The Family FiveSafe travel guide · 2026

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Showing October

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The top five

Each row is one destination. The overview is on the left, with safety, friendliness, timing and costs on the right.

1

Japan

East Asia · Tokyo 35.68°N 139.69°E

Bullet trains, spotless streets and a theme park for every age. Japan rewards families with order and wonder in equal measure.

Currency
Yen (JPY)
Language
Japanese
Time vs Vancouver
+16 to 17 h
Plugs
Type A, Canadian 2-prong fits
Flight
About 10 h nonstop
Entry
Visa-free for Canadians

Top things to do with kids

  • Tokyo DisneySeaOften called the best Disney park in the world.
  • Nara ParkHand-feed the bowing deer.
  • teamLab PlanetsImmersive light and water art.
  • Ride the ShinkansenKyoto to Hiroshima at 300 km/h.
2

New Zealand

Oceania · Auckland 36.85°S 174.76°E

Glow-worm caves, geysers and Hobbit holes, all a road trip apart. The whole country feels built for curious kids.

Currency
NZ dollar (NZD)
Language
English, te reo Māori
Time vs Vancouver
+19 to 21 h
Plugs
Type I, adapter needed
Flight
About 14 h nonstop
Entry
NZeTA required

Top things to do with kids

  • HobbitonWalk the real Shire film set.
  • Waitomo CavesFloat under thousands of glow-worms.
  • RotoruaGeysers, bubbling mud and Māori culture.
  • QueenstownGondola and luge rides by the lake.
3

Portugal

Southern Europe · Lisbon 38.72°N 9.14°W

Sunny beaches, fairy-tale castles and the best-value trip on this list. Portugal is Europe at an easy pace.

Currency
Euro (EUR)
Language
Portuguese
Time vs Vancouver
+8 h
Plugs
Type F, adapter needed
Flight
About 13 h, one stop
Entry
Schengen. Check ETIAS status

Top things to do with kids

  • Oceanário de LisboaOne of Europe's largest aquariums.
  • Pena Palace, SintraA storybook hilltop castle.
  • Algarve beachesCalm coves and sea-cave boat trips.
  • Pastéis de nataWarm custard tarts. Kids ask daily.
4

Iceland

North Atlantic · Reykjavík 64.15°N 21.94°W

The most peaceful country on Earth, with waterfalls you can walk behind and a sun that barely sets in June.

Currency
Króna (ISK)
Language
Icelandic, English widely spoken
Time vs Vancouver
+7 to 8 h
Plugs
Type F, adapter needed
Flight
About 7.5 h, seasonal nonstop
Entry
Schengen. Check ETIAS status

Top things to do with kids

  • Golden CircleÞingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss in a day.
  • SeljalandsfossWalk behind a waterfall.
  • Whale watchingHúsavík in the north.
  • Town swimming poolsHot pools and slides everywhere.
5

Singapore

Southeast Asia · 1.35°N 103.82°E

A tropical city where everything works. Zoos, gardens and food courts make it the easiest Asian trip with little ones.

Currency
Singapore dollar (SGD)
Language
English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil
Time vs Vancouver
+15 to 16 h
Plugs
Type G, adapter needed
Flight
About 16 h nonstop
Entry
Visa-free. SG Arrival Card

Top things to do with kids

  • Gardens by the BaySupertrees and a kids' water garden.
  • Night SafariA nocturnal zoo by tram.
  • SentosaUniversal Studios and an aquarium.
  • Hawker centresGreat food for a few dollars.

Compare all five

Tap a column heading to sort. Filters fade out anything over budget or out of season for your dates.

Destination Canada advisory Best months
1 Japan #10 Normal precautions 5/5 5/5 $750 10 h Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov
2 New Zealand #2 Normal precautions 5/5 5/5 $850 14 h Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec
3 Portugal #7 Normal precautions 5/5 4/5 $600 13 h (1 stop) Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct
4 Iceland #1 Normal precautions 4/5 * 4/5 $1,100 7.5 h Jun, Jul, Aug
5 Singapore #8 Normal precautions 4/5 * 5/5 $800 16 h Feb, Mar, Apr

* Editorial rating where no survey ranks the country

How we rank

Safety comes first. We started with countries in the top ten of the 2026 Global Peace Index from the Institute for Economics and Peace, then kept only those where the Government of Canada advises travellers to take normal security precautions, its lowest level.

Friendliness uses reader surveys where they exist, mainly the 2026 Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards. Where no survey ranks a country, the score is our own judgement and the page says so.

Family ease is our editorial rating. It looks at getting around with a stroller, kid-friendly food, distances between sights and how forgiving the place is when plans go sideways.

Daily costs are rough estimates for two adults and two children in mid-range comfort, in Canadian dollars, before flights.

Sources

  1. TravelPulse Canada, Global Peace Index 2026 coverage
  2. ScandAsia, most peaceful countries 2026
  3. Travel Extra, Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice 2026
  4. JNTO, Japan named top country by Condé Nast readers
  5. 1News, New Zealand among the friendliest countries
  6. Government of Canada travel advice for Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Iceland and Singapore, checked October 2026