For families with kids, the best travel memories don’t come from expensive resorts. They come alive in open fields, by riversides, and under skies full of stars — in those corners of nature where children can roam free and parents can finally breathe. And the best part? Homestays are often more affordable than hotels, with home-cooked meals and local experiences included.
Here are five family-friendly homestays across India where you can skip the crowds, connect with nature, and save money while doing it.
1) Sangam Farms, Bhilwara, Rajasthan
Located near Bhilwara, Sangam Farms is a serene retreat that blends rustic charm with modern comfort. The once-barren land now thrives with a dam-fed farm, luxury tented suites, and a presidential suite set around a peaceful fish pond. Each suite features a patio, garden views, and private living space.
Children can feed cows, pluck strawberries, forage vegetables, or bake pizzas in a brick oven, while adventure seekers enjoy horse riding or ATVs. Evenings bring stargazing through telescopes or family movie nights under the stars.
Book your stay here.
2) Soulitude by the Riverside, Nainital, Uttarakhand
Resting by the banks of the Kalsa River in Nainital district, this retreat turns nights into cosmic adventures. Under Uttarakhand’s clear skies, families can enjoy guided astronomy sessions that answer every curious child’s question, whether about Saturn’s rings or distant galaxies.
Guests can marvel at the Triangulum Galaxy, three million light-years away, and the historic Dumbbell Nebula, first spotted in 1764. By day, the riverside invites relaxed picnics with sweeping views of the Maheskhan Hills’ oak forests. For children and explorers, hikes through nearby pine forests reward with breathtaking panoramas, perfect for an unforgettable family escape.
Book your stay here.
3) Parijaat, Anjuna, Goa
This two-bedroom homestay is tucked amid paddy fields and swaying palms, where peacocks often wander. Named after the Parijaat flower blooming in its lawn, the home is filled with vintage furniture, hand-painted mugs, and charming curios.
Hosts Kavita and Manoj Nair live here with their daughter Devaki, growing seasonal vegetables and running a pottery studio where families can try clay workshops. Kids can help harvest spinach, chillies, and eggplant or spend lazy afternoons building sandcastles at Anjuna Beach, just 10 minutes away.
Book your stay here.
4) Irani Homestays, Karjat, Maharashtra
Sitting about 100 km from Mumbai, this family-run boutique retreat in the village of Sawla offers three bedrooms, free WiFi, a swimming pool, and an attached farm. Children will love the board games, bicycles, colouring books, and outdoor sports like cricket and badminton. Families can join in farm activities, riverside picnics, or winter bonfires.
Guests can camp out on the lawns for stargazing or relax in hammocks and swings. The hosts, passionate about food and stories, serve hearty local meals alongside Parsi favourites like mutton dhansak (a spiced lentil and meat curry), patra ni machhi (steamed fish wrapped in banana leaves with chutney), and Iranian lentil soups.
Book your stay here.
5) Little Flower Farms, Vagamon, Kerala
This organic retreat was the vision of botanist Kochuthresia Thomas and her husband, late engineer K J John. What was once barren land is now a thriving farm, today run by their son Thomas and his wife Rekha as a family-friendly homestay.
Despite Kerala’s rugged terrain, the property welcomes even families with infants, offering baby cots, highchairs, storybooks, and nanny services. Kids can forage, garden, fish, stargaze, or splash in seasonal waterfalls. A stunning pool, surrounded by emerald greenery, feels straight out of a fantasy film, while Gandalf, the resident cat, keeps everyone entertained.
Book your stay here.
