If you don’t already know what a bucket list is, it’s a list of things to do and places to go during one’s lifetime. The term picked up in popularity following the 2007 buddy film The Bucket List, starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, but it had been around long before them.
Many think the term “bucket list” originates from the phrase “kick the bucket,” which means to die. That phrase itself refers to the Medieval practice of execution by hanging, where the executioner would kick away a bucket, leaving the condemned prisoner suspended in the air.
Even if you never check off an entire bucket list, it can be fun to make one, and it can give a sense of purpose and focus.
Here are 50 ideas for bucket list items and why they’re worthy.
1. Go Skydiving
Experience the thrill of a free fall before the parachute opens and catches you. There’s really nothing else like it.
2. Climb a Big Mountain
You don’t need to invest the time, money, and effort required for something like Everest. If you don’t have the skills to do it yourself, you can hire a guide to get you safely up and down a landmark U.S. peak like Rainier, Hood, or Shasta.
3. See the Great Wall of China
Built primarily to protect from nomadic tribes of the Eurasian Steppes, the Great Wall of China is one of the most impressive feats of architecture in history. When you visit it, you can walk along the top, take in the views, and imagine what it was like there centuries ago.
4. Visit the Pyramids of Giza
You have to see these marvels to really believe them. The Great Pyramid itself, a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu, took 27 years to build and is nearly 5,000 years old. Of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, it’s the only one still largely intact.
5. Ride a Camel in the Desert
While you’re out there in the African desert, channel your inner Lawrence of Arabia and go for a ride in the Sahara on camelback. It’s a unique experience that will leave you with a new appreciation for the traditional Arab way of life.
6. Go on a Safari in Africa
Get three birds with one stone and now head south to Kenya or one of its neighbors to go on safari and see the legendary wildlife of the heart of Africa. If you have time, trek the massive, snowy Kilimanjaro, which has a glacier despite its proximity to the equator.
7. View the Northern Lights
An electromagnetic phenomenon related to the sun, the aurora borealis is one of the most stunning sights you’ll ever behold, and it’s one of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World. Although it’s been seen as far south as New Mexico and Virginia, that’s exceedingly rare. The best time and place to view it is winter in the Arctic, where it’s dark 24 hours a day.
8. Swim With Dolphins
Witness the majesty of these beautiful, graceful, and intelligent mammals up close. And since sharks fear dolphins, you won’t have to worry about them!
9. Go Into a Shark Cage Around Great White Sharks
We don’t recommend actually swimming among these massive predators, but going into a shark cage and seeing them up close is a mixture of fear and awe you’ll never forget. The ocean waters off South Africa are maybe the best place for this.
10. Watch the Salmon-Catching Bears of Katmai
Every summer in Alaska’s Katmai National Park, sockeye salmon return from the sea to the Brooks River, where they were born, to spawn. There, huge brown bears await them, sometimes snapping them out of the air with their jaws as the fish leap up waterfalls. It’s one of the most amazing wildlife experiences in the world.
11. See the Horsetail Fall in Yosemite
In winter and early spring, this seasonal waterfall pours off the famous El Capitan in California’s storied Yosemite Valley. When February conditions are just right, the setting sun illuminates the waterfall in red and orange, hence the nickname “Firefall.”
12. Experience a Total Solar Eclipse
Total solar eclipses in any one location are rare, but they actually happen every year around the world. If you’re in the path of totality, you’ll be treated to seeing the sun’s corona ringing the moon, seeing shadows fall across the land, and feeling a precipitous drop in temperature.
13. Drive an Exotic Sports Car
Anyone with a love for fast cars has dreamed of getting behind the wheel of something like a Ferrari or Lamborghini. There aren’t a lot of places that do this, but some do rent out these beauties for hours or a day at a time.
14. Take Up Surfing
Who hasn’t watched an expert surfer master the waves and wondered what that would be like? Find out!
15. Go Rock Climbing
Rock climbing is both a mental and physical challenge, and it teaches essential things like safety and trust. There are climbs for all ages and ability levels, so never tell yourself it’s too late.
16. Hike a Long-Distance Trail
In America, the three biggies are the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Appalachian Trail. All take you through some of the country’s best mountain scenery. Can’t do the whole thing at once? Do it in segments.
17. Take a Cross-Country Road Trip
Few things are as purely American as the cross-country road trip. Load up the car, van, or RV and set out from coast to coast to experience the wonderful variety of scenery and people in this country.
18. Become Fluent in Another Language
You can do this just for the knowledge and skill. However, it can also open exciting and lucrative career doors.
19. Ride a Gondola in Venice
There’s no other city like it on Earth. With sea levels rising, now is the time to do this before the opportunity disappears.
20. Visit the Louvre
Perhaps the world’s premier art museum, this Paris museum hosts the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, among other priceless and irreplaceable works of art. No one should pass on visiting at least once.
21. See the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
From 1508 to 1512, Michelangelo created his masterpiece in the Vatican. It’s considered one of the greatest works not just of the Renaissance but of all time.
22. See a Live Broadway Show
The award-winning, critically acclaimed shows on Broadway are some of the best in entertainment on the planet. Seeing one live is a magical experience and a way to feel like part of the show.
23. Spend a Weekend in Vegas
There’s no other city on Earth quite like Las Vegas. All the sights and sounds create a sensory experience like no other. If casinos aren’t your thing, that’s okay; there are plenty of rides, concerts, live shows, restaurants, and more to keep you busy.
24. Visit the Taj Mahal
Emperor Shah Jahan had this mausoleum for his favorite wife commissioned in 1631. Nearly lost to neglect, theft, and vandalism, the restored building stands today as one of the most remarkable structures in the world.
25. Go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride
A hot air balloon is a wonderful way to take in the countryside from above. Comfortable amenities and combinations can make a ride a joy as you experience the exhilaration of fresh air on your face as you soar above the landscape.
26. Trek to Machu Picchu
High in the mountains of southern Peru, this Incan citadel is one of the world’s most treasured architectural and heritage sites. To this day, we still don’t know exactly what it was used for.
27. Scuba Dive on the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef off Australia is one of the world’s hot spots for biodiversity and another of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World. It’s the world’s largest coral reef system, stretching for over 2,300 km and visible from outer space.
28. Visit the Galápagos Islands
Another critical biodiversity site, these islands, about 1,000 miles off the coast of Ecuador, host a diversity of plant and animal species found nowhere else. Charles Darwin’s observations of animal species on the islands helped him form his theory of evolution.
29. Hike to the Bottom of the Grand Canyon
Millions have stood in awe at the rim of Arizona’s Grand Canyon, yet another of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World, but far fewer have gone deep down into it all the way to its maker, the Colorado River. Due to the heat and difficulty, hiking down to the river and back up in one day isn’t advised, but a campground and a lodge are down there for overnight stays.
30. Attend the Super Bowl or the World Cup
Or attend any other major sporting event. Be a part of the excitement and witness history being made.
31. Swim in the Dead Sea
Almost 10 times saltier than the ocean, the Dead Sea, bordered by Jordan and Israel, has been a resort destination for people since ancient times. It also has the lowest land-based elevation on Earth– 1,412’ below sea level.
32. Attend Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
Western Christians have celebrated Carnival before Lent for centuries, and the yearly celebration in Rio is considered the world’s largest and most exciting. People travel to Brazil from all over the world to partake in the atmosphere.
33. Explore the Amazon
The rainforest of the Amazon Basin in Brazil is one of the vastest wildernesses on the planet. Few have fully penetrated its reaches, and there are still plant and animal species there that have never been documented or even seen by human eyes.
34. Watch the Polar Bears of Churchill, Manitoba
Every October and November, polar bears gather in this Canadian town to await the winter freeze that allows them to hunt their favorite prey: seals. With proper safety precautions, you can watch these carnivores close up in and around town, and you might see the Northern Lights while you do so.
35. Visit the Colosseum in Rome
One of the symbols of the ancient world and one of the most intact structures remaining from it, the Colosseum is a must-see. Construction began in AD 72 and was completed in 80. The site is a piece of living history, infamous for its gladiatorial contests and other public spectacles.
36. See the Acropolis in Athens
This Greek Citadel is another surviving symbol of the ancient world, and its most famous building is the Parthenon. The name comes from Greek words for “highest point” and “city,” which makes sense since it stands atop a hill overlooking Athens.
37. Take a Ride on a Vintage Steam Train
Riding a steam train is like taking a trip back into the golden age of railroads. Hear the whistle and watch the smoke puffing as you enjoy a trip through some valley or winding among the mountains.
38. See Victoria Falls
The 4th item on this list belonging to the 7 Wonders of the Natural World, Victoria Falls on Africa’s Zambezi River, is a sight to behold. At more than a mile wide, it’s one of the world’s largest waterfalls.
39. Explore Iceland
Iceland has become a major tourist destination, and for good reason. Located just south of the Arctic Circle, it’s a place of stark beauty characterized by windswept beaches, rugged mountains, massive glaciers, roaring waterfalls, and one of the world’s largest concentrations of geysers and hot springs.
40. See the Eiffel Tower at Night
Paris is known as the City of Light, and perhaps nothing exemplifies it as well as the Eiffel Tower at night. While you view it, reflect that during WW2, German officials ordered it destroyed, but the officer who received the order refused to do so.
41. Attend the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona
Every July in this Spanish city, more than a million visitors flock here to witness this spectacle. Six Spanish fighting bulls and six steers run from their corrals to the bullfighting arena, with thousands of people in front of them and running from them.
42. Take a Helicopter Tour
In a helicopter, you can tour a city or countryside at a much lower elevation than you can in a commercial plane. That and the ability to hover provide a more intimate experience.
43. Ride a Dog Sled in Alaska
Before the prevalence of cars and roads, the best way of winter travel in the interior of Alaska was in sleds pulled along frozen rivers by dogs. Today, you can experience that yourself without living the harsh lifestyle of those days.
44. Tour the Scottish Highlands
The craggy mountains and deep, dark lakes of Scotland, including the famous Loch Ness, are ruggedly beautiful. Go prepared for any kind of weather when you trek the legendary Highlands.
45. Paddle the Everglades
You can see Florida’s Everglades from the road and short trails, but to really experience this critical ecosystem, nothing beats getting into a canoe and paddling its waters. As you do so, you’ll see alligators, exotic birds, and lots of other wildlife.
46. Take a Cruise to Antarctica
The coldest and harshest place on Earth, Antarctica is also a site of frozen beauty and a great place to view whales, penguins, seals, and other wildlife. A cruise is the safest and most comfortable way to experience this icy realm.
47. See Patagonia
At the southern tip of South America, not far from Antarctica, is Patagonia. Rugged, windswept, and wildly beautiful, its national parks are home to some of the most dramatic mountains in the world, and it holds adventures to last many lifetimes.
48. Go on a Wine-Tasting Tour in Burgundy or the Napa Valley
Burgundy in France and the Napa Valley in California are probably the world’s most famous wine-making regions. Tour one (or both) to experience the culture and sample more wines than you ever thought possible.
49. Take a Cooking Class in Italy
If you enjoy Italian food, learn from the masters themselves by taking a cooking class in Italy. Then you can enjoy the fruits of those lessons wherever you go.
50. See an Opera
The costumes, sets, and passion of a live opera make for an amazing experience. Even if you don’t know the language it’s performed in, you can still feel the magic. However, many operas today feature subtitles so that you can know exactly what’s being said and sung.
Read More:
- How To Plan Your Trip St Croix on a Budget
- 30 Fall Bucket List Items That Will Make Your Autumn Dreams Come True
