I’ve always had a list of ‘things to do before I die’ in my head, but it wasn’t until a global pandemic hit that I took the time to write my travel bucket list out. Creating a Travel Bucket List might seem a bit macabre. But surprisingly, creating this list has had the opposite effect.
My initial list included goals for my health, and family, but surprise, surprise, the bulk of my life’s bucket list experiences center around my great love of travel. I decided to create a separate bucket list just for travel. Writing out my most fervent travel dreams reminded me to be grateful for all the wonderful experiences I’ve had, and it inspired me to have hope for the future.
I’ve listed some of the most awesome adventures that you can have around the world. I believe that everyone should experience some of these at least once in their life. I’ve organized this Travel Bucket List based on continents in alpha order. The items that I’ve already completed have a check next to them.
[This post on My Ultimate Travel Bucket List was originally published in September 2020 and updated
January 2022]
Travel Bucket List: Africa
- Stand in “Door of no return”, Ghana
- Stand on the bank of Jamestown River, Ghana
- Experience Ngorongoro National Park with my family, Tanzania
- Watch the sunset in Zanzibar √
- Go on a safari, Tanzania/Kenya √
- Have a photoshoot in Chefchaoan, Morocco
- Buy housewares from a souk, Morocco
- See the Giza Pyramids, Egypt
- Swim in the Devil’s Pool, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
- Stroll down the Avenue of Baobabs, Madagascar
- Stay in an overwater bungalow, Maldives
- Sail down the Nile River
- Witness the Great Migration of Wildebeests Tanzania √
- Go to a desert safari
- Spend the night at Giraffe Manor, Kenya
Travel Bucket List: Asia
- Walk on the Great Wall of China, Beijing √
- Watch the sunrise at the Taj Mahal
- Swim in the world’s largest infinity pool, Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore
- Take romantic pictures while hanging out of a moving train, Sri Lanka
- Enjoy a flower bath in Bali, Indonesia
- Explore the ancient Petra, Jordan
- Float in the Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan
- Stay at the luxurious Wadi Rum Hotel, Jordan
- Eat at Ithaa, the underwater restaurant in the Maldives
- Watch the sea of hot air balloons take flight, Cappadocia, Turkey
- Try Michelin-starred street food, Singapore
- Sail on Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
- Take a cooking class in India
- Ride a horse in Mongolia
Travel Bucket List: The Caribbean
- Swim on Pig Beach in Exumas, Bahamas
- Enjoy conch salad made fresh on a beach in the Bahamas
- Stay in the overwater bungalows, Jamaica
- Zip down the longest zipline over water (Dragon’s Breath Flight Line), Labadee, Haiti
- Navigate a personal underwater SUB, Bahamas
- Hang out with flamingos at Flamingo Beach in Aruba
Travel Bucket List: Europe
- Explore the hometown of the Beatles and take the cheesiest pics of me: walking across Abbey Road, visiting a barbershop on Penny Lane, visiting Eleanor Rigby’s grave, and sitting next to the statue dedicated to all the ‘lonely people’. Liverpool, England
- Visit Jane Austen’s home with my daughter who is her namesake, Chawton, England
- Witness the splendor of the Northern Lights from the comfort of my igloo hotel, Kakslauttenen. Lapland, Finland
- Island hop on a private yacht in Croatia
- See the Valley of Waterfalls, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
- Witness the splendor of the Dolomites, Italy
- Take a family road trip around Ring Road in Iceland
- Go on a whiskey tasting tour, Scotland
- Enjoy a dip in the Blue Lagoon, Iceland
- Dance all night in Ibiza, Spain
- Take the ferry from Spain to Morocco. This two-day Fez itinerary is perfect.
- Marvel at the endless rows of flowers in the Tulip Fields of the Netherlands
- Visit the Blue Grotto, Capri, Italy
- Share a pint of Guinness at the Guinness Brewery, Dublin, Ireland
- Have a knitting sesh with local knitters in the birthplace of fair isle knitting, Fair Isle, Scotland
- Enjoy a panoramic view of the Swiss mountains while floating in the famed infinity pool at the Villa Honegg, Switzerland
- Visit the Neverending Story Museum, Munich, Germany
- Take a cooking class in Italy
- Take the Swiss Alps Train Tour, Switzerland
- Rent a yacht and enjoy the posh life in Saint-Tropez, France
- Watch the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, London √
- Enjoy a gondola ride, Venice, Italy √
- Dance the waltz in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, Paris, France with the love of my life
Travel Bucket List: North America
- Stand on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, Tennessee √
- Spend the night in a tiny house/cabin, Williamsport, Maryland √
- Spend the night in a tiny house √
- Visit all 50 States, USA
- Visit the Lorraine Motel, Memphis Tennesee √
- Eat my way through New Orleans on a food tour
- Visit Graceland, Memphis, TN √
- Take amazing family photos in Antelope Canyon, Arizona
- Drive up the coast of Oregon
- See the Cherry Blossoms Bloom, Washington, DC √
- Milk a cow on a dairy farm
- Take a family road trip in an RV. Plan your RV trip now!
- Take the Goonies tour in Astoria, Oregon
- Sail on an Alaskan Cruise
- See the Northern Lights, Alaska
- Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, New York
- Enjoy Niagara Falls, New York √
- Listen to U2’s Joshua Tree album while I drive through Joshua Tree National Park, Palm Springs, California
- See the Redwoods in Northern California
- Explore Zion National Park √
- Visit Prince Edward Island, Canada, and explore everything Anne of Green Gables
- Watch the sunrise over Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
- See the wild ponies on the beach in Maryland
- Take a surfing lesson
- Go hiking through slot canyons √
- Spend the night in a Yurt
- Go line dancing in Music City, Nashville, TN √
- Visit a chocolate factory, Pennsylvania
- Live off of the grid for at least one month, Alaska or Canada
- RV up the Northeast coast of America starting in Washington and ending at Banff National Park
- Take a solo trip √
Travel Bucket List: Oceania
- Climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge √
- Learn about Aboriginal Culture and History from the First Nations People √
- Visit Uluru, Ayers Rock
- Learn about Maori History and Culture from the Maori people, New Zealand
- Swim with humpback whales, Tonga
- Get greeted with a haka and hongi, New Zealand
- Scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
- RV around New Zealand
Travel Bucket List: South America
- Swim in a cenote in Mexico
- See bioluminescent plankton, Mexico
- Hike up Rainbow Mountain, Peru
- Trek the Incan trail, Peru
- Machu Picchu, Peru
- Visit all 7 continents √
- Enjoy Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina √
- Visit the Christ the Redeemer statue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil √
Did you find things on my list that you’ve already done? What about things you never knew about? My ultimate travel bucket list includes thrilling experiences, historic sites, and luxury hotel accommodations, and it’s a testament to all the wonderful and exciting things the world has to offer.
If you found this post on my ultimate travel bucket list helpful, you might also like:
How to Save Money on Your Family Vacation: 14 Top Tips and Tricks
15 Best US National Parks for Families
The Ultimate Family Guide to Visiting Washington, DC with Kids
What’s on your travel bucket list? Please share below.
