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The Best Unique Bucket List Travel Ideas

Ran out of travel inspiration? Tear up your tired old bucket list and add these unique adventures to your travel planner.
Jo Fernandez
15 May 2023
Looking to embark on a life-changing adventure with people just as curious as you? Culture Trip’s exclusive getaways, led by Local Insiders, cover the best unique bucket list ideas. If a luxury safari in South Africa and gawping at the elusive Northern Lights sound good, just wait until you see the rest.
1 . Kayak with penguins, ascend Table Mountain and see the Big Five in South Africa

On our 11-day scoot through South Africa, you’ll see the sights you’ve always wanted to, in a thoroughly authentic way. Table Mountain cable car, check. Stellenbosch winelands visit, check. Did you even know you could go kayaking with penguins? And there’s more – optional adrenaline-fuelled activities include the world’s tallest bridge bungee jump in Tsitsikamma National Park. End your trip on a high, photographing the Big Five across two nights and four safari drives in a stunning luxury game reserve.

From£2222
Next available from12 Aug 2023
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2 . Snorkel, kayak and hike alongside the unique wildlife of the Galápagos Islands

This remote group of volcanic islands are home to species of wildlife that are actively protected – we humans are the visitors in their ecosystem. Our five-day trip weaves in ways to witness the amazing wildlife, including snorkelling among sea lions, turtles and marine iguanas, plus kayaking along the Itabaca Channel. Keep your camera close as you hike through cactus forests spotting red-chested frigatebirds. Everyone loves the archipelago’s most famous resident – the protected giant tortoises lumbering among the moon-like landscapes.

From£1624
Next available from26 Aug 2023
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3 . Climb an active volcano and ride a speedboat to a tiny island in Bali

We’re betting Bali is on your travel bucket list. Our trip devotes 12 days to the idyllic Indonesian island, designed for you to see as much of it as possible. Climbing Mount Batur as the sun rises will be a highlight, as will bronzing on balmy beaches and hiking jungle-clad mountains. An exhilarating speedboat ride to tiny Gili Trawangan island is tempered by a soulful snorkel with sea turtles. Your last day will include a blessing on the beach before a group dinner; recreate the fragrant dishes once home with the knowledge gained from your cookery class in Ubud.

From£1239
Next available from17 Jun 2023
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4 . Soak in the Blue Lagoon and take a jeep through the Golden Circle in Iceland

You asked for unique bucket list ideas and this five-day Iceland adventure delivers. Pinch yourself on a private journey through the Golden Circle – a route known for its rich landscapes connecting Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir blow holes and Gullfoss waterfall. You’ll bond with your tripmates while soaking in hot springs, snowmobiling across a glacier and hopefully spotting the Northern Lights play across the night sky. For another dip, head to the Blue Lagoon – nature’s own spa – and for a bite to eat, enjoy the warm bread made in the ground of a geothermal bakery.

From£2286
Next available from21 Oct 2023
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5 . Embark on a train travel odyssey from Madrid to Marrakech

Train travel is back in fashion, so why not embrace the trend and embark on one of our epic Rail Trips? Swapping wheels for tracks allows us to cover a lot of ground, so we can even cross continents within one 12-day adventure. We’ll start in the Spanish capital and head continually south to trace the cultural, historical and culinary evolutions (and crossovers) from Iberia to North Africa. We’ll stop off at the extraordinary historical city of Cordoba, home to the spectacular Mezquita mosque-cathedral, before visiting Seville and taking in a fiery flamenco show. We’ll cross into Morocco through the gateway to Africa, Tangiers, before visiting Casablanca, exploring the time-warping streets of Fes and, last but not least, the ever-vibrant streets of Marrakech.

From£2532
Next available from10 Sep 2023
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Additional reporting by Maja Proescholdt and Gethin Morgan.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel – and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Epic Trips, Mini Trips and Sailing Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travellers and friends who want to explore the world together.

Epic Trips are deeply immersive 8 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and enough down time to really relax and soak it all in. Our Mini Trips are small and mighty - they squeeze all the excitement and authenticity of our longer Epic Trips into a manageable 3-5 day window. Our Sailing Trips invite you to spend a week experiencing the best of the sea and land in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm – and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.