For me, travel is one of the most important aspects of my life. You can get so much more from your travels than you realize. You can enjoy amazing experiences and memories and get to experience completely different things, places, people, and cultures.
If you are the kind of person who loves to travel, then you more than likely have a bucket list filled with destinations that you want to visit. But does your list include exhilarating places like Turtle Island in Borneo and Macchu Pichu in Peru? These once-in-a-lifetime spots really need to be seen to be believed.
So, if you’re looking for some amazing adventures to add to your bucket list destinations, then here are some things on my list that will give you a few ideas.
5 Bucket-List-Worthy Places to Visit
1. Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
Easily one of the most famous sights in North America – the Grand Canyon is one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. When people say this canyon is MASSIVE, believe them – the Grand Canyon is a whopping 227 miles long and over 10 miles wide. Wow!
The most famous attraction here is the SkyWalk, which interestingly, is managed by the native Hualapai Tribe. The Skywalk is a horseshoe shaped structure that sits 21 meters (70 feet) above the canyon’s rim. From this prime vantage point you’ll be treated to arguably the best view of the Grand Canyon. To access Grand Canyon West, where the skywalk is located you’ll need to pay $49 USD and then pay an additional $15 USD to access the Skywalk.
If you want to see the Great Gorge from a completely different and quite a rare angle. Then, skip the obvious way of hiking around the canyon and instead opt to go river rafting through the canyon. The Grand Canyon is stunning anyway, and the mind boggles over the time it has taken to be carved out that way. But seeing the canyon from the water level is one of the best ways to appreciate it.
One of the best white water rafting tours here is this one which departs from Las Vegas, it costs from $690 USD and is a full-day experience (around 15 hours long). It includes pick up and drop off to Vegas, a local guide, lunch, and, of course, the rafting experience.
Not forgetting the most bucket-list-worthy thing to do in the Grand Canyon – a helicopter flight over the breathtaking canyon. From high in the sky, you’ll get to see the canyon in all its glory. This is the tour we did and it’s a 45-minute flight and costs from $399 USD, which is good value in comparison to other similar tours. And we loved it!
2. Turtle Island, Borneo
The Turtle Island Park in Borneo comprises of three small islands. Two are used for conservation, and just one is for visitors. Borneo Turtle Island is a safe haven for endangered turtles such as the hawksbill and green turtle. This means that they can come ashore to lay their eggs each night. On a visit here, you can help release baby turtles back into the sea and learn more about how to protect and conserve these amazing creatures.
It’s part of Sabah National Park, and you would believe Turtle Island is one of the few spots in the world where you can witness turtles nesting every day of the year.
3. Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Italy
The Sistine Chapel, although tiny for the number of tourists that traipse through here every day, is something that needs to be seen to be believed. The iconic ceiling, and particularly the altar wall’s famous ‘Last Judgement’ are likely to be the most impressive paintings that you will have ever seen. How Michaelangelo managed such intricate and ornate paintings on a ceiling all those years back is a wonder.
Related Read: Cinque Terre is one of our favorite spots in Italy!
4. Machu Picchu, Peru
Did you know – there is a train that can take you very close to Machu Picchu? But hiking up can be a much more satisfying option (plus, there are a variety of different routes to choose from). The Inca Trail is easily the most well-known, and at 42 kilometers (26 miles) long and very steep, it’s a challenge. As you can imagine, this trek is incredibly scenic, and it passes through ancient villages (where the Incas once lived)
It is advised to allow at least 4 days to hike the Inca Trail and because it’s super-popular you need to book this hike around a year in advance. A highly rated tour is this 4-day guided hike which is ethically run. You’ll sleep in comfortable tents along the way and there’s even hot showers. It costs from $798 USD per person – which is great value-for-mooney!
In short, it is practically impossible to make a list of bucket list destinations that doesn’t include the famous Machu Picchu. A secret city that was never found by conquistadores, right in the mountains, surrounded by mists and mysteries, really is the stuff of legend.
5. Iceland
Iceland is a country unlike any other, and the reason for its recent popularity with tourists is obvious. It has a really varied terrain. So, if you are looking for something completely unique, then this could be the place for you. One of the things that you can do there is dive beneath the surface of a volcano. Since 2012, there have been more and more commercial tours, such as plunging into the Thrihnukagigur volcano.
This is the only volcano in the world where you can hop in an elevator down into the volcano’s magma chamber. Sounds amazing, right?
The Blue Lagoon is one of the most-visited attractions on the island and for good reason. This geothermal spa is the perfect place to relax, and the waters here are renowned for their healing properties. I’m sure you’ve seen photos of tourists with mud all over their faces in the lagoon. Well, your skin will feel as soft as a baby’s after visiting here.
We also loved checking out the Dettifoss waterfall, found in Vatnajokull National Park. It’s one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe, and it’s oh-so-photogenic.
Thanks for Reading!
Whew, and there you have it a short but sweet list of some of the more unusual places on my list of bucket list destinations. Tell me is there anywhere I may have missed from this list? I’d love to hear about your best adventures for your bucket list in the comment section below.
If you enjoyed reading this, you may also enjoy checking out some of my other most popular blog posts, like –
Dark Tourist attractions – 10 of the worlds most gruesome attractions
The Ultimate Guide to Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Uganda
Zanzibar Travel Guide + 5 Things You Should Know
Why You Should Visit Serengeti National Park (For Your Honeymoon)
Last Updated on May 15, 2024 by snaphappytravel