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Bucket-list experiences are more than holidays: they are the camera-grabbing moments that become the centrepiece of our travel stories for years to come. Whether it’s standing in the profound silence of Chile’s Atacama Desert beneath a sky sugared with stars, locking eyes with a mountain gorilla in the misty forests of East Africa, or settling into the gilded interior of the Orient Express as Europe spools past the window, these are the rare adventures that justify the planning, expense and effort required to reach them.
Recently, we published our definitive ranking of the world’s greatest travel experiences, scored by a panel of 50 travel experts. Now, we’ve gone one step further and crafted five epic itineraries that bundle together multiple bucket-list experiences into a single trip.
Each can be booked and completed independently, giving you the freedom to travel at your own pace. Prefer someone else to handle the logistics? We’ve also highlighted organised-tour alternatives too. From East Asian grand tours to European explorations and wildlife-rich African adventures, these are smartly designed holidays that maximise the memories while minimising the planning.
Skip to:
- The East Asian adventure
- The Southern Africa tour
- The European explorer
- The highlights of South America
- An Australasia adventure
The East Asian adventure
10 days: Onsen-hopping in Japan; temples of Kyoto; Hong Kong; temples of Angkor Wat
Jump into your East Asian adventure with a plunge into Japanese onsen culture – the centuries-old ritual of bathing in natural thermal springs. International flights land in Tokyo, so ease in at 1 Hotel Tokyo (doubles from £325), a biophilic “sky sanctuary” in Akasaka with a spa designed for jet-lag recovery.
Hakone is the headline onsen region – with Mount Fuji views on clear days – but for fewer crowds, head instead to forested Gero. From Tokyo, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya (1hr 40mins), then the JR Limited Express from Hida to Gero (1hr 30mins). A JR Pass (from £246) buys unlimited rail travel. Stay in a riverside ryokan (traditional inn) with onsen access included – Suimeikan (from £120/night) for full-scale comfort, or more atmospheric Bosenkan (£90/night) and Ogawaya (£100/night) with private “rotenburo” baths too. Most are tattoo tolerant.
Onwards to Kyoto: retrace the line to Nagoya, then glide in on the Shinkansen (35mins). Japan’s imperial capital for more than a millennium, Kyoto is a city of quiet ritual and endless temples. See the gold-leaf glow of Kinkaku-ji (£2.50; open 9am-5pm), then thread through Fushimi Inari Shrine (admission free; open 24hrs), where thousands of orange torii (gates) wind up the slopes of sacred Mount Inari. The city is so dense with sacred sites that, even visiting five a day, it would take more than a year to see them all. Sleep in something unusual: Konuka Yakushi Temple House (doubles £146), a converted temple turned villa hidden in the city.
Then hop to Hong Kong. Take the JR Haruka Express (75-90mins; £20) to Kansai Airport, fly Cathay Pacific (4hrs 30mins) and check into the Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui (doubles from £240), a new harbour-front stay with rooftop pool. Hong Kong is all about panoramas: ride the historic Peak Tram (£18 return) to Sky Terrace 428 for the iconic skyscraper-studded neon skyline, or catch the Star Ferry (from 50p each way) across Victoria Harbour for one of the world’s cheapest – and most scenic – commuter journeys. For food, try Cantonese classic silky dim sum at Tim Ho Wan (from £3 per dish) – the world’s cheapest Michelin-star meal.
Finish in Cambodia: fly Cathay Pacific (6hrs 35 mins) from Hong Kong to Siem Reap via Bangkok, then check into Shinta Mani Angkor (doubles from £160), a Bill Bensley-designed art hotel just 15 minutes from the Angkor Archaeological Park.
Buy a three-day Angkor Pass (£47) and explore slowly. Watch dawn ignite the towers of Angkor Wat, trace the carved stone faces of Bayon, and wander the root-entwined ruins of Tomb Raider-famous Ta Prohm. The site is vast, so pre-book a tuk-tuk driver for the day (around £25). For sunrise, arrive by 4.30-4.45am to beat peak crowds and skip the central reflection pools – walking a few minutes either side offers the same glow with far fewer people in frame.
Total DIY price (approx): £3,200 per person
Go with the experts: InsideAsia can arrange a 17-night tour which includes nine nights in Japan, including Tokyo, Izu Peninsula (hot springs) Kyoto and Osaka, two nights in Phnom Penh, three nights in Siem Reap and three nights in Hong Kong from £6,340 per person (based on two travelling), including accommodation, a range of meals, airport transfers, transport across Japan and Cambodia, some private guiding and a range of cultural experiences.
The Southern Africa tour
Three weeks: Mountain gorillas; Mt Kilimanjaro; Victoria Falls; Okavango Delta; Cape Town
Land in Kigali, Rwanda, and embark on the rarest wildlife encounter on the continent: coming face to face with a troupe of mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. For a budget sleep, try Five Volcanoes (doubles from £230) 10 minutes from the park headquarters; or, for something more luxurious, go for One&Only Gorilla’s Nest (from £5,300) with jungle spa and free-standing treehouses.
Gorilla permits cost about £1,120 per person for an hour with a habituated family. Only 96 permits are issued per day, and peak-season dates (Jun-Sept and Dec-Feb) sell out months in advance, so book early through the Rwanda Development Board.
Use RwandAir (1hr 45mins) for a direct Kigali-Kilimanjaro flight and tackle the seven-day intermediate Machame “whisky” route up Mount Kilimanjaro for the most varied views. You must climb with a reputable operator such as Altezza and expect to pay £1,800-£3,350 including guides, park fees and camping. Let “pole pole” (“slowly, slowly”) be your mantra to avoid altitude sickness.
After summit success, fly Kilimanjaro-Victoria Falls via Nairobi with Kenya Airways (9hrs). Stay at Old Drift Lodge (doubles from £410) for front-row Zambezi views. Budget £35 for park entry and splurge on a 22-minute helicopter flight (£200) for a perspective that reveals the full scale of the falls.
Cross onwards to Botswana and spend four nights in the Okavango Delta, one of Africa’s least-crowded spots for a safari. Direct flights from Victoria Falls to Maun with CemAir ended in early 2026. Instead, fly Victoria Falls to Kasane with Mack Air (20mins) and then Kasane to Maun with Air Botswana (45mins), followed by a light-aircraft transfer into camps such as the very special Selinda Camp (suite from £1,500), whose location was hand-picked by National Geographic filmmakers Beverly and Dereck Joubert. You’ll experience silent mokoro excursions at dawn, predator tracking with elite guides and floodplain sunsets with almost no other vehicles in sight.
Finish with three nights in Cape Town, flying Maun-Cape Town via Johannesburg with Airlink (5-7hrs). Stay at ocean-view The Cole (doubles from £229) or be among the first to bag a room at the brand-new luxury Cape Town Edition (doubles from £340) on the V&A Waterfront – placing you in prime position to dedicate a day to Table Mountain, Bo-Kaap and the Cape Peninsula, but save time for lesser-known highlights: sunrise from Lion’s Head, lunch at Kalk Bay Harbour, and an early-morning visit to Kirstenbosch before the crowds arrive.
The smartest insider move with this journey is timing: travel between June and September for prime gorilla trekking, strong Kilimanjaro conditions, excellent Okavango wildlife-viewing and clear Cape Town winter light.
Total DIY price (approx): £14,800 per person
Go with the experts: Expert Africa offers a Highlights of Africa tour that includes a tour of Cape Town, a safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Kenya’s Maasai Mara, the thundering spectacle of Victoria Falls and trekking with mountain gorillas in Rwanda from £13,640 per person, based on two sharing. Includes park fees and permits, internal flights, transfers, safari guide and some meals. Excludes international flights and visas.
The European explorer
10 days: Orient Express; Venice; Dolomites; Switzerland by rail
At Paris’s Gare de l’Est, step aboard the midnight-blue carriages of Europe’s most storied rail journey, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (from £4,275). Over one unforgettable night, the train threads through France and the Alps towards Venice: expect polished wood cabins, grand pianos, cocktails and a black-tie dinner as mountain passes replace city lights. By breakfast, the first glimpses of the Venetian lagoon appear.
Spend three nights in Venice. If the purse strings are loose, continue the Orient Express experience with a night at the brand-new ultra-luxurious Orient Express Venezia (doubles from £1,650), a marshmallow-pink canal-side 15th-century palace. Alternatively, Ca Maria Adele (doubles from £358) offers bang for your buck. Book a private after-hours visit to St Mark’s Basilica (£357 per person), swap the £19 peach bellinis at iconic Harry’s Bar for the cicchetti bars in Cannaregio, seek out Scala Contarini del Bovolo (9.30am-5.30pm daily; £7.70) for secret panoramic rooftop views of Venice, and stop in at Libreria Acqua Alta, one of the world’s unique bookshops, renowned for storing its books in bathtubs – and even a gondola.
In place of the crowded boat tours to see the glassmakers of Murano, motor a little further aboard ACTV Vaporetto Line 12 (departing from Fondamente Nove) to Mazzorbo – home to ancient vineyard Venissa, a Michelin-star restaurant. They can put you up at Casa Burano (doubles from £120) – scattered across five historic fishermen’s houses – if you imbibe too much.
On day four, take a Trenitalia high-speed train from Venezia Santa Lucia to Verona (1hr 15min), then continue by regional train to Bolzano station before taking a local bus (No 471) to cross the major Dolomite passes. Alight at Passo Sella to visit Rifugio Friedrich August, between Col Rodella and Passo Sella, where long wooden tables groan beneath tiers of krapfen – vanilla-cream-filled doughnuts.
Arrive before 10am; they sell out early. Hike the Alta Badia trails, ride the Lagazuoi cable car for sunrise views and stay at Chalet Mirabell (doubles from £235) for an aufguss sauna experience, or Naturhotel Lüsnerhof eco-hotel (doubles from £442) with spruce sauna and rock-crystal grotto.
From Bolzano, take a direct Railjet or EuroCity train to Innsbruck (around 2hrs) to join the Transalpin (EC163/164). Book a first-class ticket with ÖBB to secure a seat in the panoramic carriage, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame the Austrian and Swiss Alps. The train climbs over the Arlberg Pass, descends through Vorarlberg, skirts Liechtenstein and follows the Rhine into Switzerland before gliding beside Lake Zurich.
Arrive in Zurich and activate a Swiss Travel Pass (from £273 for three days). Continue by rail to Zermatt via Visp overnight, before boarding the Glacier Express the following morning. Over eight glorious hours, the world’s slowest express train crosses 291 bridges, threads through 91 tunnels and traverses the Unesco-listed Rhine Gorge before arriving in St Moritz.
Continue to Lucerne, where the cliffside Bürgenstock Resort (doubles from £350) infinity pool offers cinematic views. A final day cruising Lake Lucerne or riding the world’s steepest cog railway up Mount Pilatus puts you within easy reach for the direct SBB train back to Zurich airport for your flight home.
Total DIY price (approx): £10,800
Go with the experts: Kirker Holidays offers a bespoke 10-night European Explorer holiday, covering all of the above, from £7,949 per person, which includes all train journeys in first class, private transfers in Paris, water taxi transfers in Venice, B&B accommodation (based on two sharing) and the services of a Kirker Concierge.
The highlights of South America
Three weeks: Machu Picchu; Bolivia Altiplano; Atacama Desert; trekking in Patagonia (with optional Galápagos extension)
Kick off in Cusco, Peru, the gateway to the Inca heartland. Spend two days acclimatising to the altitude among cobbled streets, Inca foundations and vibrant markets, then board PeruRail’s Vistadome train through the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes. Top tip: upgrade to the Vistadome Observatory (£130 return) for open-air views.
Stay at the new design-led hotel Sumaq Machu Picchu (doubles from £420), and take the 5.30am morning shuttle (£18 return) to Machu Picchu to arrive when the gates open at 6am. Tackle the short but steep climb up Huayna Picchu for a different perspective over the ancient citadel.
Fly direct from Cusco to La Paz with Avianca then hop on a Boliviana de Aviación flight to Uyuni (1hr 15mins) to begin a three-day 4x4 expedition across Bolivia’s Altiplano – home to the vast Salar de Uyuni salt flats, flamingo-filled lagoons, volcanic peaks and geysers scattered across the high desert.
It’s possible to self-drive, but not recommended unless you have serious remote-driving experience. Better to book with local operator Uyani Tours (from £1,400 per person, based on two travelling).
You can also ask them to arrange a handover with a Chilean driver when you cross the border at remote outpost Hito Cajón. From there, it’s roughly an hour to San Pedro de Atacama, where you’ll have booked into the sustainable Our Habitas (double from £166) for three nights, and rented a car (try Atacama Jimny, which has 4x4s from £70/day), to explore Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) at sunset, soak in the Puritama hot springs and wake before dawn for the El Tatio geysers. Be sure to download offline maps.
The real highlight is after dark: book a private stargazing session with Space Observatory (3hrs; £36) to explore some of the clearest skies on Earth. Insider tip: choose a night close to the new moon; the Milky Way will be dramatically brighter.
Fly Calama-Santiago-Puerto Natales with LATAM, the gateway to Torres del Paine national park. Book park entry in advance with CONAF (three-plus days for £40). Stay in Puerto Natales at The Singular Patagonia (doubles from £366), a waterfront former cold-storage warehouse, for easier access to restaurants, shops and transport.
Transfer to the park with Bus-Sur or Buses Fernández (from £15 each way), or stay inside the park to save the two-hour transfer time, at the luxury Explora Torres del Paine (doubles from £1,300), for example, which includes guiding, meals and transfers.
Over five days, tackle Base Torres (about 12 miles return), climbing through beech forest to the famous granite towers above a turquoise lagoon; the French Valley; and quieter W Trek sections. If going solo between November and March, it’s essential to book transport and accommodation early.
If adding the Galápagos, fly Santiago-Quito with LATAM or Avianca, then connect to Baltra or San Cristóbal. Allow at least five days to snorkel with sea turtles, walk among giant tortoises and see blue-footed boobies nesting metres from the trail. Stay at Pikaia Lodge (doubles from £6,950 for five nights, including meals, land excursions and private yacht outings) on Santa Cruz Island for a final dose of remote luxury.
Total DIY price (approx): £6,500 per person (excluding Galápagos)
Go with the experts: Journey Latin America offers a 22-day bucket-list bespoke holiday in South America from £6,770 per person, including transfers, excursions throughout including Machu Picchu and hiking in Torres del Paine national park, B&B hotels, some lunches and some dinners and domestic flights. International flights are extra.
To add a four-night Galápagos Islands expedition cruise with a two-night stay in Quito starts from £4,510 per person, based on two sharing. The price includes domestic flights, transfers, excursions, good-quality hotels on a B&B basis, and cruise with full board included.
An Australasia adventure
Three weeks: The Outback; Barrier Reef; hiking New Zealand; French Polynesia
Arrive in Australia’s Red Centre via a direct Sydney-Uluru Qantas flight (3.5hrs), then spend four days exploring the Outback by 4x4 (from £150/day) to experience sunrise at Uluru, the ochre gorges of Kata Tjuta, and the Kings Canyon Rim Walk.
Try the three-day Red Centre tour with Emu Run Experience (from £450). Stay at Longitude 131° (tents from £1,000), where glass-fronted tents face Uluru and guides reveal the desert’s indigenous stories, geology and wildlife. Insider tip: walk Uluru’s base trail at dawn before the crowds (and heat) arrive.
Fly to Cairns (via Sydney or Brisbane) with Qantas or Jetstar Airways for two days snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef. Skip the crowded day-boats and spend a night at Hardy Reef’s permanently moored Reefworld pontoon with Cruise Whitsundays – either on its standard Reefsleep package (£450 per person), or splurging on a Reefsuite, where floor-to-ceiling underwater windows look directly into the reef (from around £750 per person).
For the budget option, opt for a Cairns hotel (from around £75) and book reef trips through operators such as Passions of Paradise, which offer snorkelling day trips from £125, and diving trips from £150.
Hop to New Zealand, flying Cairns-Auckland-Queenstown with Air New Zealand. Spend 10 days hiking sections of the Routeburn Track and Aoraki/Mount Cook trails, booking huts through the Department of Conservation (£5-£12/night). To avoid the crowds entirely, travel north to the Southern Alps and base yourself on working sheep farm Flockhill Lodge (doubles from £700) for private trails.
Finish with five days in French Polynesia. Fly Auckland-Papeete with Air Tahiti Nui, then take the Aremiti ferry or a short Air Tahiti flight to Moorea, where you’ll find Bora Bora’s lagoons for a fraction of the price. Hire a scooter from Moorea Scooter opposite the ferry terminal (from £35/day) to explore the island. Snorkel with stingrays and blacktip reef sharks at Banc de Sable des Raies et Requins, and hike to Col des Trois Cocotiers for bird’s-eye lagoon views.
Stay at Cook’s Bay Hotel & Suites (doubles from £350) then, for a grand finale, splurge on The Brando (from £2,500/night), the private island which so captivated Marlon Brando while filming Mutiny on the Bounty, reached by the resort’s own private plane from Papeete.
Total DIY price (approx): £10,500
Go with the experts: Audley Travel can arrange a 28-day tailor-made Australia, New Zealand and French Polynesia trip from £17,419 per person, based on two travelling. Includes international flights, internal flights, accommodation, transfers, car hire in New Zealand, Tahiti ferry crossings, and some excursions.
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