Your 30s are the perfect time for ambitious, once-in-a-lifetime trips. With enough disposable income finally saved yet often not weighed down by family obligations, this decade lets you stake out bucket list destinations farther afield and more daring than your freewheeling 20s may have allowed.
I’m sharing my top 5 dream destinations ideal for your 30-something travel bucket list whether you’re flying solo, with friends, or with your significant other before reaching the travel limitations of your 40s. Consider these epic locales around the world calling your adventurous spirit before it’s too late!
African Safari - No destination feeds your soul quite like an open-air African safari. Spot the Big 5 roaming in their natural habitat then camps under starry night skies. South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania offer superb game parks rich with exceptional wildlife sightings. Just be ready to rough it and spend big on the experience of a lifetime.
Great Barrier Reef - If you’re yet to explore Australia, your 30s are the time to spend at least 2 weeks Down Under before its long-haul flight wears you out. Then make your way up Queensland’s sunny coastline to scuba or snorkel the mind-blowing colors and marine life populating the endangered Great Barrier Reef while you still can.
Machu Picchu - As an awe-inspiring UNESCO site and bucket list staple, soaring Andean ruins of mystical Machu Picchu always deliver an magical experience, especially when you hike the breathless Inca Trail to reach its epic views. Reward yourself afterwards by exploring Peru’s rich culture in cities like metropolitan Lima or charming Cusco.
Santorini Sunsets - When picturing that iconic Greek Island shot, it’s likely the candy-colored cliffside villages and glittery Agean vista of Santorini that first come to mind. Visit in your 30s to crisscross black sand beaches by day then toast legendary sunsets that plunge into the sea each evening with new friends.
National Parks Road Trip - From towering sequoias in California to volcanic peaks in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, America’s wealth of natural treasures make an epic cross-country national parks road trip an essential rite of passage in your thirties while your stamina can still handle weeks of camping and adventure.
I encourage everyone to seize the travel freedom of your 30s to start crossing off those bucket list trips before mortgages, kids or gravity make exploring the far corners of the world more challenging. Stop putting off epic destinations and do it now while you have the perfect combination of means, time and energy!