Travel aspirations can vary greatly from person to person, with each traveller creating a unique list of destinations and experiences they hope to enjoy someday.
However, some adventures have a universal appeal and frequently appear on many people's travel bucket lists.
To identify which travel experiences are most popular, adventure travel company Skyhook conducted a survey of 4,000 people from around the globe, asking about their travel preferences.
In the survey, participants were asked to select their top three bucket list activities from a list of 15 popular options provided by Skyhook.
These options included climbing Kilimanjaro, hot air ballooning over Cappadocia in Turkey, cruising to Antarctica, venturing into space, and gorilla trekking.
The survey revealed that the number one bucket list travel activity worldwide is seeing the Northern Lights.
Travellers often plan trips to countries like Iceland, Norway, Sweden, or Finland for the chance to witness this natural phenomenon. Among Gen Z respondents, 6 in 10 listed seeing the Northern Lights as a top bucket list experience.
For Baby Boomers, cruising to Antarctica emerged as a favourite, with 46% selecting it as a top travel goal.
Antarctic cruises, which offer opportunities to see penguin colonies and humpback whales amidst the ice glaciers, have grown in popularity. However, environmentalists have warned that increased tourism requires stricter regulations to protect the continent's wildlife from "last-chance" tourism impacts.
The Grand Canyon also featured in the top 15 bucket list activities. Attracting over 6 million visitors annually, the Grand Canyon remains a must-see destination for many travellers.
These are the top bucket list trips ranked in 2024
No. 1: See the Northern Lights
No. 2: Trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
No. 3: Visit the Galapagos Islands
No. 4: Climb Kilimanjaro
No. 5: Take an Antarctic cruise
No. 6: Explore the ancient city of Petra
No. 7: Everest Base Camp Trek
No. 8: Go on an African safari
No. 9: Dive the Great Barrier Reef
No. 10: Space travel
No. 11: Gorilla trekking
No. 12: See the Grand Canyon
No. 13: Ride in a hot air balloon above Cappadocia
No. 14: Visit Angkor Wat
No. 15: Surf in Indonesia
How many of these bucket list experiences have you checked off?
IOL Travel