Official Bucket List Places to Visit & How to Make a Travel Bucket List

We are sharing our official travel bucket list places to visit. But we aren’t stopping there. We are also going to tell you how to make a travel bucket list of your own!

We know you’re not kicking the bucket any time soon, but that’s no excuse to not have a bucket list. Even just the act of creating your bucket list places to visit can help get your butt in gear and plan a trip. Maybe you’re dreaming of exploring New Zealand, hiking Yosemite National Park or experiencing the bustling city of Barcelona.

The view from Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park. You can see Yosemite Valley and Half Dome — Incredible views from Glacier Point

On top of that, creating a travel bucket list of places to visit is fun! We had a BLAST creating ours, imagining how and when we will be able to see all of these amazing things the world has to offer!

We will put a by items we have been able to do!

So, without further ado, here is Ruhls of the Road’s official travel bucket list places to visit. We will start at 50 and count down all the way to 1! By sharing our list we hope to inspire you to create your own personal travel bucket list and hopefully give you some ideas of wonderful places to put on it.

If you’d like you can skip ahead in the article to where we talk about How To Make a Travel Bucket List.

Since Positano Italy is built on a cliff, there are a ton of stairs. Here is a picture showcasing the many stairs in the city. — The many stairs of Positano

Bucket List Places to Visit

50. Go Whale Watching in Alaska

Everything about whale watching looks and sounds absolutely EPIC! Seeing an animal that is bigger than a school bus?? Something that puts elephants to shame?! There’s a ‘your mom’ joke in there somewhere…

It is a life goal to see a whale breach the water like this one. It looks just like Zach flailing into bed after a long day hiking…

A humpback whale breaching from the surface of the ocean. — Whale Watching is Number 50 in our Best Bucket List Ideas

49. See the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

What does everyone think of when they think of Barcelona?? Sagrada Familia of course! Maybe you didn’t know that’s what it was called, but I bet you knew what it looks like.

This church, which stands tall over the rest on Barcelona, Spain, is actually still unfinished. Construction began in 1882 and they are STILL NOT DONE. Regardless, this gem is absolutely firmly on our top 50 best bucket list places to visit ideas.

Update: We were able to complete this one with Indie when she was just 4 months old! Travel doesn’t have to stop when you have a baby. Use these baby travel tips and start planning!

A birds eye view of Barcelona and in the center stands La Sagrada Familia. — A view over Sagrada Familia from the Terrace

48. Go Camping in Yosemite

Growing up we would always hear about family road trips out to Yosemite for camping, but we never got the chance to do it ourselves. What better time than now!

Yosemite is full of sheer cliffs, big skies, and more animals than Julie has shoes. Sign us up!

Update: We were able to complete this one! We went to Yosemite in October of 2019 and had the time of our lives camping and hiking all over the park!

A view of half dome from Glacier Point in Yosemite National park. — Ultimate United States Bucket List – Yosemite National Park

47. See the Petronas Towers in Malaysia

These skyscrapers stand TALL over Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. How tall? They were the tallest buildings in the WORLD from 1998 to 2004 when Taipei 101 was built in China.

Another reason these are on our bucket list of places to visit? We’ve always wanted to go to Malaysia! There is so much in Southeast Asia that we still want to see and do, and the Petronas Towers are an absolute MUST.

the Petronas Towers at night. The tallest building in the world stands high in the sky and is lit up beautifully against the black night sky. — The Petronas Towers at night

46. See a Concert at Red Rocks

We are concert folks. Zach has road-tripped to Tennessee for Bonnaroo and camped in the mud to see Tom Petty and Paul McCartney perform. Didn’t hurt that Of Monsters and Men and The Lumineers were performing too, two of his favorites.

We actually really hit it off at a Chvrches concert at the famous First Ave in downtown Minneapolis. That’s when Zach busted out some of his killer dance moves and Julie’s jaw was literally on the floor the entire night.

Going to a Red Rocks show is the holy grail of concerts. The natural amphitheater surrounded by the Colorado landscape looks INSANE! We absolutely will see a show here before we kick the bucket.

Update: We’ve now been to 3 Red Rocks concerts and we can truly say it is such a unique and awesome venue. We will be back for another concert in no time.

The Red Rocks Amphitheater found just outside of Denver, Colorado in Morrison Colorado. It's an outdoor concert venue that is set between huge red rocks with an amazing view of downtown Denver in the distance. — Beautiful setting for a concert

45. Live on a Sailboat in Mexico (for at least a week)

Waking up every day and being 3 steps from the salty surf. Watching every sunrise and sunset with an uninterrupted view of the horizon. Having the freedom to decide where exactly you want to go, and the means to get you there. Living on a sailboat is living the dream my friend!

Maybe one of the hard parts? No wifi… Julie might die without wifi. But it’s only a week! Grab a book, rub some sun tan lotion on, and enjoy the wide open sea.

Our preferred destination to live on a sailboat would be Cozumel. The island itself looks incredible, and we have heard that there are a ton of amazing things to do in Cozumel! From snorkeling to ATV tours, we would love to visit this island paradise off of Mexico!

a catamaran sailboat sitting in a beautiful blue lagoon off the coast of Mexico — Those ocean blues would never get old.

44. Hike to Kelingking Beach in Bali

If you go to Bali and don’t get a picture of the dinosaur head at Kelingking Beach, did you even go to Bali?? It’s no wonder why people love it, the view is as good as any in the world.

White sandy beaches? Check. Beautiful blue waters? Check. Tropical paradise? Check. Cliffs that form the head of a dinosaur? Check! What does this place not have?? It deserves to be on a travel bucket list of places to visit.

A view of Kelingking Beach in Bali which is infamous for it's dinosaur looking head coming out from one end of the beach. The beach itself is beautiful white sand against a beautiful blue ocean. — Kelingking Beach

43. Go Skydiving

Skydiving should be on everyone’s bucket list! Crapping your pants as you jump OUT OF A PLANE! Does it get any better? Yes it does, because it is all captured forever on video. You’ll have blackmail on anyone you go skydiving with for the rest of your life!

We can’t lie, we are wimps about height. At least Zach is. He won’t be caught within 10 feet of a cliff as we’re hiking, and when the trail narrows he will literally close whichever eye that is closest to the cliff. Not very smart is he..? And STILL he is all on board for jumping out of a speeding jet, and you should be too!

But if we are going to jump out of a plane, you bet it’s going to be some place incredibly beautiful. Some of our top choices would be skydiving in Hawaii, New Zealand or Switzerland.

a picture of a skydiver right as they jumped from the small plane and free falling towards the ground. — what a rush!!!

36. Walk Beneath the California Redwoods

Of course California has to be on here. California has many places that shouldn’t just be on a USA bucket list travel post, but a worldwide bucket list travel post! And you can’t talk about traveling California without mentioning the Redwoods.

We have never been to Northern California, so the giant redwoods don’t even seem real to us. This pictures look photoshopped, trees don’t get that big… do they?

Update: we completed this one! We went to see Redwoods National Park on our tour of the USA in October of 2019! The trees are so inspiring and powerful, we could have stayed for days just looking up at each one.

giant redwood trees surrounding Zach. He looks tiny next to these giants. — Redwoods in California – USA Bucket List Travel

35. See the Egyptian Pyramids

Everyone who watched Prince of Egypt as a kid, or as an adult, has always wanted to travel to Egypt to see the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. Seriously, how on EARTH did these get built in the ancient times, with hand tools and rope. Unbelievable.

the pyramids of Egypt with a camel laying in the sandy desert in front of them. — pyramids of Egypt

34. See Cataratas Del Iguacu (Iguazu Falls)

Have you ever heard of this one? We thought we might be able to sneak one in! To be honest we hadn’t heard of Iguazu Falls in Argentina until recently. GOODNESS ME WILL YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT?!

Have you ever seen so many waterfalls in one picture? Seriously, have you? If you have, please tell us where, so we can put that place on our best bucket list places to visit ideas…

Cataratas Del Iguacu which is a massive waterfall that is incredibly wide and powerful. — The biggest waterfalls we’ve ever heard of.

33. Walk Along the Great Wall of China

There is literally a structure that exists in the world that is 13,000 miles long. Think about that for a second. Think about how hard it is to run a mile, and how long that feels. Now think about 10 miles. We’re tired just writing that. This is THIRTEEN THOUSAND MILES! Almost 500 MARATHONS long!

My brain hurts just thinking about how ridiculous this sucker must have been to build. The least we can do is make the voyage to China and pay our respects! And of course race each other up and down the winding curves. Julie will win of course, because girls are better than boys.

A photo of the Great Wall of China which is hundreds of miles long in the mountains. — The Great Wall of China

32. Nighttime Walk at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

If we can ever afford Singapore, by golly we are going to go! The light show at the Gardens by the Bay looks like a Dr. Seuss book come to life.

In the background of this light explosion is the world famous Marina Bay Sands hotel, as well. Maybe if we can afford Singapore we’ll be able to book a night at that bad boy and see what all the fuss is about.

Gardens by the bay in Singapore at night. The tall garden structures are lit up purple during the light show. — Gardens by the Bay

31. Dive in the Great Blue Hole in Belize

This place looks like God just forgot to fill in this part of the world. Just a GIGANTIC hole off the islands outside Belize. The diving here looks pretty unbelievable, just have to watch out for sharks…

A drone shot of the Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize. It's a dark blue circle surrounded by reef before continuing into the blue ocean — The view from above is pretty neat too!

30. Hike Banff National Park

We first discovered Banff in a friend’s wedding photo shoot, and ever since then we’ve been trying to make it to Banff! Lake Louise and Moraine Lake specifically look as cool as the other side of the pillow.

What do we love to do everywhere we go? Hiking of course! And Banff has some of the best on earth. We want to take at least a week or two and camp in the Canadian countryside outside Calgary, hiking every inch of this tundra masterpiece.

Update: we made it to Banff! In July 2019 we hiked all over Banff National Park for 4 straight days. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we will never forget.

at the top of Little Beehive hike in Banff National Park which looks over Lake Louise. This picturesque lake is milky blue and surrounded by mountains — Lake Louise is Straight out of a Dream

29. See the Galapagos Islands Wildlife

The Galapagos is where Charles Darwin theorized evolution, and it is where we want to test our own theory. Our theory is that penguins, sea lions, and giant tortoises will make better travel buddies than people. What do you think?

The Galapagos is home to the only penguins north of the Equator. That basically makes them the hottest penguins in the world, once the Miss Universe Penguin Pageant comes out these babies are sure to take home the crown.

A white sand beach full of seals in the Galapagos Islands — How cute are these seals??

28. Hike to Patagonia

Not the apparel. We do love some good Patagonia threads, but we are talking about the southern tip of South America (which the clothing company was named after).

Patagonia is the unicorn for a number of hikers and climbers out there, and we don’t want to miss out on all the fun. This is firmly in the top 30 of our best bucket list of places to visit ideas!

a view of Patagonia and the steep mountains that surround a greenish blue lake — The views in Patagonia look insane!

27. Danube River Cruise

The Danube River came rushing into our lives on a past trip to Budapest in Hungary. While soaking in the sights and sounds of Budapest, we noticed a few river cruises floating down the Danube, stopping at the docks.

After seeing 5 or 6 boats, Julie ran up in a huff to one of the passengers coming off the boat. She was somehow able to stop the passenger from calling the police on her, and even got some information on the cruise!

These Danube River Cruises cut straight through the heart of Europe, from the Black Sea all the way through Germany. They stop off at many amazing cities along the way, and even have free bikes that you can take to explore each new city! We believe the best way to explore any new city is on two wheels.

a river cruise on the Danube River right in the heart of Budapest — Danube River cuts right through Budapest

26. Sled Dog Rides in Sweden

Julie loves dogs more than she loves Zach, and it’s not even close. So it is natural that she wants to spend as much time with them as she possibly can.

Something about taking a sled dog ride in Scandinavia sounds magical to us. We want to be surrounded by snow.

a team of sled dogs on a snowy trail surrounded by tall snowy trees in a forest — A ride through a winter wonderland.

25. Drive on Salar de Uyuni – Salt Flats in Bolivia

The largest salt flat in the world! At a certain time of the year nearby lakes overflow and leave a thin layer of water on top of the salt flats causing a spectacular reflection of everything in the area.

Do a handstand and you will have no idea which way is up, at least until you come crashing down… During the dry season the endless horizon allows a photographer to play with depth of field and optical illusions. There’s literally never a bad time to visit the Salt Flats in Bolivia.

the Bolivia salt flats which is miles and miles of white salt on the surface of the ground — Bolivia salt flats

24. Camel Ride through a Desert

What can spit 10 feet, has hair all over its body, and can go days without peeing? Zach! And camels… We think he might have been a camel in a past life, to be honest it would explain a lot.

Riding a camel through the desert sounds straight up biblical, we’ll absolutely be blasting tunes from Prince of Egypt (our second Prince of Egypt reference…) on the ride. We’re thinking the best destinations are Jordan, Morocco, and Dubai, but as long as the ride is ‘bumpy’ we’re on board!

A group of people taking a camel ride through the desert — Camel ride through the desert

23. Hike the Na Pali Coast in Kauai, Hawaii

We love Moana. When How Far I’ll Go comes on we are both screaming along at the top of our lungs. We also love Jurassic Park. The scene where the helicopter first lands on the island is a real place. It is the Na Pali Coast in Kauai!

The Na Pali Coast is where Moana meets Jurassic Park. This island is the most wild of Hawaii’s islands, and has the most to offer in terms of hiking and camping.

On top of that, you can go to a luau in Hawaii! Ancient dances! Food! Face and body paint! More food! Native costumes! Dessert! Luaus sound absolutely epic, and you will want to see one where they were born: Hawaii.

Update: we were able to go to Kauai in September of 2019! We hiked all over the Na Pali Coast and did an incredible excursion with Capt Andy’s to the Na Pali Coast beaches.

hiking along one of the ridges on the Napali Coast in Kauai. — Ridge hike in Kauai

22. Breakfast at Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya

Yes, this place exists, and these are real pictures. Giraffe Manor is a cross between a safari, a zoo, a wildlife refuge, and a hotel. The giraffes roam the grounds and LITERALLY HAVE BREAKFAST WITH YOU! WE ARE NOT PULLING YOUR LEG. Google it. We’ll wait.

What did you find? The giraffes literally have breakfast with the guests? That’s what we thought. Do we even have to say anything more? Breakfast with Melmon from Madagascar is all the convincing I need to make Giraffe Manor number 22 on our travel bucket list of places to visit.

Giraffes roaming wild at the Giraffe Manor in Africa — Giraffe Manor

21. Explore Lake Powell & Horseshoe Bend

Lake Powell is a man-made lake that is more like a river. There is lots of shoreline for hiking and lots of water for cruising. Can you imagine whipping around these bends on two skis? Sounds like one heck of a hairpin turn!

If Julie’s water skiing skills are anything like her snow skiing skills we are in for some wicked wipe-outs. Once we’re waterlogged we’d love to camp on the canyon, rest our feet, wake up to these breathtaking views and do it all again.

Update: We completed this in February 2022! What an experience seeing Lake Powell wind around the red walls.

At a lookout over horseshoe bend in northern Arizona on Lake Powell. It's this sharp bend in the river that is surrounded by tall red cliffs. — Horseshoe Bend with Indie

20. One Week at the Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is on the ‘shin’ of Italy’s boot, coming in right above the ankle, and at number 20 on our bucket list places to visit. Why? You tell me. Is it the breathtaking coastline? Unbeatable Italian dining? Fine sandy beaches? All of the above.

The Amalfi Coast is also a HUGE producer of lemons and Limoncello for Italy and the world. You know what they say, when life give you lemons, bring them to the Amalfi Coast so they can turn those lemons into booze.

Update: We checked this off in summer of 2022 and we couldn’t be more excited! Indie in tow of course!

A dreamy photo of Positano on Italy's Amalfi coast at sunset. The cliff leading down to the mediterranean sea is full of beautiful white houses. — Positano at sunset

19. Petra, Dead Sea and Ma’an Governorate

The Dead Sea is 10 TIMES SALTIER THAN THE OCEAN! You will literally float just by plopping your butt in the salty goodness, no life vest needed.

As a bonus, the muddy black bottom is supposed to be FULL of nutrients that are amazing for your skin. You’ll be floating in the water with mud all over your face, basically a deluxe spa treatment if you ask us!

After a spa day in the Dead Sea, we want to head to Ma’an Governorate. This seems like somewhere you have to see to believe. The buildings are literally carved into the edge of a cliff. Seems like a perfect place to ride a camel up to…

A photo of petra which is this beautiful temple design carved into a tall red cliff. — Petra

18. Eat Fresh Sushi in Japan

Sushi is one of those foods where authentic is SO much better than knock-offs. Where do you get the most authentic sushi on earth? Japan of course!

Our second date was to a sushi restaurant (the first was to a brewery of course). Naturally, we want to make the trip to the birthplace of sushi and try the best on earth!

Update: We have a plan to check this one off in February 2024!

A sushi chef placing the finishing garnishes on top of sashimi in Japan — That looks so delicious!

17. See Christ the Redeemer in Rio

Christ the Redeemer stands tall over Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, as one of the most iconic monuments on earth. I mean, just look at it. It is such a powerful image looking over the 3rd largest city in South America.

a photo of christ the redeemer in brazil which is this tall statue of Jesus christ that looks over the busy city below — A must see in Brazil!

16. Wine Tour Through South of France

Who doesn’t want to travel through some of the most beautiful rolling hills on earth while sipping some of the best wine ever tasted? We know you’d have the time of your life, and so would we. That’s why a winery tour through the South of France comes in at number 16 on our countdown of the best bucket list places to visit.

Update: We checked this one off in Summer 2021 and French wine did not disappoint!

A beautiful french vineyard that is surrounded by grape vines — A french winery

15. Stay in a Maldives Overwater Bungalow

We want to get bungaHIGH in a Maldives overwater bungaLOW! This looks to be as close to paradise as you can get. Waking up to some strong coffee and strolling out on the porch to a crystal blue ocean sunrise ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

As an extra bonus, some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the world is in the Maldives. Zach sucks at both, but maybe in the Maldives he will be able to get a bit better!

Maldives travel, Maldives bucket list, things to do Maldives, where to stay Maldives — Maldives should be on your bucket list places to visit

14. Hike Zhangjiajie National Park in China

We’re going to bet that you’ve never heard of this. We hadn’t either until a friend showed us and HOLY CRIPES! Zhangjiajie looks right up there with the best National Parks in the world! And apparently the world of Avatar was based on this bad boy…

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13. Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride

Are we the only ones who didn’t believe that Turkey was a country back in elementary school? Definitely thought the teacher was playing a prank on us… Turkey and Chad. Whenever a country has a corresponding English noun (or was the name of a kid in your class) it just sounded funny as a kid.

Turkey is very much real, and the hot air balloon flights over Cappadocia look like the trip of a lifetime. Good enough for lucky 13 on our official best bucket list places to visit ideas countdown!

Hot Air Balloons over Cappadocia in Turkey – The Trip of a Lifetime Awaits!

12. Road Trip through Ireland

Zach wants to sip Guinness in an authentic Irish pub. Julie wants to stick her head out of the sunroof as we cruise past castles and cliffs. How do we compromise? A road trip through Ireland!

We have so much we want to see in Ireland, a road trip is the only way to do it. Galway, Kilkenny Castle, Limerick, Cliffs of Moher, Cork, Blarney Castle, Dublin, and so much more! Might have to take more than a month to see it all…

Update: We have plans to check this one off in May of 2024!

Cliff of Moher in Ireland which is a coastline made up of a tall cliff and straight drop off to the Ocean — Ireland’s Cliff of Moher

11. Climb Mt Kilimanjaro

The tallest free standing mountain in the world, standing 19,341 feet above sea level… Sign us up! Kilimanjaro takes about a week of climbing to reach the top. If there are views like this on the way up, then we are absolutely golden!

10. Explore the Scottish Highlands

Ever since Zach watched William Wallace trounce King Edward in Braveheart, he’s wanted to trek through the Scottish Highlands. Just watch this video and tell us you don’t want to tag along.

Update: We have plans to check this one off in June 2024!

Scottish highlands, scotland highlands, travel Scotland, visit Scotland, things to do Scotland, Scotland bucket list — Such a lush and dramatic landscape

9. Visit the Taj Mahal

Almost 400 years old and this bad boy is still b-e-a-utiful! A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Taj Mahal belongs on everyone’s bucket list of places to visit.

Nestled in Northern India, a marble mausoleum monstrosity rising over the surrounding countryside, we can’t wait to see the Taj Mahal. Morning yoga and coffee followed by a stunning sunrise? Sign us up.

Taj Mahal - a beautiful temple in India. — Taj Mahal

8. Island Hop the Philippines

To be honest this probably looks like the most fun of any of our bucket list places to visit items. The Philippines look absolutely unbelievable! Island hopping through a tropical wonderland, sipping pina coladas with sandy butt cheeks.

Riding through the lush green islands surrounded by the clear blue water would be the perfect day in my book and I can’t wait to check this one off the list.

Philippines bucket list — Philippines Islands

7. New Zealand South Island – Camp at Milford Sound

Why is Milford Sound on our list? Number one, it is an absolute stunner. Perfect 10. The views look life changing.

Number two, Milford is supposed to have some of the hardest hiking in the Southern Hemisphere. We like a good challenge, and love a good hike. At the South Island of New Zealand, we are going to get both of them in a big way.

Update: We checked this one off the bucket list… sort of! Unfortunately when we were in New Zealand there was a massive landslide due to rainfall that took out the road to Milford Sound. Instead we visited Milford Sound via plane and it was seriously a once in a lifetime experience!

cruising through Milford sound in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park. The fjord cuts through tall mountains on both sides. — Milford Sound Cruise

6. See Mt Bromo at Sunrise

Massive Mt Bromo is an active volcano located on the southern side of Indonesia. I repeat, an active volcano. This son of a gun has erupted FOUR TIMES in the last 15 years.

Seems a little bit like Julie to be honest… Looks damn good in a picture, but do not, DO NOT, piss her off.

To be honest it reminds us a little bit of Mount Wannahockaloogie. Hopefully no one makes us swim through the ring of fire!

5. Take the Train in Sri Lanka – 9 Arch Bridge

The most beautiful train ride in the world lies in the heart of Sri Lanka, from Kandy to Ella. Along the way, you pass over the 9 Arch Bridge, whose local names means 9 skies, named for the 9 separate skies you see as you look up through the arches from below.

The bridge is only accessible by train or on foot, and we’ve heard it is QUITE a hike. What else? On this train you’re allowed to stick your arms and head out as you ride, and you may even be able to hang out on the side of the train if you’ve got the cojones…

A photo of the 9 Arch Bridge which is a tall train track bridge that goes through the jungle in Sri Lanka. — 9 Arch Bridge

4. Go on an African Safari

MAAAAA SEVVENYAAAA MAMA LEETSY MAMAAA GIVAAA HOWAYYY

When Lion King comes on we turn it up to 11! And we’d give just about anything to experience the Savannah in Africa for ourselves. Julie’s favorite animal is the elephant. Zach’s favorite is the zebra. Sounds like a win win to jump on an African Safari!

african safari, africa safari, africa bucket list, travel bucket list, things to do in africa — African safari would be a dream come true!

3. See the Northern Lights in Norway’s Fjords

Norway = Epic. We think Norway is WAY TOO UNDERRATED for people choosing their travel destinations. Maybe because they think it is too far North? Maybe because they dominate all the skiing events at the Winter Olympics? Whatever the reason, wake up people!

Norway is home to some of the most magnificent lakes, waterways, and cliffs on earth, and the fjords are to die for! Now sprinkle on some Norway Northern Lights and what do you have? A cocktail worth traveling across the Atlantic for!

Update: We visited the Norway Fjords the summer of 2022. Unfortunately, the northern lights weren’t visible during that time of year but we will absolutely be back in winter at some point.

Norway travel bucket list, must do Norway, must see Norway, things to do Norway, Norway things to do, Norway fjords — Norway fjords

2. Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Ever since Zach read Turn Right at Machu Picchu, he can’t stop talking about hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The hike takes the better part of a week through the mountains and valleys of Peru, past Incan ruins and breathtaking sites

What is better than hiking through the South American jungle past ancient monuments on your way to perhaps the most amazing structure of all time?? Well, in our opinion, only one thing:

machu picchu peru, peru bucket list, things to do peru, hike peru — Breathtaking

1. Live the Van Life for 1 year National Parks Around the USA

Van Life is something we’ve always wanted to do. Set up your 4-wheeled home and hit the road for an ENTIRE YEAR! See the wide open countryside, go where the road takes you, fight with your spouse about not being lost, let your dog pee in all 50 states!

What is there to do while you’re road tripping through the entire United States of America? See all the National Parks of course! There are 58 in all, and we plan on seeing every single one of them in our lifetimes before we kick the bucket!

Update: We were able to accomplish this one! We lived in a van for all of 2019 and traveled all around the country. We explored National Park after National Park, hiking every awesome trail we could find! To read more about our Van Life and hiking adventures, check out these pages:

There you have our 50 best bucket list places to visit! We loved the exercise of putting our bucket list ideas together, and we truly think you will too. Let’s talk about some hints on how to make a travel bucket list!

Us hanging outside our campervan at our campsite. Zach is leaning against the back of the van and I'm hanging upside down from the rooftop deck — We lived and traveled the USA and Canada in this VW Eurovan, named Winnie, for 12 months

Tips on How to Make a Travel Bucket List

Making a travel bucket list of places to visit is an incredibly fun experience. But in some ways it can feel a bit overwhelming. After all, there is a whole world out there to experience! How will you ever get out there to see it all?

Well, to start let’s revisit our definition of a bucket list:

A look at the chair lift in Beaver Creek at dusk with the town lit up at the end of it. — Chair lift in Beaver Creek

Travel Bucket List

noun – A list of adventures, sights, and experiences a person wishes to see during their lifetime. AKA before they ‘kick the bucket’…

Let’s zero in on a few different words in the definition. First off, the word ‘wishes’. Just because you have something on your bucket list doesn’t necessarily mean you have to see it. It means you wish to see it.

Your bucket list of places to visit should act as a guide for your future experiences! Not just as a list you want to ‘check off’ just for the sake of checking it off.

On the Tongariro Alpine Crossing you get close to Mt Doom while hiking through the lava rock. — Mt Doom!

Second, let’s look at the words ‘during their lifetime’. You have a LOT of TIME to see all of these things and experience these adventures! Don’t plan to do all of them in one year, or even five years.

At best, you should be doing a handful of these items each year. If you are able to do all 50 in 2 years, then maybe dream a bit bigger! Okay, now we have some expectations set, let’s get into our tips on how to make a travel bucket list.

Olympic National Park at the coast looking over a rugged coastline from a mossy and very green coast. — Olympic National Park

Make Your Travel Bucket List Action Oriented

Many bucket lists people make are just location-oriented. For instance, the list might look something like this:

Egyptian Pyramids
Australian Outback
Kauai, Hawaii
Southeast Asia
Yosemite National Park

spend 5 days exploring Berlin, Germany's capital city! With a deep history, unique architecture, amazing parks and a picturesque river, you'll have plenty to do — Explore Berlin

This looks like a great list. 5 awesome adventures without a doubt. However, we recommend one change: add actions to each of your travel bucket list ideas. Instead of the above list, make it look something like this:

Walk around the Eqyptian Pyramids
Take a Trek in the Austrailian Outback
Hike the Na Pali Coast in Kauai, Hawaii
Take a Mud Bath with Elephants in Thailand
Camp in Yosemite National Park

Now your list has actual actions associated with each of the locations. This will help each item crystallize in your mind and will get you further down the road when planning each of these awesome actions.

Hiking in Zion National Park in November. We had to pack some warmer jackets and warmer outerlayers to hike at this time of year. There's snow on the red mountains behind us and a beautiful green valley. — Hiking in Zion National Park

Get Inspiration on the Internet

What do Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Facebook have in common? Well, they are all social media apps. They all probably take up some portion of your day. We all know they are pretty addicting.

But, they can also be GREAT tools for finding new places to travel! For us, they were awesome in helping get inspiration for our travel bucket list ideas!

The town of Cefalu and Cefalu Beach. Behind the town are mountains. The town is made of old yet beautiful architecture and buildings. The beach is a long stretch of white sand that meets the blue sea. — The town of Cefalu and Cefalu Beach

Shameless Plug for Our Social Media Accounts

When you use them correctly, these apps make for INCREDIBLE tools. On Pinterest, you can search for awesome travel destinations and on Instagram, you can find the most beautiful views in places around the world.

On Facebook there are groups where people share tips and tricks on different destinations. And YouTube has incredible videos showing all of the adventures you can have around the world.

Pictures Tell 1000 Words, Maui Pictures Tell 1,000,000

Maybe You Should Put Hawaii on Your Bucket List!

Now, you can absolutely fall down rabbit holes on these apps, and easily lose half a day. Remember your goal as you are using them, and do your best to limit your time on each one.

The island of moorea in French Polynesia. This island is surrounded by a reef and great for snorkeling and diving. — Moorea is waiting for you

Talk to Friends & Family

Your friends and family know you very well. They can be an invaluable resource in getting bucket list ideas and learning about new places.

In all likelihood, some of your friends and family have been to places you’ve never been. And since they know you, they will have a good idea of whether you may like those places as well!

Strike up a conversation about bucket lists with your loved ones and see what they have to say! They may even have some ideas that you have never even heard of. Speaking of which…

a view over Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo shortly after sunset. — Piazzale Michelangelo after sunset

Research Places You’ve Never Heard Of

Our FAVORITE bucket list ideas for us were the ones we had never heard of before we started researching. Now, there is one question that must be answered on this topic: How do you find places you’ve never heard of?

That is a great question. If you don’t know about something, how on earth are you supposed to research about it?? Well, there are a couple different way!

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An Alaskan Cruise Could be once of the Most AWESOME Bucket List Items

The easiest option is to use social media. Use the Instagram search page. Scroll Pinterest’s travel boards, ask people on Facebook, etc. If you hear about something that you haven’t heard of, check that place out!

trolltunga hike with kids, trolltunga hike with toddler, trolltunga hike with baby, hard hikes in norway, difficult hikes in norway, norway bucket list, best things to do in norway — Family photo on Trolltunga

For us, before we started researching we had never heard of the following places, and now they are on our bucket list!

Hike to Kelingking Beach in Bali
Visit Dharavi, Mumbai
Cataratas del Iguazu (Iguazu Falls)
Dive the Great Blue Hole in Belize
See Mt Bromo at Sunrise

Okay, on to our next tip for how to make a travel bucket list. Write things down!

cartagena colombia things to do, cartagena colombia old town, what is old town cartagena colombia, what to do old town cartagena, things to see cartagena colombia, old town cartagena history — Exploring Old Town

Write Things Down

Studies show that writing things down helps people take action. Writing a to-do list helps you achieve every item on that to-do list. The same goes with travel bucket lists.

We suggest making a document on your computer with your bucket list, that way you can constantly update the list as you achieve them and you can have it no matter where you go. You may want to opt for something cuter than a Google doc, so in that case maybe you’ll want a journal or even an actual bucket!

hawaii hikes, hawaii family friendly hikes, Kailua hawaii hikes, Hawaii pillbox hikes, baby friendly hikes Hawaii, Oahu hikes, Oahu baby friendly hikes, Oahu family friendly hikes, Oahu kid friendly hikes — Hiking in Kailua, Hawaii

Make Plans!

Once you complete your bucket list, then the TRULY fun part comes! You can start planning for one of your adventures!

If you would like help with planning, we wrote an awesome Travel eBook with details on how to get cheap travel deals, how to budget for your adventures, and how to get time off work! Click here to check it out!

There you have it. All 50 of our bucket list ideas and our secrets on how to make a travel bucket list! We hoped you loved reading this as much as we loved making it.

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42. Walk Along Lake Bled in Slovenia

2 years ago, we couldn’t find Slovenia on a map. If you’re being honest with yourself, you couldn’t either, right? But this place is ROCKETING up our travel bucket list places to visit!

Just look at this picture from above Lake Bled, that is one of the most picturesque islands on earth. A bell tower on an island surrounded by turquoise waters and snow-capped mountains in the distance?

Is this place made up in a fairy tale. Odds are there is a princess in that tower and a monster lurking in the lake awaiting any challengers…

a photo of lake bled at sunset. The lake is completely still and in the middle of the lake is a charming little island with some beautiful European architecture on it. — Have you ever seen a more romantic and picturesque lake?

41. Stay in a Treetop Hotel in Saint Lucia Island

We were about ten minutes away from making Saint Lucia our honeymoon destination, but we changed course last minute. Flights were just too expensive at the time, and we travel on a budget!

However, as flight prices get better we will absolutely be heading your way Saint Lucia! There are literally treetop hotels (cabins? treehouses?) that you can stay in!

Monkeys hang out at your doorstep, the sun rises high in the sky, and you will be sipping cocktails out of coconuts! And OH LORD the hiking on this island looks to be about as good as any on earth.

A beautiful photo of Saint Lucia and the mountainous landscape that is has, surrounded by ocean — Saint Lucia

40. Oktoberfest in Munich

If you’ve ever met us, odds are at least one of us has had a beer in their hands. Julie loves Porters and wheat beers. Zach opts for a local IPA or a good ol fashioned Coors Light.

Both of us would love to order beer (or bier) by the liter, and want to head to Munich in the fall to do it! Drinking out of a shoe (like some people do at Oktoberfest) might not be your thing, but Lederhosen and Dirndls sure as hell better be.

If you’re not getting down with the Bavarian culture when you’re putting back beer and pretzels, then you my friend are NOT doing it right. Make sure Oktoberfest is firmly on your best bucket list of places to visit ideas, it sure as heck is on ours.

A table full of giant beers during Munich's Oktoberfest. Each beer is filled perfectly to the rim with a lots of foam on top. — Giant beers? Count us in!

39. Snowboard in the Alps & Visit Dolomites

Zach tried to teach Julie to snowboard in 2016 and it was NOT pretty. Julie’s butt took a beating on the ice, and the day ended with Zach falling down the stairs outside the chalet, throwing his coffee straight up into the clear blue sky in the process. Like I said, NOT pretty.

If you think Julie is insane to go from not being able to make it down a blue square, all the way to the ITALIAN ALPS, then you’re right! But an Alice in Wonderland quote comes to mind: ‘You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.’

If we fall down a rabbit hole in Northern Italy, don’t come looking for us, we’ll be kicking it with Alice having a grand ol time! After shredding the Alps we’re going to hop on over to the Dolomites for some UNBELIEVABLE views.

This place looks like it was plucked from the dreams of someone who ate one too many magic mushrooms before bed. Once we saw it we knew it would be firmly planted on our best bucket list places to visit.

Update: We did visit the Dolomites, but it wasn’t during Winter. So we partially checked this one off.

The beautiful Dolomites mountain range with the lush green grass in the foreground and your typical northern Italian architecture. — The Dolomite mountain range seems to rise out of no where.

38. Do Yoga in India and Visit Dharavi, Mumbai (Slums of India)

Downward Dog in Buddha’s backyard! We have a love affair with Yoga that started when we both began classes in college. Julie went for the yoga, Zach went for the girls in yoga pants.

Thankfully he struck out 100% of the time at the studio and met Julie a few years later, and as a bonus the yoga ended up giving him his killer dance moves.

After yoga we will be taking a trip to Dharavi in Mumbai. This place is known as the slums of India, it is the largest slum in all of Asia. We believe it’s important to experience the culture in every country we visit. Seeing the living and working conditions of the people here will give us a brand new outlook on life.

a lady in tree pose (a yoga pose) in front of the taj mahal in India. — We gotta try yoga where it first began

37. Trek the Australian Outback

G’day mate! Let’s put another shrimp on the barbie! Australia slides into the top 40 of our list, as a mecca for trekkers the world over. We want nothing more than to head into the outback in a camper van and cruise the desert in search of wildlife and good times.

Something about being in the middle of nowhere, away from crowds and experiencing nature at its finest sounds absolutely incredible to us. The Australian outback checks every box!

Australia's outback and Uluru which is a giant red rock found in the middle of Australia's outback. — Australia would be a dream come true for us!