388 Unique Ideas and Items For Your Bucket List
The “Things To Do Before I Die” list. The “Bucket” list. The “Amazing Sh*t You’d Be Crazy Not To Do” list. Call it what you please. This one is mine. It always seems to be growing and it’s not in any order of priority. I recently broke the list down into a few different categories to better capture the type of experiences I want to check off.
There’s the “Classic“ with ideas that you’ll find on many other lists, the “Adventure“ for things that require me to go a little out of my comfort zone physically, the “Funny“ for stuff that will make you scratch your a head a bit, the “Hidden Gems“ for places you probably don’t know about but should, and the “Indulgent“ because we should all treat ourselves once in a while.
At the very bottom, is the “Everyday“ list of things that you can check off over and over again, because kindness is the best thing I’ve searched for and found in this life.
What To Put On Your Own Bucket List?
The ultimate goal is to remind myself to live life as deeply as possible and to take the time to appreciate both the big and the small moments that make it special. My suggestion is to find things that really call out to you, things that you are willing to put in the time and the investment to eventually do. It can be big or it can be small, but it should be personal.
My list is far from complete. Please send any suggestions my way. Better yet, if you can help me check any of these items off my list or want to do something with me, I’m all ears.
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag
Classic Bucket List Ideas
- Go to space
Meet the Dalai Lama- Buy a house for my parents
Sleep under the stars in the Sahara DesertFloat in the Dead SeaSee the Aurora BorealisKayak Puerto Rico’s Bioluminescent BayCelebrate Holi in IndiaCelebrate Carnaval in South AmericaEat a beignet at Café Du Monde- Set the sun rise and set on all 7 continents
- See a bullfight in Spain
See the man burn at Burning ManGo skinny dipping- Climb Kilimanjaro
Haggle for useless trinkets in MoroccoClimb above the clouds in Machu Picchu- Celebrate Songkran in Thailand
Return to the Trevi Fountain- Camp in the Serengeti
Be debt-freeJump off something high in New ZealandDive the Great Barrier ReefJump out of a planeSee erupting lava in HawaiiWalk the Capilano Suspension bridgeGet soaked on the Maid of the MistRide a gondola in VeniceBike down the Death Road in BoliviaSay a prayer in the Hagia SophiaJump off a large waterfallDive with dolphinsSee the Salar de UyuniCelebrate Dia de los Muertos in MexicoSee the giant Buddha on Lantau IslandStart a fire without matchesVisit the Sistine ChapelSoak in a thermal hotspringEat Swiss fondue in Switzerland- Ride the Trans-Siberian railway
Explore the Lofoten Islands- Be a New York Times Bestselling author
- Release a lantern at the Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai
Ride an elephantStand in the middle of the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo- Speak fluent Spanish
Learn to play the ukuleleHike the Swiss AlpsMarvel at La Sagrada FamiliaRide a camel in the desertEat crawfish in LouisianaFly a hot air balloon over CappadociaHave a cappuccino in RomeStand atop the tallest building in the world- See the Monarch butterfly migration
Eat chimney cake at a Christmas Market- Milk a cow
Shuck an oysterJoin a flash mobBe a member of a TV studio audience- Run with the bulls
Eat fresh sushi at Tsukiji fish marketSoak in the Blue Lagoon in IcelandPeople watch in ParisRide in a helicopterLearn to surf- Walk the Camino de Santiago
Get soaked at Skogafoss- Walk the Great Wall of China
Bundle up in an Ice BarShoot an AK-47- Wear lederhosens to Oktoberfest
- Fight in La Tomatina
Be surrounded by a million firefliesSee the sunrise over HaleakalaGo Zorbing in New Zealand- Plow through the snow on a snowmobile
- Visit all 50 United States
Do some graffiti- Release baby turtles back into the oceans
- Find myself by chance in Timbuktu
Row a boat to the Lake Bled churchRoam the City of PetraStand atop Mt. Sinai- Cage dive with great white sharks
Get Lost in Fes- E
at in Barcelona’s La Boqueria - See salmons swim upstream
Fly on a seaplane- Patent something
Eat a thali in India with my hands- Be a guest on Good Morning America and/or The Today Show
- Airstream across America
Drive Route 66Make the news
Bucket list tip #1: Think experience rather than just location. If you’ve dreamed of going to paris, think about the things you’d want to do there and make those bucket list items instead.
Adventure Bucket List Ideas
- Hit 250 kph on the Autobahn
Drive a rickshaw through India- Free dive the Blue Hole
- Hunt and cook a deer
- Walk from Tokyo to Kyoto on the Nakasendo Trail
Free dive in Jellyfish Lake- Ride a motorbike through Vietnam
Ice climb a glacier- Kayak in the Grand Canyon
Sail down the Nile River- Dive with a Mola Mola
Swim with Whale SharksExplore New Zealand in a camper vanGo lobster divingFly a stunt planeHike up Zion’s Angel’s Landing- Race the Mongol Rally
Drive across the Gobi DesertWalk On The Wings Of A PlaneParaglide in NepalExplore Yellowstone’s backcountry- Dive a cenote
- Sail the Atlantic Ocean
- Dive for pearls
- Ride the Vomit Comet
Climb around in the Bamboo Forest on MauiCatch some air on a hang-glider- Sail around Greenland
Via ferrata in the DolomitesComplete an ultra-endurance raceDive a wreckRide a speedboat through a narrow canyonClimb Svolvaergeita in Norway- Dive Darwin’s Arch in the Galapagos
Dive the crystal clear water of SilfraDrive a rickshaw across IndiaLearn to do a wheelie on a motorcycle- Try flyboarding
Catch and cook a fishStand Up Paddleboard in the Arctic- Ride a dog sled
Ski indoors- Dive with whale sharks off the coast of Mozambique
Climb down to Kelingking Beach- Do a polar plunge
Explore Utah’s slot canyons- Run a marathon in Antarctica
Dive an underwater museumHike the Annapurna Circuit- Run wild with Bear Grylls
Raft down the Amazon River- Go Bushwhacking in Borneo
Explore an ice cave in Iceland- Extract honey from a bee hive
- Run an 100-miler
- Win a fight
Walk towards the light in Jomblang Cave- Hitchhike the Balkans
- Drive an F1 vehicle
Sand board down a sand dune- Dive in all 5 oceans
Climb Half Dome- Walk on a bed of hot coals
Go Arctic stand-up paddleboardingAbseil down a waterfall- Hang over the edge of The Devil’s Pool
See Uluru when it rains- Drive in a NASCAR vehicle
Graduate from an Ivy League university- Bike through Eastern Europe
- Race a drone
- Eat a ball of fire
- Motorcycle through South America
Ride down a volcanoCompete in the Death RaceRun across LeichtensteinDive the Red Sea- Drive on the Bonneville Salt Flats
- Deep water solo in Thailand
BUCKET List Tip #2: don’t get caught up with just what you see on social media. It should be more than just getting a photo. if you find a travel blog you like, explore it. See If anything they’ve done resonates with you and put it on your own list.
Hidden Gems Bucket List Ideas
- See the synchronous fireflies in Elkmont
- Explore the Marble Caves in Chile
- Climb the Heavenly Stairs
- Celebrate the Winter Solstice at Stonehenge
- Climb the Takstsang Monastery in Bhutan
- Wander the dunes of Sossuvlei in Namibia
Soak in the thermal baths of Pamukkale- Watch the fires of Azerbaijan burn
See the sunrise over Wadi RumHike the Wave- Marvel at the Cave of the Crystals
- Stand before the “Door To Hell” in Turkmenistan
Walk In La Valle De La LunaSee the pagodas of Bagan at sunrise- Sled down Mt. Wallberg
Play in the Salida TurdaDescend into the Lost WorldDrive the Transfaragaran highway- Celebrate New Years in Kiribati
- Get away to Bucas Grande Island
- Visit a paper making town in Japan
- Light something on fire at Las Fallas in Valencia
Behold VestrahornSee the buddha in the Ngu Hanh Son caveExplore a Glacier Ice Cave in Iceland- Get muddy at the Boryeong Mud Festival in South Korea
See where Romeo met Juliet in VeronaRide The Bernina Express from Switzerland to ItalySneak into BuzludzhaDrive the Road to HanaHike The Corcovado RainforestExplore the Catacombs under Paris- Cross the Rakotiz Brucke bridge in Germany
- Go sledding on a frozen Lake Baikal
Bucket List Tip #3: If you are looking for an adventure, pick a continent you’ve never been to and narrow it down to a country. Do a Search For “Adventures In ______” and click on the image tab. Then get carried away down that rabbit hole.
Indulgent Bucket List Ideas
Listen to Flamenco in an Andalucian cave- See Roger Federer win a Grand Slam
- Solve an Agatha Christie murder on Burgh Island
Smoke a cigar in CubaSip champagne in a penthouse hot tub- Gamble in Monte Carlo
Hear Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony live- Eat fresh uni underwater
- Harvest ‘chicatana’ ants in Oaxaca
Attend a luauGo all out in BarcelonaSaber a champagne bottle- Ride the Orient Express
Eat Tafelspitz in ViennaBath in a Japanese onsenSmoke a Hookah in the Middle East- Attend the Cannes Film Festival
Brunch at the Red Bull Hangar 7- Stay in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora
Spend 24 hours in a spa- Walk down a red carpet premiere
- See Tom Brady win the Super Bowl with my dad
Drink a beer in a motel hot tubGo big at the Burj Al ArabFly First Class- Sit front row at Fashion Week
- Eat an ortolan
- High Tea at the Ritz in London
Enjoy an omakase in Japan- Pretend to understand the art at the Biennale festival in Venice
- Go on a 6 month cruise
Drink an Aperol Spritz in BellagioLeave a 100% tip- Make a $1000 bet on a hand of “War”
- Attend the White House Correspondents Dinner
Enjoy a private hamman in Morocco- Party at the Playboy Mansion
Hear Alfie Boe sing Bring Him Home from Les Misérables live- Dine in complete darkness
Get an 8 hour massage- Eat at a Michelin 3-Star restaurant
- Forage for truffles
- Sleep in a castle
- Have $1,000,000 in my bank account
Fly a hot air balloon in Myanmar
Bucket list Tip #4: Learn something. It’s astonishing how many times I’ve picked a subject or skill to Learn and then stumbled onto a whole world of experiences that I’ve put on my list.
Funny Bucket List Ideas
- Stomp grapes in Italy
- Raise an Amish barn
- Take a photo in every Photoautomat in Berlin
- Dig for dinosaur bones
Win a chicken-wing eating contest- Film an “Ed” reunion with Tom Cavanagh and Julie Bowen
Boil an egg in a thermal hot poolEat sheep brains in Jemaa El-Fna- Become an American Ninja Warrior
Build my own furniture- Publish a book of poems
Hand feed a crocodile in the wild- Kiss the Blarney Stone
- Take sides in the Battle of the Oranges in Ivrea, Italy
- Be a merman for a day
Sing along unabashedly at a Taylor Swift concert- Complete the Big Texan Steak Ranch 72 oz steak challenge
Learn how to pick a lockCapture the World Nomad Games- Become a Royal Geographical Society fellow
- Become a National Geographic Society fellow
- Read 52 books in a year
Go to an owl cafe in Tokyo- Dance with an African tribe
- Be a lighthouse keeper
Drink some real absintheSleep in a monastery- See The Water Buffalo Chariot Races in Indonesia
Dive in the Bay of Pigs- Do a fashion shoot for Vogue Italia
Sleep in a capsule hotel- Visit a nudist colony
- Sumo wrestle
Get over 1,000,000 views on YouTube- Run from an attack dog
Relax in a deprivation chamber- Roast a whole lamb
- Get a matching tattoo
Visit the island where they filmed Mamma Mia 2Learn to play the ukulele- Make a short feature film
- See Punxsatawny Phil predict the weather on Groundhog’s Day
Float in a sensory deprivation chamber- Build an igloo
Hear Gabrielle Aplin sing “Home” liveGo on a poutine crawl- Make moonshine in Kentucky
- Play Pachinko for 24 hours
- Create a board game
- Get in or turned away at Berghain. It doesn’t matter.
Watch a movie at a drive-in theatreTrain with Buakaw in ThailandLive abroad- Eat over 100 bowls of soba noodles in Morioka, Japan
Dance with MattSnowboard indoors in Dubai- Be on a Japanese variety show
- See my work at a film festival
- Sleep in an ice hotel
Skydive indoorsSleep in a yurt in Mongolia- Make my own paper
- Dive in an aquarium
Visit the birthplace of KFC- Be silent for 10 days
- Summit a 6000m mountain
- Throw a football with Julian Edelman
- Sheer a sheep
- Be on a reality TV show
Fly on a trapeze- Give a Ted or Ted(x) talk
Do a canyon swing- See the World’s Largest Ball of Twine
Follow’s Dracula’s trail in RomaniaFight in the Thunderdome- Write a hit country song
Eat a possum pie- Find the one
Break a Guinness World RecordListen for aliens at the VLA- Get published in Vanity Fair
Win a didgeridoo playing contest- Meet Park Ji Yoon
- Play an extra in a movie
Watch a game of Kok Boru in Kyrgyzstan- Crash an Indian wedding
- Exhibit my work in a gallery
- Dress up for Comicon
Ride a reindeer- Cook for a famous chef
- See my work on a billboard
Eat a bat in PalauStare at the Roswell night sky- Learn to breakdance
- Take a date to an Air Supply concert
- Shoot for National Geographic
- Impress Richard Branson
Eat a live grub Pumbaa style- Do the Game of Thrones walk of shame in King’s Landing
- Visit Sleepy Hollow
Ride a rollercoaster at the Mall of America- Dunk a basketball
- Throw a pot of hot water into sub-freezing air
- Drive a Delorian
Be a hobbitWin an eating challengeEat street meat in IndiaBe my own boss- Herd cows
- Eat a home cooked meal with a big Italian family
Eat my fair share of steak in Buenos AiresDance all out in a silent disco
Bucket List Tip #5: Share the experience. Whether it’s with a friend, a partner, or a new travel companion, having someone with you means you have someone to reminisce about the adventure with later on.
Everyday Bucket List Ideas You Can Do Over And Over Again
- Make someone smile
- Tell someone you love them
- Do something unexpected
- Offer someone your time
- Stay up all night talking
- Watch the sun rise and set in the same day
- Leave a random for someone
- Sing your favorite song at Karaoke
- Be free in the rain
- Sleep in
- Be warm inside on a rainy day
- Take a long bath
- Reserve your judgment
- Let the small stuff go
- Share a meal with someone
If you’ve made it to the bottom, thank you. I hope you found some good ideas along the way. Feel free to bookmark this page and come back when you need a little inspiration for your next trip. I’ve spent many years doing these experiences and I’ve taken my time to write about them as much for myself to remember down the line, as for others, so they can partake in some of the amazing things I’ve seen, done, eaten, and experienced. Dig around, explore, and I’m sure you’ll find some stories that will have you planning your next trip sooner rather than later.