Planning a bucket list trip in 2024? You’re in just the right place; we have all the recommendations you need to decide on your next once-in-a-lifetime holiday.
We know just how popular bucket list travel is across the UK, but we wanted to find out a little more about exactly where Brits are travelling to. We’ve carried out some research, looking at monthly searches, Google Trends and social media impressions to work out which bucket list items prove the most popular.
If you’re looking for bucket list inspiration, here are the UKs top experiences.
1. Go on safari
Top of the bucket list for Brits is going on safari, with almost 8.5k people looking up ‘safari holidays’ each month – and an incredible 8.6B views for the hashtag ‘safari’ on TikTok. Africa is the most renowned continent for safari adventures, with popular destinations including the Amboseli National Park in Kenya and Kruger National Park in South Africa.
2. Ride a hot air balloon
Brits looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience are looking to the skies – riding a hot air balloon is the second most popular bucket list item, with over 7.3k people a month looking to book a balloon experience. Cappadocia in Turkey is a highlight for hot air balloon enthusiasts, offering breathtaking views of the region’s unique rock formations and distinct fairy chimneys.
3. See the Northern Lights
The awe-inspiring Northern Lights rank third for the UK’s top bucket list destinations. 7.1k people search for ‘Northern Lights holidays’ each month, and the TikTok hashtag has over 995M views. The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are best seen from destinations around the Arctic Circle, with Tromsø, Norway, a hotspot for visitors looking to witness this natural phenomenon.
4. Go white water rafting
The research uncovered Brits are looking for adrenaline experiences, with white water rafting making the top five list. 6.5k people a month search for this white-knuckle activity. Luckily for Brits, rivers in Scotland and Wales, such as the River Tay or River Dee, offer opportunities for white water rafting. The Colorado River in the USA and the Futaleufú River in Chile are popular destinations for more extreme rapids.
5. Fly first-class
It’s not just where to travel that’s making Brits bucket lists, but also how to travel: taking a first-class flight comes in fifth in the ranking with over 6.5k people a month searching for first-class airline options. From fine dining and exclusive service to luxurious surroundings, opting for a first-class flight allows many Brits to tick off a bucket list experience even before touching down at their destination.
6. Go parasailing
Adrenaline experiences also scored highly on our list, with parasailing coming in as the sixth most popular bucket list experience. 5.7k people each month search for the activity, with the parasailing hashtag on TikTok having over 627 million views!
7. Go hang gliding
Similarly, for number seven, we saw Brits want to push their boundaries and experience something totally different – like hang gliding. This thrilling activity is searched for almost 3k times a month and has over 142 million views on the TikTok hashtag.
8. Visit Alcatraz
With almost 3k people a month in the UK looking up Alcatraz tours, this iconic destination comes in eighth on the UK’s bucket list. The hashtag for the San Francisco former penitentiary sees over 1.1 billion views on TikTok, reflecting the unique pull it continues to hold today.
9. Visit Pompeii
Continuing the historic trend, the ancient city of Pompeii in southern Italy places ninth on the UK’s bucket list. 2.4k people a month search for tickets to this bucket list destination, with TikToks showing the destination pulling in almost 749 million views.
10. Skydive
Finally, Brits proved they’re all about unique, exciting experiences, as skydiving finishes up the top ten bucket list. 1.8k people each month search for skydiving experiences, and TikTok’s showing skydives have an incredible 3.3B views – making skydiving the second most popular experience on social media!
As well as analysing the top bucket list experience, we also wanted to look into which experiences are increasing – and decreasing – in popularity.
We found unique, extreme, and adrenaline experiences are increasingly popular options, with visiting an active volcano, cave diving, visiting Alcatraz, cliff diving and glacier hiking all appearing in the full top 30 list. Swimming with sharks ranked 19th, with the nail-biting activity doubling in interest over the last year.
This is in stark comparison to previously popular bucket list activities such as riding elephants and swimming with dolphins. Searches for swimming with dolphins have declined over the last five years, while searches for riding elephants have halved since their peak in July 2021.
When it comes to animal and wildlife experiences, we can see more and more people opting for experiences where they can witness wildlife in their natural habitat, rather than previously popular activities like riding elephants, which raise ethical issues.
Overall, it’s clear Brits want travel experiences beyond the ordinary. As a country, we’re seeking adrenaline adventures such as skydiving or exploring iconic sites like Alcatraz, showing a growing appetite for unforgettable travel experiences that create lifelong memories.
If you’re considering a bucket list holiday, why not create your own unique itinerary with eShores? From island hopping and relaxation to city breaks and cultural exploration, we have a huge range of experiences and luxury holidays just waiting to be explored.
Our experienced personal travel consultants will ensure you find the most suitable holiday, whilst taking care of every last detail. Everything from start to finish will be effortless.
We can use any hotel, in any destination, so we will craft an itinerary to suit your exact needs. Also, as we can provide any itinerary, the only holiday we'll offer, is the one that's right for you.
Our ATOL bonding provides you with the financial protection you need and as a member of the Travel Trust Association, you'll have 100% financial protection. Covering you for any eventuality.
As a tour operator & travel agent, we'll search the market to ensure that we find you the best price. Also as an online business, we can ensure our prices are as competitive as possible.
Greek island hopping sorted to perfection. Anna listened to everything I wanted and came up with a detailed plan which exceeded all my expectations. Every island on my to do list and with a choice of hotels. Thank you Anna.
We’ve recently booked a multi-centre holiday to Croatia for later this year through eShores and in particular Hannah. Hannah has been extremely helpful, very approachable, prompt with communications and very informative as regards choices and suggestions for places to stay. We’ve bee extremely happy with the service provided by Hannah and eShores and are very…
Flawless communication with Chris. He’s really easy to talk to, his listening skills are incredible. He delivered the holiday I wanted within a few hours.
Contacted eShores after finding them on internet. Emily was very helpful and knowledgeable. She prepared a schedule and called back with the details and alternatives. Very friendly and professional service; if the holiday is half as good we will be delighted.
Everyone I have spoken to at eShores has been really friendly and helpful. Chris was very knowledgable, gave good advice and put together an itinerary that suits us perfectly and at a great price! The booking and payment system has been really easy so far.
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This is my first holiday booking experience with EShores and I can only say that the service from Emma, has been exemplary. From my first enquiry to the booking of our next holiday it has been handled professionally and the email responses are answered very quickly. There have been a number of doubts about our…
Our consultant Megan took into account all of our requirements and budget. She took time to find the best hotels for us and checked out transport links. Overall very good service
Very helpful although I was very indecisive will definitely book with e shore again
Thank you to the wonderful Anna at EShores for assisting in us booking a marvellous trip to South America.
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I have been booking holidays with Chris Eaves for quite a few years. He is always very professional and has great knowledge. His advice has proven invaluable many times and he has an uncanny ability to find flights that others can’t find. I would wholeheartedly recommend both Chris as an individual and his company that…
My experience with Eshores was excellent, from initial email with ideas to quick phone call to ask follow up questions on what we required, the quotation was sent through within 48 hours. It was full of information on flights trains and hotels with links. One more quick phone call and it was all explained and…
This is the 4th holiday booked with Emma . As always very efficient patient and knowledgeable - getting the holiday to fit our needs and budget ! This year Vietnam Cambodia and Thailand - fabulous ! Looking forward to Barbados and St Lucia next yr !
Anna, was extremely patient with me as I had to get things in order here before finally deciding when we were going and how how long. Also adaptable in terms of the changes we made. Now it's finally paid for we are looking forward to our Vietnamese trip.
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Michelle, who was our consultant was very attentive very thorough and gave us a number of options to look at. I feel confident that this trip of a lifetime will go to plan. Michelle consistently came back to us with updates as when required and she did what she said she was going to do.…
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