Exploring Bolivia’s salt flats, riding a hot-air balloon over Kenya’s Masai Mara or cycling Japan’s sea-ringed Shimanami Kaido route. These are some of the images that might come to mind when you think of an epic bucket-list trip – before your thoughts turn to the time, planning and costs involved.
Few mega-trips ever make it past the idea stage. More than a third of Canadians opting out of travel this year said they’re doing so in response to a shaky economy, while half of those still planning their escape are adjusting their plans owing to the weak loonie, a February Allianz Global Assistance Canada survey found.
The number of destinations that align with travellers’ time capacity, budget and values are shrinking fast in the midst of a heated trade war with the United States, conflict in the Middle East, and the domino effects of both on travel across global hotspots.
As geopolitical realities redraw the map of our daydreams around travel, The Globe set out to help readers make the planning process a little easier.
Our editors spent months hand-picking experiences ranging from tasting tours to wildlife viewings across nearly 200 destinations and built a database of bucket-list itineraries for different travel tastes and budgets.
The Globe’s data team combined these insights with flight, hotel and car-rental data from search engine Kayak into a virtual travel assistant that helps you build your bucket-list trip based on price points, activities or destinations.
Whether it’s a Michelin meal in the Faroe Islands or skiing the slopes of St. Moritz in Switzerland, you’ll have the option to plan your itinerary around a destination of choice or experience. Each pick provides a range of options to help narrow down what kind of trip you’re looking for.
Those feeling spontaneous can choose the surprise option and get our Globe Trotter to serve up ideas you might never have considered (base jumping off the Troll Wall in Norway, anyone?).
Give the tool a whirl, then read what Canadians had to say about budgeting for their own bucket-list trips Before you go, get inspiration from our writers’ own bucket-list-worthy trips, including retracing Shackleton’s expedition in Antarctica, exploring Japan’s art islands and bodysurfing in Costa Rica.
Globe Trotter
About our methodology
The Globe’s bucket‑list travel planning tool features nearly 200 destinations worldwide, designed to spark ideas for once‑in‑a‑lifetime adventures. Destinations are grouped by region, signature experiences curated by Globe travel editors, and budget tier, which is based on the estimated cost of economy‑class flights and a seven‑night hotel stay for two people.
Flight, hotel and car rental data were provided by Kayak, based on searches conducted on Kayak and its affiliated brands between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025, for travel between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. Estimated costs for activities and dining were provided by Flight Centre Travel Group, with contributions from Kate Neufeld, a travel expert at Flight Centre Canada.
Credits
- Data providers: Kayak, Flight Centre Travel Group
- Editing: Catherine Dawson March, Ian Morfitt
- Photo editing: Yader Guzman, Janice Pinto
- Art direction: Benjamin MacDonald
- Data research: Yang Sun
- Interactive design and development: Lucina Lo
