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234 bucket list ideas- Top things to do before you die

Looking for bucket list ideas and inspiration? Well this article might just be able to help with those! Below are 234 bucket list ideas with a range of categories to help you find what ideas would best suit your bucket list.

What is a bucket list?

Before writing your bucket list you’ll probably want to know what a bucket list actually is. A bucket list is essentially an activity or experience that you would like to have and/ or do at some point in your lifetime. Bucket list ideas often include visiting certain destinations and experiences outside of your day-to-day activities.

Why should you have a bucket list?

There are many reasons why people choose to write a bucket list, these reasons can be personal or simply because, why not? One of the most popular reasons, however, is to help provide the owner with a sense of achievement and ensure they’ve made the most out of their lives. A bucket list could help to motivate you to step outside of your comfort zone and give you a sense of adventure and fulfilment. Keep reading for some intriguing ideas that might suit your bucket list.

Here are some of the most popular bucket list ideas that might just appeal to you too. You’ll find some great examples of adventures and experiences that are definitely worth adding to your bucket list, and I’ve made sure to include some of my favourites too!

  1. Skydiving
  2. Visit the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
  3. Learn a new language
  4. Experience New Zealand’s Fjords
  5. Visit the most southern point in the UK, Lizard Point
  6. Swim with dolphins
  7. Visit the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
  8. Visit the Taj Mahal, India
  9. Enjoy the Disneyland Parks
  10. Swim in the Maldives crystal clear water
  11. Visit Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day
  12. Get tickets to the Olympics
  13. Visit every continent
  14. See the Mona Lisa
  15. Christmas shopping in New York
  16. Get a henna tattoo in India
  17. See the Northern Lights
  18. Ride on the Orient Express
  19. Walk on the Great Wall of China
  20. Explore the Amazon Rainforest
  21. Experience the Aurora Borealis in Norway
  22. Discover the Forbidden City
  23. Learn to drive
  24. Start your own business
  25. Go backpacking, or flashpacking, in Europe
bucket list ideas

Unusual bucket list ideas

Below are some of the more unusual ideas for your bucket list, with a wide range of interesting and fascinating ideas that you might not have heard of before. So don’t forget to consider stepping outside your comfort zone and include some of these unusual bucket list ideas.

  1. Catch fireflies on a boat in Bohol
  2. Apply to be an extra in a movie
  3. Sleep on a floating bed in Canada
  4. Camp at a sand dune
  5. Swim with fish
  6. Get a fish pedicure
  7. Try eFoil surfing
  8. Spend the night in an igloo
  9. Make origami in Japan
  10. Try Cosplay
  11. Parachute with your dog
  12. Stay in a cabin on top of a mountain
  13. Rope swing into a cave pool
  14. Stay in an underwater hotel
  15. Jump in a pool fully clothed
  16. Go volcano boarding in Nicaragua
  17. Try indoor skydiving
  18. Watch a film in another language
  19. Get a sun tattoo
  20. Enjoy drinks at an ice bar
What to do when in Paris

Crazy bucket list ideas

Would you consider yourself to be a thrill seeker? Well, you’ll probably find this section most intriguing. Here, I would like to show you some of the more ‘crazy’ bucket list ideas that are sure to get your heart racing. It’s important to consider a range of experiences and activities in your bucket list to help ensure you’re getting the most out of it.

  1. Climb Mount Everest and/or Mount Kilimanjaro
  2. Climb a Volcano
  3. Ride the Gelmerbahn in Switzerland
  4. Enjoy dinner in the sky
  5. Experience the cliff walk in China
  6. Swim with sharks
  7. Go skinny dipping
  8. Dare to experience the Cage of Death in Australia
  9. Hold a tarantula
  10. Attempt the Sydney Harbor Bridge climb
  11. Fly a Helicopter
  12. Complete the City Climb in NYC
  13. Skinny dip
  14. Get a tattoo
  15. Ride the fastest and/or tallest rollercoaster
  16. Hold an alligator
  17. Walk on glass
  18. Attempt an extreme sport
  19. Train in fire eating
  20. Go on a mud marathon
  21. Hold a falcon
  22. Attempt an Escape Room
  23. Dive in the Great Blue Hole, Belize
  24. Try Flyboarding
  25. Have a snake around your neck
  26. Meet the President of the US or Prime Minister of the UK
  27. Go rock climbing
  28. Book a last-minute holiday
  29. Try surviving a night or two in the wild
  30. Go bungee-jumping
  31. Skydive from a hot air balloon
  32. Visit a nude beach
  33. Try paragliding
  34. Ride the longest zipline in the world
  35. Take part in the Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling contest
  36. Drive a Jet Ski

Bucket list ideas before you die

Here are some of the top ideas for your bucket list! Many of these ideas are accessible throughout your life, with a range of activities and experiences to suit everyone, no matter your age or ability. These are ideas that are a must before you die, so be certain to include some of these ideas in your bucket list.

  1. Visit all the world capitals
  2. Dine alone
  3. Visit all 50 states in the USA
  4. Do a charity walk
  5. Explore Petra’s ‘lost city’
  6. Learn how to play a musical instrument
  7. Helicopter ride over Central Park, NYC
  8. Visit all 7 continents of the world
  9. Experience Iceland’s Blue Lagoon
  10. Take the Eurostar from the UK to France
  11. Collect one of each currency
  12. Witness bioluminescent water
  13. Ride a rollercoaster
  14. Go on the Biokovo Skywalk in Croatia
  15. Experience the cliff walk in China
  16. Fly in a private jet
  17. Admire the Statue of Liberty
  18. Climb the Stairway to Heaven
  19. Visit all the national parks in your country, or in the world!
  20. Research your family history
  21. Try to conquer your biggest fear
  22. Visit every country on one continent
  23. Pay for something for a stranger
  24. Win an award
  25. Stay in a hotel of all ratings 1-5 stars
  26. Organise a fundraiser
  27. Witness the Salmon Run
  28. Become a travel influencer
  29. Explore Route 66 in the USA
  30. Learn to ride a bike
  31. Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame
  32. Attempt wingsuiting in Switzerland
  33. Book a holiday with a surprise destination
  34. See the Easter Island Statues
  35. Compete in rally racing in Australia
  36. Search for the Loch Ness monster in Scotland
  37. Touch Antarctica
Jobs in travel and tourism

Easy bucket list ideas

Unlike my previous list, below are some of the easier options that you might be interested in. These ideas are perfect for adding more accessible goals to your bucket list, but are also ideal for those who would prefer a more relaxed bucket list.

  1. Volunteer somewhere new
  2. Start an experiences journal
  3. Go camping
  4. Learn how to use chopsticks
  5. Try leg painting
  6. Create a travel mood board
  7. Have a photoshoot
  8. Order room service
  9. Have a turndown service
  10. Make a time capsule
  11. Make a family travel collage
  12. Go on a Staycation
Returning Home After Volunteering Abroad

Bucket list ideas that are free (or cheap)

Looking for a bucket list on a budget? Look no further as the following are some great bucket list ideas that are totally free or super cheap. These ideas are great for those looking for a cheaper bucket list or maybe even sticking to a budget, such as students.

  1. Go stargazing
  2. Start a podcast
  3. Start a YouTube channel
  4. Get Ordained
  5. Try sledding
  6. Read a new book
  7. Experience a religion
  8. Milk a cow
  9. Get lost, then find your way home without any technology
  10. Build a campfire
  11. Write a song
  12. Go on a hike
  13. Create your own world record
  14. Dance in the rain
  15. Donate your old clothes
  16. Learn sign language
  17. Go to the cinema alone
  18. Try being a tourist in your own city/town
  19. Make a flower bracelet
  20. Donate blood
  21. Become an organ donor
  22. Sing karaoke
types of tourists

Bucket list ideas for summer

What better time to tick ideas off your bucket list than in the summer. For this category, I have researched some bucket list ideas that are best suited to the summer, helping you to enjoy the sun whilst making memories! Whether at home or abroad, there are multiple fascinating bucket list options for you to enjoy during the summer. Continue reading to find out more.

  1. Walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru
  2. Relax on the black sandy beach in California
  3. See Japan’s cherry blossoms
  4. Try surfing
  5. Go fruit picking
  6. Clear water kayaking
  7. Plant a tree
  8. Enjoy a teahouse trek
  9. Take part in the Tour de France
  10. Go to a beer festival
  11. Go scuba diving
  12. Swim in one of Canadas many lakes
  13. Go whale watching
  14. Bath in the Dead Sea
  15. Enjoy a picnic in the park
Tourism in Thailand- Complete Thailand Travel Guide

Bucket list ideas for couples

A bucket list doesn’t have to only be for yourself. Why not write a joint bucket list with your significant other? I have included below some of the best bucket list options for couples, from romance to adventure, there’s a range of bucket list ideas to help bring you and your other half closer together.

  1. Romantic boat ride on the Grand Canal, Venice
  2. Experience a sunrise and sunset in Africa
  3. Book a secret holiday for your other half
  4. Go oyster harvesting
  5. Get married
  6. Visit a Christmas market
  7. Enjoy a meditation retreat
  8. Ride a camel in the desert
  9. Stay in Giraffe Manor
  10. Go grape treading
  11. Go glamping
  12. Write vows
  13. Fly in a hot air balloon
  14. Enjoy some French cuisine under the Eiffel Tower
  15. Name a star after each other
  16. have kids
  17. Go on multiple honeymoons

Bucket list ideas for teens

There is no real right or wrong age to start a bucket list, therefore, I believe it’s important that I researched and included some bucket list examples which appeal to a variety of age groups. For this section, I would like to show you some great examples of bucket list ideas that would appeal to teenage viewers. There really is something for everyone!

  1. Go Paintballing
  2. Attend a ball
  3. Meet your favourite singer
  4. Go trampolining
  5. Tie-dye a shirt
  6. Go 24 hours without internet
  7. Get a degree
  8. Go sandboarding
  9. Have a water balloon fight
  10. Become an exchange student
  11. Host an exchange student in your home
  12. Start a travel blog
  13. Try paddle boarding
  14. Try horse riding
  15. Learn how to cook
  16. Take a gap year to travel
  17. Climb a tree
person riding a horse

Bucket list ideas with friends

Why spend your life ticking off bucket list ideas alone when you can do it with your friends. You could choose to separate your bucket list into sections, for example, with some ideas to complete on your own, some with your significant other, and others with your friends.

  1. Go on a safari
  2. Try snorkeling
  3. Get tickets to a festival
  4. Go crazy golfing
  5. Picnic on the beach
  6. Visit Thorpe Park for Fright Night
  7. Host a pool party
  8. Go down a rainbow slide
  9. Visit the Uluru rock in Australia
  10. Trampoline sleepover
  11. Go on a shopping spree
  12. Experience Thermal Baths in Budapest
  13. Get a matching piercing
  14. Book a trip to Las Vegas and experience their famous casinos
  15. Explore a cities hidden gems
  16. Host an international cuisine night, everyone brings a different food
cheerful multiracial friends enjoying watermelon slices on sandy sea shore

Bucket list ideas for retirement

As I mentioned previously, bucket lists aren’t limited to any age and can be suitable for anyone, no matter their age. Hence, I felt it was important to include some options that would be accessible for an older demographic, such as those in retirement. Keep reading to find out some great bucket list ideas for when you’re older, or maybe some recommendations for your grandparent’s bucket list.

  1. Publish a travel book
  2. Fly First Class
  3. Go to Wimbledon
  4. Afternoon Tea at the Ritz
  5. Enjoy Michelin Star food
  6. Visit Edinburgh Castle
  7. Sponsor people or animals in need
  8. Create a photo calendar
  9. Go wine tasting
  10. Take a pottery class
  11. Move abroad and/ or purchase a home overseas
  12. Donate to a charity every month
  13. Make a scrapbook
  14. Take an authentic art class
  15. Discover a family recipe, new or existing
  16. Get a Post Pal
  17. Experience a Broadway Musical
Cruise tourism

Bucket list ideas- further reading

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By the way- do you have any other bucket list ideas to add? Leave them in the comments below!