Recent uncertain times have reminded us all that we’re not all going to be here forever. So just what are some of the rarest, must-do travel experiences? Without further adieu, here are 23 real-do-before-you-die bucket list travel adventures.
1. Raft Through The Grand Canyon Arizona, US
See the Grand Canyon from a completely rare and different viewpoint. Gazing down onto the squiggle of the river from the rocky rim, it might be difficult to imagine a river creating this natural wonder. Seeing the Grand Canyon from the river will make you truly appreciate it all.
Commercial tour-op adventures range from one day to three weeks. The best time to raft the Colorado River is from May to October. Remember to book in advance too.
2. See the Sistine Chapel, Italy
The Sistine Chapel is located in Vatican City. Here you’ll discover an interesting contrast between minimalistic space and massive art. The Vatican Museum complex is small.
This “box” is only 40 meters (131+feet long) and 13 meters (42+feet) wide. Yet it’s here you will see two of the most impressive paintings in the world: the Last Judgement and the iconic ceiling. If you wish to avoid the 25,000+ tourists who visit every year, book a private after-hours tour in advance.
3. Experience Everest Base Camp, Nepal
The trek to Everest Base Camp is in itself an incredible two-week out-and-back adventure into Sagarmatha at the foot of the tallest mountain in the world. Most travelers aren’t permitted to stay with the climbers at this famous camp.
Only specific special trips offer the opportunity to spend a night at this iconic camp. Book a trip at the peak of the famous “summit-attempt season” when numerous climbers will be staying there. They arrive during the months of April and May.
4. Hike To Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu belongs on everyone’s bucket list. The secret mountain city, undiscovered by the conquistadores, is the stuff of travel legend. Unfortunately, an overabundance of pictures of the Inca citadel may make one appreciate it less.
Thus, it’s best visited on foot. Book one of the various hikes during the dry season between March and November. Be sure to get your permit as the powers that be only offer a limited number of them annually and they sell out quickly.
5. Hike The Popular Milford Track, New Zealand
The Milford Track is perhaps the greatest of the country’s nine official Great Walks. It’s a four-day, 53.5km (33+mile) hike going from Lake Te Anau to Milford Sound. You’ll trek through Fiordland National Park, see forests, ice fields, lakes, and waterfalls.
You’ll take in the view at the popular panoramic Mackinnon Pass. Peak summer hiking months are from November to April. Book an upgraded adventure if you can as camping’s not allowed and the number of hikers permitted.
6. Sleep Beneath The Stars in NamibRand, Namibia
Sure, you can see stars in the sky the moment you get out of the city. However, stargazing is especially heavenly when you go somewhere very clear, dark, and remote. The NamibRand Nature Reserve is one of a select few “gold-certified Dark Sky Reserves.” Here you’ll find some of the planet’s very best dark skies in a country that is sparsely populated and has a dry climate and dependable clear skies. Sleeping under the stars was never like this anywhere else.
7. Swim With The Turtles, Western Australia
Swim with an endangered species at Ningaloo Reef. It’s only 100 meters (328+ feet) offshore and even attracts almost 500 species of fish. Three different species of turtles nest on the nearby beaches between November and April. Mind you, the turtles actually swim offshore here all year long so you have some wiggle room in your trip planning. Veteran visitors report that the good spots include the Muiron Islands, Shark Bay, and Turtle Bay on Dirk Hartog Island.
8. Meet An Endangered Tribe, Ecuador
Learn about a unique culture in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Sure, some minority tribes don’t want to be gawked at by a bunch of tourists, such as the bow-and-arrow-wielding Sentinelese. Others, however, enjoy having a “cultural lifeline.”
Here travelers can book tribal tours and stay at lodges owned and run by the locals which helps in keeping the tribe’s endangered traditions alive and even protect their environment. It also provides people with an insight into how some people have existed for centuries.
9. See A Snow Leopard In India
Not many people have seen the snow leopard. There are as few as 4,000 left in the wild. Furthermore, these charismatic cats thrive on cold clifftops at altitudes of 3,000 meters (9,842+ feet) or more. Thus, they’re difficult to spot.
The Hemis National Park in Ladakh, however, is the snow leopard capital of the world. Visit this place in the winter. The snow brings them to lower ground and you’ll be more likely to (ahem) spot one.
10. Descend Into A Real Volcano, Iceland
Iceland offers individuals a unique descent into the Earth’s core. Here the ground groans, gasps and even spews. Take a tour of the Thrihnukagigur volcano. Ride a large lift 120 meters (393+ feet) into a colorful, drained magma chamber.
Tours of this weird, wonderful world are only offered between May 10th and October 31st and only on a year-to-year basis. The volcano is officially considered dormant. It last erupted more than 4,000 years ago. But, you never know . . .
11. Visit St Helena, South Atlantic
You can still visit the far-flung South Atlantic island of St. Helena. It’s a historic location with under 5,000 residents. The settlements here on this lovely albeit lonely isle have changed very little since the Georgian days.
Here the sky is alive with myriad birds and the water is brimming with dolphins. If you visit from January to March, you can even go snorkeling alongside whale sharks. Experts suggest planning your visit here around your specific interests.
12. Stay On A Private Island In Scotland
Who hasn’t thought about having their own island? Not everyone can buy one, but you certainly can rent your own slice of sea-lapped solitude. Scotland has nearly 800 islands perfect for camping in the wild.
Witness the uninhabited isle known as Tiny Tanera Beag. Here you can see seals in the lovely lagoon near Eilean Flada Mor, hike to the isle’s 83-meter (272+ feet) high-point, see the skerries and rock stacks and even camp in the heather too.
13. See Icy Antarctica
Antarctica is dangerous and indubitably exciting. It offers a place that most tourists have never seen. Here you can explore the even less-visited Weddell Sea too.
Explore the huge icebergs, ice floes and discover what true adventure feels like. See the baleen whales beneath the surface and the seals and penguins atop the thick ice. If you want to experience a Weddell Sea voyage you’ll need to make plans well in advance as there are only so many each year.
14. Climb Mighty Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
The monolith known as Kilimanjaro rises out of the African plains. At 5,895 meters tall, it is officially the roof of a continent. It’s also a true climatological oddity because it demonstrates that you can find snow practically on the equator. Climbing Kilimanjaro offers a difficult but achievable athletic goal. Climbers are not permitted to climb independently so be sure to plan ahead and sign on to a trip that is best suited to your level of experience.
15. Cruise Havana In A Cool Classic Car, Cuba
Here you can experience a different locale and cruise in an iconic classic car at the same time. At present, it is a bit easier for people to travel here too. Cuba is a place that some veteran visitors say is “strong of culture and loose of hips.” Taking a tour of Cuba in a 1950s automobile as its muscle motor roars around the nigh grimy grandeur of the country’s capital’s backstreets is a vintage venture.
16. Cuddle With Whales, Mexico
There are numerous places you can go whale-watching. There are only a few places you can hug them. Baja California is one such place. Visit from December through April.
That’s when the great grey whales gather in San Ignacio Lagoon to mate, give birth, raise their young, and apparently have a good time. They also bump into boats and surface close to people inviting strokes and pats. February through April is the best month but trips sell out literally years in advance.
17. Get The Northern Lights On Camera
Get a super shot of the Northern Lights. In this Instagram era, you can’t simply see the world’s best light show, you need a social media-worthy picture of it as well. So sign up for an aurora photography tour. You can get photo tips and explore the Arctic wilderness of Canada, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The best times to see the Northern Lights are either October to November or February to March depending on your country of choice.
18. See An Eclipse In Antarctica, Argentina, Or Australia
These are the best places to be to see an eclipse. Those in the know, say that to fully appreciate the effect of an eclipse, you should be “somewhere in the path of the solar maximum.” Sign up for an “expert-led eclipse-watching trip.” The next one will be on December 14 in Argentina. If that’s too soon, head for Australia on May 26, 2021. Finally, you can experience a total eclipse in Antarctica in December of 2021.
19. Enjoy The Foliage Along The Appalachian Trail, US
Take it from your rovin’ writer, visiting New England towns in the fall to see all the colors might sound romantic, but you can take in all the fall beauty on this trail without dealing with traffic and tons of other leaf looky-loos. Celebrate the multi-colored demise of New England’s trees up close and personal on foot by hiking and camping along this trail. Take the brilliant 43+ mile stretch of the trail running between the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Vermont border starting in mid-September.
20. Cruise Through Glacier National Park, US
Here you can take in the sight of all the retreating ice. Take the roughly 50-mile long Going-to-the-Sun Road through the scenic mountains of north-west Montana. Because portions of it are difficult to clear of winter snowfalls, the best time to visit is actually after mid-June but before late September. You will see the rapidly retreating Jackson Glacier and negotiate the hairpin turns of Logan Pass too. Allow yourself two hours of driving time and additional time for optional travel stops.
21. Spot A Spirit Bear, Canada
See rare bears in British Columbia. The Great Bear Rainforest is where the unusual ursines known as Kermode (or “spirit”) bears live. These black bears have a recessive gene that causes almost 10 percent of them to be a pale cream color.
At last report, less than 400 of them existed. The best place to see them is near Klemtu. The best time to travel here is between late August and mid-October when returning salmon draw the bears to the river.
22. Ride The Famous Trans-Siberian, Russia/China
Aerosmith once sang: “Life’s a journey, not a destination.” The lyrical axiom certainly applies to traveling on the Trans-Siberian train journey from Moscow to Beijing. Experience this old school six-night, 7,621-kilometer atmospheric train trip past birch trees, grassy steppe, Lake Baikal, yurt camps, the Gobi Desert, and camel herds. See it all from the cozy confines of a cabin shared with anyone from Russian businessmen to Buddhist monks.
23. Raft Down The Zambezi River, Zambia
The Zambezi River is located in south-eastern Africa. You can take a short raft run out of Livingstone or a multi-day camping trip. You can spot crocodiles on the banks and lazy hippos in the channels. You’ll take on the rapids known as The Devil’s Toilet Bowl and Oblivion. The best time to book your rafting trip is during the low water season between the months of August and December.
