Adventure Bucket List Vacation Guide

Check out our favourite adventure destinations around the world that we’ve personally been to for the greatest adventure vacations on earth.

Have you got a favorite adventure destination? Share it with us in the comments. We’re planning our 2021 travels and are itching for a great adventure around the world.

1. New Zealand

New Zealand isn’t called the adventure capital of the world for nothing! New Zealand is the land of adventure and you can check off most of your travel bucket list dreams here. We took part in pretty much every adventure that we could dream of trying during our trips to New Zealand and can honestly say, this is the best place on earth for adventures.

From whitewater rafting class 5 rapids in freezing glacial waters to magnificent glacier walks and bunjy jumping to skydiving it’s the adrenaline junkies dream destination. With beaches, watersports, wildlife and glaciers, New Zealand has it all.

• Check out all the Things to do in New Zealand
• The Best Places to Visit in Wellington, New Zealand
• A Local’s Guide to The Best Things to do in Wanaka, New Zealand

2. Best Adventure Vacations for Wildlife – Tanzania

Tanzania is the ultimate safari destination. Going on a game drive through the Serengeti is an experience you’ll never forget. Looking for the big 5 is a thrill of a lifetime and seeing a large male lion for the first time is out of this world.

There is nothing like camping in the middle of a game reserve or viewing Jane Goodall’s chimpanzees at the Gombe Forest on Lake Tanganyika. Don’t forget to cycle, we had our greatest adventure cycling through the country!

But Tanzania also is an amazing vacation destination with a tropical escape to Zanzibar where you can go scuba diving and snorkelling, take a sailing trip or enjoy the beach life. But the ultimate adventure is to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and stand on the roof of Africa.

Check out all the things to do in Tanzania at 16 Amazing Things to do in Tanzania

3. Best Mountain Trekking Adventures in Nepal

One would think that the only thing to do in Nepal is trek in the Himalayas. While the biggest attractions are treks to Mount Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Circuit there are so many more adventures in Nepal to be had!

Even travel through the country is exciting. The flight to Lukla is considered one of the scariest in the world making for thrills and spills in mid-air. Head out to Pokhara and try Paragliding over the valley below. There is awesome mountain biking and cycling trips are gaining speed all over the country.

Did you know that you can go on safari in Nepal as well? The Chitwan National Park offers excellent opportunities to spot Rhinos and its considered one of the best tiger habitats in the world. There is White Water Rafting and kayaking as well that we didn’t get to try unfortunately because it was the dry season when we were there, but rest assured we’ll be back.

• Read more about Nepal:
  • The Complete Guide to the Everest Base Camp Trek
  • Top Places to visit in Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Tips for Planning and Trekking to Everest Base Camp

4. Best Adrenaline Rush in South Africa

South Africa is considered the adventure capital of Africa and with good reason. It caters to thrill seekers of all kinds. From bunjy jumping the highest commercial bungy jumping the world at Bloukrans Bungee Jump on the Garden Route to cage diving with great white sharks, South Africa has it all. We’ve done sandboarding and ziplining, kayaked with hippos and flying over Durban in a microlight plane!

South Africa is also an amazing safari destination where you can see all the amazing African animals like the Big 5 (lions, buffalo, elephants, leopards, and rhinos) to ostrich and cheetahs. There’s also great caving at the Cango Caves in South Africa.

• Check out all the things to do in South Africa here
• 20 Amazing Things to do in Cape Town, South Africa
• Ultimate Guide to Kitesurfing Cape Town – A Local’s Guidebook

6. Peru

And you thought the only thing to do in Peru was to go to Machu Picchu! That couldn’t be farther from the truth. While the ruins are spectacular, Peru offers some of the most exciting adventure travel in the world. It starts with a trek on the Inca Trail and Sacred Valley, but the adventures continue with Paragliding over Mira Flores in Lima and surfing off the coast.

If you want dry land, try sandboarding in Huaccachina. But the real adventure for us was going on a wild dune buggy adventure in some of the highest dunes in the world.

And the ultimate backwater adventure vacation has to be exploring the Amazon. Explore the tributaries of the world’s largest river in search of wildlife. Or if the Amazon isn’t in the cards yet, we loved taking a boat trip to Isla Ballestas to view sea lions and penguins Peru’s answer to the Galapagos Islands.

• Read more:
  • Fun Facts About Peru You Never Knew
  • Paracas Peru – Adventures in the California Desert
  • What To Expect When Hiking Rainbow Mountain Peru

7. Zambia

Spending time at Victoria Falls will satisfy the adventure bug in any traveler. Try whitewater rafting in the sky as a helicopter whisks you through the deep maze of gorges and giving you a bird’s eye view of the largest waterfall in the world. Or even better, hop on a microlight flight for a birds eye view.

If you want the real deal, The Zambezi River offers some of the most exciting rapids on earth!

Or if heights are your thing…Bungy jump on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe on the bridge spanning the Zambezi River below.   But we loved the Gorge Swing where you drop 50 meters in a matter of seconds, to be whipped across the Victoria Falls gorge at 95 miles an hour. If that’s too much for you, there’s abseiling and ziplining over the gorge as well!

There’s more relaxed adventures as well, take a day trip to Chobe National Park for some of the best game viewing in Africa and if you are very brave try Sitting in Devil’s Pool at the top of Victoria Falls during the dry season.

8. Fiji

They don’t run the world’s toughest race in Fiji for nothing! It is paradise island destination filled with countless adventure activities! We went out to the adventure capital of Fiji on the Pacific Coast where we took part in some wild activities. Home to the eco-challenge in 2003 and 2019 this South Pacific Island is an adventure lover’s dream. From high-speed Jet boating on the Sigatoka River to riding the longest Zip Line in the world over a magnificent jungle canopy.

There’s jungle trekking and exploring caves with actual descendants of Head Hunters as your guides. World-Class diving sites, beautiful whitewater rafting on the Upper Navua River and island hopping on sailboats to explore it’s 300 islands. Oh yeah, this island paradise is a place you’ll never want to leave.

• check out
  • 12 Things to do in Fiji – The Ultimate South Pacific Dream Trip
  • Kava Ceremony in Fiji Etiquette
  • Pacific Coast Fun with Zipline Fiji

9. Malaysian Borneo

This place as it all! Start in Kota Kinabalu and make your way to Mount Kinabalu, Southeast Asia’s most beautiful peak. This is a challenging 2 day climb that will take your breath away two-fold. One for the rigorous hike and another for the spectacular scenery. Visiting Gunung Mulu National Park where you can hike the Headhunter’s Trail and trek to the Pinnacles is a thrilling experience.

Continue on to Sepilok where you’ll view Organgutans in their natural habitat and then pop over to the Kinabatingan River to view wildlife along the river banks from Wild Orangutans, elephants and crocodiles to name a few.

The best diving in the world is in Sipadan where you can dive within a swirl of a school of barracuda! And it’s an amazing wildlife adventure destination. There’s more wildlife viewing where you can spot the proboscis monkey and Borneo houses one of the largest cave systems in the world where you can view 2 million bats circle overhead nightly from Deer Cave.

• Read More:
  • Great Things to do in Borneo – Malaysia’s Wild Jungle Island
  • The Pinnacles of Borneo – Amazing Wonder of Gunung Mulu
  • Mount Kinabalu – What it’s Really Like to Climb Borneo’s Highest Peak
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10. Antarctica

It’s the final frontier for adventure travel. Not everyone has the opportunity to go to Antarctica, but it is at the top of everyone’s travel bucket list. Before going on an Antarctic expedition, we thought you simply sailed through the ice, but there are amazing adventures to be had.

From kayaking around icebergs to taking zodiacs close to the mouth of glaciers and taking part in the polar plunge jumping into the Antarctic Peninsula’s freezing waters. You’ll have bragging rights for years to come!

It is also one of the best safari destinations on earth with millions of penguins wanting to say hello. Fearless whales that surface for a closer peek and leopard and Weddell seals lounging on ice flows. Antarctica is the ultimate adventure vacation.

• Read more:
  • 11 of the Best Things to do in Antarctica
  • Fascinating Facts About Antarctica
  • How to Pack for an Antarctica Cruise
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11. Greenland

Heading to the other end of the world, Greenland blew our minds. With many of the same adventures as Antarctica, Greenland is the northern hemisphere’s final adventure frontier. We kayaked through uncharted fjiords, stood beside the world’s most active calving glacier and jumped into the freezing Arctic waters for the Polar Bear Plunge.

There’s awesome hiking, and dogsledding, zodiac tours and village visits. What unique about a visit to Greenland is all the chances to view the Northern Lights.

• Read more at:
  • Incredible Greenland – The Final Frontier for Adventure Travel
  • Kayaking in Greenland – The Greatest Arctic Adventure in Photos
  • Ilulissat Greenland – Icebergs are Born at Ilulissat Fjord

12. Off the Beaten Path Adventure Vacations – Kyrgyzstan

The Stans are one of the last places that haven’t been overrun by tourists in this world, and Kyrgyzstan is made for adventurers. Issyk Kul Lake is the place to be for great adventure where you can meet the mystical Eagle Hunters, stay in yurts and trek to the fairytale Skazka Canyon.

But it is going to Jygalan that the adventures really begin where you meet up with the horse people of Kyrgyzstan. Take a horse trek high into the mountains or go trekking on foot into the mountains. Going to Kyrgyzstan is an adventure unto itself as the country is remote and wild.

• Read more:
  • Kyrgyzstan Trekking by Horse – Into Jyrgalan and the Boz Uchuk Lakes
  • The Proud Eagle Hunters of Kyrgyzstan
  • 10 Incredible Reasons to Visit Kyrgyzstan

14. Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands are home to the world’s most unique ecostystem with many animals endemic to the islands. It is truly one of the greatest wildlife destinations in the world for unique encounters. Swim cage free with the Galapagos Sharks, or frolic in the sea with playful sea lions.

Spot the massive Galapagos tortoise and see the Galapagos marine iguana. It’s an amazing destination for scuba diving, snorkelling and bird watching. But there is some amazing hiking through the jungle and along an active volcano on Isabella Island. Explore its lava fields and cones as you hike up to overlook the caldera.

• Read More about the Galapagos:
  • Unique Galapagos Islands Animals in Photos
  • 27 photos that will transport you to the Galápagos Islands
  • Playing With Sea Lions on San Isabella in the Galapagos

16. Costa Rica

It took us years to finally make it to Costa Rica and it did not disappoint. Costa Rica is a wild untamed land of jungles and volcanoes. We spied monkeys, sloths and toucans while searching for wildlife.

Kayaking and zodiac tours are a must and hiking through the jungle is an experience you’ll never forget. Take a tour to the cloud forest and see the incredible Arenal Volcano blowing its smoke as you stay in a treehouse. Costa Rica is the original home to the zipline and canopy tours so it is not to be missed!

• Read more:
  • Things do to in San Jose, Costa Rica
  • 23 Interesting Facts About Costa Rica
  • What to Expect on a Panama Canal Cruise with Uncruise

17. Canada

It’s difficult to choose an adventure destination in Canada for a vacation, because each province has awesome adventures. We have an entire breakdown of adventures in Canada, but to help you check off your bucket list, here are a couple highlights from different provinces. Read more: Best Canada Adventures From Coast to Coast

Manitoba

Walk with polar bears and explore the arctic Tundra on tunrda vehicles. You’ll also see wolves, bears and moose on Canada’s most epic safari. Then head to Churchill for some kayaking or snorkelling with Beluga whales.

Read all about our time with polar bears here. Walking with Polar Bears – The Greatest Arctic Safari and check out the time we went Kayaking with Beluga Whales in Churchill

Alberta

Alberta was home to the 1992 Olympics and besides the world class skiing there are plenty of adventures to be had. See all the great adventure to be had at Things to do in Alberta Canada – The Ultimate Guide

Explore North America’s largest glacier at the Athabasca glacier, go cross country skiing deep into the back country to stay in a remote lodge, take a high mountain trail ride through the rockies or search for grizzlies, moose and caribou in Jasper National Park. The possibilities are endless.

• Read everything about Alberta Adventures here.
  • The Best Things to do in Canmore, Alberta
  • The Best Things to do in Banff
  • 14 Best Hikes in Jasper National Park – Alberta Canada
  • Driving the Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper Alberta
  • Things to do in Drumheller, Alberta

Nova Scotia

The East Coast is home to the world’s highest tides and you can ride the waves while tidal bore rafting in Nova Scotia. If that’s a little too much of an adventure, you can walk on the ocean floor while the massive tide is out. There is incredible kayaking on the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean, world class trekking and hiking and fantastic whale watching, boat tours and beaches. Read more: Best Things to do in Nova Scotia – The Ultimate Travel Guide

But there are so many other amazing adventures in Canada, you really need to read our full article to see them all and plan your own Canadian adventure vacation.

• Read more about Nova Scotia:
  • Tidal Bore Rafting in Nova Scotia – The World Highest Tides
  • The Stunning Skyline Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
  • 22 Incredible Stops on the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia
  • Things to do in Lunenburg Nova Scotia – Top Activities
  • The Best Things to do in Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • The Ultimate Nova Scotia Road Trip Itinerary

18. Thailand

Thailand has so many adventure activities it is difficult to know where to begin from sea kayaking through sea caves and entering hongs to snorkelling and scuba diving.  We’ve spent many a day rock climbing in Southern Thailand, it is one of the best sport climbing destinations in the world. There’s not only water sports, jungle trekking is a popular and mountain biking is gaining popularity. The toughest adventure we took part in was training in Muay Thai Kickboxing. It’s one awesome way to get yourself in shape.

For a less stressful adventure take a motorcycle ride to the Myanmar Border. We wound our way through steep mountain roads and witnessed hill tribes in their natural habitat. We went sea kayaking to untouched villages in the north of the country and hiked through tea plantations in Doi Mae Salong. The sky is the limit in Thailand imagine and adventure and you can probably do it here!

• Read more about our adventure travels in Thailand
  • The Best Things to do in Koh Samui
  • 35 Amazing Things to Do in Thailand in 2021
  • Beautiful Beaches in Thailand to Spark Your Wanderlust
  • The Best Things to do in Pai Thailand
  • 35 of the Best Things to do in Chiang Mai, Thailand

19. Mexico

Sure it’s probably the number 1 vacation destination for North Americans to go and chill out on the beach, but there is so much more to Mexico than Margaritas and laying in the sun. Mexico has some of the most pristine scuba diving on the planet. It is also one fo the best places to swim with whale sharks. Which is a must on any bucket list.

For diving, there is the magnificent Palancar Reef which we still put up there as the best marine life views we’ve ever seen. And for the truly adventurous, there’s diving in the Cenotes near Tulum. Paragliding and Hang Gliding can be experienced all over the country including Tapalpa and Oaxaca. Mexico is known for its rock climbing too, there are sites all over the country most notably El Potrero Chico. There is surfing all along the Pacific Coast and mountain biking in Copper Canyon. Of course there is hiking too.

One of our greatest adventures in Mexico was kayaking through the Baja Peninsula for 10 days. It was a trip we’ll never forget. Mexico is such a giant country that it is impossible to pin down where to choose to do your vacation.

• Read More:
  • 15 Fun Facts About Mexico
  • Best Things to do in Cancun, Mexico
  • 23 Amazing Things to do in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

20. Alaska

Like Canada and Mexico, America is huge and has many adventure destinations, but what sets it apart is that it has Alaska, so we could easily choose! Alaska is filled with adventures from seeing glaciers up close and personal to spotting wildlife like brown bears (coastal grizzlies) to moose.

But it also has North America’s highest mountain, Denali (aka Mount Mckinley) that you can either climb if you are an avid mountain climber or take a scenic flight over. There’s amazing hiking, whale watching, more zodiac tours and kayaking. Alaska is truly the best adventure vacations in the US.

• Read more about Alaska
  • The Best Places to Visit in Alaska
  • 28 Amazing Things to do in Juneau, Alaska
  • Things to do in Alaska Before Your UnCruise

And these are our favorite adventure destinations to add to your bucket list. They have definitely created lasting memories for us.

What destination or country did we miss? Add your bucket list adventure to our list in the comments below.

Read Next:

• 50 Most Beautiful Places in the World to Visit – That We’ve Been
• Beautiful Isolated Places on Earth – In Photos
• 41 Beautiful Places in Canada To Visit Right Now
• Bucket List Travels – 52 Places to Visit in Your Lifetime