Father’s Day: Unique Trips to Take With Dad

Father's Day is a meaningful holiday honoring the father figures in our lives, often with quality time spent doing what fathers love, whether that's fishing, hiking, or just hanging with their family. 

Yet sometimes it's important to step outside the usual and do something special, like taking a trip centered on what your father enjoys. Whether your dad, step-dad, grandfather, uncle or other father figure in your life enjoys hiking, cruising down memory lane or sailing along the sea, these travel ideas offer great inspiration for future Father's Day trips. 

For the Car Dads

Travelers can cruise the French countryside in a vintage Citroen 2CV with French Waterways. (Photo Credit: French Waterways)

Car dads love cars, so a fun Father's Day trip for them isn't complete without an experience that'll fuel their passion for automobiles. 

Bowling Green, Kentucky, is home to the National Corvette Museum and the only Corvette manufacturing plant in the world, making it a bucket-list destination for car lovers everywhere. Dads and their kids can take some laps at the NCM Motorsports Park, enjoy drag racing at Beech Bend Race and spend hours wandering through the National Corvette Museum.

Further from home, car-loving dads and their kids can enjoy a truly magical joy ride: driving a vintage Citroën 2CV around the French countryside with barge cruise line French Waterways.

Families enjoying a scenic barge cruise along the Canal du Midi in France can now take excursions in a vintage French auto, visiting historic castles, medieval villages and more. Guests can also enjoy guided excursions via Mercedes Viano to Minerve, Narbonne, Carcassonne, Mirepoix and other amazing locations. 

For the Sailor Dads 

A family having completed a family sailing training course with Nautilus Sailing. (Photo Credit: Nautilus Sailing)

Some dads can't wait to get out on the water—regardless of what body of water it might be. 

Lucky dads and their kids might enjoy cruising the mighty Mississippi River together with Viking. It's a unique river cruise experience, because you don't have to travel out of the country to enjoy it, and it connects travelers with the culture, history and economic importance of the nation's largest riverway. 

Guests can choose from itineraries that begin in the north, such as St. Paul, Minnesota, or in the south, in New Orleans. Either way, travelers will enjoy visiting historic sites, culinary journeys and more in what is sure to be a memorable travel experience with the dad in your life. 

If your dad has been dreaming about getting out on the open ocean and learning to sail, Nautilus Sailing is the perfect gift for them. It's a learn-to-sail school offering week-long sailing sessions in some of the world's most amazing places, like Croatia, Tahiti, the Bahamas and Grenada. Those who complete their certification program receive an internationally recognized certificate, enabling them to charter sailboats anywhere in the world. 

What better way to reconnect than by learning a new skill out on the open water, immersed in nature, hard work and team effort? 

For the Outdoorsy Dads

A father and son walk across a hanging bridge at Mohonk Mountain House. (Photo Credit: Mohonk Mountain House)

While some dads love the water, others can't wait to hit the trails.

Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York, is a historic Victorian resort offering some incredible ways to immerse yourself and your leaf-loving dad in nature, with 40,000 acres of forest and 85 miles of hiking and biking trails. The Via Ferrata is a climbing course within the Shawangunk Mountains, a specially designated outdoor adventure area. Hikers and families can reconnect in pure wilderness, with resort amenities to enjoy between their outdoor adventures. 

For dads who desire more active adventures, Backroads offers family tours with biking, hiking, or walking, or multi-adventure trips all over the world. Families with teens or young adults can enjoy reconnecting together, visiting national parks in the United States, cycling through Europe, hiking through the Norwegian fjords and much, much more. Each trip includes hotel stays, several meals, attractions, guided tours, adventure equipment, transfers and more. 

For the Fishing Fathers

A lobster experience with Lucky Catch Cruises. (Photo Credit: VisitMaine)

Fisher-fathers will enjoy a little bit of serenity on the water with some incredibly special fishing experiences. 

Those heading to Key West and staying at the Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa should consider booking the Cook Your Catch experience, a half-day fishing charter that ends with a freshly cooked catch made just the way Dad likes it at Four Flamingos, A Richard Blais Key West Kitchen. The meal comes with two sides, a salad, and a dessert, and is enjoyed with ocean views. 

Those heading to Portland, Maine, can enjoy spending a few hours as a lobsterman with Lucky Catch Cruises. Fathers and their kids can step aboard a lobster boat and enjoy a cruise along Casco Bay, complete with a lobster trap experience that ends with a fresh lobster dinner at the Portland Lobster Company. The locally owned tour operator also offers private charters for larger events, bird watching or island dining transport. 

For the Sporty Dads

World Cup trophy outside of Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. (Photo Credit: Adobe/dima)

Some dads just want to experience their favorite sport in person. Our next experiences are great for the sports-loving dads. 

This year, two major sporting events are taking place around Father's Day that'll offer special travel memories for families. Grand Rapids, Michigan, is hosting the Meijer LPGA Classic, where top women golfers will compete alongside fan experiences throughout Father's Day week, making it a great option for golf-loving dads. 

Soccer fans can enjoy watching FIFA World Cup matches in cities like Dallas, Kansas City, Toronto, Monterrey, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Vancouver and more during Father's Day weekend, offering plenty of opportunities for travelers or locals alike to join in on the football fun by joining a match, which is sure to be a memorable experience. 

Lastly, there's Frisco, Texas. Nicknamed "Sports City USA," this Texas town offers Texas-sized sports fun, home to the Frisco RoughRiders baseball team, the National Soccer Hall of Fame, the Dallas Cowboys headquarters, several golf courses, and, for the e-gaming dad, the National Videogame Museum, home to over 100,000 artifacts from video gaming's history. 

---

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore