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.
Claire was fantastic at eShores. She managed to tailor my holiday exactly to my requirements and was well below my budget. She managed to find me hotels with easy train/airport access in the different cities I will be staying at in France. This was very important to me. Wonderful service and I will definitely be…
I recently booked my holiday and I couldn’t be more pleased with how everything was handled from start to finish. The entire process was smooth, efficient, and completely stress-free. Every detail was clearly explained, and all my questions were answered promptly and professionally. What really stood out was the excellent communication throughout. I was kept…
Excellent service, Anna was a joy to work with, very pleasant and polite, she couldn't do enough to help me find the perfect holiday. Much appreciated, thank you Anna.
Nick made the process easy, taking into consideration any requests. No pressure and we’re looking forward to our 2027 adventure!
Hannah is always extremely helpful and professional and keeps us up to date on our options.
Very happy with holiday choice and the way our preferences were taken into consideration .All our questions were answered and we were made to feel at ease. Would happily book with them again
So far an excellent experience can’t fault your efforts to find us our dream getaway John. Linda
Brilliant service, competitive pricing and always available to advise or modify your itinerary
Thorough professional service in arranging all our travel and accomodation requirements.
Booked another trip with Eshores, Nick is our agent, always willing to help with choosing locations, finds great hotels and builds our holiday to our specifications and budget. We’ve been booking with Nick for a few years now and he never disappoints. Thank you!
The agent who organised my holiday was friendly, kind and very efficient - a delight! She gave me exactly what I asked for without raising any issues and for a good price. Can't do better than that!
Booked my second holiday cruise with Dave. He spent lots of time and described everything in detail. Made me feel very comfortable before I booked the cruises. One bring a 67 day cruise and the other a New Years cruise. So I was spending a lot of money. He went above and beyond my expectations.…
Kelly Bennett has been amazing each and every time, she takes the time to listen and understand the requirments and always delivers. 10 out 10 every time.
2nd time booking with eShores and they didn't dissapoint. Following our amazing holiday (1st booking) to Malaysia/Borneo we contacted Dave with an initial enquiry for an Australian multitrip holiday; compared to others Dave and team offered great knowledgeable, experienced advise and delivered an itinerary fully reflective of our wishlist travelling with a great airline and…
Just booked a holiday for later in year. I have total confidence on Hannah arranging yet again. Fab service given.
Consultant so helpful and so knowledgeable
My experience with eshores has been very positive, even to the point of a late evening enquiry being answered and resolved before bedtime. The holiday itinerary and choice of accommodation was excellent and the eshores staff were lovely to deal with.
Really responsive and hard working travel consultant. We are a regular customer. The consultant accommodated varied requests from our large group booking. Always patient and willing to go extra mile
The holiday that we were looking for was communicated to Eshore’s and after a couple iterations we have a holiday which meets our requirements. Looking forward to a relaxing holiday on Sicily
We have used Eshores a couple of times now and I must say they are fantastic. In particular, Laura at Eshores, was ever so helpful and changed our itinerary at our request multiple times and gave us the best prices available. It was quite a complicated multi-stop holiday with our party departing from and arriving…
Go back