If you don’t have a bucket list, I highly recommend you create one!
Simply put a bucket list is a series of things to do before you die. It’s not meant to be doom and gloom, but rather a collection of unique ideas you’d like to accomplish in your life.
Creating a good bucket list is really important, no matter how old you are. It helps you decide what you want out of life and motivates you to achieve your dreams.
If you need a little help getting started, a literal kick up the bum before kicking the bucket, here are 250 cool bucket list ideas you should add to your list.
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Travel Bucket List Ideas
It makes sense that some of the most common bucket list items are travel related. Travelling gest us to leave our comfort zone and discover a world beyond our own. So many places, so little time!
- Go on an African Wildlife Safari
- Ride in a gondola in Venice
- Kiss under the Eiffel Tower
- Hunt the Northern Lights
- Kiss the Blarney Stone in Cork
- Fly in a hot air balloon over Cappadocia
- Stand in the Sistine Chapel
- Visit Chichén Itzá, a complex of Mayan ruins on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula
- See the tulips in Holland in full bloom
- Scuba dive into an underwater cellar in Croatia
- Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
- Have a cigar in Havana, Cuba
- Road trip across the United States
- Bathe in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland
- See Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Explore the Colosseum in Rome
- Shop up a storm in Milan
- Visit the red dunes of Namibia’s Sossusvlei
- Visit the Mona Lisa in The Louvre
- Walk through the Ruins of Petra in Jordan
- Visit the Palace of Versailles in France
- Take a boat trip down the Danube River in Budapest
- Take a boat trip down The Nile River
- Spend the night on a houseboat in Kerala, India
- See Dracula’s Castle in Romania
- Visit The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt
- Party the night away in Ibiza
- Catch a Broadway Show in New York
- Explore the lavender fields of Provence
- Visit the annual Oktoberfest in Munich
- Raft The Grand Canyon
- Have breakfast on The Great Wall of China
- Explore the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh, India
- Watch the sunset in Santorini, Greece
- Sail around the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador
- Visit New York during Fashion Week
- Go Island hopping around Greece
- Explore Patagonia’s glaciers from either Argentina or Chile
- Go stand-up paddle boarding in Amsterdam’s canals
- Explore a winery in every state
- Sail to The Statue of Liberty
- Sleep in a traditional hanok in Jeonju, Korea
- Visit Ayres Rock in Australia
- Take a photo in front of the Hollywood sign
- Explore Bolivia’s Salt Flats
- Camp out in the Australian Outback
- Visit the Acropolis of Athens
- See the religious Angkor Wat in Cambodia
- Explore the Hagia Sophia, the world’s most prominent Byzantine structure
- See a show at The Sydney Opera House
- Visit the holy Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
- Go sailing in Halong Bay, Northern Vietnam
- Discover the tiles of Porto
- Roll the dice in a Las Vegas Casino
- Travel back in time on Easter Island
- Explore the sheer scale of Iguasso Falls
- Visit The White House
- Soak up the spirit of New Orleans Mardi Gras Festival
- Ride on a red bus in London
- Spend St Patrick’s Day in Dublin
- Watch the Tour de France roadside
- Drink rose all day in Provence, France
- Explore the fjords in Norway
- Feel the mist of the Niagara Falls
- Visit the world’s largest castle in Krakow, Poland
- Dance under the cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Japan
- See a show on London’s West End
- Visit the Tonle Sap floating villages in Cambodia
- See the sunrise at Shwedagon pagoda, Myanmar
- Visit Buckingham Palace and see the Changing of the Guard
- Chill out at the lovely beaches in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
- Visit the locations in New Zealand that brought The Lord of The Rings to life
- Drink gluhwein at a Bavarian Christmas Market
- Watch the whirling dervishes in Istanbul
Adventure Bucket List Ideas
These bucket list items aren’t for the faint-hearted. The rarest to find and the toughest to achieve, life-changing adventures await those who are daring enough.
- Sleep at Everest Base Camp
- Go Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
- Swim With pigs in Exuma, Bahamas
- Swim with Manta Rays in the Maldives
- Hike Machu Picchu
- Walk The Camino De Santiago
- Swim in each of the four major oceans
- Go mushing in the arctic
- Swim inside cenotes in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
- Hike through the Himalayas
- Dive at The Great Barrier Reef
- Float in the Red Sea
- Ride horses on the beach in Andalusia
- Go skinny dipping at night
- Snorkel between tectonic plates in Iceland
- Hike through Chile’s barren Atacama Desert
- Catch a wave surfing
- Go whale watching in Hermanus, South Africa
- Take a submarine down to the real Titanic
- Air boat across an alligator infested swamp
- Go camel riding into the Moroccan Desert
- Ride a mechanical bull
- Dive for your own diamond in South Africa
- Travel through the Amazon Rainforest
- Climb Kilimanjaro, the tallest free standing mountain
- Hike a part of the Appalachian Trail
- Go horseback riding with the Argentine Gauchos
- Ride on a motorcycle at peak hour in Bangkok
- Swim in one of America’s Great Lakes
- Abseil down a waterfall
- Watch the Serengeti Migration in a hot air balloon
- Go river rafting beneath the Victoria Falls
- Great White Cage Diving in South Africa
- Go bungee jumping
Nature and Wildlife Bucket List Ideas
It is often in moments when we are free and uninhibited – out in nature or standing before a living, breathing wild animal – that we feel time stands still and life is most exquisite.
- Swim with Whale Sharks off the coast of Mozambique
- Climb a volcano
- Watch the sun rise and set in one day
- Chase a Tornado
- Ride an ostrich
- Walk on a volcanic black sand beach
- Hug a koala bear
- Make a snowman
- Take a selfie with a lemur in Madagascar
- Hug a baby panda in Chengdu
- Swim with whale sharks in Donsol, Philippines
- Release baby turtles back into the ocean
- Witness a solar eclipse
- Take a falconry class
- Listen to a coral reef growing
- Experience the salmon run
- Sleep inside an igloo
- See Tarsier monkeys in Bohol, Philippines
- Stand underneath a waterfall
- Watch a caterpillar turn into a butterfly
- See the Big Five In Africa
- Visit the African Penguins in Cape Town
- Meet Ecuador’s sea lions
Sports Bucket List Ideas
These bucket list items are for the real fans. Those who want to be a part of the game, to live the action, absorb the atmosphere and taste blood, sweat and tears.
- Play golf on the old course at St Andrews, Scotland
- Watch a NASCAR race
- Watch the boat race between Oxford and Cambridge University
- Go to the Superbowl
- Watch a football game at London’s Wembley Stadium
- Attend the Olympics
- Run a marathon (or a half)
- Get an athletes autograph
- Watch a baseball game at a classic stadium
- Attend a World Cup Football game
- Eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon
- Go to a PGA event tour
- Watch the Monaco Grand Prix from a boat in the harbour
- Learn how to play chess
- Sink a hole in one
- Experience polo at Palermo
- Don a fancy hat for the Kentucky Derby
- Get tickets to the Daytona 500
- Dive (or jump) off a 10m diving board
- Go snow skiing in The Alps
- Swim across The English Channel
Foodie Bucket List Ideas
Food is at the centre of our universe; it is one of life’s greatest pleasures and we create many memories around it. Not to mention, the best way to explore the culture of a country is through its belly.
- Eat pho in Vietnam
- Partake in the annual Valencia Tomato Festival
- Indulge in a quintessentially British Afternoon Tea
- Try Murtabak in Malaysia
- Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in three different countries
- Bottle your own jam and sell it
- Savour the best gelato in Italy
- Learn to use chopsticks
- Eat Pad Thai noodles in Thailand
- Order one of everything off the menu
- Have starters, mains and dessert at three different restaurants
- Create your own signature dish
- Enjoy fish and chips in Hastings, England
- Try a juice cleanse
- Try some roast goat with the Maasai in Kenya
- Get fresh honey from a beehive
- Eat a croissant in Paris
- Catch and fillet a fish
- Try molecular gastronomy
- Make your own sushi
- Eat Indian food by hand
- Thank a waiter with a 100% tip
- Enter a food eating contest
- Bake for a cake sale
- Eat waffles in Brussels, Belgium
- Create your own latte art
- Learn how to cook a traditional dish using authentic ingredients
- Go vegetarian for a month
- Savour dinner at a Michelin Starred restaurant
- Start a herb garden
- Eat at a restaurant on your own
- Hunt for truffles with a dog
- Toss pizza dough in the air
- Shuck your own oysters
Luxury Bucket List Ideas
Luxury comes in various shapes and sizes, and sometimes these ideas can seem near impossible. But in reality, many of them you can achieve – if you just set your mind to it.
- Order room service
- Eat at a Three-Michelin star restaurant
- Charter a yacht
- Find the dream job
- Pay off someone else’s debt
- Flip a house
- Start your own scholarship fund
- Own a successful business
- Drink a £500 bottle of Champagne
- Make a piece of jewellery
- Create a bespoke suit
- Become a self-made millionaire
- Fly in a private jet
- Rent a private island
- Hire a personal shopper
- Give back to charity
Relationship Bucket List Ideas
The ultimate relationship bucket list is not just aimed at romantic things to do. It includes working on all relationships in your life – including the one with yourself.
- Attend a high school reunion
- Go on a blind date
- Fall in love
- Get married
- Play matchmaker and set a couple up
- Compliment a stranger
- Stay up talking until the sun rises
- Go on a family vacation
- Become a Godparent
- Tell someone you love them
- Create a family tree
- Be a Bridesmaid / Groomsman
- Go on a double date
- Be a Maid of Honour / Best Man
- Organise a family reunion
Creative Bucket List Ideas
These cool bucket list ideas are a great way to encourage you to tap into those creative juices or to try something new.
- Learn to sew
- Publish a piece of work
- Understand the art of origami
- Learn a new language
- Make your own personalised stationery
- Attend a live music concert
- Create your own business cards
- Learn how to play an instrument
- Read the (entire) book before watching the movie
- Purchase a piece of artwork
- Attend a poetry reading workshop
- Take up knitting or crocheting
- Meet your favourite musician in person
- Create your own website
- Get dressed up and attend the Opera
- Blow your own glass
- Create your own flower arrangements
- Try your hand at calligraphy
- Make a candle
- Finish a classic novel
- Create your own greetings cards
Wellness Bucket List Ideas
Setting goals for personal wellness is key to healthy living. After all none of us would eat leaves or go running – if we didn’t care about our wellbeing.
- Stretch for five minutes when you wake up every morning
- Avoid processed foods
- Wear sunscreen
- Relax with a spa getaway
- Visit your doctor annually for a check-up
- Aim for 8 hours of sleep every night
- Eat a balanced diet
- Find an exercise type you like and stick to it
- Make time for yourself everyday
- Meditate!
- Spend time with people that uplift you
- Take time to appreciate nature
- Find something to laugh about each day
A bucket list is a great way to give your goals a life – and actually achieve them. So no more excuses, get out there and start ticking off your list!
Written by Kimberleigh Tessendorf
Tom’s travel writings are a testament to his insatiable curiosity and love for the road less traveled. Eschewing the typical tourist spots, Tom has built a reputation for uncovering hidden gems known only to locals.
From secluded mountain villages in the Himalayas to untouched beaches in the South Pacific, his adventures have taken him to the world’s most undiscovered corners.