Travel Bucket Lists; A List of travel things to do before you die! How Many Have You Done?
What’s on your travel bucket lists? If you don’t have one yet, then I hope my bucket list can help inspire you to create one. Life is short, so let’s make sure we live it. All of it. If we don’t aspire to anything then we won’t achieve anything.
Personally, for me, growing up on welfare, single-mum raising me, in a small town in Ireland the world seemed like such a big place. With far-flung destinations that I could only dream about visiting. Rich people went to those places. Wealthy people climbed mountains or went on expeditions. Every country in the world? No chance. How would you even go about starting?!
But then I changed my thought process, I changed my expectations. If I want to live the biggest life imaginable, then I’d have to go out and get it. So I wrote down my goals. I made a plan and a deadline. And I went after them. I failed, and continue to fail, a lot! But I did manage to visit every country in the world, amongst a few other things, so check out my travel bucket lists and other bucket lists below and I hope it helps you guys get out here too.
I’ve broken my bucket list down into 5 bucket list sub-sections:
- Travel bucket list: 30 Countries, Regions and Cities to visit
- Experiences; 100 things to do before I die
- 20 Life bucket list stuff
- 20 Fitness bucket list stuff
- 20 Business and money bucket list stuff
Table of contents
- Travel Bucket Lists; A List of travel things to do before you die! How Many Have You Done?
- My travel bucket lists – feel free to copy!
- The 1 Bucket List Item I’m Focused On!
- Travel Bucket Lists; Countries, Regions & Cities
- Travel Bucket Lists; Experiences
- Life Bucket Lists
- Fitness Bucket Lists
- Business and money Bucket Lists
- Final thoughts on my travel bucket lists

My travel bucket lists – feel free to copy!
“A dream without a plan is just a dream”
Ok, so let’s talk about specifics. Don’t simply write down “I want to travel” and consider it a bucket list item. You need to spend a while and think about what you want to experience in our wonderful world. And if you’re struggling to think, feel free to borrow some of my ideas, goals, dreams, and travel bucket lists.
As I do the things I dream of I score them out as a reminder that we can all do what we dream of, it just takes a little bit of a push and a step back from the security and normality of our current lives. Life is supposed to be an adventure and one that we can all take part in, now all we have to do is enroll…
The 1 Bucket List Item I’m Focused On!
I’ve broken down my bucket list into different sections below. But before I start, I want to take ownership of my ONE BIG current life goal. So here it is:
- Be the first person in history to visit every country, north pole, south pole and climb the 7 summits.
Travel Bucket Lists; Countries, Regions & Cities
When I first started my new life, I had a few bucket list countries, regions, and cities that I wanted to visit. I still have a few stops to go! If I’ve been, I write a quick intro about my experience below.
Visit China- China was one of the first countries I ever visited, I took a cargo boat for a week up the Mekong River to get there. Wild times.
Vist India- You haven’t traveled until you’ve had the culture shock of India deep in your bones! I’ve been back 5 times, and it never fails to impress me.
Visit Brazil- I’m a huge football fan, so to watch the World Cup here was a dream come true for me.
Visit Russia- I guess growing up, Russia was always in the news. And St Basil’s Cathedral was always so beautiful. I arrived in Moscow on the Trans Siberian, hungover from all the vodka!
Visit Australia- Half of Ireland ends up in Australia! I was no different. I got a working holiday visa and worked in Sydney for a year.
Visit Tanzania- Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Ngorongoro Crater, the Wildebeest Migration in the Serengetti. Tanzania is pretty special. I climbed Kili on my first visit, but I’ve been back 5 times since.
Visit Iceland- I hit up Iceland way back in 2013 when it was kind of quiet. But the secret is out now! My highlight? Snorkeling between the tectonic plates, and ice caving in Iceland.
Visit New York- I spent each summer at university woring on American Summer camps, we always ended up partying in New York City after our work was finished. Good times.
Visit Greenland- One of the most recent visits on my travel bucket lists. Greenland always screamed to me on a map, this huge landmass, finally I visited last year. Beautiful.
Visit Paris- The Eiffel tower, the Louvre. I went as a youngster with my girlfriend from University. The place is filthy and overpriced eeek!
Visit Rome- The opposite of Paris, Rome lived up to all my expectations. AMAZING!
Visit Marakesh- Marakesh is like the Arabic world you imagine as you grow up! I took my mum there, touristic but lovely.
Visit Tokyo- Like visiting the future! I love Tokyo, and it inspired me and my mum for our $20k charity fundraiser in 2019.
Visit Shanghai- One year I was rejected for my Tibet permit, so I ended up traveling all around China on about $20 a day. Great times. Shanghai was top of my life, but once I arrived, I realised it’s more of a city to live in than visit as a tourist. Cool skyline though.
Visit Socotra, Yemen- Not much to say except Socotra is the most beautfiul island on our planet. Amazing. I’m going back in March/April, come join me! I once spent 4 days on a cement ship to smuggle my way there.
Visit the Sahara Desert- Just like you dreamed. Beauiful. I love it. Endless dunes, nomadic tribes, and warm hospitality. Especially if you visit from Algeria, Mauritania or Libya, rather than the tourist hotspots of Egypt or Morocco.
Visit the Galapagos Islands- When I visited Galapagos, from Ecuador, it had always been a big bucket list item. And it is cool, but bloody hell it’s expensive!
- Visit Alaska – I HAVEN’T BEEN YET! Going in May next year to climb Mount Denali.
Visit the ArcticVisit Antarctica- The 7th continent I visited. It doesn’t come cheap, but penguins, icebergs and Orcas make it worth while.
Visit the North Pole- Visit the South Pole – I HAVEN’T BEEN YET. It’s a little outside my affordability at the moment. Working on it.
Visit TibetVisit Bali- I live in Thailand now, Bali is just a short flight, so I’ve been back and forth a lot. It’s cliche, but it’s beautiful. I’d happily have a holiday home there.
Visit PatagoniaVisit the Himalayas- On my first visit to Nepal, I did the Everest Base Camp Trek. Ideal way to spend 2 weeks.
Visit ALL 7 CONTINENTS- Half way into my journey to every country, I ticked off my 7th continent in Antarctica!
Visit 50 countriesVisit 100 countriesVisit EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD- In 2017, I finished my 11 year journey to all 197 countries in the world in Norway.
MY TRAVEL BUCKET LIST TALLY: 28/30

Greenland; Travel bucket lists Socotra; Travel bucket lists Rome; Travel bucket lists
Travel Bucket Lists; Experiences
100 Things to do before you die.
I love this list! I’ve managed a few, but if I HAVEN’T done it yet – I’ve made it bold. Anything else you guys can think of to add?
Visit all the 7 (new) wonders of the world:- Travel ‘Around the world in 80 days’ with no flights – NOT YET!
Live in another countryLive in another culture/country on another continentLearn another languageRide in a Helicopter(ideally over the Grand Canyon)- I did it in New Zealand, but not yet over the Grand Canyon unfortunately.
Travel Solo for a month or moreGet a tattoo in a foreign countryOktoberfest in Germany- Carnival in Rio De Janiero – NOT YET!
La Tomatina in SpainBungee JumpSky DiveTake the Trans Siberian train across RussiaWatch the World Cup Final in person- I was lucky to get tickets to the World Cup Final in both South Africa and Brazil
- Watch River Plate vrs Boca Juniors – NOT YET!
Watch the Olympics in person- Watched Usain Bolt break the World Record in Beijing, wow!
Stay in a water bungalow in the Maldives and Bora BoraFly first classOverland from Cape Town to CairoGo on safari in the Serengeti or Maasai MaraClimb KilimanjaroRide a hot air balloon (ideally in Cappadocia, Turkey)Bungee jump at Victoria Falls, Zambia/ZimbabweTrek to Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world ( in Venezuela)- Difficult country, and it took me 3 days to reach Angel Falls. Puddle hopper into the Amazon, canoe down a river, hike, sleep in hammocks en route. WILD.
Go wine tasing in Mendoza, ArgentinaHold a panda in ChinaSee gorillas in the wildStay in an ice hotel in ScandanaviaExperience 24 hours of sunlight in the arcticGo to the top of the highest building in the world (in Dubai, UAE)Visit the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth- Reach the summit of Everest, the highest place on earth – NOT YET, MY DREAM! I have plans to climb Mount Everest in 2023 – join me if you want 🙂
Go to the hottest place on earth (Danakil Depression, Ethiopia)- Go to the coldest place on earth (Omyakon, Russia) – NOT YET, I’LL ORGANISE A ONESTEP4WARD TRIP HERE SOON THOUGH!
See the Statue of Liberty in New YorkDrink a Singapore Sling in the long bar in SingaporeSee the snow monkeys in Japan- Drink Tequila in Tequila, Mexico – NOT YET!
See the Northern Lights (anywhere, but especially in Iceland or Norway)- Both in Iceland and Norway!
See a live volcano and real lavaTake a picture ‘holding up’ the Leaning Tower of PisaRide in a gondola in Venice, Italy- Did it solo, most overpriced nonsense ever
Visit the Amazon Rainforest- Took my mum with me in Ecuador, tarantulas in the sleep quarters, eeek.
Climb the Eiffel Tower, ParisReach Easter Islands/Rapa Nui in ChileSee the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican CityRide in a Dhow on the Nile RiverScuba at the Great Barrier Reef in AustraliaRoadtrip around New Zealand in campervanHike to the Tiger’s Nest Temple in Bhutan- Visit Timbukto, Mali – NOT YET!
See the Komodo Dragons in Indonesia- Such an amazing destination, highly recommended
Camp by the Gates of Hell, TurkmenistanSee an opera in Sydney Opera House- Lived in Sydney for a year, went to see Opera. Fell asleep.
Watch a show in London’s West EndCage dive with Great White SharksSmoke weed in AmsterdamGamble in Las VegasDrink Guinness in the Storehouse DublinVisit a tribe in Papua New GuineaTake pics in the salt flats in BoliviaRide the deathroad in BoliviaVisit JerusalemSee orangutans in the wild in BorneoSunset in Oia, SantoriniSunrise at Angkor Wat, CambodiaIguazu Falls from both Brazil and Argentina Side- Visit the Amalfi Coast, Italy – NOT YET, HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR ON HONEYMOON
Watch a game at the Maracana Stadium, Brazil- Managed to watch the World Cup Final here!
Party in Medellin, Colombia-style- Go on a cruise in the Meditteraneon or Caribbean – NOT YET!
- Drink Champagne in Champagne, France – NOT YET!
- ‘Run‘ the ‘Marathon Du Medoc’ aka the wine-marathon – NOT YET!
- Roadtrip through the Scottish Highlands – NOT YET!
- Experience Holi Fesival in India – NOT YET!
- Sit on Pulpit rock in Norway – NOT YET!
- Wing-walk with my mum – NOT YET!
- Cross the Khyber Pass from Pakistan into China – NOT YET!
- Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Time Square, New York City – NOT YET!
- Go on a ‘Theme Park Holiday’ in Orlando, Florida – NOT YET!
Visit Chernobyl(Bring my (future) kids to) see Santa in LaplandRide a classic car in Havana, CubaSee a polar bear in the wildTake a ride on a cargo ship- Once from Oman to Yemen, and once from Thailand to China. Both took more than 4 days!
Cross the equator on landVisit all the disputed ‘countries’ (South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Western Sahara, Somaliland, Kurdistan, Nagorno-Karabakh, Kosovo, Vatican City and Palestine)Check out St Basil’s Cathedral and The Kremlin in RussiaSee Hong Kong’s skyline by nightClimb Mont Blanc in FranceSee lemurs in Madagascar (and the Avenue of Baobabs)Ride the iron ore train of MauritaniaSee Transylvania in RomaniaSleep in a nomadic ger in Mongolia- Visit Mada’in Saleh in Saudi Arabia – NOT YET!
City break in Prague, Czech Republic- See the big island in Hawaii – NOT YET!
- Road trip around Sicily, Italy – NOT YET!
- Visit Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany – NOT YET!
MY EXPERIENCES TRAVEL BUCKET LIST TALLY: 78/100

Holding a panda! hot air balloon Sky dive
Life Bucket Lists
Life isn’t only about travel. Far from it. There is something much deeper to be found through the love you give and receive from close friends and family. I was selfish on my goal to visit every country, and I appreciate the people in my life much, much more now having gone through much of that experience solo.
Get married- Legally I’ve done this! But the ceremonial part of cancelled due to COVID!
- Have kids – NOT YET!
Build my dream home, with gym, movie theatre, mancave, office, pool and with a space for my mum too- Have a holiday home by the beach – NOT YET!
- Publish a book – NOT YET!
- Donate $1,000,000USD – NOT YET! (currently on $250k/$1m)
Build a schoolTake my mum to 50+ countries- Take my Mrs to 100+ countries – NOT YET! (She’s currenly on 45 or so)
- Send my kids to private school
Learn to ski- Get my motorbile license – NOT YET!
- Learn to box – NOT YET!
- Get my personal training qualifications – NOT YET!
- Be on Joe Rogan’s Podcast – NOT YET!
- Speak infront of a large crowd
- Attend a movie premier – NOT YET!
- Travel the world for at least a summer in campercan with my wife and kids – NOT YET!
- Be patient – NOT YET!
- Feel like I’ve maximised my potential, and be proud of the life I’ve built for myself – NOT YET!
LIFE BUCKET LIST TALLY: 7/20

Fitness Bucket Lists
As I’ve got older, I realised that truly health is wealth. I’ve always loved sport, but I also have to admit (regardless of how difficult) my propensity for bad decisions around alcohol.
I do a lot of fitness stuff nowadays, and there’s nothing like setting a big goal with a big physical challenge, and then going out, suffering for it, and achieving it. So let’s keep it going.
Get a handle on my drinking- I finally cracked it! Using a token-system, I record all my alcohol consumption on a google doc with my friends. It’s been so, so helpful to have that accountabiliy. Messafe me if you want to join us.
Run a marathonRun the Marathon Des Sables, or another ultra-marathon (200km ultra marathon from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai)Run across a countryCycle across a country- Do an ironman – NOT YET!
Row across an oceanunsupported- Climb Mount Everest – NOT YET! (but soon, in 2023, I hope)
- And the climb all the seven summits – NOT YET! 4/7 done. 2 more already booked.
- Just once, have under 10% body fat – NOT YET! Got close a while back
Run a sub 20-min 5k, sub 40-min 10k, sub 1.5 hour half-marathon and a sub-3 hour marathon. NOT YET! Sub-20k done, that’s all so far.- Run the UTMB – NOT YET!
Go vegetarian- Go vegan – NOT YET!
- Cycle from San Francisco to New York – NOT YET!
- Summit K2 – NOT YET!
- Swim across the English Channel – NOT YET!
- Climb the highest peak in every country in Europe in a summer – NOT YET!
- Run the original ‘Marathon’ from Marathon to Athens in Greece. – NOT YET!
Reach the North Poleand South Pole – NOT YET! North Pole done, not south pole yet.
MY FITNESS BUCKET LIST TALLY: 9/20

Business and money Bucket Lists
These ones are tough. Tough to achieve, and in the modern world, tough to admit. In an era where people deny wanting to be financially free, I know that it’s fool-hardy to admit my financial goals, due to the risk of backlash.
But I have to be true to myself. And growing up poor has given me the motivation to never need worry about where my next meal is coming from. Or if I can afford to turn on the heating.
I have reevaluated this stuff a lot as I’ve got older. I used to dream of being really rich, now I realise that’s ridiculous, unnecessary and dare-I-say immoral. So $5m is my goal. From there on, I’ll donate almost everything. Equally, the Porsche and the Rolex are childhood reams. The kind of things that seemed so far away. So they have to stay there, as a tribute to where I came from. I could buy them now, but it would be irresponsible, so I wait. They’ll come eventually:
Find a way to make my money online so I can work from ANYWHERE!Be my own boss- Make my first million
- Make
$1k, $2k, $5k, $10k, $30k, $50k, $100k in one month NOT YET! Best ever month was $58k. Hire 1, 2, 5, 10 people at any one time- Be mortgage free on at least 1 property in my twenties
Invest $100k- Invest $1m – NOT YET!
Have an investment-property portfolio worth $1m+- Have more than 3 separate incomes streams generating $100k per year
Be a millionaire (have a net worth of $1m+)- Have a net worth of $5m – NOT YET!
- Fly in a privet jet – NOT YET!
- Own a Rolex – NOT YET!
- Own a Porsche – NOT YET!
- Release and sell a course showing people how to do what I’ve done – NOT YET!
- Start a boutique gym – NOT YET!
- Help at least one other person make $1m+ online
- I’m pretty sure 2 people have done this already!
- Pay off my wife’s mortgage – NOT YET!
- Build and sell a property – NOT YET!
FINANCIAL BUCKET LIST TALLY: 10/20
Final thoughts on my travel bucket lists
I found this more difficult to write than I imagined! Being open and honest first with myself, and then with you guys is difficult. It feels quite vulnerable. And to maintain the honesty throughout is harder still. It would be much easier for me to write a list of beautiful things that people want to hear, and I hope some of the things on here, do just that. But there are other things too that if I want to feel fulfilled I have to be honest and admit that they too are my goals.
So here they are, warts and all. Life is a wild ride, I plan to enjoy the journey, but I also plan on going out and getting each one of these bad boys on my bucket list. I hope it inspires you to do the same. Thanks for reading.
~ You may delay, but time will not ~ Benjamin Franklin
How did you find the Philippines? How was your experience in Banaue Rice Terraces?
one of my fav countries ever!
Come to Baku! Azerbaijan is rich in historical sites, beautiful scenery, delicious and varied food
Quality specifications could either be written in terms basic
sufficient to be used throughout any type of industry or written with needs for a particular
industry.
Increase Visibility also assisted All-time
low begin our Search Engine Optimization efforts on two brand-new websites this year as well as we’re already seeing gain from natural search on these websites
as well.
They have a three-year non-profit incubator called Reason Studio
and also an one-year social business accelerator called Unreasonable
Labs North Texas that both go to support social business owners throughout the region.
Now that you’re familiar with some of the basic kinds of exterior protection cameras,
we’re visiting present you to a number of prominent brand names.
The facility is run by elderly speaker Robert Lieberman and our team is consisted of undergraduates who
recognize the trouble of physics and the should manage physics with an active program load.
I can’t see on your list Mogadishu or Somalia, so was that by accident your visit to the most dangerous place in the world. impressive
Hi, have you checked out what’s on the Ph already? I’d love it if you can spare some thoughts visitinng our metro. Seeing that you have an eye for good destinations.
Hey, I see you have Mecca on your list any thoughts on how you are going to travel there? I am also interested in making my way there some day.
Hey mate. Great list!
(FYI – the Sydney link goes to Moscow…)
So you have not been to Western Sahara or Puerto Rico?
been to both 🙂
Nice! I was wondering what is the best city to go to in Poland?
I think you’re having the time of your life, and I guess I wish I had your gutt to leave everything behind. And leave.
You’d better definitely go to the Grand Canyon, and the Monument Valley as well. I’ve had the chance to be there a few years ago, and it’s something that makes you feel insignificant, powerless.
That time I also walked through a small canyon nearby the valley, definitely worth it.
Excellent list buddy! Keep at it 🙂
Tip for ya 😉 Cross a country on a bike: Come to Malta, it is a small country and it possible that you cross the country from North to South with a bike 🙂
Is Vietnam not interest you at all?? 🙂
Awesome bucketlist some are similar to mine. You’re story is really inspiring, unfortunately it is much more challenging for us Filipinos to travel to a lot of countries, as immigration is always stricter with us due to the illegal immigrants but I am currently trying to prove it can be done even if we start from the bottom.
I just read your story that was in the journal.ie you are are an breath of fresh air, with a great mantra.
Hey
You should come to Turkey. Turkish news agency wrote about you yesterday. I’ve a travel blog and when I read this news I’m so jealous. If you come to Turkey I want to meet you. Have a best travel!
So you are a Boca Juniors fan??
Hi Johnny,
I enjoyed reading your bucket list!!! It’s awesome that you’ve done a lot of travels at such a young age! Not many people get the chance that you have. I love traveling and I get that wanderlust every now and then but you know having an office job, it doesn’t get any better! I wish one day I’ll be able to take the leap of faith and just live life now rather than later! Btw, you have a pretty gf!
Kudos to your awesome travel blog! I will definitely refer back when I’m planning the next trip!
Sien
Hi Johnny!
I just came across your awesome blog through Yahoo. Your story is so inspiring! I would love to travel all around the world like you one day. I have visited 3 continents and 12 countries so far.
I see you haven’t seen the Grand Canyon yet. I am going there next week for the very first time, would love to send you some pics!
You should have a contest for your subscribers; submit best travel images and win a trip with you! 🙂
Good luck!
You need to look into seeing Sedona , Hiking to Havasupai Falls, Antelope canyon & check out Wave Arizona 🙂
I will come when I have conditions, this is paradise.
How about Canada!? =)
I see that you’ve never been to Canada. Any interest in visiting?!
lOl! You have Mecca on that list! You are not authorized to visit this city unless you become a Muslim 😀
I know I know, but i wanna see it 🙂
You ought to be a part of a contest for one of the best websites on the web.
I will highly recommend this website!
Come to India again, and take me along with you! 😀
We’ll be the best of friends and an AMAZING team 😀
You’ve got an amazing bucket list 🙂
Just found your blog today and I love your bucket list. I, too created my bucket list years ago, lost it somehow, then found it along with my books last December. To my surprise, most of the things on my list was accomplished. I started checking them off. And i added a few more on my list. I saw that you haven’t check Machu Picchu yet. Do it soon! I was there last year and even though i got sick while i was visiting. I was able to enjoy Peru. It was absolutely amazing to see one of the wonders of the world.
Anyway, keep on inspiring us.
But… where is Iceland? I’m surprised that this amazing place is not on your list!
i was there in 2013 – northern lights, unreal 🙂
Hmm….Strike number 11, will you! It is illegal and the mortality rate is something like 30%….
You are quite a glutton for experiences! Where’s the ‘understanding the meaning of life’??
:))
I hope you will mature appropriately, and numbers 16 and 30 will never be achieved!! All the others are suitably appropriate!! (and I am green with envy)
I was very impressed and amazed with your blog until… I read n°16… I wasn’t expecting that sort of comments from someone that looked very open-minded and quite clever. Very disappointed first to see that you are talking about “drugs” as if they were a normal/touristy/the only thing to do in ColOmbia. You’ll learn that most ColOmbians despise the use of drugs such as cocaine and most of them are not users (guess who is); referring to cocaine as something to do when visiting ColOmbia is just an insult to all ColOmbians. I guess it was kind of a joke when you posted this but it is a shame that people don’t think about what they are saying and how it can be received; especially people that want to motivate others to go forward. Second disappointment, you could at least get the name of the country right… it is ColOmbia, not ColUmbia which is a university in North America. Try to replace that #16 with an actual and really nice thing to do in ColOmbia, you’ll see you’ll be amazed (take it as an assignment). Cheers.
thanks for the headsup on the typo (fixed now). I’m not taking assignments at the mo, aside from the assignments I task myself with one of which is getting high in Colombia. I’m sorry if that offends you, but I absoutely plan to do it when I get there – I thought it’s better for me to be honest with my readers.
You’re right. Do what you like in ur life. Ur goals,ur dreams.