If you are an adrenaline junkie, then your bucket list is probably not going to be complete without some items that seem a little extra crazy; dangerous, even. Whether you’re looking for a unique thrill like zorbing or something more basic like whitewater rafting, this adventure bucket list has something for everyone who is ready to jump way out of their comfort zone. Just remember, these experiences can be very dangerous, so participate in them at your own risk!
➞ Check out my Travel Bucket List of 100 places to visit and experiences to have in your lifetime. It’s much tamer than this list 😉
The Best Adventurous Things to Do Before You Die
1. Air Boat Across an Alligator Swamp
Because if something goes wrong with this activity, it can go really wrong, this has deservedly earned its spot on an adventure bucket list.
2. Arrive By Seaplane
Some places in the world, such as the private islandSome places in the world, such as the private islands in the Maldives, can only be reached by a seaplane that will take-off and land on the water. Make a plan to visit one!
3. Base Jump With a Wingsuit
For this one you will wear a wingsuit, get on the edge of a high point – such as somewhere on the Alps where this is a particularly popular sport – and then you leap off it.
4. Bungee Jump
Jumping off something attached to a large elastic cord is a classic bucket list item for any daredevil out there.
5. Cage Dive with Sharks
Also featured in some thrilling movies, cage diving into waters with sharks is not for the fainthearted. Thankfully, it is also a lot more fun and a lot less dangerous than what the films make it seem like
6. Catch a Wave Surfing
While this may not be the craziest item on this bucket list, it is quite a feat for some people (me included!).
7. Cliff Jump
For this one, do your research ahead of time for approved spots, and maybe go with people who know what they’re doing.
8. Scuba Dive to a Shipwreck
9. Dog Sled
This is the ultimate winter bucket list activity and quite the adventure (especially if you are the musher).
10. Eat Fire
You’ve probably seen a performer or two eat fire before, and you can too! Start by reading this article: The Art of Fire Eating
11. Eskimo Roll in a Kayak
Typically, no one wants their kayak to roll over, but doing this type of 360 is a thing people actually try to do.
12. Explore a Cave
13. Flip on a Trampoline
14. Fly on a Trapeze
Flying on a trapeze is way harder than it looks (trust me, I’ve done it and not gracefully), but it’s fun!
15. Flyboard
This is not a common adventure, but it’s when you strap a board to your feet in the water and propulsion drives you up in the air. I went flyboarding in Cancun, Mexico and it took MANY tries to be successful.
16. Free Dive for Abalone
You’re not allowed to scuba dive in order to catch abalone, which certainly makes this one a bit more challenging.
17. Get a Tattoo
To many putting permanent ink on your body is quite crazy. Many do it on a whim, but I recommend you give it enough thought to come up with a tattoo you won’t regret five minutes later, let alone the next fifty years. Check out one of these beautiful travel tattoos for inspiration.
18. Go Bamboo Rafting
19. Go Bobsledding
This one will have you going down narrow and icy tracks at high-speeds in a sleigh that’s powered simply by gravity – what isn’t adventurous about that?!
20. Go Fat Biking
Fat bikes have thick tires they allow for biking in environments that’d be difficult on a regular bike, like a thick forest or snowy grounds. That means that with your fat bike, you can take it off-road and go explore areas you otherwise might’ve only walked through or choose not to visit at all.
21. Go Heliboarding
This one will have hopping on board a helicopter to reach a remote slope, and then jumping off it to ski or board all the way down.
22. Go on a Police Ride Along
23. Go on a Survival Weekend
It’s not dangerous, but you do have to camp outdoors, and essentially pick and hunt for your food.
24. Go Paragliding
25. Go Whitewater Rafting
For an even more adrenaline rush, try Tidal Bore Rafting.
26. Go Windsurfing
To get the best of both surfing and sailing in one fell swoop, why not add windsurfing to your adventure bucket list?
27. Go Zorbing
If you haven’t heard of zorbing, it’s where you place yourself into a big, transparent orb, then roll down a hill in it!
28. Hang Glide
A hand glider is non-motorized, so it is simply you and your body controlling the movement of the glider.
29. Join the Mile High Club
Yup, you all know what this one’s about, right? Being intimate while flying in a plane is certainly on a lot of people’s intimacy bucket list.
30. Kite Surf
Here’s another surfing-like water sport to get your adrenaline pumping with! You may not need just as badass skills to stay standing on your board as you would with surfing but controlling that kite while flying through water and air is a game of its own to master. It’s possible to kite surf through snow and ground, too.
31. Parasail
An alternative to paragliding, you’ll still be gliding in the air with a parachute attached to you, while you’re attached to a boat driving you all around a body of water
32. Play a Game of Paintball
The object is to shoot guns with paint-filled capsules at your opponents before they tag you! It can get a little painful, so dress up in many layers!
33. Rappel Down a Mountain
34. Rappel Down a Waterfall
Rappelling down a mountain is one thing, but rappelling down a waterfall is another!
35. Rappel into a Cave
You can also go exploring those caves we talked about above by rappelling into one!
36. Ride a Bull
Note that this one does have a high potential to go awry, but if you’re okay with a less scary experience, then find a bar with a mechanical bull.
37. Ride ATVs
38. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon
39. Ride in a Luge
A luge is a self-driving car system, kind of like a go kart, except it relies on gravity and a downhill path to move. The only ride in the US is available in Michigan and it’s rather different from a traditional luge ride; to get the real thing, your best bets are Queenstown in Australia and Sentosa in Singapore.
40. Ride on a Scary Roller Coaster
41. Sail a Boat
42. Scuba Dive
43. Skydive
If this is just too scary for you, then how about having an indoor skydiving cxperience?
44. Snowboard
45. Swim with Stingrays
While you’re advised to stay away from stingrays you come across in the wild, this is a memorable activity you can do on a specialize tour. One of the most famous spots is Stingray City in the Cayman Islands.
46. Swim with Whale Sharks
Unlike the sharks you meet while cave diving, with whale sharks you don’t have to worry about them suddenly gaining interest in your flesh. Yes, they’ve got big mouths, and with everything we know of sharks you’ll probably be really nervous to get into waters with them. However, these gentle creatures are on a plankton diet, so you should be able to get in and out of the water with all of your limbs attached.
47. Take a Geocaching Adventure
48. Try Skijoring
In this wintertime sport, you’ll be on skis, but instead of moving using ski poles to help you move, you’ll be attached to a dog, or a horse, or possibly a vehicle that’ll be pulling you forward. This originated in Norway, and is today mostly conducted as a competitive sport.
49. Walk a Suspension Bridge
Suspension bridges are bridges where the deck of the bridge hangs on vertical suspenders attached to suspension cables above the deck. Even Brooklyn Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge are considered to fall under this category, so just by walking through those you can tick this item off your list.
50. Walk on Hot Coals
51. Walk on the Wings of an Airplane
52. Wrap a Snake Around Your Neck
53. Zip Line
Let me know how many of these adventures have you already checked off your bucket list?
Ready to Start living your bucket? Use my Favorite Resources:
Finding Ideas
Of course this bucket list blog and my bucket list are great resources, but you can also use my free printable 2,000 bucket list ideas.
Naming Your List
Some people don’t love the term “bucket list”. But, what is most important is that you have a list, not what you call it, so here are 25 other names for a bucket list.
Storing Your List
I’ve created the perfect Google Sheets Bucket List Tracker Spreadsheet, that helps you store your list, plus keep track of all those checkmarks you’ll be making on it!
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