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.

Popular bucket list ideas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bucket list ideas- further reading

If you enjoyed this article on bucket list ideas I am sure that you will love these too-

• 150 types of tourism! The ultimate tourism glossary
• 21 Types of Tourists Around The World
• 75 Quotes About Vacation To Get You Excited For Travel + Vacation Captions For Instagram
• Which countries are in the European Union? + interesting facts!

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