How To Make A Travel Bucket List And Turn It Into A Real-Life Plan

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Don’t just dream it, plan it. This post walks you through creating a travel bucket list that doesn’t just live on Pinterest. Use the free printable to turn your list into a real, achievable plan.

Instructions for how to make a travel bucket list don’t seem like something you would need. But turning your list into real life takes planning. Here’s how to do it effectively so you actually get to take that trip you’ve been dreaming about.

Don’t forget to download your freebie at the end of this post!

Let’s face it. You, me, and the rest of the world-wide population are all guilty of having a bucket list that seems unreachable. Those things we’d do if we had tons of money, or the places we would go if we didn’t have thing stopping us. But putting together a bucket list with a plan, a list you can actually achieve… now that’s a list worth making.

I don’t know about you, but I got tired of adding to a bucket list I was never gonna accomplish. So I decided to change that, and you can too.

This isn’t just about making a list of places you want to visit, it’s a bucket list with follow-through. It’s about designing a life that lets you see and do the things you want to see and do because you deserve it.

So first, I’ll guide you through making that list. Then we’ll organize it, prioritize it, and start taking aligned steps to actually achieve it. Let’s go!

Dream First, Plan Later

But whatever you do, dream well. Start with desire, not logistics. Don’t worry about where you think you can or can’t go, or what you think you can or can’t afford. After all, it’s a bucket list. Dream big and put it on paper.

Give yourself permission to dream freely. No budgets, no passport needed… just you, a pen, and paper (or laptop).

With all that said, some people have a hard time coming up with ideas for places they might want to go. So let’s start there for those who struggle a bit with dreaming big.

Prompt #1

What kinds of moments light you up? What type of experiences feel like “you are becoming more you”? Are you a snow bunny who loves racing down a hill on skis, or are you a beach lover who prefers to be a sun bum with a drink in hand? What light’s your fire? What makes you feel most alive? (And if you’ve never had the chance to do any of those things, that’s okay! What do you BELIEVE would make you feel most alive?)

For me, I’m a beach girl under certain conditions. It must have shade, and I don’t necessarily want to go into the water. I just like sitting next to the water. It calms my nerves and settles my soul.

Tools You Can Use: Try Google Sheets, Notion, Notes, Pages, Word, or even just a cute journal.

Organize Your Dreams Into Categories

So you have a list. Congratulations! Maybe it’s a long list, maybe it’s a short one. But once you have a list that feels complete, you’re ready to move on to the next step. Organizing your list.

Prompt #2

Go through your list and and divide up the destinations into the following categories:

Big dreams – Trips like a great safari, or a trip to see the Northern Lights in Norway.

Weekend Trips – Places that are a reachable distance from you. This isn’t about budget, it’s about access.

Soft Moments – These are the smaller things that are meaningful and not necessarily difficult to achieve once you are at your destination. Things such as a picnic by a castle, or soaking in a thermal spa. Or even something as simple as taking photos that are meaningful in the next town over from you. Again, this isn’t about money or location. It’s about the small, meaningful things that create lifetime memories.

Healing Trips – Things like retreats, or nature immersions. Health-focused trips, whether it’s physical health or mental health.

Turning Your Travel Dreams Into Reality

This section is about the power of priority. We are going to avoid overwhelm by focusing on just one (if you’ve never traveled before), or up to three (if you are a more seasoned traveler).

Prompt #3

What’s feasible this year (or next, depending one where in the year you are when you do this)? Which one excites you the most? Can you pair it with something you already need to do?

By feasible, I mean, what could you manage if you had the budget? What do you have time for? How much vacation time can you get and is it possible to make this trip in that time?

This is where we start getting a little more practical. We aren’t focused on money yet, just the logistics.

Planning A Bucket List Trip Before You’re Ready

Trips take time. For some people, one trip will be the only trip of a lifetime they ever get to take. For others, it’s a lot simpler. So start with where you’re at, but start now.

• Start saving – Even if it’s $5 a month. Something is better than nothing, and even little bits add up over time.
• Research the best times to visit your dream location – If budget is a concern, consider going off-season for better prices.
• Look for day trips or local versions of things you enjoy – For example, Alicante city, which is 45 minutes from me by tram, offers free walking tours of the city in the summer months. So you get a free way to enjoy a beautiful city, and you’ll learn about your destination in the process.
• Follow creators in those places – They often have insider tips you might not be able to get anywhere else.
• Join Facebook groups for the place you want to visit – They can be invaluable resources.

How To Plan Your Dream Trip – It Starts With Your Calendar

Whether you have bought a plane ticket or not, make sure you put your trip in your calendar. In fact, a travel calendar is always a great idea because it allows for easy planning. This is really where you will go from wishing, to planning, to making it happen.

Prompt #4

This one comes in 3 parts:

Look up holidays, school breaks, and cheap flight windows. Figure out when your best time to go is.

Anchor your goal with a loose date. Even if it’s a month or season. Putting your goal on a calendar helps you feel that it’s real so you can turn your dream into reality.

Build a trip planning ritual. I know that sounds woo-woo, but it really isn’t. It’s simply a time each week (or month), when you sit down, and actively plan your trip. You’ll do this regularly until you have absolutely every detail of your trip planned. No surprises.

Make Your Bucket List Real

In your weekly meeting, part of what you do should be the following:

1. Create a visual board – Pinterest, Canva, or make a physical collage on poster board. Whatever works best for you.
2. Write a journal entry as if you’ve already gone. Again, I know this sounds woo-woo. But this is an important step, especially for first-timers who may not have the utmost faith in their own bravery. Doing this will help it feel far more real.

Realistic Travel Planning (Also Known As Budgeting)

Yes, at some point you have to get down to budgeting. It’s the worst part about trip planning, but no money, no trip. So it has to be planned. Once you have the entire trip planned, you can go back and start researching prices. If you are on a tight budget, look for more affordable ways to do things you’ll love. You have time to plan, so really do your research. Where there is a will, there is a way.

A Bit Of Encouragement

Remember, you don’t need to do this all at once. You can make a plan for a trip that is 5 years away as long as you put it on a calendar. But make sure you do this for you. It’s important.

Let’s turn your dream into a destination, one soft, slow step at a time.

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This is a single-page you can print over and over again. Use one sheet for each place you want to visit. Print it out and write extra notes about your destination on the back.

Travel Bucket List Ideas

If you need a little inspiration to get started on your list of dream travel destinations, here is a nice long list of travel goals to get you started. (You could also call this a “travel manifestation list” of sorts) Remember, YouTube is your best friend if you need to do a little day dreaming about a particular destination.

Romantic Destinations

• Positano, Italy
• Santorini, Greece
• Ubud, Bali
• Hallstatt, Austria
• Chefchaouen, Morocco
• Bruges, Belgium
• Colmar, France
• Ravello, Italy
• Kyoto in Cherry Blossom Season
• Lake Bled, Slovenia
• Cappadocia, Turkey (hot air balloons!)
• Annecy, France
• Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Giverny, France (Monet’s Garden)
• Tuscany Countryside, Italy
• Lake Como, Italy
• Sintra, Portugal
• Ghent, Belgium
• Amalfi Coast road trip
• Provence Lavender Fields, France

Peaceful Retreats

• Sedona, Arizona (vortex energy + hikes)
• Rishikesh, India (yoga capital)
• Tulum, Mexico (wellness retreats)
• Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand
• Isle of Skye, Scotland
• Kotor, Montenegro
• Sacred Valley, Peru
• Iceland’s Blue Lagoon
• Sapa, Vietnam (terraced rice fields)
• Bhutan (Gross National Happiness)
• Wadi Rum, Jordan (desert silence)
• Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
• Banff, Canada
• Chiang Mai, Thailand (elephant sanctuaries + temples)
• Lapland, Finland (Northern Lights + winter magic)

Art, Culture & History

• Florence, Italy
• Paris, France (but slower in Montmartre or Le Marais)
• Istanbul, Turkey
• Rome, Italy
• Fez, Morocco
• Vienna, Austria
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Barcelona, Spain
• Granada, Spain (Alhambra)
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Tokyo, Japan
• Petra, Jordan
• Angkor Wat, Cambodia
• Oxford or Cambridge, UK
• Havana, Cuba
• Kraków, Poland

Daydreamy Cities

• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Prague, Czech Republic
• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Stockholm, Sweden
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• Quebec City, Canada
• Seville, Spain
• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Tallinn, Estonia
• Lviv, Ukraine
• Seoul, South Korea
• Singapore
• Valencia, Spain
• Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Zurich, Switzerland

Nature And Adventure

• Northern Lights in Norway, Finland, or Iceland
• Safari in South Africa or Kenya
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Patagonia, Argentina/Chile
• Road to Hana, Maui
• Lake Louise, Canada
• Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia (salt flats)
• Torres del Paine, Chile
• Galápagos Islands
• Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
• Great Ocean Road, Australia
• Norwegian Fjords
• Joshua Tree, California
• Grand Tetons, USA
• Dolomites, Italy
• Faroe Islands

Coastal, Seaside & Island Escapes

• Maldives
• Seychelles
• Cinque Terre, Italy
• Algarve Coast, Portugal
• Amalfi + Capri, Italy
• Bora Bora, French Polynesia
• Zanzibar, Tanzania
• Madeira, Portugal
• Corsica, France
• Sardinia, Italy
• Mallorca, Spain
• Hvar, Croatia
• Naxos, Greece
• Lofoten Islands, Norway
• Whitsundays, Australia
• Maui, Hawaii
• Tofino, British Columbia
• Biarritz, France
• San Sebastián, Spain

Experiences Not To Miss

• Take a scenic train ride (Glacier Express, Switzerland / Rocky Mountaineer, Canada)
• See the sunrise at Angkor Wat
• Watch the Northern Lights wrapped in a blanket
• Soak in natural hot springs under the stars
• Stay in a glass igloo in Finland
• Visit Christmas markets in Germany
• Sleep in a Tuscan villa with vineyards
• Walk a flower field in the Netherlands during tulip season, or a lavender field in France.
• Ride a gondola in Venice at sunset
• Attend a cooking class with a local grandmother
• Take a boat across Lake Como
• Shop a bazaar in Marrakesh
• Hike to a hidden waterfall
• Sleep in a cave hotel in Cappadocia
• Explore a lavender field in full bloom