15 Popular Activities for Seniors in Assisted Living

• Retirement travel ideas

• Discounts and places to stay
• Ideas for traveling
• Traveling to New Mexico
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Visit the Canadian Rockies
• St. Augustine, Florida
• African safari
• The Galapagos Islands
• Explore Costa Rica
• Road trips
• Wine tours

Retirement travel ideas

Retirement gives you time for trips you've always wanted to take. Without work obligations and with grown children, your schedule is yours to plan. It's a good time to travel.

Before you go

Before leaving on a retirement trip, think through a few basics.

• Do you have a bucket list of places you want to visit?
• How often do you want to travel—once a year, monthly, or more?
• Do you prefer a detailed itinerary or spontaneous travel?
• Who are you traveling with—a spouse, friend, sibling, or grandchild?
• What draws you to travel?

If you're traveling with a spouse, make sure you're both excited about the trip. What you find perfect might feel like a nightmare to your partner. Discuss what each of you wants from retirement travel and choose something you'll both enjoy.

Consider visiting a place neither of you has been. Even if you have a favorite spot, retirement gives you time to explore somewhere new. Pick a destination you've both wanted to see.

Discounts and places to stay

Many airlines and hotel chains offer senior discounts. Check the hotel's website for current rates.

Beyond hotels, consider Airbnb or VRBO for apartments, houseboats, homes, or condos. Home Exchange connects homeowners for house swaps—you stay in their home while they stay in yours. This saves money and gives you a local base to explore.

While spontaneous trips can be fun, planning ahead tends to work better. Looking forward to a trip adds to the enjoyment. You can decide what to see, where to stay, and where to eat—while leaving room for surprises.

Longer trips often cost less because you're no longer bound to a work schedule. Without daily obligations, you have time to slow down. You might rent an apartment for a couple of months and cook meals at home. Walking to local spots gives you a real feel for the area. Without a fixed return date, you can relax and move at your own pace.

You can travel domestically or internationally. Research shows travel can boost mood, strengthen relationships, and reduce depression risk. Where will you go?

Ideas for traveling

The U.S. has 61 national parks. Popular ones include the Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, and Yosemite. Many retirees find them ideal for vacation.

Each park has its own character. You'll find desert landscapes, mountain ranges, waterfalls cascading down rock faces, streams to wade in, and scenic trails.

As a senior, you can buy a lifetime pass to over 2,000 federal recreation sites, including national parks, grasslands, and wildlife refuges.

Cruises are another popular option. They combine sightseeing, shopping, and island hopping. Seven-night Caribbean cruises stay within U.S. waters. Budget for airfare and any daytime excursions.

If you prefer not to leave the U.S., Alaska cruises offer whales, glaciers, grizzly bears, and other wildlife.

Once in Alaska, you have several options. Flightseeing tours via helicopter show forests, mountains, and waterways. The Aurora Winter Train runs from fall into spring between Anchorage and Fairbanks, giving you a chance to see the Northern Lights.

If you've dreamed of staying in a castle, you can rent a tower in Drogheda, Ireland, complete with a rooftop patio. Drummond Castle offers nightly or longer stays. Kilcolgan Castle gives you access to the Cliffs of Moher for day trips.

For a whole-group experience, the Tudor Manor House in Somerset, England rents for about $3,400 for two nights or around $12,000 for a week.

Traveling to New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico's capital, is known for its adobe architecture and mountain views. It sits at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with a warm, dry climate. The compact historic downtown centers on a plaza from the 1600s and is easy to walk.

Art galleries and restaurants serving Southwestern food fill the streets. Museums focus on Native American history and traditions. If you hike or ski, the nearby mountains work for either activity depending on season.

Machu Picchu, Peru

You can reach Machu Picchu by hiking the Inca Trail, but if high altitude isn't comfortable, take a train from Cusco instead. The train passes snow-capped peaks and lush valleys. A guided tour shows you the main sights and lets you meet other travelers.

Visit the Canadian Rockies

The Rocky Mountaineer train takes you through the Canadian Rockies with stunning views. It offers comfortable berths, good meals, and glass-domed cars that give you clear views of peaks and turquoise lakes without having to leave your seat.

St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the U.S., founded in 1565. Its compact historic district is easy to navigate. The main four-block area runs from St. George Street to King Street to the Old City Gate, making it manageable for seniors with limited walking endurance.

A hop-on, hop-off trolley makes getting around simple. Visit the Lightner Museum for Victorian collections, the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park, or the 17th-century Castillo de San Marcos fort.

African safari

An African safari lets you see elephants, giraffes, lions, and zebras in their natural habitat. Wildlife tours happen in all-terrain vehicles, not on foot. The ride can be bumpy unless you pick a game preserve with developed visitor facilities.

South Africa's Kruger National Park is a top safari destination, home to lions, rhinos, elephants, leopards, and Cape buffaloes. You can also visit vineyards, take a tram up Table Mountain in Cape Town, or spend time on a beach.

The Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands, off Ecuador's coast, offer a unique experience. You can stay on a couple of islands without a guided tour. Beyond the famous plants and animals, you can rent snorkeling gear to explore underwater life. Beaches with sea lions let you photograph wildlife up close.

Explore Costa Rica

Costa Rica is another option if the Galapagos feels too remote. It has over 500,000 animal and plant species. Costs stay reasonable if you skip all-inclusive resorts and build your own itinerary. Eat at local restaurants to save money.

Tortuguero National Park has monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, and endangered green turtles. Tour the park by boat or kayak. Monteverde Cloud Forest offers canopy walks, butterfly gardens, and working coffee plantations. You can also hike through the park on your own looking for wildlife.

Road trips

Road trips work well for retirees. Drive Route 66 and visit landmarks from classic films. The Columbia River Scenic Highway in Oregon offers scenic alternatives. The Million Dollar Highway connects two historic mining towns in Colorado. Rent an RV for camping or plan bed-and-breakfasts along the way.

Wine tours

If you enjoy wine, tours operate in many states. Walla Walla, Washington has numerous wineries. Many tour services drive between wineries so you don't have to. The driver returns you to your hotel at the end of the day.

The Niagara region spans the U.S. and Canada, a short flight from the East Coast or a few hours' drive. It has over 100 wineries. Lewiston, New York hosts an annual wine festival each summer.

Retirement travel is on your terms. You set the pace and duration. You go where and when you want. The only remaining decision is where to start.

References

Volunteer travel, or voluntourism, combines exploration with service. You can teach English in Southeast Asia, work on conservation projects in South America, or help with community development in Africa. These trips let you experience new cultures, contribute to causes you care about, and build lasting connections while traveling.

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