Bucket List of TravelOnce-in-a-Lifetime Trips for the Smart Traveler™
Green aurora borealis over an Icelandic landscape

The Travel Bucket List

Sixteen once-in-a-lifetime journeys, the best time to go, and the specialists who can get you there.

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Everyone’s bucket list is personal, but some journeys appear on almost all of them: standing under a sky of dancing green light, watching a river of wildebeest cross the Mara, walking into Petra through the narrow Siq, stepping off a zodiac among penguins. This guide gathers the trips that deliver that feeling, explains when each one is at its best, and points you to the specialists in our network who plan them every day.

Trips on the list16 journeys on 6 continents
Book furthest aheadAntarctica, the Great Migration, Galápagos
Best for winterNorthern Lights, Antarctica, Patagonia
Best for summerSafari migration, Machu Picchu dry season
Planning timeUsually 6–12 months
QuotesBest value. True specialists. Free quotes.

The List

Tap any trip for when to go, what to know and who can plan it.

Northern lights over Iceland
Northern LightsIceland, Norway, Finnish Lapland, Alaska and Canada, September – March.
 Penguins and an expedition ship in Antarctica
AntarcticaPenguins, icebergs and the White Continent by expedition ship.
 Zebras and wildebeest in the Maasai Mara
African SafariThe Great Migration in Kenya and Tanzania, Big Five in southern Africa.
 Galápagos giant tortoises
The Galápagos IslandsGiant tortoises, marine iguanas and fearless wildlife.
 Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu PicchuThe Inca citadel high in Peru’s Andes.
 The Treasury at Petra, Jordan
PetraJordan’s rose-red city carved into sandstone.
 The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
Pyramids of GizaThe last standing wonder of the ancient world, plus a Nile cruise.
 Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor WatSunrise over the world’s largest religious monument.
 The Taj Mahal and its reflecting pool, Agra, India
The Taj MahalIndia’s marble monument to love, in Agra.
 The Great Wall of China winding through green hills near Beijing
The Great Wall of ChinaRestored and wild sections near Beijing.
 Iguazú Falls with a rainbow
Iguazú FallsHundreds of cascades on the Argentina–Brazil border.
 Victoria Falls
Victoria FallsThe “smoke that thunders” between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
 Salar de Uyuni at sunrise
Salar de UyuniBolivia’s salt flat, a giant mirror in the wet season.
 Torres del Paine, Patagonia
PatagoniaTorres del Paine and the glaciers of the far south.
 Boats among the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Ha Long BayLimestone islands rising from Vietnam’s emerald water.
 Overwater bungalows in Bora Bora
Bora BoraThe original overwater bungalow in French Polynesia.

Browse by Type of Adventure

Polar & Aurora

Northern Lights hunting, Antarctic expeditions and the Arctic by ship.

Wildlife

African safaris, the Galápagos and the Amazon.

Ancient Wonders

Machu Picchu, Petra, the Pyramids, Angkor, the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall.

Natural Wonders

Great waterfalls, salt flats, glaciers and limestone seascapes.

Epic Journeys

Bora Bora, Alaska’s glaciers, Norway’s fjords, the Nile and the Panama Canal.

Plan It

A month-by-month calendar, budgets, fitness and booking windows.

Ready to cross it off? Plan your bucket-list trip

Big trips reward expert planning. Describe your dream trip and get your best-value travel quote free from true travel specialists through the Official Travel Directory.

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Bucket List FAQ

What should be first on my travel bucket list?

Start with the trip that is hardest to do later. Physically demanding trips such as the Inca Trail, gorilla trekking or Patagonia hiking are easier sooner; time-limited experiences, such as seeing a strong aurora season, may also argue for going now.

How far ahead should I plan?

Six to twelve months for most bucket-list trips, and longer for Antarctica, the Great Migration, Galápagos cruises and Machu Picchu in the dry season, which sell out early.

Are these trips expensive?

Some are (Antarctica, luxury safaris, Bora Bora), others less than you might think (Angkor Wat, Iguazú Falls, Ha Long Bay). Traveling in shoulder season and letting a specialist compare operators makes a big difference.

Do I need a specialist for these trips?

You don’t have to, but permits, limited-capacity sites, remote logistics and fast-selling ships make expert help especially valuable. Quotes are free.

The Specialists Behind the List

Polar Expedition CruisesArctic and Antarctic expedition voyages. African Safari SpecialistKenya, Tanzania, Botswana and South Africa safaris. Galápagos Expedition CruisesSmall-ship cruises through the islands. South America Tour SpecialistsPeru, Patagonia, Iguazú and beyond. China Tour SpecialistsThe Great Wall, Xi’an and the Yangtze. Nile River Boat CruisesLuxor to Aswan by river.