Clear Lists
Get the app →
Bucket List Holiday Ideas
Trips worth doing once, from a sunrise balloon in Egypt to a night in a Scottish castle.
A real, editable checklist below — tick, tap a line to rewrite, drag to reorder.
Tick the circles, tap any line to change it, drag the dots to reorder.
Saved in this browser. Send it to Clear to keep it on your phone.
Sooner rather than later, says one travel blog about Alaskan glaciers, because global warming is taking its toll on them. Stonehenge has its own deadline: The Stickered Suitcase says the public can stand freely among the stones on only two days a year, the solstices. The ideas here come from travel writers, magazine editors and a forum full of holiday daydreamers, from a sunrise balloon in Egypt to a night in a Scottish castle. No prices and no itineraries. Pick the ones that make you grin.
Why these items are on the list
- Sunrise balloon over Valley of the Kings. Egypt from above at dawn. One writer called it peaceful, with stunning views.
- Climb inside the Great Pyramid. The Stickered Suitcase describes a 45 degree crawl, with people coming back down past you. The reward: a sarcophagus.
- Vintage Vespa tour from Florence. Tuscan countryside with photo stops, then a meal looking out over the rolling hills.
- Cross Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. It sways in the wind high above rocks and sea. Closed to tour groups, not packed like nearby Giants Causeway.
- Summer solstice at Stonehenge. The Stickered Suitcase says only two days a year let you stand among the stones. Thousands come, so it's crowded.
- Kayak in front of Mendenhall Glacier. The Stickered Suitcase puts it 12 miles from downtown Juneau, so a day trip. Amanda saw otters.
- Visit Germany's Christmas markets. Kayla found seven themed markets spread across Munich on her visit, so it's an easy place to start.
- Skydive for a milestone birthday. Offered all over the world. One writer found it terrifying and thrilling, and once was enough for her.
- Spend a night in a Scottish castle. The Stickered Suitcase says Dalhousie Castle is a 13th century castle turned hotel, with archery lessons and a falconry.
- New Year's Eve fireworks in Copenhagen. They start once the sun goes down, so a room with a view lets you watch from the warm.
- Visit Disneyland Paris. Phantom Manor stands in for Haunted Mansion, and character meet and greets are less common in the US.
- Northern Lights and dog sledding in Sweden. An editor pairs the lights with dog sledding and snow activities, plus Swedish culture and design.
- Road trip around Iceland. A MiNDFOOD writer's dream: waterfalls, ice caves, black sand beaches and volcanic rock formations along a road trip.
- Go on an African safari. Forum posters mention seeing the big five, and a horseriding safari in Botswana.
- Ski the powder in Japan. Janine Bourke of MiNDFOOD expects deep powder, and says the food would surely be top of the list.
- Cruise the Galapagos Islands. Two forum posters mention the islands, and one specifically names a cruise.
- Nile cruise through Egypt. One forum poster would love to tour Egypt with a Nile cruise included.
- Drive LA to Santa Barbara. A coast drive north from LA, which can pair with a cruise along the California coast.
- Boston, Salem and Nantucket. MiNDFOOD's Gill Canning wants Boston Common, America's oldest park, then Salem and a ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket.
Tick them off on your phone and the list quietly keeps score while you daydream. Share it with whoever you'd travel with and argue over the order.
When to use it
Useful whenever the holiday daydreaming starts, ideally well before you need to book anything tied to a date, like a solstice or New Year's Eve.