My 2026 travel bucket list

Many of us probably use the New Year as a way to set our travel goals for the year. I know I certainly do! This year I really want to visit more non-European places so I can become more culturally aware in the world and to try my hand at solo travelling.  

I have already ticked off one of my 2026 travel bucket list targets by visiting Morocco for AFCON (African Cup of Nations). This was something I always wanted to do as African football fans are amazing and totally different from anywhere else in the world. One of the standout superfans is Michel Mboladinga, a DR Congo fan who dresses up as Lumumba (the first prime minister of the DRC) and stands as a statue for the entirety of the game. Watching the tournament on TV and seeing the crazy atmosphere made me even more eager to go experience one of the biggest tournaments in Africa.  

I want to get into solo travelling and Ireland should be a nice introduction to this experience

One of the other reasons I wanted to visit Morocco in 2026 was because of its stark contrast to Europe. In Europe, you will never see the kind of markets (Souks) you get in Morocco, and I wanted to experience this first hand. Walking through the Souks is such a unique experience. Upon entering, we were greeting with people parading their pet monkeys and snake charmers. We spent hours in the Souk wandering around its maze-like structure seeing the range of goods for sale from Moroccan football shirts to raw leather. And one of the greatest parts of the experience in my opinion is the bartering (haggling). At first, this may feel rather unusual, but once you do it once, you can’t stop bartering and it’s all part of the Souk experience.  The craziest price reduction we managed to get was from 1,200 MAD (about £100) to 150 MAD (about £12.50). I would definitely recommend a trip to the Souks, and it is one of those experiences I will never forget. 

Another place on my 2026 travel bucket list is Ireland. I have always wanted to visit here but had a tough time convincing my family to come along with me. So, I have decided that if they do not want to come, I will just go solo travelling there: I want to get into solo travelling and Ireland should be a nice introduction to this experience. The country is very touristy, only an hour or so away from home, and quite handily for me, they speak English. I want to go to Ireland for its nature side. Of course, I will be visiting Dublin and having a cheeky pint and tour of the Guinness Storehouse, but for me the other side of Ireland is much more attractive. Ireland has loads of national parks to wander through like Killarney, home to the Torc Waterfall, and ancient castles to explore such as Blarney Castle in Cork. And with flights as cheap as £30 there is really no excuse for me not to visit Ireland this year and try my hand at solo travelling! 

One of my more ambitious 2026 travel goals which I will whole-heartedly admit is probably not going to happen this year, is to go to the Everest Base Camp

One of my more ambitious 2026 travel goals which I will whole-heartedly admit is probably not going to happen this year, is to go to the Everest Base Camp. I became interested in doing this when I heard from a close family friend that he was going on the trek and was talking to us about his preparation for it. After doing a bit of research around this, I found out that the trek actually takes around about two weeks with about seven hours of walking a day. Going to the Everest Base Camp would be such a great personal achievement and would definitely be one of the most challenging things I have ever done. I would love to take on the trek for charity and raise money for a cause I am really passionate about. Admittedly, I am unlikely to be doing the trek in 2026, but if I don’t, I’ll be sure to keep the Everest Base Camp on my 2027 bucket list! 

So, my 2026 travel bucket list contains a range of different goals. From experiencing new cultural environments like going to Morocco to getting into solo travelling by easing myself in with Ireland to a more ambitious challenge of going to the Everest Base Camp, my bucket list has a range of targets for me to complete. Of course, we all have different travel goals, and your bucket list may be entirely different to mine, but it is definitely worth making a 2026 travel bucket list to cement your goals for the year!