30 Before 30 Travel Bucket List
Are you looking for 30 before 30 travel bucket list ideas?
Read on for 30 amazing travel experiences to have before you turn 30!
Creating a “30 before 30” list is a great way to challenge yourself to try new things and make the most out of your twenties. It’s essentially a bucket list, except instead of including things you want to do at some point in your lifetime, it’s all things you want to accomplish before your 30th birthday.
Not all of the things on your 30 before 30 list have to be travel-related (for example, you might also include personal, financial, career, relationship, and health goals) but all of the ideas below are.
Traveling in your twenties is amazing. I’m so glad I made travel a priority in my life and spent several years of my twenties traveling full-time. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. There’s no better time to travel than now, rather than saving it for “someday” when you have more money or are retired.
If you’re looking for truly epic travel experiences to add to your 30 before 30 list, read on for some inspiration. Some of these are things I personally did in my twenties, while others are still on my list!
1. Take a solo trip
Traveling solo is an experience I think everyone should try in their twenties. It challenges you to go outside your comfort zone, but it’s also lots of fun. You have the freedom to do whatever you want and make your trip your own. You can also meet new people and have new experiences you wouldn’t otherwise.
2. Go to Mexico for Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead, known as Día de Muertos in Spanish, is celebrated for the two days after Halloween. It’s an incredible traditional holiday, and celebrating it in Mexico is a bucket list experience. While Day of the Dead is celebrated all over Mexico, you’ll find some of the best festivities in the city of Oaxaca.
3. Celebrate Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
Another amazing holiday celebration worth traveling for is Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Known for being one of the top festivals in the world, Rio Carnival takes place in the week leading up to Ash Wednesday. It’s celebrated with over-the-top decorations, parades, and entertainment.
4. Go bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an amazing adrenaline-pumping adventure activity to try in your twenties. This is something you can do in many places around the world, with New Zealand being well-known for having some especially thrilling and scenic bungee jumps. (It’s one of the adventure capitals of the world!)
5. See the Northern Lights in Iceland
Iceland, nicknamed the Land of Fire and Ice, is a bucket list-worthy destination for so many reasons. Waterfalls, geysers, glaciers, volcanoes, lava flows, and hot springs await you. And one of the most amazing experiences that you can have in Iceland is spotting the colorful Northern Lights dancing in the sky.
6. Go on an African safari
An African safari is an unforgettable experience, and it can be a bit of a splurge. However, you can save money on a safari in your twenties by choosing a budget-friendly tour operator or opting for an all-camping safari. Some of the best countries for safaris are Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, and South Africa.
7. Backpack through Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is one of the best destinations for twenty-something travelers. It’s very budget-friendly and has great travel infrastructure with a well-defined “backpacker trail.” This makes it the perfect region for an amazing multi-month gap year or career break adventure while you’re in your twenties.
8. Learn how to scuba dive
Scuba diving is one of the most magical experiences you can have. There’s truly nothing like it. You can get scuba certified in under a week, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Some of the most affordable (and beautiful!) destinations for scuba diving are Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Honduras, and Belize.
9. Celebrate Holi in India
Holi is a bucket list festival that takes place in the city of Varanasi in northern India every March. It celebrates the end of winter and the beginning of spring with a massive festival. Everyone throws colored powder around in the streets, making this a messy, colorful, beautiful, and crazy experience to have.
10. Go to Munich for Oktoberfest
Another legendary festival that is amazing to travel to in your twenties is Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. It takes place every year beginning in mid-to-late September and lasting for two weeks. Oktoberfest is a huge beer festival with a lively, fun atmosphere, making this a great trip for your twenties.
11. Travel to 30 countries
If you’re looking for an ambitious goal to set, what about collecting 30 passport stamps before you turn 30? This is something you can break down into smaller steps. For example, if you’ve already been to 10 countries at age 20, that means you need to visit two new countries per year until you turn 30.
12. Plan a trip that actually makes it out of the group chat
Do you always talk about taking a trip with friends, and then it never happens? Set a goal to plan a trip that actually makes it out of the group chat. A lot of the trip ideas on this list (like Oktoberfest in Munich or the Yacht Week in Croatia) are perfect for a group trip with friends if you want a really cool experience.
13. Go on a bar crawl
Going on a bar crawl is a fun activity to do when you’re traveling. It’s a great way to meet new people (especially if you are traveling solo!) and experience the nightlife of a destination. You can almost find a bar crawl in a new destination, just Google the city name plus “bar crawl” to see your options.
14. Attend La Tomatina in Spain
La Tomatina is one of the craziest festivals in the world that should be on your bucket list to attend. Held on the last Wednesday of August each year in the small town of Buñol, Spain near Valencia, La Tomatina is described as the world’s biggest food fight! Be prepared to get messy and throw lots of tomatoes.
15. Take a crazy trip to Las Vegas
Nicknamed Sin City, Las Vegas is one of those destinations you just have to visit once while you’re in your twenties, even if just to take in all the craziness. Not into gambling at casinos and nightlife? There are also lots of amazing day trips and cool desert scenery within driving distance from Las Vegas.
16. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin
St. Patrick’s Day is a big deal in the United States, but this annual holiday celebrated on March 17 has its roots in Ireland. And there’s no better place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than in Dublin! The city goes all out for this holiday, with tons of festivities including parades, live bands, and parties in the streets.
17. Hike to Machu Picchu in Peru
It’s challenging physically, but hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru is an amazing bucket list experience. Not up for a four-day hike? Neither was I! You can also opt to take a train to Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu, then take a bus or do a shorter one-day hike to the ruins.
18. Do Yacht Week in Croatia
Yacht Week is a floating festival that happens every summer in Croatia. This is an amazing trip to do with friends, and splitting the cost of a sailboat with a group is surprisingly affordable! Hundreds of sailboats gather and sail the beautiful seas around Croatia for a week, and every day at Yacht Week is one big party.
19. Backpack through Central America
Much like Southeast Asia, Central America is another affordable, backpacker-friendly region to explore. And for American travelers, it’s also easier to get to this part of the world! From Mexico all the way down to Panama, there are so many incredible adventures you can have in Central America.
20. Walk the Great Wall of China
One of the New 7 Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China is truly a marvel. Stretching nearly 5,500 miles, this ancient wall is an incredible bucket list destination. There are many sections of the wall that are open to visitors, but some of the most accessible sections are located near Beijing.
21. Travel to all 7 continents
Okay, this is a really ambitious goal to set for your twenties, but why not dream big? Setting foot on every continent would be an amazing feat. The most difficult continent to visit would be Antarctica, since you can only get there on a cruise, and the absolute cheapest options start at around $10,000.
22. Learn how to surf
Surfing is such a cool experience and something you can do all around the world. Make it a priority to take a few surfing lessons and pick up the basics of this fun and adventurous sport. Some of the best and cheapest places to learn how to surf include El Salvador, Nicaragua, Portugal, and Morocco.
23. Travel with your parents
Maybe you went on some vacations with your parents when you were younger, or maybe you didn’t travel as a family growing up. Whatever the case, traveling with your parents (or other family members) when you are older is a really special experience that I recommend everyone try at least once.
24. Take a spontaneous road trip
This is something fun and affordable you can do even if you only have a free weekend and don’t go too far from home. Take a spontaneous road trip to a new destination, whether that is a state, city, beach, or national park within a few hours’ driving distance of your home. You can do this alone or with friends.
25. Attend a music festival in another country
Going to a music festival abroad is an awesome experience. Tomorrowland, an EDM festival in Belgium, is probably the most famous, but there are tons of other options. Regardless of what kind of music you’re interested in, or where you want to go, there are hundreds of amazing music festivals around the world.
26. Celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Mardi Gras is a huge deal in New Orleans, and it’s something you should experience at least once. This holiday is the culmination of the Carnival season, and it’s celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras means elaborate costumes, parades, live music, and partying it up.
27. Swim in a waterfall
Who said you shouldn’t go chasing waterfalls? Swimming in a waterfall is an amazing experience, especially if it’s a refreshing reward after a long hike to get there! This is something you can do close to home or while traveling. There are tons of beautiful waterfalls all over the world where you can swim.
28. Fly in first class
Booking a first class flight will make you feel like you’ve really made it in the world, even if it’s a one-time thing. Flying in first class doesn’t actually have to cost a lot, though. With travel hacking through credit cards and earning airline miles and loyalty status, you can actually fly in first class for free!
29. Visit the New 7 Wonders of the World
An impressive feat to accomplish in your twenties would be visiting all of the New 7 Wonders of the World. This list includes the Great Wall of China (China), Chichen Itza (Mexico), Petra (Jordan), Machu Picchu (Peru), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), the Colosseum (Rome), and the Taj Mahal (India.)
30. Live abroad for at least a year
Finally, a really cool idea for your 30 before 30 list is to spend at least one year living abroad in your twenties. You could choose to attend grad school abroad (so much cheaper than the US!), teach abroad, get a working holiday visa and find a job abroad, or get a digital nomad visa and work remotely from abroad.
30 Before 30 Travel Bucket List
These are some of the best ideas for a 30 before 30 travel bucket list.
Creating a 30 before 30 list is a great exercise to do if you’re in your twenties. It helps you get clear on what your goals are (even if some of them are really big dreams!) and work towards achieving them.
Traveling in your twenties is something I cannot recommend enough. You won’t regret it!
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