The Ultimate Bucket List: 300 Things to Do Once in a Lifetime

The list of things to do once in a lifetime can actually go on forever, as every person out there has his or her own bucket list and his or her personal wishes and secret desires. Why 300, you may ask? Why not 1000, we can ask you back, as life is full of opportunities to do whatever you wish, to follow your dreams and challenge your inner self. In the immortal and inspirational words of Mark Twain we quoted recently, “twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.”

There is an entire psychological scientific background surrounding the bucket list and fighting to live now instead of later and it was expressed in many articles, many movies and many other works of art. Carpe Diem is no longer just a fancy Latin expression, but for some people it became a wake-up call and a new life’s motto.

And since nobody is preaching to engage in a self-endangering life or actions or sacrifice your values in the name of “you only live once”, this doesn’t mean you should forget who you are and what you want and treat yourself a little, either it is self-development, culture, extreme sports, travel or out of the ordinary fun actions. After all, life isn’t a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, latte in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ‘Woo-hoo, WHAT A RIDE’! This is, however, Internet wisdom, so careful with that worn out thing!

So in this spirit, the four masterminds here on TenMania brainstormed for a few days, throwing in things we’ve done, things we wish to do in the future, things our friends have done and wish to do (yeah, at some point we started taking interviews about others’ experiences) and came up with this list.
It took almost three weeks to write this article, however, as we thought to give you something more than just ideas, but also information you could use. It’s one thing to say “Go surfing!” and another to actually tell people where to start. Thus, you will find useful link, pictures, starting points and even prices, where we could put them.

You will also find a lot of travel and experience suggestions, as you know, it’s a common passion around here, some ideas to improve your human side (because some of us insisted) and my personal favorite, the Loony Bin category.
But, without further ado… let the adventure begin!

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300 Things to Do Once in a Lifetime

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Go wild! Travel, experience, try, feel!

Let’s see what ride are those people talking about when filling up their own bucket lists! Skydiving and swimming with dolphins are already on your list? Well… let’s take things up a notch!

1. Travel to all continents

That make take some time and some effort, but traveling the world is an enriching experience from all possible points of view. If you don’t believe us, see what professional globetrotters and travel bloggers have to say about this! You may not want to come back at all.

2. Base jump in the world’s largest cave

Parachute jumping is quite a rush, but falling from the sky becomes boring in comparison to this extreme choice of spending your holidays in Vietnam while you jump the chute in the cave so large, it has a jungle of its own inside.

3. Surf a volcano

This means a little traveling, granted, but if you’re into snowboarding and yet love some summer fun, surfing a volcano is the best next thing is extreme sports. As we mentioned before, you can desert surf in South Africa, Peru, Australia, New Zealand and U.S.A, but to actually surf a volcano, you will need to go to Nicaragua, Hawaii, Costa Rica or Guatemala among others!

4. Look the Devil in the eyes

Bungee jumping is one of the things to do once in a life time. They say that in the exact millisecond when you actually start falling, you can meet your God. Well, others thought of a faster way of meeting both the God and the Devil and set up a bungee thrilling adventure in Pucon, Chile, where you can bungee jump from the chopper, coming within 700 feet of the actual pool of molten lava. Yes, the volcano is active. Since it is the most expensive bungee jump in the world (around $10,ooo for a six day package), you can try the rest of the best bungee jumps in the world.

5. Ride a camel under the Saharan sunset

Some people say that they found enlightenment there, at the end of the world. Taking a trip to Sahara is in itself a bucket list item, but if you’re there, try the camel ride. Camel trekking and a night in Sahara is about $160.

6. LARP!

Ever wished to be a mighty knight? A medieval princess? Ever wished to use a sword, to feel like your favorite Tolkien or Martin character? Go LARPing! HERE‘s where you can find out more about this popular hobby.

7. Be Iron Man! Save the World!

You’ll have to wait a little until 2016 and travel to Hong Kong Disneyland, but put it there on the list, as the officials say it is going to be the ride of your life packed in the Iron Man suit and flying the skies and streets of Hong Kong!

8. Take a joyride with the tank

You want to smash, crash and feel the rush of a real war zone? Paintball is an awesome hobby, but if you’re into the extremes, you can ride a tank and crush vehicles and even empty mobile homes. For more information on the joys of having the tank experience, start searching HERE.If you want to be a 5 Star Commander in Chief you have to take around $2499.00 out of your pocket, but you can start the adventure at around $300 too.

9. Visit Middle Earth

Actually we know Middle Earth by the name of New Zealand and if you want to become the next Frodo, there are plenty of choices in order for you to visit Lord of the Rings filming locations.

10. Meet a ghost

If you are not afraid of ghosts, this is a good alternative travel opportunity, as it basically takes you all over the world. If you are afraid, take it as a “face your fear” self-developmental action. There are endless lists of houses and places that are said to be haunted by ghosts, demons and other supernatural manifestations. Not for the faint hearted, but we said already something about a ride…

11. Go on a Big Fish safari trip

This means scuba diving at at least 50 meters depth in the vicinity of sharks. And other Big Fishes. And if you’re up to it, try crocodiles too! And when we say sharks, we mean the ones in Jaws, not the Disney’s version of “Shark Tale” type! Find out HERE the best places to dive with the Big Fish.

12. Take a submarine trip

Because having a yacht adventure is so yesterday, now you can have a luxury submarine experience in shallow waters or in the deep blue sea. HERE are some insights on how you can find your way to the sub! Why see the marine wildlife caged in a glass jar, when you can stay in a traveling luxurious box and let the wildlife knock on your window?

13. Ride Kingda Ka, Steel Dragon and Formula Rossa

If you are a roller coaster fun, you know what we are talking about:

• Kingda Ka is the world’s tallest steel roller-coaster, with a 456 ft drop, situated in the Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey.
• Steel Dragon is the longest roller coaster in the world, with 8,133 feet length and situated in Nagashima Spa Land, Mie, Japan
• Formula Rossa is the fastest roller coaster in the world, riding you at 149.1 mph in the Ferrari World,Dubai

HERE is a list with record breaking roller coasters in the world for you to pick!

14. Be the next Michael Schumacher

Always felt the need for speed? Always cheered at the Fast and Furious movies? You can experience driving an F1 car, a supercar road tour or a rally environment in U.S.A, France, Great Britain and some other parts of the world. You can take a look HERE and see what strikes your fancy.

15. Eat in the clouds

At.mosphere is the highest placed restaurant in the world, at the top of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the elevator is going to take you there in one minute and the dinner, though expensive, is worth every penny.

16. Have dinner in the best restaurant in the world

It used to be Noma, in Copenhagen, but apparently, El Celler de Can Roca took the cake. You can start making reservations now to get a table next year, and if you really want to know what’s so special about a restaurant in Spain, you can read HERE.

17. Walk the Great Chinese Wall

Visit China is something many people wish to do at least once in a lifetime, but how about hiking the Great Wall?

18. Take a Panda Bear tour

While in China… can’t miss an adventure of a life time following the cutest bear ever manifest itself in the wilderness.

19. Be an astronaut for a day

…or at least half of a day, but this is as close you will ever get to fulfill your childhood dreams of space exploration. NASA allows you to embark on an Astronaut Training Experience and you can see live what the job is all about. And get to go on a shuttle simulated mission and see some outer space. The family price for the ATX is Age 7 – 11: $165 per participant and age 12 and older: $175 per participant.

20. Have dinner with a celebrity

You always wanted to have a chat with Woody Harrelson and ask him how on Earth can he play that brilliantly, or even taking a boat trip with Hulk Hogan? Apparently now you can, as some of these stars let themselves be hired, probably for charity actions. It’s quite an exclusive club, but you can dig deeper starting from HERE. Add this to the separate list you made on People I’d like to meet once in a lifetime.

21. Cosplay

Behold, the mighty Comic Con! You can let the geek inner self of yours manifest in any possible way and have the time of its life by taking part in cosplay competitions and win!

22. Experience Zero Gravity

Always wanted to fly? This experience is very good in giving you a taste on what’s to be Superman. You can practice this in the U.S. in Arlington, VA or Vienna, VA.

23. Taste some of the weirdest foods on the planet

A gourmet trip around the world is needed for this, as there are plenty of strange dishes out there. Here is a list of 25 odd foods, accompanied by this top ten list. You can start with Testy Festy in Montana and eat your way through the world. You are free to pick your poison!

24. Get a drink of the weirdest beverages in the world

Why would you submit yourself to such disgusting practices? Who knows, maybe you’ll like the Pizza Beer or the Bacon Vodka you can find in the U.S. and even Snake, scorpion, and lizard wine you can find in South East Asia. Here, take a look over some of the weirdest beverages on the planet and test your ability of holding your aisle. Or your mental health.

25. Attend Rio the Janeiro Carnival

One of the most famous carnivals in the whole world. Those who witnessed it said it was an unique experience and it is often refereed to as the sexiest greatest party on Earth. You can find details about the program, events and tickets HERE

26. Meet Poison Ivy

…or the deadliest plants in the world gathered under one roof. But no eating, touching or smoking them, as they are really deadly. Or poisonous, in the most optimistic of cases. You don’t have to travel to every jungle on Earth to see them, just take a trip to Great Britain and ask for the Poison Garden in the Alnwick Garden in Northumberland. This near death experience can cost around $60.

27. See the Aurora Borealis

This is something many people mentioned as being one of the things to do once in a lifetime. You can see it from Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Alaska and a few others. HERE you can find the Aurora forecast so you can plan ahead if you want to see it.

28. See your image reflected in Salar de Uyuni

The flattest place on planet and the largest salt dessert known to mankind is in Bolivia. In certain rainy conditions, the desert becomes a never-ending mirror, the only place where the Earth meets the sky.

29. Watch the wild horses roam

You can see the herds of Mustangs and noble wild horses in the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, eastern California portions of the Mojave Desert, South Dakota and other parks and reservations in the U.S.

30. Take a ride with the hot air balloon

You’ll need to learn some basic before jumping the adventure, but they say it’s worth it. Here are the World’s 10 Best Hot-Air Balloon Adventures you can experience for yourself. In Cappadocia, Turkey, one of the nicest places to go on a hot air balloon ride the prices are around $240.

31. Track Hercule Poirot’s mystery solving in the Orient Express

They say it’s a journey of a lifetime and it can be, especially if you ever wished to have lobster and campaign in a train that preserved its legendary Art Deco finesse and famous routes, if you feel in the mood for class, romance and adventure. The cheapest ride is around $970 and the most expensive reaches almost $10,000.

32. See the place where time stood still

For around $160 you can see one of the most horrific places on Earth: Pripyat – Chernobyl. Why would anyone in his right mind go to a place that still emits low levels of radiation and is referred to as “The Ghost Town”? Because those who have seen it say that a stroll through Pripyat feels very much like being on the set of a Hollywood post-apocalypse movie.

33. Go to Mars

This is serious. You can apply for a program to embark on a permanent trip to the red planet. It costs around $6 billion and you can find out more abut it HERE.

34. Take a swing at the end of the world

In Baños, Ecuador, there is this volcano, Tungurahua and a tree house with a swing. Not for the non-adventurous, but for those whose bucket list includes the feeling like being stranded at the end of the world, La Casa del Árbol and its swing may very well become one of those things to do at least once in a lifetime.

35. Swim with the stars

Meaning taking a swim at night in the Sea of Stars in Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives.

36. Walk between two continents

Easy to do in Istanbul by walking the Bosphorus Bridge.

37. Vent your anger in a Japanese booth

In other words, if you always felt like smashing dishes in anger, now you have the opportunity. Definitely one of the things to do once in a life time for those feeling a bit over-stressed.

38. Play Eskimo for a week-end

Or spend the said weekend in one of the ice-hotels spread in the world. Of course, the most famous is the one in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.

39. Drive over water

Driving on the 7 Miles Florida Keys Bridge may be not as just life threatening like the one traversing Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps, but is just as spectacular.

40. Swim in the clouds

Or taking a few pool laps in the highest pool in the world, situated at the 188th floor in the hotel atop the ICC building in Hong Kong.

41. Circle the world in 180 days

Not big of a Jules Verne fan? You can still travel around the world in 180 days on a cruise ship covering 5 continents, 44 countries, and 89 ports of call. For more details, take a look HERE.

42. See the Cradle of Humankind

It is actually a place situated at about 50 kilometers northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Gauteng province. And you can meet the 2.3-million year-old fossil Mr. Ples.

43. Achieve complete mental quietude

How would it be to not hearing your thoughts for a while? To reach a state of deep relaxation, an alternative state of conscience and to be suspended in a universe with no time, no space and no pain? Easier said than done, but Sensory Deprivation Tanks are actually very good for our mental health. Find out more about the tech and the psychology behind them HERE

44. Take a trip way back to the Roman Empire

Pompeii, Italy. The place that makes you understand for real the glory of the AD 79 Roman Empire. Read more about visiting a place that is frozen in time and dating back to the majestic days of the Empire HERE.

45. Fly a Fighter Jet

Top Gun much? In Tampa Bay you can embark on a training flight aboard a genuine Soviet Aero L-39 Albatros over the Gulf of Mexico. The instructor will put you through all life-threatening and nerve-shattering stunts you’ve seen in movies. If you survive, maybe they’ll let you control the jet for a while.

46. Snowmobile a dogsled race

Attracted by the forever frozen edge of the world? Soar over imposing glaciers, snowmobile through icy terrain and ride a dogsled in a 1,609-kilometre Iditarod husky race.

47. Knock on the Door to Hell

The Door to Hell is a natural gas field in Derweze (also spelled Darvaza, meaning “gate”), Ahal Province, Turkmenistan. The smell of sulfur and the panorama might make one to reconsider their life choices.

48. Get far from the madding crowd

Sick and tired of the daily stress? Want to run away from the world? Tristan da Cunha is over 1,750 miles away from the nearest land in Africa, making it the most isolated farthest, remotest and hardest to reach inhabited place on Earth. No airport, just the vast waters surrounding it. You can only get there by boat.

49. See the giant waterlilies in Florida

Bok Tower Gardens in Florida hide a lot of precious gems, such as America’s singing Taj Mahal, giant waterlilies and a lot of other great beauties. However, the waterlilies are magnificent.

50. Experience the “eating in the dark”

There’s a place in Toronto, Canada called O.Noir Restaurant where you can have a delightful meal in complete darkness. Blind dating has nothing on this! There’s an entire philosophy behind the concept though, it’s not like you just don’t have to see what you eat or how your partner looks.