Life Bucket List Ideas To Just Book It
- Life Bucket List Ideas To Just Book It
- PUBLISHED February 27, 2026
- Bucket List Destinations
If you’re like me and love planning 100 years in advance, then this blog post on life bucket list ideas is the perfect way to plan next month’s vacation all the way up until retirement. This list is here to show you that you can have ambitions, dream big about visiting these places that seem unreachable. With that said, you don’t have to be that hard on yourself and hold yourself to every single place on the list. It’s here to be inspiring. Personally, I have a long way to go, so I gotta start booking flights ASAP! My biggest tips for knocking some of these bucket list ideas off your agenda are by planning 2-3 trips per year, which means ensuring you have enough savings to maintain that level of jet setting. My second piece of advice is not to force anything too much. If you’re writing a checklist and verbatim buying flights one by one, there is a level of spontaneity lost. Sometimes you’ll know when it feels right to go on a trip and when it’s feeling too forced! Without further ado, let’s get into it! Your bucket list for life is right here with all the ideas you need to have a fulfilling globetrotting life.
CULTURE
- New Year’s Eve in Brazil: Contrary to native New Yorkers avoiding Times Square during the iconic celebrations, in Brazil, tourists and locals alike celebrate ringing in the new year the same way -with big parties along the beach! It’s also quite an iconic way to escape the cold and take advantage of the bank holidays we have here in the United States. Brazil is one of those places that you could spend an entire month and still not even scratch the surface. Aside from coming here just for New Year’s. You’ll wanna plan a few more trips back as well.
- Go to a Festival/Concert Abroad: Festivals are one of the best ways to experience one’s culture and community while abroad or even in a little part of your own country. I’ve been to a handful of festivals and concerts near and far, and they add an extra layer of fun to your trip. From going to Baja Beach, Fest, a Reggaeton festival in Tijuana, Mexico, to seeing Karol G at her home country of Colombia and traveling all the way to France to see their top-streamed, female artist, Ayana Nakamura, I know ball! What I love most is experiencing a new way of enjoying art, music, and culture all in one place.
- Attend a Ball at the Palace of Versailles: If you want to live like you’re in the Bridgerton series, you’re gonna want to go to this annual ball at the Palace of Versailles. This is a ticketed event and a bit expensive; however, if you have a group that is down for this, it’s one of those things you do once and never stop talking about. I personally went to the outdoor gardens of the Palace of Versailles, and it really is such a spectacle. We needed a ticket to get inside the palace, so I actually haven’t been inside, but from pictures, it looks like a night to remember. I can only imagine what the ball would look like, taking you back to how the place was originally intended.
ADVENTURE
- Boat Tour on the Amazon River: This has been on my bucket list since I went to Ecuador about 12 years ago with my family. We were visiting our relatives here and stopped by one of the towns alongside the Amazon River, Baños. There were signs everywhere promoting four-day and seven-day tours of the Amazon rainforest. At that moment, I knew that this was something I definitely wanted to do at least once in my life. If you love nature, animals, a little thrill, and adventure, you will have to make sure to add this to your bucket list before you decide to have a family! In my opinion, once you have kids, you’re not gonna wanna be stranded in the Amazon rainforest without anyway I’m reaching your family.
- Hike Machu Picchu: Now this has become more popular on social media, and for that reason, there have been a lot of measures in place to prevent over-tourism. With that said, I would say travel responsibly. I wouldn’t recommend traveling here during the off-season because of how the rainy season impacts your chances of getting a nice view. Be mindful, leave no trace, and always support local and indigenous tour groups where possible. If you want to get to Machu Picchu without hiking, there are other modes of transportation to get you there, which makes it a destination that you can bring your kids and even older relatives (just be cautious).
- Hike La Ciudad Perdida (The Lost City): Hiking this was one of the coolest experiences of my life so far, and I’m so happy I got to do it when I did. Similar to the boat ride tour in the Amazon rainforest, you’re not gonna wanna do this with kids. It is such a hard hike, just being honest, but so worth it. On the contrary to Machu Picchu, which is, in my opinion, overly marketed, there is no train to get to the top. You can take a moped up to specific parts, but you’re gonna have to hide a majority of this on your own. I have a post explaining in detail my entire experience, so I would definitely check this out before planning your trip.
- Camp Wherever!: Whether you’re camping at the Navajo reservation, immersed in Native American tribe culture, in Morocco at the Sahara desert, winter camping at a local mountain, or going on a multi-day camping trip, these are the experiences that are life-changing. They teach you all about survival, appreciation, and especially gratitude. In these excursions, you’re testing your body to the limits in ways that are not quantifiable. Over time, as you start to embark on more of these trips, you’ll gain a sense of tenacity and strength you didn’t know you had in you. These are transferable in many aspects of your life. I personally had such a fun time winter camping in frigid temperatures with an increased appreciation for indoor plumbing, heat, and electricity. On my backpacking trip to the Catskills, I learned a lot about physical strength and how sometimes your mind gives up before your body does. Even though I have gone on a few camping trips, I’m still looking forward to camping in more places in the world.
Fascinating Natural Occurrences
- See the Northern Lights: The northern lights are probably hands-down one of the most magical things someone can see in their lifetime. I myself have only seen it once when I went to Iceland, and the lights were not as vibrant because we went during a full moon. With that said, that would be one of my biggest tips is to plan your northern lights trip around a new moon, so that way the light from the full moon doesn’t impact the intensity of the northern lights. Regardless, going somewhere like Norway, Iceland, Finland, or Sweden to see this life in person would be a dream trip, followed by dog sledding, skiing, and enjoying a winter wonderland.
- Swim in Bioluminescent Waters: Mother Nature truly took her time when creating our Earth, and bioluminescent waters are a perfect example of that. From going to Puerto Rico’s Mosquito Bay to the Blue Grotto in Croatia, the pictures you see online don’t do any justice. Personally, I would love to see this in Puerto Rico, a place that’s been on my bucket list for so long. If you’re like me and have limited PTO, consider coming here for the weekends or on a holiday weekend.
Once in a Lifetime Epic Destinations
- Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province, China: The movie Avatar inspired me to check this place out in real life. It was one of those captivating fantasy movies that I did not sleep the entire way through, adding it to one of my favorites of all time. This area in China is beautiful beyond words. I’m in awe of how this movie took inspiration from Mother Nature. I didn’t even know that a place could look like this. These are the types of places that I want to bring my kids to and show them that this is what is worth living for. If I could, I’d love to get out of the rat race so we can start living our lives to the fullest all the time. For now, a little vacation here and there so we can really enjoy ourselves in different cultures and countries, way of life, and excursions will really go a long way for our mental health.
- Visit Palau: This is the only country where you have to pledge on your passport to “tread lightly, act kindly, and explore mindfully to protect the island’s natural and cultural heritage for future generations”. This country in Oceana definitely sticks out to me for its culture, the beautiful sites, and what they stand for. I feel like other countries are equally as beautiful, but sometimes seem a little bit overrated, which hikes up prices. Visiting a country like this would be a dream; I just have to gear myself up for the 30+ hour flight.
Betterment Goals: How to Consistently Work On Yourself Even While Traveling
- Save Up to Go on a Sabbatical Traveling Around the World: This is definitely on my list of things to do. Of course, you’ll have to secure a job that either has sabbatical benefits, a decent amount of PTO, and /or if you’ve worked long enough negotiating a temporary leave (surprisingly, people do this, and their employers are supportive)! The first time I heard about this sabbatical, I didn’t know that it could be a thing. I wish companies would take these kinds of mental breaks a bit more seriously, considering the hustle culture prevalent in the United States. Of course, you have to be smart about the way you plan your trip, how you plan financially to cover the costs, and how to avoid getting burnt out constantly on the go.
- Take a Language Class in a Country Abroad: I mentioned it a bit earlier when I talked about studying abroad in Seville, but crying in one of these Spanish classes was exactly the motivator I needed to take this seriously. It taught me how there’s a lot more work to be done in terms of my Spanish fluency. Language classes abroad are a great way to feel connected to the culture, support the local communities, and enrich your brain in an era where we’re constantly scrolling online. Countries like Guatemala offer a lot of Spanish immersion classes that include language learning, cooking, and cultural appreciation that are just as fit for kids as they are for adults.
- Live in a New City: For this one in particular, I’m thinking of the kids who want to study abroad, those who want to take a sabbatical, or even those who want to take some time before jumping into the workforce. Living in a new city offers such a great perspective on life. It teaches you that you don’t have to stick to what you know. It teaches you about branching out and the importance of starting new. Bonus points if you decide to live in a country with a language that you don’t know. This will teach you a lot more than you would expect and improve your language learning. I personally studied abroad in Spain, and it was such an enriching experience. I might have cried in my Spanish class because I really sucked and I didn’t know a lot of Spanish at the time, but it was such a great motivator for me to improve and learn. Living in a new environment allowed me to open my eyes to new experiences and get to see more of the world at ease. If you’re one of those who are looking to travel after graduating without looking for a job first, I would probably secure a job just because the job market is really tough, and they expect people as young as 23 to have 4 to 5 years of experience when that’s unattainable. If you can, get into the workforce early and then consider using your PTO for trips or even landing a remote job that allows you to travel to other countries without needing to sacrifice financial stability.
- Revisit a Place You Went to as a Kid: Sometimes, as a kid, you go on vacation to places that either (1) you didn’t expect or (2) you didn’t appreciate as much. This has been a bucket list for me for a few destinations like Hawaii, Iceland & Key West, where I know I could appreciate it more. Now that I’m fully immersed in the travel planning experience and love for culture, this would be a great full-circle moment to see how much I’ve grown. I think there’s a rhetoric of only visiting a country once, and that repeating countries is a waste of time. I’ve slowly learned that you don’t have to do that. Personally, I feel like I’m gonna go to Spain at least 5 to 6 times in my lifetime, maybe even more, or maybe I’ll even live there at some point. Setting such a high expectation to not experience a place more than once if you really like it just sets you up to be disappointed!
About The Author
Veronica
Hi everyone! My name is Veronica, but you can also call me Vee! I grew up in the iconic city of Brooklyn, NY, the cultural hub of the world, and hence learned about so many different cultures. It was those experiences that inspired me to travel and from then on, I had learned the power of travel. In return, I want to give others that same experience, to help inspire others to unleash their inner travel enthusiast no matter the trip.
