What’s the ONE wild, awe-inspiring journey you HAVE to expertise earlier than you die?
We requested outside lovers, thrill seekers, and globe-trotting dreamers to share the epic journeys that high their private bucket lists—and the deeper the reason why.
From racing throughout the Bonneville Salt Flats to locking eyes with a silverback gorilla in Rwanda, these aren’t simply adrenaline kicks—they’re the tales that stick, the moments that mark you.
Whether or not you’re planning your subsequent journey or simply daydreaming together with your morning espresso, these 16 outside adventures could have you asking: What’s my once-in-a-lifetime quest?
Take a Safari Tour in South Africa
My high bucket checklist outside journey could be to take a safari tour via the well-known Kruger Nationwide Park in South Africa.
Having the ability to see lions, cheetahs, and different African wildlife up shut could be unbelievable. I can solely think about what sort of humbling feeling this should give.
And it’s not solely the animals; the start of life on Earth stems from this area of the world. How unbelievable wouldn’t it be to go there and expertise that?
That’s one thing you’ll not discover anyplace else.
Chris Oberman, Blogger, Shifting Jack
Expertise Automotive Racing at Bonneville Salt Flats
I might like to expertise automobile racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah!
Driving throughout a mattress of salt the place the sky and the Earth meet on the horizon whereas breaking pace information looks as if such an exhilarating expertise!
Religion Czarnecki, Journey Advisor, Travelista Travels
Hike the Dolomites in Northern Italy
My high bucket checklist journey consists of climbing the Dolomites, positioned in Northern Italy.
Since childhood, I’ve dreamed of visiting the mountain vary that mixes sharp peaks with serene meadows to witness its rugged magnificence myself.
The foremost attraction of this journey lies in its alternative to disconnect from routine life whereas spending a number of days totally engaged with nature.
A bunch of hikers shared their emotions of feat from ending the path and rediscovering themselves inside a unprecedented panorama.
The mix of breathtaking surroundings with genuine villages creates the proper journey vacation spot.
Nothing compares to savoring Italian delicacies as a pleasant reward after finishing a prolonged hike.
Renato Fernandes, Scientific Nutritionist, Saude Pulso
White Water Rafting the Grand Canyon
White water rafting the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River has been on my bucket checklist for a very long time, and I’m excited to strive it.
The considered paddling via highly effective rapids whereas surrounded by the wonderful canyons of feels like an unbelievable journey.
I’ve heard that the combo of peaceable waters and intense drops makes the journey thrilling and unforgettable.
Tenting by the river and having fun with the attractive desert views would make the expertise even higher.
Someday, I’m going to make it occur and really feel the fun of the Colorado River for myself.
Evan McCarthy, President and CEO, SportingSmiles
Trek the Kokoda Monitor in Papua New Guinea
If I may select one outside journey earlier than I move away, I must say trekking the Kokoda Monitor in Papua New Guinea.
I’ve heard tales of its difficult terrain, the dense jungle, and the unbelievable historical past behind it.
I consider it could be a tremendous expertise to push myself bodily and mentally, whereas additionally paying respects to the courageous troopers who fought there throughout World Warfare II.
However I’m not getting any youthful. If I don’t do it quickly, life would possibly get in the way in which.
I’m not simply searching for a thrill—I’m searching for perspective.
After years of illuminating automobile parks and warehouses, I need to expertise what it’s prefer to stroll at the hours of darkness, each actually and metaphorically.
Matt Little, Proprietor & Managing Director, Festoon Home
Hike Pico de Orizaba in Mexico
As somebody who has chased among the most breathtaking pure landscapes on the planet, one expertise that I’ve at all times dreamed of attaining is climbing Pico de Orizaba in Mexico, the nation’s highest level.
It could be about testing one’s particular person limits whereas taking within the surroundings.
The thrice-difficult hike to the highest, via a panorama surrounding the snowy cliffs, is extraordinarily difficult. However as an Aries, I like massive challenges and excessive adventures.
Someplace in between awe and a deep sense of accomplishment is the place you end up standing atop the snow-covered slopes, feeling the expansive horizon in entrance of you.
There are numerous adventures that I need to have, but when I may test one off the checklist, it could be Pico de Orizaba.
It’s not merely a bodily journey, however an emotional one—a reminder of the unbelievable issues nature supplies.
Mariana Montes, Native Tour Information and Journey Author, Vibe Adventures
Swim with Whale Sharks in Donsol
I can’t enable myself to die with out swimming with whale sharks in Donsol, Philippines.
There’s no approach I’m leaving this planet with out that have.
I’ve thought of it for years. The concept of being within the open ocean, face-to-face with one thing that huge and historic, slows the whole lot down in one of the simplest ways.
My work is continuous, filled with deadlines and shifting targets. I want no less than one second in my life the place I’m surrounded by one thing that doesn’t care about any of that, one thing that simply strikes via the water by itself phrases.
Spencer Romenco, Chief Development Strategist, Development Spurt
Sea Kayak Via Channel Islands
My final bucket checklist journey must be sea kayaking via the Channel Islands Nationwide Park off California’s coast, tenting on every of the 5 islands whereas monitoring the seasonal blue whale migration.
This dream crystallized for me again in 2012 once I was coordinating a luxurious yacht constitution close to Santa Cruz Island and noticed a large blue whale breaching—fully reworking my understanding of those islands from fairly coastal views to a unprecedented wilderness gateway that almost all Californians by no means expertise regardless of being in our yard.
What makes this journey so compelling is the exceptional biodiversity mixed with the bodily problem—navigating typically treacherous ocean currents between islands, sleeping on distant seashores the place island foxes would possibly go to your campsite, and experiencing the fun of paddling alongside the most important creatures on Earth.
I’ve been systematically constructing the talents wanted—taking progressively more difficult kayaking journeys alongside the Mendocino coast, studying navigation methods,and learning marine wildlife patterns—as a result of the most effective adventures aren’t simply checked off a listing however really skilled via preparation and presence.
Do not forget that “the wilderness asks you to come back as you might be however go away higher than you arrived”—one thing I’ve discovered true whether or not planning adventures for purchasers or dreaming of my very own epic multi-island kayaking journey via this extraordinary marine sanctuary.
Joe Hawtin, Proprietor, Marin County Customer
Go to Antarctica’s Icy Wilderness
One outside journey I might like to take earlier than I die is visiting Antarctica.
Exploring that untouched, icy wilderness feels like a dream come true.
Simply image it: stepping onto the massive, frozen panorama, surrounded by huge glaciers and colonies of penguins, with seals lounging on drifting icebergs.
I can think about kayaking via these icy waters, getting up near the unbelievable blue colours of the glaciers, and taking a polar plunge into the freezing sea.
I can deal with the chilly and ice, however oh my goodness—the fee!
Between expedition cruises, gear, and journey logistics, it’s an journey that requires severe planning (and financial savings), however the probability to see one of many final really wild locations on Earth could be value each penny.
Naima Ch, Advertising and marketing Head and web optimization Specialist, Morse Code Translator
Sail Round Pacific Islands
Having had many adventures everywhere in the world, I preserve pondering of increasingly more experiences to have.
A few of the ones which can be nonetheless excessive on my checklist are:
- Crusing across the Pacific islands: paradisiacal landscapes, cultural immersions, starry nights, and full disconnection.
- Going to the North Pole and seeing polar bears earlier than all of it melts.
- Mountaineering the GR20 in Corsica: it’s thought-about some of the difficult hikes in Europe, and I like problem.
- Tenting beneath the celebs whereas climbing the Jordan Path: an remoted path with the interior awakening and journey that comes from a multi-day hike.
Juan Castells, Journey Blogger, Planet of Adventures
Embark on an Arctic Expedition
My final bucket checklist journey is to embark on an Arctic expedition aboard a solar-powered icebreaker, navigating via the frozen wilderness to witness the Aurora Borealis firsthand.
This dream has been on my thoughts since listening to a firsthand account from an environmental scientist who spent months within the Arctic learning ice patterns.
He described the eerie silence of the frozen panorama, the sheer scale of towering glaciers, and the surreal great thing about the Northern Lights shimmering throughout the sky. The best way he spoke about it made me notice this isn’t only a journey—it’s an expertise that adjustments your perspective on nature, exploration, and even the way forward for our planet.
However for me, this journey wouldn’t simply be about seeing the aurora; it could be about mixing journey with scientific exploration.
This Arctic journey could be the last word fusion of journey, sustainability, and scientific curiosity—and if I get the possibility to do it, I’ll be bringing again extra than simply recollections.
Murray Seaton, Founder and CEO / Well being & Health Entrepreneur, Hypervibe
Trek with Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda
The one outside journey I completely should expertise earlier than I die is trekking with mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
There are solely round 1,000 mountain gorillas left within the wild, and Rwanda’s Volcanoes Nationwide Park is one among simply three locations on Earth the place you possibly can see them.
Every day, solely about 96 persons are allowed to trek—eight guests per gorilla household, strictly for one hour. That’s it!
This stage of safety isn’t any accident; skilled native guides and trackers begin early, following clues like nests and dung to find the teams, then radio again to coordinate the trekkers.
By the point you set off, the gorillas have been discovered, and the actual journey begins.
You hike via lush, misty rainforest on the slopes of the Virunga Mountains, typically at excessive altitudes.
It’s bodily demanding—however whenever you lastly lock eyes with a wild silverback, time stops. It’s silent, highly effective, and deeply human.
You watch younger gorillas play, moms groom their infants, and the dominant male survey his kingdom.
It feels much less like wildlife watching, and extra like being let into an historic, sacred world. And simply whenever you assume that you’re no less than 20 ft away from them, a big silverback brushes previous you, typically planting their knuckle in your ft.
Sanjay Nair, Founder, Safari Lab
Climb Mount Everest
I’ve at all times been fascinated by the concept of climbing Mount Everest.
It isn’t solely one of many best outside adventures but additionally an emblem of perseverance and willpower.
Standing at 8,848 meters above sea stage, it’s the tallest mountain on the planet and attracts hundreds of climbers yearly.
For me personally, reaching the summit of Mount Everest could be the last word achievement.
It could require months of bodily coaching and psychological preparation to tackle such an excessive problem.
However the reward could be priceless—standing on high of the world with breathtaking views and a way of accomplishment like no different.
But it surely’s not nearly reaching the summit. The journey to get there’s simply as essential. Climbing Mount Everest requires willpower, teamwork, and resilience. It’s a check of bodily and psychological power, pushing one’s limits and overcoming obstacles.
Ryan Nelson, Founder, PropertyBuild
Experience a Motorbike Throughout Pamir Freeway
I might like to trip a bike throughout the Pamir Freeway earlier than I die. I don’t imply a type of brief vacationer routes.
I imply beginning in Kyrgyzstan and taking it during Tajikistan, winding via the Wakhan Valley, and pushing via these brutal mountain passes the place the roads crumble and the air will get skinny.
That stretch is without doubt one of the most distant and unforgiving on earth, and that’s precisely why I must do it.
There’s one thing about being on two wheels, uncovered to the weather, staring down cliffs with no guardrails, and realizing that each flip calls for full consideration.
I’ve watched movies of riders crossing rivers on nothing however a plank, mud clouds rolling behind them, snow within the distance, and villages that haven’t modified in generations. I need that.
I need the discomfort. I need the silence. I need to lookup and never see a single billboard or visitors gentle or cell tower.
Simply me, the street, and no matter comes subsequent. If I don’t trip the Pamir earlier than I’m accomplished, I’ll by no means cease fascinated with it. That one’s not only a journey. It’s a necessity.
Johannes Hock, President, Synthetic Grass Execs
Hike Torres del Paine Circuit
Mountaineering the Torres del Paine Circuit in Chile has been on the high of my checklist for years, and I’m determined to make it occur.
There’s one particular motive it pulls at me: the sheer isolation.
I spend my days deep in planning, logistics, and decision-making. I’m surrounded by expertise, calls, and urgency. The concept of getting into a spot the place the whole lot quiets down and the one factor I want to consider is the following step on a path seems like precisely what I want.
Torres del Paine is gorgeous and distant, which forces you to disconnect. No inbox. No conferences. Only a bodily problem paired with some of the dramatic landscapes on Earth.
A reset like that doesn’t occur on a weekend getaway. It comes from placing within the miles, coping with the climate, and watching these granite towers rise in entrance of you with nothing in the way in which. I don’t need to preserve placing it off. That hike is one thing I need to earn whereas I nonetheless can.
Kyle Sobko, Chief Government Officer, SonderCare
Camp on North Stradbroke Island
As somebody who has carved out a profession in creating memorable journey experiences, my bucket checklist journey could be a multi-day tenting journey on North Stradbroke Island, often called Straddie.
With its beautiful seashores, wealthy Aboriginal tradition, and various wildlife, it affords an immersive option to reconnect with nature.
On Straddie, guests can get pleasure from the whole lot from watching koalas and kangaroos to participating with the native Aboriginal neighborhood on cultural walks. I’ve at all times been fascinated by the island’s mix of leisure and journey.
Given my background in hospitality and private dedication to buyer expertise, I see this journey as a option to additional deepen my appreciation for what’s attainable when nature meets service. It’s about experiencing the world via completely different lenses.
Cam Storey, Proprietor, Brisbane 360
Your story is ready.
The world is vast and wild and filled with moments that may shake one thing unfastened in your soul.
Whether or not it’s standing beneath a sky filled with stars within the Sahara or feeling the thunder of waterfalls in Iceland, the correct journey doesn’t simply present you new locations—it exhibits you new components of your self.
So don’t simply dream about it. E book the journey. Pack the bag. Say sure.
As a result of the most effective tales are those you truly dwell.