My Travel Bucket List

I’ll always remember the first time I set off on my first backpacking adventure all those years ago. Back then all I wanted to do was experience the Full Moon Party in Koh Pha Ngan and see the famous Sydney Harbour in real life. As I cross off the things on my travel bucket list I noticed a real problem that most of us will have had – the list just gets longer and longer!

Everyone has a bucket list. Whether you’ve physically written it down or have it somewhere in your head. Isn’t there somewhere you’ve always wanted to go or something you’ve always wanted to do? Well, that’s exactly what should be on your list before you ‘kick the bucket’ as they say!

The only tiny flaw with bucket lists is that the more you tick off, the more you’ll add on! That’s because you meet fellow travellers who will tell you that you absolutely have to visit country X. Or maybe certain shows about thrones and dragons will inspire you to visit those locations. That’s absolutely fine because the world is a big place with many amazing things to be experienced.

Why Create A Travel Bucket List?

Writing your dreams and aspirations down will undoubtedly make you more determined to achieve your goals. If you’ve got it on your bucket list then what’s stopping you from going? Only yourself, that’s what!

I’m talking specifically about a travel bucket list here! Making a million dollars, owning a house, or buying an expensive car or yacht doesn’t really interest me at the moment (the million dollars would help with my travel goals though!)

I’ve listed my dream destinations which includes seeing spectacular sights and natural wonders as well as other things. Take a look and see if you can be inspired to create your own.

My Travel Bucket List

World Wonders

1. Explore the lost city of Petra, Jordan
2. Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru – the only way to see Machu Picchu.
3. Pretend to be a gladiator at the Colosseum, Rome
4. Visit Christ the Redeemer In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
5. Marvel at the Taj Mahal, India – it’s more beautiful than you think.
6. Explore the ancient temples of Bagan, Myanmar
7. Watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat, Cambodia
8. Walk along the Great Wall Of China
9. Climb the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
10. Marvel at the Giza Pyramids, Egypt
11. Travel back in time at the Acropolis, Greece
12. See Gaudi’s unfinished Sagrada Familia in Barcelona – to be completed in 2026!
13. Do a hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia, Turkey
14. Wander through the souks of Marrakech, Morrocco – wander means ‘get lost’.
15. See the Moai heads on Easter Island
16. Watch the sunset in Oia, Santorini
17. Play the Game of thrones in Dubrovnik, Croatia
18. See the colourful villages of Cinque Terra, Italy
19. Be confused at the mystery of Stonehenge, England
20. See the Hagia Sophia, Turkey
21. Lean up against the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
22. Be in awe of The Terracotta Army, China
23. Wander the blue streets of Chefchaouen, Morocco
24. Learn about the ancient Mayans at Chichen Itza, Mexico
25. Take a gondola ride in Venice, Italy
26. Hike to the Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan
27. Imagine a scene from Disney at Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
28. Explore the incredible Alhambra, Spain
29. See Sydney Harbour’s famous opera house and bridge, Australia
30. Climb to the top of Sigiriya Fortress, Sri Lanka
31. See the many stairs of Chand Baori, India
32. Climb the giant pyramids of Teotihuacan, Mexico
33. Look up at the Leshan Giant Buddha, China
34. See the Tetris building at Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Russia
35. See the old bridge at Rhonda, Spain
36. Watch the mirror reflections of the Devil’s Bridge, Germany
37. Ride the London Eye, England – I can’t believe I haven’t done this yet!
38. Throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, Rome – now I’ve guaranteed my return to Rome.
39. Visit North Korea – why not!?

Natural Wonders

40. Visit Antarctica – my last continent.
41. See the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia
42. Swim in the multi-layer waterfall of Kuang Si Falls, Laos
43. Marvel at the beauty of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
44. Hunt for the Aurora Borealis – saw them in Iceland but I’d love to find them again!!
45. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
46. Enter the Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan
47. See the desert meet the ocean at the Skeleton Coast, Namibia
48. Gaze at the mountain forests of Zhangjiajie, China – the inspiration for the Avatar floating mountains.
49. Discover legendary tales at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
50. See the white sands and clear waters of Maldives – who wants to pay for my overwater bungalow?
51. Lay on the most perfect white sand at Whitehaven Beach, Australia
52. Be the king of my cotton castle in Pamukkale, Turkey
53. Recreate my own Toblerone advert at the Matterhorn, Switzerland
54. Look for Yogi Bear at Yellowstone National Park – I know it’s not Jellystone!
55. Follow in Dr Livingtone’s footsteps at Victoria Falls, Zambia
56. Arrive in time for the cherry blossom in Japan
57. Go hiking and rafting at the Grand Canyon, USA
58. Get lost in the Sagano Bamboo Forest, Japan
59. Be amazed at the multi-tiered Iguazu Falls, Brazil
60. See what the fuss is all about on Jeju Island, South Korea
61. Gaze at the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland – maybe try to pronounce them properly too.
62. Have my breath taken away by Angel Falls, Venezuela
63. Walk down the Avenue Of The Baobabs, Madagascar
64. See the world’s biggest single rock monolith at Uluru, Australia
65. Stand on top of Table Mountain, South Africa
66. Witness ice calving at Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina
67. Swim in the beautiful cenotes of Yucatan, Mexico
68. Watch the smoke ooze from Mount Bromo, Indonesia – Ijen too whilst I’m at it!
69. Explore The Amazon Rainforest while I still can, Brazil

Adventure List

70. Sit on the edge of Trolltunga, Norway
71. Go for a swim at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland – sorry but I couldn’t put this under Natural Wonders!
72. Do a skydive – did this in Namibia and it was incredible.
73. Ride a motorbike through the mountain roads of Sapa, Vietnam
74. Drive a tuk-tuk around India or Sri Lanka
75. Learn to surf on Australia’s east coast – but I couldn’t stand for more than 3 seconds.
76. Sandboard down the dunes at Huacachina, Peru
77. Drive along the Great Ocean Road, Australia
78. Hike the Caminito Del Rey in Spain – I know it’s not dangerous now but I still want to do it.
79. Test my endurance by trekking Everest Base Camp
80. Hike through the spectacular Torres Del Paine, Patagonia
81. Float in the Dead Sea, Jordan/Israel
82. Stand on a suspended rock Kjeragbolten, Norway
83. Go tubing in Vang Vieng, Laos – this is now pretty free of drunk backpackers… sweet!
84. Summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
85. Go white water rafting on the Zambezi River, Zambia
86. Hike the Stairway To Heaven, Hawaii – or maybe not? (It’s illegal!)
87. Trek the Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
88. Experience a live volcano – from a safe distance!
89. Drive across The Nullabor, Australia
90. See a tornado – from far, far away!
91. Ride down the world’s most dangerous road, Bolivia

Animal Encounters

92. Chill with the flamingos in Aruba
93. Meet King Julian and his friends in Madagascar
94. Ride a camel through the Sahara Desert
95. Witness the great wildebeest migration, Africa
96. Hand-feed wild hyenas in Ethiopia – yep. That’s what I want to do!
97. Watch evolution in progress on the Galapagos Islands – and the blue-footed boobies!
98. Search for polar bears in Svalbard, Norway
99. Spot the big 5 on an African safari
100. Watch the Snow Monkeys have a spa day in Japan
101. Release baby turtles back into the wild – I don’t care where! I just want to do this so badly.
102. Share a kiss with a giraffe
103. Meet the mountain gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda
104. Listen to the sounds of a humpback whale
105. Swim alongside the giant whale shark
106. Come face to face with Komodo Dragons
107. See our cousins, the orangutans in Indonesia
108. Swim with dolphins in the wild
109. Be stuck in a cage on a great white shark cage dive – only by an ethical operator
110. Witness the majestic blue whale in the ocean
111. Cuddle a baby panda in Cheng Du, China
112. Kayak with orcas – assuming that this is safe to do so.
113. Witness the Great Sardine Run in South Africa
114. See the cuddle marsupials of Australia
115. Not ride elephants in Thailand – I didn’t mistype that!

Cultural Experiences

116. Gaze at Renaissance masterpieces at the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City
117. Stay in a Ger (yurt) in Mongolia
118. Sample delicious street food in Southeast Asia
119. Take a cooking class
120. Have a beer at Oktoberfest – not sure if I can handle the size though.
121. Be part of an Indian wedding – I have been promised an invite so we’ll see!
122. See The Mona Lisa at the L’Ouvre
123. Attend a yoga retreat in Bali.
124. Get blessed by a Buddhist monk in Asia
125. Enjoy a pint of Guinness in Dublin
126. Drink Mezcal in Oaxaca
127. Celebrate Hogmanay in Edinburgh – twice! And it was awesome!
128. Visit the cafes in Amsterdam – you know, for coffee!
129. Watch the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
130. Learn the Tango in Argentina
131. Celebrate New Year’s Eve in another country – Australia, Germany and Malaysia so far.
132. ‘Play Holi’ at the Holi Festival in India
133. See the world-famous Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy
134. Be intimidated by the Hakka in New Zealand
135. Attend a Japanese tea ceremony
136. Be scrubbed down in a Hammam in Turkey
137. See a musical at London’s West End – saw The Lion King and I highly recommend it!
138. Witness life on the Ganges at Varanasi, India –
139. Learn about religion in Jerusalem
140. Get dressed up for Day Of The Dead in Mexico
141. Get pelted by rotten tomatoes at La Tomatino
142. Party all night at the Full Moon Party in Thailand
143. Get drenched in a water fight to celebrate Songkran in Thailand

Personal Goals

144. Fly business class – the one luxury I want to try.
145. Visit 100 countries – currently on 52.
146. Start a travel blog
147. Learn a new language
148. Get a working holiday visa in Australia
149. Backpack around Southeast Asia
150. Visit every continent – only 1 to go.
151. Celebrate a birthday abroad – very lucky to have done this many times.
152. Travel solo
153. Get my full motorbike license – for my own safety when riding around SE Asia!
154. Get PADI Certified
155. Be in a newspaper – in the UK, Indonesia, Nigeria and Mexico.

Ready To Start Your Own Travel Bucket List?

If you haven’t already started your own list then what are you waiting for?

Listen, travel isn’t about checking the boxes but having a bucket list can certainly motivate you. Rather than wishing that I could travel to my dream destination, I have things on my list that I can plan for instead. Your travel bucket list is something that can and will change because, as you travel more often, you’ll change too!

Remember, this is my travel bucket list and I’ve only listed everything on here to hopefully inspire you to either create your own list or start ticking some items off it! Set your own goals and do whatever you can to achieve them! I plan to do the same.

So that’s my travel bucket list guys! How many have you seen or done? If you want to share yours then you can always get in contact with me and I’ll see if I can help. Or just let me know in the comments below.

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