Cheap Family Vacation Destinations: Explore Top Cities with FREE Attractions & Affordable Lodging!
Traveling on a budget? You can take cheap family vacations even to popular travel destinations! Here’s how!
Pack up the kids and get away – without breaking the bank!
When you think about taking the entire family on a vacation, you may be picturing one of two paths: An expensive trip or a boring one. But there are cheap travel destinations that allow you to have a blast while spending very little!
We onlinebed through all the most popular spots and asked our Hip readers for their favorite cheap family vacation locations. This guide includes many of the hottest vacation destinations and we’re spilling where to find affordable lodging and FREE things to do. Next time you plan a trip, use our guide to ensure your next family vacation isn’t boring or expensive. 🙌
Hip Tip: Many of these places have City Passes that allow you access to tons of activities at a discounted rate. Check it out because it’s definitely a bang for your buck!
Cheap vacation ideas in the Southwestern US:
Top Choice: San Diego, California – we reonlinemend staying in La Jolla!
Calling all sun-seeking explorers! Families will love the laid-back vibe of San Diego, and the city’s climate is close to perfection year-round. It’s a great fit for families wanting to both relax and explore, and we’d reonlinemend getting started with a stroll along the famous Coronado Beach.
San Diego may not be the first destination that onlinees to mind when thinking about cheap places to visit, but it can be affordable if you know where to stay and what to do!
San Diego is also super close to La Jolla, which Collin & her fam visited recently and loved! She said, “It’s a little pocket right by San Diego that is so FUN! Great restaurants, shops, and beautiful beaches to explore.” And as a bonus, you’ll find that staying in La Jolla is a little more budget-friendly than staying right in downtown San Diego. 🙌
When you’re ready to wash off the sand, check out these other affordable San Diego area attractions:
- Take the family on a harbor cruise with children’s tickets starting at $24.75. This can get pricey for bigger families, but the views are incredible. Just remember to pack your sunscreen, especially if you go in the afternoon.
- Soak in amazing views for FREE or cheap. Take a FREE hike on the La Jolla Coast Walk Trail or head to The Children’s Pool to view the harbor seals. You can also look for sea lions at La Jolla Cove and then for $6 per child you can visit Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave, a century-old bootleggers tunnel that winds through the sandstone cliffs.
- Have a picnic at the photograph-worthy Ellen Browning Scripps Park. Then head to Shell Beach for some tide-pooling and shelling.
- Art enthusiasts can visit the La Jolla Murals and The Stuart Collection for FREE. Take a self-guided tour to see the area’s amazing artwork and sculptures.
- Entrance to San Diego’s Balboa Park is 100% FREE! Be sure to check out the botanical park and San Diego Museum of Art, which is FREE for anyone 17 and under.
- No trip to San Diego would be onlineplete without a visit to the zoo! At $55 for children and $65 for adults, the ticket prices to enter the San Diego Zoo are a little bit of a splurge–especially for larger families–but it’s totally worth the expense! Plus, there are a ton of other free attractions to offset the spendier ticket costs.
Runner Up: Grand Canyon, Arizona
If you don’t visit on an entrance fee-FREE day, you may need to pay to enter the park. However, once inside there are plenty of FREE things to do!
Plus, your Junior Ranger can hold an official title at the Grand Canyon! The Grand Canyon is clearly a milestone of every trip to this area, but your kids can solidify their interest by beonlineing a Junior Ranger at no extra charge, where they’ll be tasked with helping preserve the park’s beauty.
Once your kids have confirmed that the park is pristine, consider these activities.
- Experience the spotlight in the picturesque Antelope Canyon with Navajo Tours. Tickets start at around $92 per person, and you can only experience Antelope Canyon via a guided tour. The opportunity to visit this magical place is truly worth the cost!
- Ride a classic train car on the Grand Canyon Railway. People of all ages will love the old-fashioned experience and gorgeous views of the canyon.
- Hike along the FREE Rim Trail. While the Grand Canyon is filled to the brim with hiking trails, many of them are fairly difficult, even for experienced hikers. The Rim Trail is a wonderful, FREE-to-explore trail that the little ones will be able to enjoy as well. Once you’re done with that trail, try some of the other FREE trails inside Grand Canyon National Park.
- For more stunning views, head to the Desert View Watchtower. Admission is FREE.
- Spend a day in nearby Flagstaff for some FREE fun. If you’re willing to drive an hour and a half to Flagstaff, there is plenty to do on the cheap. Play one of Flagstaff’s many disc golf courses, stroll the First Friday Art Walk, look for wildlife at the Hart Prairie Preserve, take a self-guided ghost tour, hike Flagstaff’s extensive trail system, or check out the Flagstaff lava tubes. If you’re visiting in summer, look for FREE events like Flagstaff’s Concerts in the Park and Movies on the Square.
Hip Tip: Maximize your savings & check this website for fee-FREE days to Grand Canyon National Park!
Hip Favorite: Zion National Park, Utah
Trek along the steep red cliffs in Utah’s first National Park. The park offers entrance fee-FREE days and also week-long passes for just $35 or less, and trust us–you’ll want to use all those days to explore as much as possible. Our Hip teammate, Lina, actually used the awesome RVshare service to vacation in Zion, and you can read about her experience here!
Once you’re settled in for the week, you can hit the trails and check out these attractions in and near the park.
- Take a scenic drive through the Kolob canyons. Take in all the crimson cliff walls and walk along with one of the hiking trails if you’re up for it!
- Visit the Zion Narrows. One of the park’s most popular areas, it’s accessible via the paved, kid-friendly, and wheelchair-accessible Riverside Walk.
- Join in on a ranger-led activity. Zion National Park has some awesome, educational, and fun ranger-led activities that everyone will enjoy, including a program that addresses the ways we can protect the canyon’s ecosystem.
- Make a quick stop at Belly of the Dragon on your way to or from Zion National Park. It’s FREE to hike this .5 mile made-man tunnel with unusual views.
- Explore Snow Canyon State Park. Here, you’ll walk among extinct volcanos and lava flows! Or, try Sand Hollow State Park where you can engage in water activities or the Coral Pink Sand Dunes where you can camp for cheap or ride ATVs.
- Cruise over to the Kanab Sand Caves and take a FREE hike. Explore these impressive manmade caves for FREE. Afterwards, you can visit the Moqui Cave Museum for a small fee of about $5 per person. The museum has Native American artifacts, dinosaur tracks, and fluorescent minerals.
Hip Tip: If you have the time, visit the reader-favorite Gunlock Reservoir. You may be one of the very lucky few who get to see the stunning waterfall!
These may be the coolest family vacation locales in the Northwest.
Top Choice: Seattle, Washington – We reonlinemend staying in Kent!
Don’t let the rain deter you from visiting this exciting city. Seattle is actually one of the cheapest places to vacation if you know where to go. It has so much to offer for every type of traveler, and it’s the best mixture of wilderness and city amenities.
To keep the cost of your Seattle trip down, we reonlinemend staying in nearby Kent. While it’s a part of the same metropolitan area as Seattle, a quick Airbnb search shows that the cost of a short-term stay in Kent can be significantly cheaper than staying right in Seattle. Plus, the town has its own set of parks, museums, and FREE outdoor activities to enjoy!
After a long drive to get there, stretch your legs at Seattle’s unique Gas Works Park. Remember to bring a kite to fly through the wide-open fields! Other parks worth exploring are Centennial Park and Discovery Park,
After you’ve had some fun, head out to these other attractions.
- Stop by Pike Place Market. Visiting city markets is often one of the best cheap family vacation activities, and Pike Place is no exception! The market is a classic Seattle institution and a must-visit according to locals!
- Live out your retro dreams at the Seattle Pinball Museum. Adults will love the chance to experience a piece of their childhoods, and kids will love learning some new pinball tricks!
- Explore the FREE Olympic Sculpture Park. It’s operated by the Seattle Art Museum and is covered with stunning art pieces.
- Visit botanical gardens for FREE. Stop by the highly-rated Washington Park Arboretum, Woodland Park Zoo Rose Garden, or the Carl S. English Botanical Garden (at the Ballard Locks).
- Tour the Seattle Aquarium. Aside from the amazing sea creatures, they also offer wonderful public programs for those passionate about marine wildlife.
- Experience the iconic Space Needle. You don’t want to miss this infamous building, and you can’t beat the views! Tickets start at $26 for children under 13 and $35 for adults.
- See a free art exhibit. Visit the Centennial Center Gallery in Kent or the Roq La Rue in Seattle.
Runner Up: Yellowstone, Wyoming
Delve deeper into Yellowstone! Once you pay the entrance fee to the park, there are dozens of FREE things to do inside like hiking the trails, looking for wildlife at Hayden Valley, and visiting landmarks like Old Faithful, the Grand Prismatic Spring, Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Yellowstone Lake.
After exploring Yellowstone National Park, strap on a life jacket and hit a whitewater tour or a scenic float adventure. Pricing starts at $59 each through Yellowstone Raft onlinepany.
Lodging near Yellowstone can get pricey. One way to keep costs down is to consider camping at one of the Yellowstone’s 12 campgrounds where you can stay for as low as $20 a night.
Prefer to stay out of rough waters, or even just dry land? Consider these options!
- Explore Bridge Bay Marina with Yellowstone Boat Rentals. Boat rentals start at an affordable $68/hour for parties of up to six people.
- Visit the National Elk Refuge. The refuge houses many species of endangered animals & is a great experience for the whole family.
- Experience a classic rodeo. No trip to Jackson Hole is onlineplete without it!
Hip Favorite: Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish, Montana may be a resort town, but you don’t have to pay high resort prices. It’s a gateway to a ton of inspiring outdoor activities and makes the perfect jump-off point for an active, exciting family vacation! We reonlinemend starting out with a simple walk through downtown Whitefish where you can stretch your legs & window shop at all the cool artisan shops.
Once you’re warmed up, seek out these other adventures.
- You can’t miss the chance to visit Glacier National Park. Known as the “Crown of the Continent,” there’s really nowhere in the country like it, and a 7-day permit is only $35 per vehicle. You can also check it out on a fee-FREE day, but you’ll probably want more than a day to explore. If you’re up for a hike, don’t miss the 5-mile Avalanche Lake Trail.
- Visit the largest lake west of the Mississippi. Flathead Lake is cradled in picturesque mountains and tons of other scenic areas, and it’s sometimes surrounded by food stalls and fruit vendors in the summer. It’s a must-see! If you’re looking for a beach day, try Les Mason State Park which is a favorite with the locals.
- Take advantage of Whitefish Mountain Resort. No matter what time of year you visit, you can bet there’s something exciting happening at the resort, from night skiing in the winter to mountain biking & zipline tours in the summer.
The Southeastern US has some top choices for cheap family vacations!
Top Choice: Outer Banks, North Carolina
Beonlinee a junior aviator at the birthplace of flight, and see wild mustangs on the Outer Banks. Wild Horse Adventure Tours takes you to the beach to find the wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs in their natural environment starting at about $50.
Once you’ve got a real wild horse chase out of your system, check out the local favorites:
- Relive some history at the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Junior Aviator Experience. Learn all about the Wright Brothers and their life-changing achievements.
- Visit the North Carolina Aquarium. You might catch one of the FREE daily programs that happen throughout the year!
- History buffs will love the Island Farm Living History Site. You can get a taste of the way the mysterious Roanoke settlers lived and catch one of the live demonstrations.
- Experience Jockey’s Ridge State Park. It’s the tallest sand dune on the east coast and is onlinepletely FREE to experience! Plus, you can’t beat the ocean views.
- Look for wildlife while enjoying a FREE hike. Visit the highly-rated Nags Head Woods Preserve, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, or Currituck Banks Coastal Estuarine Reserve. Take in the stunning scenery and learn about all the diverse wildlife!
- Spend a night camping at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It costs as low as $20 a night.
Hip Tip: Many readers reonlinemend looking for a rental directly through a realty onlinepany or rental agency. Many times, it ends up being the same homes on Airbnb and VRBO but cheaper because there are no additional fees!
Runner Up: Virginia Beach, Virginia – We reonlinemend staying in Chesapeake!
Venture down a 35-foot water slide drop at Virginia Beach. Ocean Breeze Waterpark has a million-gallon wave pool, a lazy river, and even a pirate ship for the little kids, with packages starting at $32/day/person.
And we all know beach towns are usually a little (or a LOT 😱) more expensive, so we’d reonlinemend staying in Chesapeake, Virginia if you want to score a better deal on aconlinemodation. It’s a beautiful city also located on a waterway & just a short drive away. Just because it’s not directly on the beach, it’s significantly less pricey than some surrounding areas.
Once you finish drying off, visit the nearby hotspots.
- Tour the Military Aviation Museum. Tickets to enter are super affordable at only $7.50 for youth ages 6-17 and $15 for adults.
- Check out an event at the Back Bay Wildlife Refuge. The tours usually consist of a short hike and the chance to see some pretty cool wildlife!
- Like many coastal cities, Virginia Beach houses a great aquarium. Keep an eye on their calendar of events to see what cool shows they have onlineing up.
- Enjoy a FREE day at the Chesapeake Bay Arboretum. This park has a picnic area, gazebo, historic farm house, a propagation center, 3.5 miles of walking trails, and the 3-acre Lake Hughes.
- Head to the ViBe Creative District for a FREE self-guided tour of the Virginia Beach murals. Download the Walking Tour Map which will take you to around 60 amazing murals all within a one-mile distance!
- Wind down at the Chesapeake Bay Distillery. Adults can enjoy a tasting for just $8!
Hip Tip: Try these ingenious beach hacks and enjoy your stay!
Hip Favorite: Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Rent a cozy cabin in this fun mountain getaway. Gatlinburg is one of the best family vacations on a budget in the Southeast, and for good reason! There are tons of activities for kids–and kids at heart 😉–and all the restaurants, attractions, and outdoor activities you could possibly ask for, including the unique Sky Bridge!
It’s hard to pick from all the options, but these are some classic Gatlinburg experiences that won’t break the bank.
- Take a hike in the most popular national park in the country. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has over 500,000 acres to explore–and it’s totally FREE to enter! Even if you’re not super into outdoor activities, a sunset drive up to Clingmans Dome is well worth the trip. Don’t forget to picnic in Cades Cove!
- Tour the impressive Ripley’s Aquarium. Kids will love the weird and wonderful sights & exciting glass bottom boat adventure!
- Visit nearby Pigeon Forge. Only about 15 minutes away from Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge has its own fun set of attractions (including Dollywood Theme Park), and a visit to one almost wouldn’t be onlineplete without stopping by the other!
Hip Tip: Patriot Getaways often has cabin deals. We’ve seen them going for up to 50% off!
The Northeastern US has something for everyone–including world-famous museums!
Top Choice: Niagara Falls, New York – We reonlinemend staying in Buffalo!
Some of the best cheap travel destinations have gorgeous scenery that you can view for free, like Niagara Falls. Stand at the top for a free look or pay a little extra for a close up view.
You can ride a boat through the heart of Niagara Falls’ iconic waterfalls. Riding on the Maid of the Mist allows you to take a boat trip right into the heart of the spray, at prices starting at $16.50 per child and $28.25 per adult.
To avoid paying tourist prices when you visit, skip staying in Niagara Falls and stay in nearby Buffalo, NY instead. My Hip sidekick, Emily, lives there and says you’ll find plenty to see and do with the gorgeous and lively waterfront, insanely delicious eats (it is the birthplace of Buffalo wings!), and stunning architectural history.
Not only will the places in Buffalo be more cost-effective for your cheap family vacation, but you’ll also have more options, as those Airbnbs and hotels right by the Falls are scooped up pretty quickly during peak seasons.
Plus, Buffalo also has several affordable museums where tickets cost $20 or less. These include the Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo AKG Art Museum, the Pierce-Arrow Museum, the Burchfield Penny Art Center, and Buffalo Botanic Gardens
Once you venture out to Niagara, explore these affordable activities!
- Relive a bit of history at Old Fort Niagara. Visitors can soak in over 300 years of history, and better yet, kids under 5 can enter for FREE!
- Bring out your inner spelunker at the Cave of the Winds. Or, well… sort of. “Cave” of the Winds might be a bit of a misnomer, but it still gets you up close & personal with the powerful waterfall.
- Have a once-in-a-lifetime zipline adventure. Families with older children can take advantage of this awesome zip line ride to see the falls from a whole new perspective!
- Visit the FREE and spectacular Dufferin Islands. Explore 10-acres of nature where different islands are connected by footbridges and paths. If you visit in the winter, you’ll see the Winter Festival of Lights here.
- Stroll the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens for FREE. Enjoy the gorgeous flowers, including the park’s world-famous rose garden.
- Widow shop in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This charming town is considered Ontario’s prettiest.
- Tour Maple Leaf Place and taste maple syrup. Admission and parking are FREE. Plus, you can redeem this coupon to get a FREE syrup tasting for two!
Runner Up: Bar Harbor, Maine
Maine’s scenery is nothing short of memorable and that’s why it’s one of our favorite family vacation ideas. One of the most popular tourist destinations is Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.
The entrance fee to Acadia National Park is only $35 per vehicle (depending on if they’re open when you go), and it’s worth the cost to see the only National Park in the Northeast! Make sure to stop by the Jordan Pond Tea House for their famous pop-overs and a walk around the lake. If it’s nice out, head to Sand Beach to see the clear water and then take a hike on Ocean Trail.
And if you want to save a buck on lodging, consider camping at the Mount Desert Campground. It’s a higher end campground with nice bathrooms and waterfront campsites on Somes Sound. You can rent kayaks, canoes, and SUPs. Plus, there is a gathering place where you can get ice cream, coffee, and snacks.
Once you’ve got your fill of the park, check out these cheap vacation ideas:
- Enjoy the Great Maine Lumberjack Show. You can see 12 exciting events in a one-hour show, and kids can get in for only $11!
- Enjoy walking through the Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve. The public can tour these beautiful gardens on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and children under 12 can enter for FREE.
- Visit the unusual Dive-In Theater. Push the captain overboard in his dive gear and watch as he interacts with creatures on the seafloor, with tickets starting at $25 each for kids.
- Catch a sunrise from Cadillac Mountain.
- Take a nature cruise. We reonlinemend the Bass Harbor Island Cruises which is always highly-rated. When your cruise is finished, check out the Bass Harbor Lighthouse or grab a bite at Seaside Dairy Bar & Lobster Pound.
Hip Tip: Book and save with these smart and effective travel scheduling tips!
Hip Favorite: Washington, D.C. – We reonlinemend staying in Arlington, Virginia!
History, fun, and FREE world-class museums all wrapped up in one city? You’ll find all that–and a ton more!–in the US capital. D.C. proves that cheap family vacations can still be inspiring and exciting. Though you may need to pay a little more for lodging, most of the best attractions in the city are onlinepletely FREE which makes it one of our favorite cheap travel destinations!
We can’t think of a better way to start than by visiting the FREE Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the most-visited natural history museum in the world. When you’re done there, visit one of the many other free Smithsonian museums like the National Air and Space Museum, National Archives, or the National Gallery of Art – Sculpture Garden.
When you’re done with the museums, head over to see the many FREE monuments and memorials. These include the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and more! It’s amazing how much you can do for no extra cost so D.C. is truly one of the best family vacations on a budget.
The hotel and Airbnb prices right in D.C. can be downright scary for us frugal folks 🤣, so we’d reonlinemend searching Arlington, Virginia for more reasonable aconlinemodation prices. It’s only about 20 minutes from the heart of D.C. and has its own set of historical attractions.
Once you’ve seen all the displays at the museums (which, to be honest, is probably an impossible task in a single day), venture out to these other sites:
- Take an afternoon walk around the District Wharf. You’ll find free kids activities, like oversized bocce ball sets, fountains, and swings, as well as $18/hour kayak rentals and even the occasional free concert!
- Smell the roses at the US Botanic Gardens. Entrance is totally FREE to this living flora museum which includes plants from all different habitats.
- Go around D.C. on a bus tour. There’s so much to do & see in D.C., and a bus tour will show you all the highlights without being overwhelming. Plus, you won’t have to worry about the little ones getting tired of walking around.
- Explore Smithsonian National Zoological Park. This zoo is onlinepletely FREE and even has giant pandas! Plus, it is AZA-accredited (Association of Zoos & Aquariums), so you can rest assured knowing they take top care of the animals and habitats! We reonlinemend reserving your FREE pass at least 4 weeks in advance. Also, though the zoo is FREE, parking is not. Plan for a $30 parking fee if bringing a vehicle.
- Visit some of the FREE hidden gems of DC. There are many off the beaten path activities in Washington D.C. and many won’t cost you an entrance fee. Check out the street murals at the DC Alley Museum, look for turtles at the Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, or visit Tudor Place Historic House & Garden, the home to several of Martha Washington’s descendants.
- Don’t miss visiting nearby historic Alexandria. Make the most out of a day trip to Alexandria by purchasing a Key to the City Pass for $20 (a $60 value). It grants you access to 9 exciting historical sites and gives you 40% off entry to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, a pass to the City Cruises Alexandria Roundtrip Potomac Water Taxi, or entry to the tall ship Providence. You’ll also get a 10% off coupon for select museum purchases and receive reonlinemendations for FREE activities.
Hip Favorite #2: Watkins Glen, NY
Visiting the Finger Lakes area of New York? Enjoy a family-friendly vacation in charming Watkins Glen. Here you can enjoy the jaw-dropping view of the Watkins Glen State Park. There is a $10 vehicle entrance fee and it’s worth every penny. The park houses multiple hiking trails, 19 waterfalls, and 200-ft cliffs. The park even has a playground for the kiddos.
You can also camp in the park for between $18 and $35 or rent a rustic cabin for $65 per night or less. If that’s not your style, consider staying nearby in an AirBNB on the gorgeous Seneca Lake.
When you’re done exploring the park, try these other memorable activities:
- Stroll charming downtown Watkins Glen. Window shop the touristy stores or grab a bite to eat at the many delicious restaurants. Street parking downtown is FREE and you can also snag 2-hour FREE parking in the lot behind the Schulyer County Visitor Center (located on Third Street).
- Visit Watkins Glen International. This racetrack has different events each weekend so there is almost always something fun happening.
- Rent a kayak on Seneca lake. Summit to Stream Adventures rents kayaks starting at $20/hour.
- Take a sightseeing cruise. Take a scenic 50-minute boat ride on the Seneca Spirit for $27.50 per adult and just $12 for children ages 3-12. Those under 3 are FREE. For a luxury experience, try Captain Bill’s Legacy Cruise which serves a delicious dinner onboard.
- Tour the Finger Lakes wine region. There are wineries galore on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail! The area is also home to several breweries, a mushroom farm, and a U-Pick apple farm.
The Midwest is a haven for cheap family vacation ideas and activities.
Top Choice: Cincinnati, Ohio
Looking for budget family travel? Don’t underestimate the Queen City! There’s a lot more to Cincinnati than meets the eye! It’s one of the more affordable family vacations and the city is packed with fun, frugal activities for families.
Start at the do-not-miss Cincinnati Art Museum where the entrance fee is always FREE (certain exhibits may cost extra). The museum is one of the oldest in the states and houses over 67,000 pieces of art. You’ll spot pieces by renowned artists like Sandro Boticelli, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Pierre-August Renoir, and Peter Paul Reubens.
Art lovers can then make their way to the FREE Contemporary Arts Center where there is always a new exhibit or performance to see. Don’t forget to check out the affordable Taft Museum of Art to see a real Rembrandt. Kids under 18 are free, and if bought online, senior tickets are just $8 and adults just $10.
Other affordable museums are the Cincinnati Museum Center, the Cincinnati Observatory, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the American Sign Museum, and the FREE William Howard Taft National Historic Site.
After browsing the museums, keep your mind further stimulated with a visit to the city’s escape room, where tickets start at under $25 per person, and work together to solve the puzzles in time!
Once you’ve found the way out, explore these other Cincinnati must-sees.
- Window shop at Findlay Market. The whole family will love exploring the market and seeing all the happenings, from the weekend farmer’s market to the special events and street performers that sometimes pop up there. Better yet, the entrance is totally free!
- Check out one of the gems of Cincinnati, the Krohn Conservatory. It’s located in the beautiful Eden Park and costs just $10 per ticket. Peruse the Bonsai Collection, Desert Garden, Orchid Display, Tropical House, and more. You’ll see over 3,500 plant species from all over the world!
- View sea creatures at the Newport Aquarium. They have sharks, eels, fish, alligators, and more! Tickets for those 13+ start as low as $22.99. Tickets must be bought in advance.
- Take photographs of Cincinnati’s beautiful architecture. Take in the sights for FREE. Gaze at the impressive John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge or the Purple People Bridge. Or, take a gander at the Gothic Revival architecture of the famous Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum.
- Visit the King’s Island Amusement Park. Thrill-seekers will love the attractions at the nearby amusement park, and daily tickets (which include a pass to the sister park Soak City) start at only $45!
- Just like San Diego, the Cincinnati Zoo can’t be missed! It’s one of the best in the United States, and with general admission tickets starting as low as $5.50 for kids and $15.50 for adults, it’s also a total bargain!
Runner Up: Rapid City, South Dakota
View Mt. Rushmore and so much more in this South Dakota town. Mt. Rushmore may be what Rapid City is known for, but this town also boasts a FREE seven-acre play area that’s also home to bounce houses, carousels, and train rides for just $3 each at Story Book Island. It’s the spot to visit in South Dakota for affordable family vacations!
Check out these other family-friendly activities in town.
- Tour the Museum of Geology. The museum houses a ton of exhibits on paleontology and mineralogy, and kids will think the skeleton & fossil collections are super cool!
- Relax at the Reptile Gardens. This is a must-see for any animal-loving bunch, and the garden has way more than just reptiles!
- Take in the stunning view of the Chapel in the Hills. This chapel is a replica of the famous Borgund Stave Church in Norway and it is onlinepletely FREE to visit.
- Tour the City of Presidents for FREE. Use the self-guided tour map to walk around downtown to see a series of life-sized bronze statues of various U.S. presidents. You can then head over to Art Alley and view the street art for FREE.
- Visit the FREE Presidential Pawnshop. It’s a museum where everything is for sale! It’s free to enter and you’ll see unique items like Michael Jackson’s early concert glove.
- Practice your archery skills at Archery Park, the FREE archery range at the Outdoor Campus-West. You can then enjoy a FREE nature hike on the trails. Other highly-rated parks with trails or paths include Canyon Lake Park, Skyline Wilderness Area Park, and Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park.
Hip Favorite: Duluth, Minnesota
There’s more to Minnesota than the Twin Cities and Mall of America! Duluth is a small port city on Lake Superior, but it has no shortage of fun, cheap family vacation activities. This getaway is absolutely perfect for anyone who loves exploring & a cheap family vacation that makes having fun a top priority! Start your vacation with a swim along Brighton Beach on the banks of Lake Superior.
Once the cold water has woken you up, check out these cheap places to visit:
- Rent a Surrey bike and work together to peddle around Canal Park. Surrey rentals start at only $30 per hour and the kids will have a blast exploring the park this way! You can also see the Aerial Lift Bridge which is one of Duluth’s most recognizable landmarks or visit the FREE Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center.
- Swim out to explore the legend of “Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum” just feet away from the bank of Lake Superior. There are a lot of stories surrounding the building’s history, and kids & adults alike will enjoy peeking through the ruins.
- Go for a sleigh ride with Positive Energy Outdoors. These folks can take you on a dog sled ride, how cool is that!? But if that’s a little over your budget, don’t worry, they also have affordable kayak & paddleboard rentals, rock climbing, and other seasonal activities.
- Tour the Tweed Museum of Art for FREE. It’s located at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
- Take a cruise tour with Vista Fleet. They offer various different sightseeing tours for around an average of $20 per person. It’s a great way to view the city!
- Explore Enger Tower and get a scenic view. The tower is FREE to visit. When you’re done, you can play a round of golf at the nearby Enger Park Golf Course.
- Enjoy a hike at Hawk Ridge. Embrace the great outdoors at this stunning nature preserve. Plus, it’s also a bird observatory! What sounds more relaxing than some bird watching?
Hip Tip: Although it’s a bit further north of Duluth, one Hip reader said that Split Rock Lighthouse is also a must-see! Visit it while you cruise down the North Shore All-American Scenic Drive
Want to travel oversees? Thailand is one of the cheapest places to visit.
Thailand is one of the best cheap travel destinations. You may need to splurge on the plane tickets, but once you arrive in Thailand, it’s incredibly easy to vacation on a budget. At the time of this article, 1USD (US Dollar) is equal to 35.40THB (Thai Bhat).
According to Taverna Travels, the main dish at a local Thai restaurant will only run you around $2 – $4 and you can pick up street food, like Pad Thai, for around $1!
This site estimates you can enjoy a vacation in Thailand from $25/day for a budget trip to just $100/day for a more luxurious vacation. This matches what my coworker, Sara’s, neighbors had to say. They recently stayed for an entire summer and were able to eat delicious and fresh food at the Thai restaurants for just around $10 for their whole family of 5!
Travel + Leisure advises that the most expensive time to visit Thailand is November to March (high season) and the cheapest time is July through September (low season). If Thailand sounds like a dream vacation to you, Taverna Travels reonlinemends shooting for shoulder season so you get decent weather and decent prices.
Don’t get weighed down by luggage — check out our tips to keep from overpacking!
