From famous national parks and beautiful coastlines to bustling cities and unforgettable road trips, the USA has some incredible destinations to explore.
We've travelled through different parts of America over the years, but our family travel guides currently focus on California, where we spent two weeks road-tripping with our one-year-old and three-year-old.
Here you'll find our first-hand experiences, family-friendly itineraries and practical advice for visiting the USA with young children.
From Yosemite's spectacular mountains to the beaches and cities of the Pacific Coast, California offers an incredible variety of experiences for families.
In September 2025, we set off on a two-week road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, taking in Yosemite National Park, Monterey, the Central Coast and Disneyland along the way.
We combined iconic sights with playgrounds, easy hikes, beaches and plenty of opportunities for the children to simply explore.
Our California destination hub brings together all our guides, from where we stayed and what we did to the practical details we'd recommend to other families.
Explore All Our California Guides →Want the full route, including where we stayed and how we split our time? Read our complete 15-day California itinerary →
From city sightseeing and coastal adventures to incredible national parks, discover what made each stop special for our family.
Cable cars, Pier 39, sea lions, Golden Gate Park and some brilliant family-friendly sightseeing. We spent three nights here before collecting our hire car and heading to Yosemite.
Explore San Francisco →
Spectacular waterfalls, towering granite cliffs, giant sequoias and beautiful mountain lakes. We spent four nights exploring Yosemite, discovering just how manageable it can be with young children.
Explore Yosemite with Kids →
One of our favourite coastal stops, combining Monterey Bay Aquarium, sea otters, beautiful beaches and the dramatic scenery around Point Lobos.
Explore Monterey & the Coast →
We finished our road trip with Disneyland, Venice Beach and time exploring Southern California. Discover our family-friendly experiences and tips for making the most of this part of the trip.
Explore Los Angeles with Kids →Travelling around the USA with young children involves a little more planning, particularly when it comes to driving distances, accommodation, car seats and managing different stops. These are some of our most useful guides.
The exact route we followed, including how long we stayed in each place, where we stayed and what we'd do differently.
Read the Full Itinerary →Our guide to family-friendly accommodation in and around Yosemite, including the advantages of staying inside the national park.
Explore Yosemite Accommodation →Family-friendly walks, waterfalls, meadows and viewpoints, with practical information about hiking with little legs.
Explore Yosemite Family Hikes →California is huge, and journeys can take longer than expected. We planned our route carefully, building in stops and avoiding unnecessary backtracking.
Some of our favourite moments were simply paddling at Tenaya Lake, cycling around Yosemite and stopping at playgrounds along the route.
We hired car seats with our vehicle, but weren't impressed by their comfort. It's something we'd research more carefully before our next US road trip.
We often had breakfast in our room and prepared simple lunches, saving money while keeping meals flexible for the children.
I've also created printable destination-themed colouring activities, including packs inspired by the USA and Canada.
They're a fun way for children to discover famous landmarks and places before travelling, or to keep little hands occupied on flights and long journeys.
Explore Our Colouring Packs on Etsy →Printable travel-inspired activities for curious little explorers
Explore our other destination guides, including mountain holidays in Austria, adventures in the Italian Dolomites, UK family stays and European road trips. All with practical advice from our own travels.
Explore All Our Family Destinations →