Looking for Bucket List Ideas?
I’ve had a bucket list that I’ve kept in several different places. Over the years it’s morphed and changed from a bucket list that included things I wanted to accomplish in my lifetime to becoming mostly a travel bucket list.
Often it is tucked away somewhere on an app on my phone, but I decided maybe it was time to pull it out and make it official — to help me keep track of what I actually did and wanted to do, and to give you some ideas of things you may want to add to your bucket list!
Have you written down your bucket list?
I dug up all the bits and pieces that I’ve stored in various different locations and collated it all here. I’ve also added new ideas and places, inspired by Instagram, of course.
Different Types of Bucket Lists
I’ve also decided to include different categories of lists. One giant list seemed overwhelming. You’ll see a creative list, a cooking list, places to travel with kids, and a sushi and restaurant bucket list, among others.
We love gourmet food, and although fine dining restaurants are not places we would necessarily go to with our entire family, any chance we can go to a Michelin Star restaurant when we have babysitters for our kids, we will! We managed to go to quite a few places while living in NYC. We also have a serious love for sushi, so we will often seek out sushi restaurants wherever we are.
So, here goes! I will check off and update with new items as we go!
Travel Bucket List – International
EUROPE
Carousel in Paris, FranceBrussels – Belgium
Prague – Czech Republic
Copenhagen – Denmark
Faroe Islands
Finland
Paris, France 
Study abroad in France
Cliffs of Eretat – France
Lavender Fields – Provence, France
Georgia
Germany
Crete, Greece
Sarakiniko Beach – Milos, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Take a dip in the Blue Lagoon – Reykjavik, Iceland
Santorini, GreeceReynisfjara Beach – Iceland
Jerusalem, Israel
Florence, Italy
Lake Como, Italy
Positano, Italy
Rome, Italy
Tuscany, Italy
Venice, Italy
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tulip Fields in Flevoland – Netherlands
Etretat, Normandy
Gdańsk – Poland
Positano, ItalyLisbon – Portugal
Porto – Portugal
Barcelona – Spain
Alahambra in Granada – Spain
Madrid – Spain
Muralla Roja – Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ride Hot Air Balloon Ride, Cappadocia – Turkey
Istanbul – Turkey
Pamukkale – Turkey
Pasabag Monks Valley – Turkey
ASIA
Fushimi Inari Shrine – Kyoto, JapanBhutan
Cambodia
Beijing, China
Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park (Rainbow Mountain) – Gansu, China
Ice & Snow World – Harbin, China
Easter Island – Rapa Nui, Chile
Shanghai, China
Loong Swim Club – Suzhou, China
Tianjin Binhai Library – Tianjin, China
Yangshuo – China
Balloons Over Bagan – MyanmarHazrat Sultan Mosque in Astana – Kazakhstan
Kuala Lumpur
Laos
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Melaka, Malaysia
Maldives
Ride Hot Air Balloons in Bagan, Myanmar
Visit the White Temple in Min Kun, Myanmar
Nepal
Palawan – Phillippines
GarinFarm Pilgrimage Resort, Phillippines
Hawa Mahal Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Udaipur, Rajasthan
The Supertree Grove – SingaporeMoscow -Russia
Izmailovo Market, Moscow – Russia
St. Petersburg Mosque – Russia
Supertree Grove – Singapore
ArtScience Digital Museum – Singapore
Sri Lanka
Busan – South Korea
Jeju Island – South Korea
Seoul – South Korea
Live in Seoul, Korea for a summer
Taiwan
Bangkok – Thailand
Visit Wat Arun in Bangkok – Thailand
N Seoul Tower – Seoul, KoreaTibet
Shah-i-Zinda, Samarkand – Ubekistan
Hanoi, Vietnam
Halong Bay – Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Dhara Dhevi in Chiang Mai, Thailand
MIDDLE EAST
Dead Sea – Israel
Petra, Jordan
Oman
Doha, Qatar
Shiekh Zayed Grand Mosque – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Dubai, Unted Arab Emirates
Doha, Qatar
AFRICA
Botswana
Visit Pyramids – Giza, Egypt
Luxor, Egypt
White Desert – Egypt
Kenya
Safari – Kenya, Africa
Giraffe Manor – Kenya, Africa
Madagascar
Mauritius
Casablanca, Morocco
Chefchaouen, Morocco
Fez, Morocco
Marrakesh, Morocco
Ride a Camel, Morocco
Namibia
Seychelles
South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
Tanzania
Tenerife
Visit orphanages in Uganda
OCEANIA
Perth, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Twelve Apostles – Australia
Fiji
Bora Bora – French Polynesia
Guam
New Zealand
Tahiti
Bucket List Ideas – The Americas
CANADA
Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac – Quebec City, CanadaBanff – Canada
Montreal – Canada
Quebec City – Canada
Vancouver – Canada
Greenland
CENTRAL AMERICA
Cancun, MexicoBelize
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Cabo San Lucas – Mexico
Cancun – Mexico
Las Coloradas, aka The Pink Lagoon – Mexico
Grutas Tolantongo – Mexico
Stay at shell villa in Isla Mujeres – Mexico
Oaxaca – Mexico
Playa del Carmen – Mexico
Puerto Vallarta – Mexico
Yucatan Peninsula – Mexico
Panama
THE CARIBBEAN & ISLANDS
Bermuda Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Grand Cayman
Grenada
Jamaica
Puerto Rico
Saint Kitts and Nevins
Saint Martin
Saint Lucia
Saint Thomas
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos
U.S. Virgin Islands
SOUTH AMERICA
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Learn to tango in Argentina
General Carrera Lake – Argentina
Aruba
Rio de Janiero, Brazil
Bolivia
Uyuni Salt Flats (Salar de Uyuni) – Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Easter Island
Paraguay
Cuzco, Peru
Lima, Peru
Machu Picchu, Peru
Rainbow Mountain – Peru
UNITED STATES
With so many restrictions on travel after Covid has come on the scene, we’ve been taking more road trips and traveling within the U.S. Here are some domestic destinations to add to your bucket list this year. Our goal is to make it to all 50 states with the kids!
Arkansas
Southern Outlook – Arkansas
Artist’s Palette in Death Valley
Los Angeles, California
Joshua Tree National Park, California
Palm Springs, California
Salvation Mountain – California
McWay Falls – California
Big Sur – California
Solvang Danish Village – California
Universal Studios – Orlando, Florida
Rainbow Row – Charleston, South Carolina
Badlands National Park – South Dakota
Nashville, Tennessee
Dallas, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Houston, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Magnolia – Waco, Texas
Arches National Park, Utah
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
U. S. Territories
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
United States Virgin Islands
FAMILY TRAVEL BUCKET LIST
Hello Kitty Island – Seoul, Korea
There are so many places around the world to take your kids. We’ve made it a point to seek these places out as our kids get quite bored just going to places that interest the adults. We like to do a mix of kid attractions, theme parks, places to take fun photos, playgrounds, dinosaur parks, anything Hello Kitty themed, and cute or fun themed cafes. Here are some bucket list ideas of places to take your kids!
Sanrio Puroland – Japan
Fly on Hello Kitty Air
Stay at a Hello Kitty Hotel
Hello Kitty Island – Seoul, South Korea
Hello Kitty Cafe – Bangkok, Thailand
Peppa World – London, United Kingdom
Disneyland – California, USA
Universal Studios – Los Angeles, California, USA
Dinosaur World – Orlando, Florida, USA
Epcot – Orlando, Florida, USA
Universal Studios – Orlando, Florida, USA
Urban Air Trampoline Park – Portland, Maine, USA
Crayola Factory – Pennsylvania, USA
Hershey’s Chocolate World – Pennsylvania, USA
Dinosaur World – Texas, USA
Peppa Pig World of Play – Grapevine, Texas, USA
Urban Air Trampoline Park – McKinney, Texas, USA
ADVENTURE BUCKET LIST
I have to admit that adventure has taken a little bit of a back seat since I’ve had kids. They just can’t handle too much walking, like the multi-day hike I did to see Machu Picchu when I was in my 20s. I’ve learned to scale things down and enjoy the more leisurely activities I can have with my kids. Here are some adventure bucket list ideas to for yourself or with kids!
See the Northern Lights
Take photos at an ice hotel
Take photos in an igloo
Go parasailing
Go Zip line in Hawaii
Go surfing with my family
Go skiing with my family
Go canoeing with my family
Ride on a glass bottom boat with my family
Go snowboarding
Stay in a capsule hotel with my family
NATURE BUCKET LIST
Hiking at Watkins Glen State Park, NYSwim in a cenote
Swim in a swimming hole with my family
Go hiking with my family
Explore a cave
Go kayaking
Stand under a waterfall
See a double rainbow
SPA BUCKET LIST
Every culture seems to have their own version of a spa. Some are more relaxing than others, and not all are open to kids, but here are some spa bucket list ideas you can do with your family.
Visit a beautiful spa around the world
Soak in the waters at Pamukkale, Turkey
Go to a hot spring with my family
Go to a Korean spa with my family
Visit a hammam
Soak in a Hungarian thermal bath
Visit Aire Ancient Baths
FOOD BUCKET LIST
Are you a foodie like me? If so, you’ll want to write down a list of food bucket list. I’m just getting started, but here are a few food bucket list ideas to get you started.
COOKING BUCKET LIST
Cooking Class in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Are you aspiring to be an amazing cook? Maybe you already are one and just want to expand your cooking repertoire, or maybe you’ve put off learning to cook better until later. There’s nothing like making a list to get some of these hidden desires right in front of your eyes to remind yourself to make time for things you want to do in the kitchen. Here are some of my cooking bucket list ideas.
Take cooking classes around the world
Go to culinary school
Cook a Thai dish at home
Cook a fancy recipe out of a cookbook
Cook a recipe from a Michelin star chef
Make a Hello Kitty cake
Make Hello Kitty cake pops
Make baklava
Make homemade bread
Bake a Korean cake
Make kimchee
Make Vietnamese spring rolls
Cook a Moroccan meal in a tagine
Make pasta from scratch
Make dumplings from scratch
Make Chinese mooncakes
Make Korean red bean breads
Make Korean sullung tang (white ox bone soup)
Make cute food for the kids
RESTAURANT BUCKET LIST
We know restaurants have taken quite a hit in their businesses and many have shuttered their doors, but I am hoping many restaurants will survive! As foodies, we still have dreams to dine at new places and discover new restaurants.
Here is our restaurant bucket list! Both Michelin and non-Michelin restaurants are included. We’ve separated out the sushi places because we have so many!
SingleThread – Healdsburg, California
Manresa – Los Gatos, California
Quince – San Francisco, CA
The Restaurant at Meadowood – St. Helena, CA
Saison – San Francisco, CA
The Fat Duck – Bray, Great Britain
The Modern – Midtown, NYC
Jeju Noodle Bar (Korean) – NYC
Next – Chicago
French Laundry – Yountville, CA
Atelier Crenn – San Francisco, CA
Benu – San Francisco, CA
The Inn at Little Washington – Washington, VA
Noma – Demark
Atomix (Korean Fine Dining) – NYC
Bouley at Home – Flatiron, NYC
Cote Korean Steakhouse (Korean) – NYC
Cafe Boulud – NYC
Jean Georges – NYC
Per Se – NYC
Daniel – UES, NYC
Aquavit – Midtown, NYC
Caviar Russe – Midtown, NYC
Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare – Brooklyn, NY
SUSHI RESTAURANT BUCKET LIST
My love of sushi is very serious, so much so that even my husband proposed to me with a fancy plate of catered sushi, and most birthday celebrations involve sushi at some point. If you know of a sushi restaurant I should try, please list it in the comments! Here are some sushi restaurants to add to your restaurant bucket list if you live near New York City or plan on visiting some time.
Sushi Inoue – Harlem, NYC
Sushi Noz – UES, NYC
Sushi Nakazawa – West Village, NYC
Satsuki (Suzuki’s sushi bar) – NYC
Sushi Amane – Midtown East, NYC
O Ya – NYC
Sushi Ginza Onodera – NYC
Sushi Amane – NYC
Noda – Gramercy, NYC
Kosaka – NYC
Kyo Ya – East Village, NYC
Hirohisa – NYC
Ichimura at Uchu – Tribeca, NYC
So many places to see, so many places to eat! Most of these sushi places were listed before we moved out of New York, so I will update with a new list of restaurants outside of New York too.
CREATIVE BUCKET LIST
Creativity is good for the soul. I’ve always found it relaxing and fun to try a new craft, and have the satisfaction of seeing a finished product that you made with your own two hands!
I’m often found lugging some of my portable creative projects in my backpack on trips. You’ll see me knitting on planes (when I don’t have an infant or toddler vying for my attention), trying out embroidery in the passenger seat of a road trip, or cross-stitch, or bringing art supplies with the hopes that I’ll be able to find time on the trip to find a moment to myself to unwind after along day. Here are some creative bucket list ideas to get your juices flowing.
Design my own punch needle design
Sew a dress for myself that I would wear
Make a photo book of my family
Create a photo wall
Create my own lettering art
Paint an abstract painting
Paint decorative floral art
Create wall art designs
Cook a Michelin star meal
Make soap
Make bath bombs
Write a book
Sell a piece of art I created
Make a rug
Design stickers
Create a watercolor painting
Make candles
Crochet amigurumi
GARDENING BUCKET LIST
I picked up gardening during quarantine in New York. We didn’t have a yard, but we had a large deck that I used to experiment with container gardening. Since then, I can’t help but want to improve my gardening skills so I can truly cook from the veggies in my garden.
Grow my own container garden from seed
Grow indoor vegetables
Grow sprouts
Grow Korean mungbean sprouts
Save my own seeds
Try Bokashi composting
Grow heirloom tomatoes
Have a mini greenhouse in the backyard
Propogate succulents
Grow an avocado plant from seed
Have a fruit tree in my backyard
Grow strawberries
Grow cacti
Propagate a monstera plant
HEALTH & FITNESS BUCKET LIST
No time like now to get back into shape and focus on health. Whether it’s learning a new sport, or committing to that exercise routine you’ve already thought about, time to write it down and make it happen! Here are some health and fitness bucket list ideas to consider.
Fit back into my pre-pregnancy jeans
Play tennis with my husband
Do the splits as an adult
Play a game of golf with my husband
Take a dance class
Run 5 miles again post-kids
Find a green juice recipe I like
Start weightlifting again
Do Barre exercises for 30 days in a row
Swim a mile in a pool
Run a half marathon as an adult
Eat keto/low carb for 2 months
Complete an 8 week exercise program
EDUCATION BUCKET LIST
I love learning. It’s what I love to do. I’ve always loved learning something new, so often you’ll find me trying something new and digging deeper into it. My learning goals are endless, so I’ve listed some learning bucket list ideas you can take inspiration from.
Learn how to create a website
Learn SEO for blogging
Learn how to run profitable Facebook ads
Learn how to use Procreate on my iPad
Learn how to use my drone
Learn how to play worship piano
Learn to play the guitar
Learn to play the electric violin
Learn a foreign language
Learn how to grade a clothing pattern
Become fluent in Korean
FASHION & STYLE BUCKET LIST
I lived in NY for over 10 years, and went to fashion design school at Parsons for a career change, so naturally, wanting to experience being part of the fashion industry while there was part of my bucket list. Maybe some of these fashion and style bucket list ideas will spark something you’ve wanted to do too?
Attend a NY Fashion Show
Buy a designer purse
Work at a design house in NYC
Make a sample with a factory in the garment district in NYC
Alter my dresses
Design and make my own dress to wear
Have a completely organized and curated wardrobe with effortless pieces
ENTERTAINMENT BUCKET LIST
Who hasn’t thought of wanting to have 5 minutes in the spotlight by being a movie extra or on a commercial? Although many have thought of it, few have pursued it to make it happen. Now as parents, maybe we’ll pursue this for our kids. Here are some entertainment bucket list ideas for yourself or your kids, or both! 🙂
See a movie being filmed
Visit Warner Brothers studio
Be an extra in a movie or show
Be in a Korean drama
Be in a commercial
Be in a print ad
Perform on stage as an adult
Write a song
Perform on a video
HOME BUCKET LIST
Home bucket list ideas for the places you want to live and any design or renovation plans you’d like to do for your home in the future.
Own my own condo
Have investment property
Live in NYC
Live a summer in Seoul (did for 3 weeks)
Declutter our home
Build a permanent house for our family
Build an accent wall in our home
Have a backyard pool
Live like a minimalist
BUSINESS BUCKET LIST
If you’re an entrepreneur like me, you always have ideas of things you’d like to see come to light one day. Your list may be different from mine, but be sure to write these down too!
Create a fashion line
Sell a digital product I created
Sell my own t-shirt designs
Create an online class
Teach online classes
Put a class on Skillshare
Publish a book
Give a speech
Publish a cookbook
Sell my art online
Help others become successful using their gifts
FINANCE BUCKET LIST
Finances are something we typically write in our goals list, but why not write it on your bucket list? We all have financial goals. Let’s make them happen!
Create passive income streams
Pay off all debt
Be a self-made millionaire
Learn to invest in cryptocurrencies
Learn to manage my own investments
Life off passive income streams
Retire my husband
Live mortgage free
Send money to my parents every month
Have a college fund for every kid
Have a wedding and condo fund for each kid
LUXURY EXPERIENCES BUCKET LIST
Some luxury bucket list ideas for a little pampering for special occasions or for the ultimate bucket list check!
Go on a helicopter ride
Eat at a 3 Michelin restaurant
Eat at all the Michelin restaurants in the U.S.
Stay at a 5 star resort
Fly first class with my entire family
Stay at the Oberoi Hotel – Delhi, India
Vacation on the water in Maldives
FAMILY BUCKET LIST
These are personal goals I have for my family. We all go through so many things in life — hurdles, disappointments, accomplishments, trauma, ups and downs — but at the end of the day, your family, health, love, joy and living out your purpose is what really matters. Think about the things you’d want to do with your family before your kids are all grown, the family goals you have, or the healing that needs to happen so you can truly thrive as a family.
Save my marriage
Heal from past wounds
Adopt a child from South Korea
Take my kids skiing
Teach my son how to swim
Teach my kids how to speak Korean
Write a journal for my kids to give when they go off to college
Create a photo album / memory book for each of my kids
Teach my kids how to cook
Create family videos with all the random clips I have on my phone
Organize all the photos I’ve taken over the years
Create annual family albums
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS BUCKET LIST
Put a love lock on N Seoul Tower in Korea
Take a weekend trip to Paris, France without kids
Take my parents on an international trip
Take my in-laws on an international trip
Help my parents check off their bucket lists
Help my in-laws check off their bucket lists
Visit my friends around the world
SPIRITUAL BUCKET LIST
Read the entire Bible
Receive the gift of tongues
Experience a miraculous healing
Create scripture art
Create inspiring Christian products
Share my testimony one day
PHILANTHROPY BUCKET LIST
It will definitely take a lifetime to see all of these places on my list, and I always seem to find more things to add to this travel list, but I find it’s always good to have something to look forward to, and opening up these endless possibilities brings out the dreamer within me again.
Compiling this list also reminded me how much there is to experience in this world, and keeps me excited about what’s to come! Life is an adventure, and it’s so much more fun when there is something to look forward to!
No doubt, despite how long this list is, it will only keep on growing.
Your Bucket List
Have you written down your bucket list? Where do you keep it written?
Are any of these places on your bucket list too?
Or are there any items on your bucket list that you don’t see here? Please share! I would love to hear from you in the comments. If we missed something, we may consider adding it to our list too!
Pin it for later!
