, steam rooms, and whirlpools.

For a unique experience, try the Beer Spa, a thermal bath infused with hops, yeast, and other beer ingredients. Gellert Baths and Rudas Baths are also great choices for relaxing Hungarian style. Stay at the dazzlingly appointed Aria Hotel, which features musical influences throughout its innovative design. The High Note Skybar on its rooftop offers excellent views of the city.

Insider tip: After you’re done soaking at the thermal baths, visit one of the ruin bars. The bars are inside the deteriorating pre-war buildings in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter. Szimpla Kert is the most popular and serves Kosher street food and Palinka cocktails in a dark and moody atmosphere.

Best for All-Inclusive Luxury Beach Getaway

This new Sandals hotel located in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for an all-inclusive relaxing beach vacay. The 260-room resort has swim-up suites, open-air rooftop villas, and glass-paneled oceanfront balconies with private butler service.

There are 12 gourmet drinking and dining experiences, including a coffee shop that serves brews from locally harvested beans and a specialty rum bar. Diving excursions and golfing green fees are included free of charge as are the daily and nightly entertainment shows.

The Red Lane Spa at Dunn’s River offers a full array of treatments including lavender massages and papaya-pineapple body treatments.

Best for Foodies

From good old-fashioned southern barbecue joints to vegan-friendly, sustainable bistros, Charleston, South Carolina is a foodie favorite. Stella’s, Slightly North of Broad, Magnolias, and Halls Chophouse are destinations in their own right and 82 Queen has become the talk of the town. Order a bowl of their award-winning She Crab soup and you won’t regret it.

When your bellies are full, venture to Charleston’s historic sites, like Fort Sumter National Monument, Boone Hall Plantation, and Battery and White Point Gardens.

Book a sunset sailing trip with Charleston Sailing Adventures to see magnificent views of the city from the water. Stay at the exquisitely designed HarbourView Inn and enjoy its luxurious amenities, like a wine and cheese reception and a private rooftop terrace with views of Concord Street.

Best for Feeling Like Royalty

Located less than an hour from the Cliffs of Moher, Dromoland Castle is situated in Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare, Ireland on 500 acres of pristine real estate. If you ever wanted to be treated like a queen, book a stay at this 16th-century fairytale castle and you’ll feel like royalty.

Touted as Ireland’s most magical address, this sprawling estate features a baronial facade, lavish decor, white-glove butler service, and meals served with shiny silver cloches. Estate activities range from clay pigeon shooting and horseback riding to bike riding and archery.

Insider tip: Request a packed picnic for your visit to the Cliffs of Moher and you’ll have a tasty lunch with stunning views.

Best for Adventure

For adventurous travelers, there’s no better place than the Jungfrau region of Switzerland. Book a kayaking excursion with Hightide Kayak to paddle the stunning turquoise waters of Lake Brienz or a paragliding flight with Skywings Paragliding for jaw-dropping views of the entire valley.

Head to Jungfraujoch to ride mountain carts and scooters, or take a hike on Schynige Platte or the Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg trail for some otherworldly panoramas. For unparalleled views of the Eiger, stay at Hotel Schweizerhof in Grindelwald.

Stay at the Victoria Jungfrau Hotel and Spa in nearby Interlaken if spa treatments are on your agenda and you adore smorgasbord breakfast buffets.

Insider tip: A visit to the Panorama Restaurant atop Harder Kulm above Interlaken will deliver the quintessential Swiss fondue experience along with even more hard-to-believe-it's-real landscapes.