100 Bucket list destinations & places to visit

Centuries of compelling royal history, plus world-class culture, fashion, music and food, London stands head and shoulders above the rest for bucket list experiences. You’d need a month at least to do them all. If we had to pick out a few, don’t miss the Tower of London, Hampton Court, the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery. 

Crammed with iconic buildings, world-class art and a culinary scene steeped in history, Paris is one of the world’s great capitals, overflowing with style, romance, and art de vivre. Highlights include the Eiffel Tower, of course, the incomparable Louvre and the magnificent Palace of Versailles.

Gorgeous landscapes peppered with beautiful villages, sunflowers and lavender, art-filled towns, lively cultural festivals and exquisite food and wine. Provence is everything you imagined it would be.

Money, glamour and bombshell looks: this beach-trimmed stretch of French coast offers decadent hotels, lounging in beach clubs, fine restaurants and world-class art.

The astonishingly beautiful region of Tuscany has it all: art cities and ancient hill towns, high mountains and long sandy beaches, alongside luxurious hotels and some of Italy’s best food and wine.

Crammed with picturesque canals, Renaissance palazzos and artistic masterpieces, this unique and alluring city is heaven-on-earth for art lovers and romantics.

Exotic, inexhaustible and dynamic – East meets West head-on in this mesmerising city metropolis, famed for its extraordinarily rich history, superb food and shopping, and mind-blowingly magnificent, over-sized mosques.

A land of spectacular deserts, high mountains and rainforests that teem with wildlife, Peru is also home to an array of dramatically situated pre-Colombian ruins, including Machu Picchu.

India’s cultural essence combined with its most iconic sights and greatest bucket list experiences, all distilled into one compact, diverse and vibrant region. Includes stops in Jaipur, Delhi & Agra.

The Eternal City – 2,000 extraordinary years of glory, greatness and triumph – and decadence, murder and destruction – evidenced by some of the world’s most iconic, must-see monuments and museums. Home, of course, to the world-famous Colosseum.

The ‘city that never sleeps’ is a 24/7 thrill of soaring skyscrapers, jaw-dropping architecture, dynamic culture and world-class art, dining and performing arts scenes.

One of the world’s great natural wonders and unsurpassed geological phenomenon – a 277-mile long, 1-mile-deep gorge carved into the Arizona bedrock over billions of years by the Colorado River.

There’s only one reason most people come to this Ontario city straddling the border of the United States and Canada, and that’s to see the remarkable, world-famous waterfall. Just outside the city is the Niagara Wine region, home to world-class vineyards – another compelling reason to visit.

Spain’s cultural heart has unforgettable architecture, a pioneering arts scene, creative cuisine and nightlife that buzzes till dawn. Home to Gaudi’s extraordinary and greatest creation – La Sagrada Familia.

The world’s largest inland delta, teeming with game, offers outstanding land and water-based mokoro safaris and world-class bird-watching. The place for a safari.

Dazzling Dubrovnik, with its magnificent high stone walls, offers UNESCO-listed heritage set against the pure blue backdrop of the Adriatic. Just offshore, the unspoilt archipelago of the Dalmatian islands for idyllic sailing.

Antiquities galore, contemporary culture, scintillating nightlife and fantastic food: there’s something for everyone in Greece’s cosmopolitan capital that’s continuously reinventing itself. Home to the extraordinary Acropolis, the world’s greatest ancient site.

An exotic time capsule of ancient streets and souks, blending Arab culture and French colonial heritage. Soak it all up in the wonderfully evocative atmosphere of the Jemaa el-Fnaa.

Spain’s sunny capital offers up world-class art, super shopping, renowned tapas and late, late nights. Top of the bill are the three world-class art museums in the so-called ‘Art Triangle’.

Picturesque Golden Age canals, premier league art, cosy cafés, and liberal urban living combine to make Amsterdam one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals.

Authentic Spain at its dazzling best, a region filled with fascinating cities, beautiful landscapes and beaches, colourful fiestas, sparkling white villages and flamboyant flamenco. Spend time in culture-rich Seville, Malaga, Granada and Cordoba, and wander the incomparable Alhambra.

Northern France’s beautiful UNESCO-listed valley, home to heart-stoppingly beautiful historic chateaux, authentic village life, world-class wines and fascinating troglodytes.

Sparkling seas, sugar-cube villages, cliff-hanging hamlets, ancient temples, delicious Mediterranean food and mesmerising sunsets – the Greek Islands offer so much. Just ask Shirley Valentine. See our recommended top islands to visit.

Tuscany’s capital offers a heady mix of the world’s greatest Renaissance art and architecture, gorgeous palazzos, Tuscan cuisine and home-grown haute couture. A veritable feast for culture vultures, and the Leaning Tower is also close by.

A vibrant, multicultural city with dramatic scenery, adrenaline adventure galore, Africa’s best art scene, golden beaches, world-renowned wine regions and outstanding gastronomy. All in the shadows of the mighty Table Mountain – great for hiking up, or abseiling down.

Sensual and sultry communist Caribbean capital, home to captivating, crumbling architecture, and enlivened by dance, music, avant-garde art and cocktails. Impossible to describe, there’s nowhere else quite like it.

One of the world’s most dynamic and glamorous cities, with golden beaches, world-class eating and dining and effervescent, friendly people. Home to the eye-popping Opera House and the indescribable Sydney Bridge Climb.

The mesmerising Falls are the star attraction, but Africa’s adventure playground also offers a mind-boggling menu of safari experiences and adrenalin-packed adventure activities. Would you dare to raft the mighty Zambezi?

From dazzling temples to dizzying nightlife, Thailand’s capital is a dish of delicious contradictions that beffudles the senses. One of the world’s most dizzying, fast-paced cities, home to the glittering Grand Palace.

Set around picturesque bays, surrounded by hills overflowing with rainforest, Rio is heaven for healthy hedonists. Hang glide, surf or hike by day, relax on the beach and party all night. Then, of course, there’s that carnival…

One of the world’s most extraordinary cities, where rippling mountains, a kaleidoscopic waterfront and futuristic architecture merge with fabulous food, sizzling nightlife and top shopping.

Turkey’s beautiful Turquoise Coast offers an unbeatable mix of mountain-backed beaches, classical ruins and adventure activities, with superb food and delightful owner-run hotels.

Rainforests, powdery beaches, white-water rivers and towering volcanoes: this relaxed Central American country offers exceptional wilderness adventures in stunning landscapes.

China’s vibrant capital captives with its unique melding of ancient wonders, bustling hutongs and modern architecture – the food ain’t bad either. Top of the bill are the Forbidden City, the marvellous palace of China’s greatest Emperors – and the extraordinary Great Wall of China.

Talc-white beaches, reefs teeming with life, ruined temples in misty rainforests – the Riviera Maya offers a family or romantic beach holiday with a dash of Indian Jones adventure.

A desert city playground with a unique combination of Arabian culture, mega-malls and audacious architecture in a setting of year-round sun, sand and sea. Home to the world’s tallest building, the soaring Burj Khalifa.

A dizzying mixture of old ways and modern style, crowds and calm, and arguably the best food scene on the planet. Cross the Shibuya Crossing, and ride the Bullet Train.

The bright lights of Tinseltown are home to surfer-filled beaches, glorious mountain hikes, glitz and glamour in spades, and year-round sunshine. And yes, dreams are still made in Hollywood.

From volcanoes and glaciers to black beaches, geothermal pools and the Northern Lights, Iceland is one of the world’s wildest, weirdest destinations. A paradise for adventurous travellers.

A primordial playground with truly spectacular scenery on the grandest scale, outdoor adventure activities galore, colourful and compelling Maori culture and terribly nice Kiwis.

Compact, sexy, culture-rich and charismatic, this most stylish, progressive and tastiest of all the Nordic capitals never disappoints. Go for dinner at the world’s best restaurant, fascinating viking history and leading-edge design.

A beautiful bayside city with home-grown authenticity, charmingly unique neighbourhoods and excellent locally-driven food. Home to the magnificent red-ochre Golden Gate Bridge and the world’s most infamous prison, Alcatraz.

A grand but charming beach resort in northern Spain famous for its glut of Michelin-recognised restaurants and superb pintxos. This foodie destination is also a short hop from the world-class wines of La Rioja.

Magnificent mountain scenery slashed by silvery lochs and peppered with brooding castles: all laden with rich Scottish heritage, history and tradition. Drive the NC500 road trip, or ride on the spectacular West Highland Line.

The place to come for the Australian outback experience – jaw-dropping geological formations (including world-famous Uluru), sleeping out in swag bags, sampling bush tucker, and connecting with authentic Aborginal culture.

Swish, cosmopolitan and delightfully laid-back. Port Douglas is an ideal stepping-off point for snorkelling or diving on the Great Barrier Reef, trips to the Daintree Rainforest, and connecting with authentic indigenous culture.

Ancient temples and shrines, sublime cuisine, manicured gardens, colourful geishas and living history in spades – Kyoto is traditional Japan at its best.

A surreal-shaped landscape rich in troglodytic ruins, walking trails and delightful cave hotels in the ancient heart of Turkey’s Anatolia. Home to the world’s best hot air balloon flight.

On the shores of the Baltic, Russia’s dazzling cultural capital – and former home of its lavish Tsars – is a treasure trove of art, music, literature, and history. Home to one of the world’s greatest museums, the State Hermitage.

An unspoilt wilderness and outdoor adventure paradise. Summer and winter bucket list experiences galore – husky dog sledding, igloos and the Northern Lights – plus the real home of Santa.

Earth’s largest and most spectacular tropical wilderness is a landscape of huge waterfalls tumbling off table-top mountains, vast, coloured rivers, and fragrant cloud forests. All filled with astonishing, endemic wildlife.

Vibrant, gritty Naples is a captivating mix of history, culture, and gastronomy – it’s where pizza was invented after all. Home to the ancient ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as the stunning Royal Palace of Naples.

This small island city-state in Southeast Asia is dynamic and cosmopolitan, yet known for its efficient infrastructure, diverse cultural heritage, and modern skyline. Home to the world’s best zoo and the astonishing man-made super trees.

Thrilling desert adventure and wondrously desolate coastlines meet game-rich reserves and quirky towns in this unique and atmospheric country that remains readily accessible yet pristine and crowd-free. Don’t miss safaris in Etosha and a visit to the towering sand dunes of Sossusvlei.