Pyramids and camels, Egypt
With some of the world's most impressive monuments at some of the best prices, Egypt offers an affordable, culture-filled adventure. See mummies, Tutankhamun's treasures and the Great Pyramids of Cheops on an eight-day Egyptian Explorer trip from On the Go Tours. The tour includes a camel ride across the desert and a sleeper train to Aswan.
• From £549pp, 020-7371 1113, onthegotours.com
Dog-sledding, Lapland
For a truly Narnia-esque experience and guaranteed snow, families with big budgets could head to northern Lapland. A week's trip with Activities Abroad includes a husky safari mush (25km), followed by a night in a remote log cabin. You might even witness the full force of the northern lights – an unforgettable experience. The minimum age is 15.
• From £1,675pp including flights,01670 789 991, activitiesabroad.com
Water sports, Greece
Mark Warner's Levante Beach resort in Rhodes offers affordable watersports, including waterskiing, wakeboarding, ringo-riding and paddle-boarding. When you're sick of drinking seawater, you can play tennis, cycle through the scented pine forests or explore pretty coastal villages. A week's stay includes direct flights, transfers, half-board accommodation, kids' clubs, watersports and tuition, tennis and mountain biking.
• From £655pp including flights, departs 4 May, 0844 273 7392, markwarner.co.uk
Starry skiing, Poland
Dreaming of a white Easter? In the pretty town of Zakopane, Poland's biggest ski resort, you can ski under the stars on the 2km of floodlit slopes until 8pm. For the more adventurous there's snowmobiling and quadbiking. The nearby Wieliczka Salt Mine is famous for its statues carved out of salt. White Side Holidays has a week B&B in Zakopane, with airport transfers, lift passes, ski hire and lessons, until early April, depending on snow conditions.
• From £430pp, 020-3129 5480, whitesideholidays.com
Mountain activities, Morocco
If you're looking for an adventurous family playground, try a five-day break at Riad Africa in the Atlas mountains (a short transfer from Marrakech). Quadbiking, trekking and canyoning are all included, as is a Moroccan massage. Visit before June (water-level dependent) to canyon in the Ourika river – eureka!
• From £399pp (for a group of eight), 01428 605833, specialistmorocco.com
Rock climbing, Italy
In the Alta Badia region, you could take the kids high-altitude hiking and stay a night or two in Tyrolean-style mountain huts, which serve pasta and dumplings, some also with entertainment (altabadia.org has a list). Book a day trip to try scary via ferrata and rockclimbing, with a guide.
• Collett's Mountain Holidays (01799 513 331, colletts.co.uk) has a range of options from £570pp a week in chalets or apartments half board, or £295pp self-catered. Up to 50% off for kids in August.
Warriors and wildlife, South Africa
KE Travel's 15-day Zulu Warriors tour, for ages six and over, starts in Johannesburg, and explores northern South Africa, with drives through the Kruger reserve, swims in natural pools, croc-farm visits and an insight into Zulu life before ending up at the beach. Full-board accommodation and park entry fees are included.
• From £1,595pp, 017687 71700, keadventure.com
Danube cycling, Austria
An eight-day tour along the Danube, starting in Passau just over the border in Germany, takes in castles, medieval monasteries and apricot orchards, before you reach Austria's capital, Vienna to watch a performance of the Blue Danube waltz. Also included in the price is half-board accommodation, bike hire and luggage transfers.
• From £567pp, 0845 241 7599, utracks.com
Snorkelling and more, Jordan
Families with children aged five and over can snorkel in the coral reefs of Aqaba, float in the Dead Sea, camp under the stars and gawp at the ancient city of Petra with the new family holiday to Jordan from G Adventures. Their eight-day trip, with departures in August, October and December, includes local travel and some meals.
• From £779 per adult, £679 per child (£340 per child for 2013 if booked by 31 March), 0844 272 2060, gadventures.co.uk
Flights are not included in holiday prices unless stated
