Top 10 Countries to Visit With Your 1-Year-Old Baby

Your baby is turning one, or has just turned one, and you’re itching to travel. Good news: this is a brilliant age for a trip. One-year-olds still nap (so you get downtime), they’re endlessly curious about new places, and on many airlines they can still fly on your lap.

It’s also the age of crawling, cruising and first wobbly steps. That changes what makes a destination easy. You want clean floors and safe spaces to roam, step-free streets for the stroller, simple food, reliable healthcare and short travel days that protect naps.

We’ve ranked these 10 countries using the LittleMiles kid-friendly grade, which scores every destination on seven things parents care about. Here’s how we grade. Each pick below explains why it works for a one-year-old specifically, the best base, and what to watch out for.

What makes a country great with a 1-year-old?

Before the list, here’s what we looked for:

• Baby facilities: changing tables, nursing rooms and hot water for formula in public places.
• Stroller access: smooth pavements, lifts at stations and step-free sights.
• Safety and healthcare: low crime, good hospitals and well-stocked pharmacies.
• Easy food: plain rice, noodles, bread, fruit, yoghurt and whole milk that are easy to find.
• Manageable logistics: short transfers, reliable transport and family-friendly hotels with cots.
• Things to do at toddler level: parks, playgrounds, beaches, aquariums and zoos rather than long museum days.

1. Japan 🇯🇵 (Grade A+)

Why it works for a 1-year-old: Japan has the best baby facilities we’ve seen anywhere. Department stores and big stations have akachan rooms with changing tables, private nursing booths and hot water dispensers. Nappies, wipes and baby food pouches are sold in every convenience store, 24 hours a day. Streets are spotless, crime is extremely low, and trains are punctual, which makes it easy to plan around naps.

Best base: Tokyo, near Tokyo Station or west Shinjuku. Follow our Tokyo with kids guide and the gentle 7 days in Tokyo itinerary.

Watch out for: the long flight from Europe or the US, a big time-zone change (try our baby jet lag planner), and small hotel rooms. Ask for a cot or a Japanese-style room with futons on the floor, which are ideal for babies who roll.

Official info: Japan National Tourism Organization.

2. Singapore 🇸🇬 (Grade A+)

Why it works: almost everything in Singapore is step-free, air-conditioned and spotless. Malls have excellent parents rooms, the MRT has lifts everywhere, and hawker centres serve plain rice, noodles and soups that one-year-olds love. Healthcare is world class and English is widely spoken.

Best base: Marina Bay or Orchard Road. See our Singapore with kids guide.

Watch out for: heat and humidity. Plan outdoor time for early mornings, malls and museums for afternoons, and bring a stroller fan.

Official info: Visit Singapore.

3. Portugal 🇵🇹 (Grade B)

Why it works: Portuguese people are wonderfully welcoming to babies, it’s very safe, and the food is simple and comforting: soups, grilled chicken, rice and fresh bread. For European families it’s a short flight, and the Algarve’s calm beaches and villa pools are perfect for a first beach holiday with a toddler.

Best base: the Algarve for a beach break, or Parque das Nações in Lisbon for the flattest city base.

Watch out for: Lisbon’s steep hills and slippery cobbles. Bring a baby carrier.

Official info: Visit Portugal.

4. Spain 🇪🇸 (Grade A-)

Why it works: Spanish culture revolves around family. Babies are welcome everywhere, including restaurants late into the evening, and nearly every plaza has a playground. Healthcare and pharmacies are excellent, and sharing tapas makes feeding a picky one-year-old easy.

Best base: Mallorca for shallow, sandy bays or flat Barcelona for a city break.

Watch out for: late dinner times and summer heat. Travel in May, June or September if you can.

Official info: Spain.info.

5. Australia 🇦🇺 (Grade A)

Why it works: Australia is outdoors-first and baby-friendly. Parents rooms are standard in shopping centres, parks have free BBQs and brilliant playgrounds, and patrolled beaches are everywhere. Wildlife parks let little ones see kangaroos and koalas up close.

Best base: Sydney for ferries and beaches, or the Gold Coast for calm creeks and theme parks.

Watch out for: a very long flight from Europe and North America, and strong sun. Pack hats, rash vests and SPF50+.

Official info: Australia.com.

6. New Zealand 🇳🇿 (Grade A-)

Why it works: safe, uncrowded and gentle, with short drives between highlights. Playgrounds with views, easy walks, farm stays and wildlife make it perfect for a road trip at baby pace.

Best base: start in Auckland, then hire a car or campervan.

Watch out for: long flights and changeable weather. Pack layers and a rain cover.

Official info: Tourism New Zealand.

7. United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪 (Grade A+)

Why it works: winter sun with five-star family facilities. Malls have family rooms, the Dubai Metro is step-free, beaches are calm, and many hotels have kids clubs and baby equipment on request.

Best base: Dubai for beaches and variety, or Abu Dhabi for a calmer stay.

Watch out for: extreme heat from May to September. Go between November and March.

Official info: Visit Dubai.

8. Canada 🇨🇦 (Grade A-)

Why it works: clean, safe, friendly cities with huge parks, aquariums and science centres, plus excellent healthcare and baby facilities.

Best base: Vancouver, where children aged 12 and under ride free on public transport and the seawall is perfect for stroller walks.

Watch out for: big distances between regions and a rainy winter on the west coast.

Official info: Destination Vancouver.

9. South Korea 🇰🇷 (Grade A-)

Why it works: modern, safe and full of nursing rooms, with an excellent subway and indoor kids cafés (soft-play cafés) on almost every block for rainy days.

Best base: central Seoul, or Jamsil near Lotte World.

Watch out for: hilly older neighbourhoods. Bring a carrier.

Official info: Visit Korea.

10. Thailand 🇹🇭 (Grade B)

Why it works: Thai people adore babies, family resorts are great value, and mild dishes like rice, chicken and fruit are easy to find. A resort in Phuket with a shallow pool is a dream with a one-year-old.

Watch out for: rough pavements in cities, strong sun and heat. Use bottled water for formula, and choose the dry season (November–April).

Official info: Tourism Authority of Thailand.

How to travel with a 1-year-old: our top tips

Booking flights

• Lap infant or own seat? Under-2s can usually fly on your lap with an infant ticket. On long flights, a separate seat with an approved car seat can mean much better sleep.
• Bassinets have limits. Airline bassinets usually have weight and length limits that many one-year-olds have outgrown. Check with your airline.
• Time flights around sleep. Overnight long-haul flights and nap-time short flights work best.

More in our flying with a baby guide.

Protecting naps

• Pack the sleeping bag, comforter and white noise your baby sleeps with at home.
• Choose accommodation with a separate bedroom, or bring a travel blackout blind.
• Plan one main activity a day, ideally in the morning.

Food and milk

• Whole cow’s milk is easy to find in most of these countries. If your baby is on formula, bring enough for the first days until you find a local brand.
• Pack a snack box. Fruit, crackers and pouches buy you calm in queues.

Health and safety

• Get travel insurance that covers your baby from the first day.
• Check vaccination advice with your doctor, and see the CDC’s travel health pages for destination-specific guidance.
• Carry a small medicine kit: baby paracetamol, a thermometer and saline drops.

Ready to pack? Use our free baby & toddler packing list, check entry rules in the visa directory, and see our full ranking of the best places to travel with a baby.