550+ Best Bucket List Ideas in 2025 (To Do Before You Die)

Go to a play

Visit a local dinner theater

Attend a music festival

Go to the symphony

Have a white Christmas

Take photos underwater

Take photos of a changing season in nature

Jump off a diving board

Ride in a taxi

Ride in a boat

Dance in the rain

Get a live Christmas tree (or cut down your own)

Spend your birthday in an unforgettable place

Go to a rooftop bar with live music

Experience a piano bar

Visit a jazz or blues bar

Bowl a strike

Get some laughs at a comedy club or event

Dress up for Halloween

Take a personality test

Sing karaoke with a friend

Sit front row at an event that means the world to you

Watch a 3D movie

Go to a drive-in movie

Jump in a pool with your clothes on

Go camping for a week

Read an excellent book, then watch its movie

“Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting “…what a ride!”‘

Hunter S. Thompson

Challenge & Learning Activities

These bucket list ideas will test your limits and help you grow.

Set a world record

Run a 5k

Run a 10k

Run a 1/2 or full marathon

Complete a full triathlon

Learn to fly

Learn to play the piano

Learn to play the guitar

Learn a second (or third) language

Complete a reading challenge

Learn chess

Learn Karate

Learn Ju Jitsu

Attend a personal development conference

Give a keynote speech

Do the Polar Bear Plunge

Visit every baseball (soccer, football, etc.) stadium in America

Go to every national park in America

Learn archery

Learn to shoot a gun

Take a self-defense class (and know how to defend yourself)

Read a book a week

Learn CPR

Learn the Heimlich Manuever

Learn how to cook

Learn how to budget

Perfect an excellent poker face

Learn to take amazing photos

Learn to knit or sew

Learn how to properly use chopsticks

Learn how to change a tire

Learn how to meditate

Learn how to speak well in front of a crowd

Learn to code

Learn how to blow glass

Learn to juggle

Learn to drive a stick shift

Learn to skateboard

Learn to walk on stilts

Learn how to meal plan (and do it consistently)

Get a bachelor’s degree

Get a master’s degree

Get a PhD

Swim in all four major oceans

Learn to make your own (beer, wine, soap, etc.)

Make a candle

Get Lasik eye surgery

Invest in braces or Invisalign

Related Challenge Posts:

• Challenge: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
• Fun Couples Challenge Ideas

Meaningful Bucket List Examples

These are the most feel-good ideas for your list.

Fall in love

Start a family

Create a family tradition you love

Have the health and energy to play with your grandchildren

Start a charity or foundation

Give a large sum of money to a cause you believe in

Write a thank you note to someone who has inspired you

Plant a tree

Rescue an animal

Adopt a child

Send a care package to someone

• like this care package for new moms, or 12 days of Christmas gift

Help someone else with their bucket list

Loan money through Kiva.org or Acumen

Leave a $100 tip

Give blood

Volunteer in a soup kitchen

Donate coats the kids grow out of

Vote in an election

Go on a mission for church

Host a foreign exchange student

Buy someone a full meal or groceries

Become an organ donor

Sponsor a child

Volunteer at an animal shelter

Throw someone a surprise party

Mentor someone who needs it

Pay for someone behind you in line

Donate your hair

Forgive someone you need to forgive

Re-connect with an old friend

Give away your favorite book to 5 friends

Leave love notes for your kids

Self Care & Beauty Bucket List Ideas

The activities on this list are fun, but also remind you to take great care of yourself.

Get a professional massage

Have a spa day (get the whole works!)

Get a blowout

Write a love note to yourself (or do a self love challenge)

Try acupuncture

Get fitted for a bra (then buy a nice one)

Meditate regularly (read a mindfulness book to help!)

Download a meditation app

Do a digital or social media detox for an entire week

Go to a meditation retreat

Attend a wellness weekend

Spend an afternoon in a hammock

Go to a yoga retreat

Keep a regular gratitude journal

Invest in luxury bed sheets

Say daily loving affirmations

Try eyebrow threading

Try a bikini wax

Indulge in a regular Self Care Sunday

Create a consistent self care routine

Find a swimsuit you LOVE

Find a little black dress you LOVE

Learn Transcendental meditation

Try cupping therapy

Try Cyrotherapy (or cold showers)

Do a girls weekend with your friends, sister, or mom

Take yourself on a date

Relax in a mud bath

Get a professional pedicure

Get up early for “me time” every day

Nail down the perfect morning routine

Nail down your best night routine

Related Wellness Posts:

• Try the Free Self Care Bingo
• Best Health & Wellness Goal Ideas

Health Ideas for Your Bucket List

Next, these examples for adults will take your health to the next level.

Maintain your ideal weight

Eat a salad every day (or most days)

Eat a vegetable with every dinner

Ride an electric bike

Try a tandem bike

Try a SoulCycle class

Try a Zumba class

Try hot yoga

Take a kickboxing class

Give up an addiction (to sugar, caffeine, stress eating, etc.)

Create a consistent exercise routine

Walk 10,000 steps a day

Only drink water for 5 days straight

Hold a 90-second plank

Do 25 pushups

Complete a bike ride of ______ miles

Complete a marathon with someone (by each doing separate miles)

Invest in a gym membership or at-home workouts like Peloton

Do a Glow Up Challenge

Find a healthy copycat to an indulgent restaurant favorite

Go vegetarian (or Paleo, Keto, etc.)

Go vegan

Cook all your meals for two weeks

Floss every night

Wear face sunscreen every day

Stop eating after dinner

Try a 30 day health challenge for a specific health habit you want to improve

Creative Adventure Bucket List Ideas

Now, it’s time to shake off routine and experience life!

Go hang gliding

Go ziplining

Ride a horse

Hike a mountain

Swim with dolphins

Sail a boat

Go paintballing

Climb a volcano

Go cave exploring

Go canoeing

Go kayaking

Dip your toes in a natural spring

Go scuba diving

Go snorkeling

Go snowboarding

Learn to ski

Learn to surf

Ride in a hot air balloon

Ride a super scary roller coaster

See a whale while whale-watching

Have a beach bonfire

Go whitewater rafting

Drive a race car

Ride on a motorcycle

Participate in an axe-throwing competition

Do a color run

Do a bubble run

Go on vacation ___ (# of times) a year or for ___ (#) amount of weeks per year

Climb a rock wall

See a famous ballet

Go to a World Series Game

Go to the Superbowl

Go to a famous aquarium

Go to a famous planetarium

Win a bet at the horse races

Play cards at a famous casino

Ride a segway

Go fly fishing

Ride bikes through a city

Stay in a houseboat for a night

Tour a haunted house (See Halloween Bucket list ideas)

Study abroad

Jump off a cliff

Go bungee jumping

Go skydiving

Go indoor skydiving

Ride on a jet ski

Go mountain biking

Go water tubing

Go water skiing

Go geocaching

Pet an elephant (or another exotic animal)

Do a body shot

Ride a mechanical bull

Go parasailing

Go body surfing

Ride in a helicopter

Go rollerblading

Food & Drink Inspiration

Food unites and energizes us, so why not try something crazy for your bucket list ideas.

Create your signature cocktail

Create a Starbucks copycat drink

Learn to make mom’s famous recipe

Learn to cook a chicken

Learn to properly taste wine

Find an all-time favorite wine

Tour a distillery

Do a real tea testing

Try New York-style pizza (or Chicago-style)

Eat lobster from Maine

Find your favorite sushi place

Bake a pie from scratch

Eat gelato in Italy

Participate in a progressive dinner

Try sake

Find a food truck you adore

Eat oysters

Eat caviar

Eat roasted pig at a Luau

Eat fancy fondue

Make homemade ice cream

Try sashimi

Try truffles

Eat dandelions

Make a killer _______ (paella, chocolate cake, etc.)

Eat escargot

Try frog legs

Eat alligator

Eat octopus (or squid)

Try a real authentic gumbo

Eat kimchi

Try kombucha

Drink a martini

Order a drink in an ice bar

Try English fish & chips

Taste chocolate of the highest quality

Eat a beautiful French pastry

Eat fish that you catch yourself

Try food from _______. (A dish from a country you’ve never eaten)

Do a tasting at a chili cookoff

Eat dinner at the best restaurant in town

Drink out of a coconut

Find out which is the best cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory

Eat at a farm-to-table restaurant

Cozy At-Home Bucket List Ideas

Now, make your living space a dream home you love.

Live in your dream home

Make your bedroom an oasis

Create a cozy reading corner

Add a piece of beauty to every room (artwork, plants, stunning photography)

Have the cutest (and yet practical) coffee or tea station

Get fresh flowers every week for your kitchen

Build a home library

Plant a garden

Add a fountain to your home

Create an inspiring in-home office

Create your coffee table photobook

Paint a piece of art for your home

Get rid of all your junk mail

Purge your home to only include things you love or are useful

Related Post: Things to Do on a Rainy Day (or otherwise stuck inside)

Career & Wealth Inspiration

The following items pertain to a financial life based on abundance, purpose, and freedom.

Become a leader (or expert) in your field

Retire early

Own your own business

Invest in a rental property (or 10)

Invest in (or buy) a vacation home

Buy your dream house

Buy your dream car

Hire a housecleaner

Earn 6 figures

Write a book (or write a NY Times Best Seller)

Get published

Write a children’s book

Fly first class

Find a mentor

Earn $_____ per year

Receive an award for your work

Create a passive income

Have an emergency fund

Find work you love

Make a will

Flip a house

Save for kids’ college

Save for kids’ weddings

Have a (near) 800 credit score

Max out your IRA

Start a scholarship fund

Be debt-free (or no debt besides a house)

Be a self-made millionaire

Complete a spending freeze (for a week or month)

Ride in a private jet

Teach a class or workshop about your field

Relationship Bucket List Ideas

Host a regular game night

Create a family motto or mission statement (make a flag too!)

Make a secret handshake with someone

See something that you’ll remember for a lifetime (a natural landmark, monument, etc.)

Renew your wedding vows

Complete a 1,000-piece puzzle with someone you love

Create your family cookbook

Wear matching T-shirts with your friends

Create a tradition that’s unique to your family or friends

Have a dance-off

See a drive-in movie with someone you love

*Find many more:

• Family bucket list ideas
• Couples bucket list ideas

Unique Bucket List Examples

These ideas are a little bit crazy or unusual, but also a whole lot of awesome.

Go to the Olympics

Dye your hair a crazy color

Get a tattoo

Name a star

Get a DNA test done

Witness a solar eclipse

Attend a gala

Attend an art gallery opening

Go skinny dipping

Haggle in a market

Become an extra in a movie

Get on a reality TV show

Be featured in an article or magazine

Go to a book signing of your favorite author

Attend a Renaissance festival

Watch a space shuttle launch

Attend a car show

Go to a rodeo

Be a contestant on a game show

Get into a live studio audience spot

Take a pole dancing class

Meet Oprah (or another amazing person)

Watch a meteor shower

Ride on top of a double-decker tour bus

Get a caricature drawing done

Go on a big shopping spree

See a complete sunrise

See a complete sunset

Attend a murder mystery dinner

Meet the President

Get a palm reading done

Make something good enough to sell

Try a paint and wine class

Go off the grid completely for a week

Go on an electric car road trip across the country

Find a 4 leaf clover

Get ordained

Finish a crossword

Sleep in an overnight train

Ride in a tractor

Stand at the crossroads of two separate states

See a Cirque de Soleil show

Get an autograph from someone you admire

Attend a Kentucky Derby

Watch a Wimbledon championship match

Attend a PGA golf tournament

See the US Air Force Thunderbirds

Attend a live TED TALK

Buy the ingredients for an entire meal at a farmer’s market

Eat an entire meal based on what came out of your garden

Play matchmaker

Write a poem or song

Try a gummy

Smoke a hookah

Get hypnotized

Win a “best ugly sweater” award

Go to ComicCon

Be inside a submarine

Walk inside an igloo

Have a cool wine collection/cellar

Have a spice night (wreath night, craft night, etc.) with friends

Related Posts:

• Great Vision Board Examples & Ideas
• Vision Board Quotes to Inspire

Fun Travel Bucket List Ideas

Next, find incredible bucket list ideas for places to visit and vacations.

Set eyes on the Northern Lights, Iceland

Experience Hogwarts at Universal Studios, Florida

Take the kids to Disney World, Florida

Go to a Broadway show in New York

Walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Experience the Taj Mahal, India

Walk along the Great Wall, China

View Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York

Attend the International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico

See the Eiffel Tower, Paris

Attend a bullfight in Spain

See Buckingham Palace, London, England

Lay on the beach in San Diego

Visit Denali National Park in Alaska

See Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Peru

Visit the Mayan Ruins (Chichen Itza) in Yucatan, Mexico

See the Colosseum in Rome, Italy

Listen to live music in Austin, Texas

See the world’s most beautiful Tulip garden in Amsterdam

Explore Edinburgh Castle in Scotland

Experience the natural beauty of New Zealand

See the Redwood trees in California

Go to Vancouver, Canada

Visit Glacier National Park, Montana

Hit the casinos in Los Vegas, Nevada

Go to the islands of Santorini, Greece

Go to Cape Town, South Africa

See the ruins of Petra, Jordan

Take a walking tour of Charleston, South Carolina

Enjoy the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Go to Bali, Indonesia

See the colorful domes in Moscow, Russia

Wander along the coasts of Ireland

Walk the Red District in Amsterdam

See a tango in Argentina

Sit next to the Nile River in Cairo Egypt

Visit the elephant sanctuary in Thailand

Explore Hawaii

Check out the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas

See the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

Ride a gondola in Venice, Italy

Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Participate in Mardis Gras, New Orleans

See the breathtaking mountains in Switzerland

Set eyes on Niagara Falls, New York

Visit the White House in Washington D.C.

See Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park

Drive up the Pacific Coast Highway in California

Partake in a large wine tour of Napa Valley, California

Visit the Space Center in Houston Texas

See the Roman ruins in Croatia

See at least one coral reef

Go on a spontaneous road trip for a week

Go on an international cruise

Stay at a luxury 5-star resort

Attend a professional European soccer game

Go on a Caribbean cruise

Now, Get Started!

What are your top 10 bucket list items? What bucket list ideas are you going to check off FIRST?! And what can you cross off this week? I’d love to know!

*Want more? Find a bucket list pdf and template in the Deluxe Personal Growth Planner.

More Epic Bucket List Ideas from HHI…

(All seasonal bucket lists include one for kids & a separate one for adults)

• The Spring Bucket Lists
• Best Summer Bucket Lists
• The Ultimate Fall Bucket List
• The #1 Winter Bucket List
• Dreamy Holiday Bucket List