I think we could all do with a bit more adventure in our lives.

…Especially after two years of COVID-related stress and social distancing!

We’ve been cooped up indoors, away from loved ones; unable to get outside, travel, and do the things we love most.

So, now everything’s finally starting to open up, it only seems right to channel our inner Crusoe and plan something downright adventurous!

Are you yearning for adventure as much as I am?

Want some compelling adventure ideas to put on your to-do list?

Well, you’re in the right place.

I’ve racked my brains to come up with a long list of epic ideas for adventures!

Whether you’re looking for adventure weekends, fun family adventures, adventure ideas for couples, everyday adventures that anybody can do, or crazy adventure ideas for adults, you should find it somewhere in this post.

Enjoy!

[Last updated: January 2022]

---

---

Interested in adventure ideas for adults? You might also like these:

• 30 Super Fun Places to go with Friends
• 60 Awesome Adventure Dates Ideas
• Top 11 West Coast National Parks to Visit
• 20 Places with Crystal Clear Water
• 20 Coldest Countries in the World
• 20 Hottest Countries on Earth
• 12 Famous Landmarks in Asia
• 30 of the Best Outdoor Adventure Books
• 120 Best Songs about Adventure
• 10 Reasons Why Travelling Is Fun
• Best Jobs for Adventurers

---

How to Go on an Adventure

Before we get into the adventure ideas, I thought I’d take a moment to talk about how to go on an adventure in the first place.

…As I see it, anyway.

Basically, I think there some shared principles that run like a thread through the heart of all intrepid activities.

Once you know and embrace them, it may feel easier to come up with adventure ideas of your own and then build them into your life.

Here they are:

1. Adventure’s as much of a mentality as it is a thing.

Firstly, I don’t think you have to go on a year-long, round-the-world trip to have an adventure!

I mean, not only can you find adventures in your own backyard, but having an adventure doesn’t have to involve any trip at all.

Furthermore, you can travel to the ends of the earth and never really have an adventure if you go about it in the “wrong” way.

Why?

Because you find adventure in the process.

It’s about the journey (both real and figurative), not the destination.

It’s as much of an approach to life as a tangible event within it.

Define adventure in these terms and it doesn’t matter what you’re doing or where you’re doing do it. You could simply be walking down the street, cooking dinner, or going to the grocery store!

Approach the task with a certain mentality and it can turn into a legitimate adventure.

2. Adventure Involves Risk, Novelty, and Discomfort

I reckon adventure’s about being willing to take risks, try something different, and throw yourself whole-heartedly into an experience.

So, if you’re walking down the street, you might take a different route to the destination or ask a stranger for directions instead of using your GPS.

If you’re grocery shopping, you could set a limit on how much you can spend or go to a different kind of store (e.g. Asian, Polish, or wholefoods…).

These ideas translate to more traditional definitions of adventure too.

For example, there’s a big difference between going on vacation and having an adventure. After all, travelling can just involve laying on a beach, sunbathing, and sipping cocktails all day.

That’s nice, but it’s hardly adventurous!

An adventure would involve taking the path less trodden, talking to locals when you don’t speak the language, eating the native cuisine, and (to paraphrase Jack Kerouac) “climbing that goddamn mountain”, and so on.

Ultimately, at home or overseas, you have to leave your comfort zone long enough to try something you wouldn’t normally do.

The goal is to mix up your routine.

You want to feel alive, energized, and a little uncomfortable.

3. Adventure’s Relative and Subjective

My idea of an adventure might be different from yours.

Your idea of adventure might be different from your dad’s.

And his idea may differ from his work colleague’s.

They’re all valid!

Despite everything I’ve said so far, adventure’s a relative concept.

After all, we each have different tolerances for risk and discomfort; unique perspectives on what’s novel and normal.

For example:

• Daisy might feel like the only way to have an adventure is to sell her stuff, buy a bike, and ride it around the world.
• For Dave, it might just involve taking a day off work to go camping.
• And Darcey might want to build a cabin in the woods so they can live off-grid.

Keep that in mind as you proceed through the coming list of adventure ideas!

Try picking ones that a) are appealing, yet b) push you into doing something different to your particular “norm”.

---

120 Awesome Adventure Ideas [New Adventures to Try in 2022]

Now we know the constituent parts of any adventure, let’s turn to a big bunch of actual adventure ideas to get stuck into.

I’ve broken this long list into sections, starting with some general ideas for adventures that anyone can embark on, followed by more specific categories.

With any luck, you’ll find the perfect adventure idea somewhere in this post!

Everyday Fun Adventure Ideas [One Day Adventure Ideas]

Some of the best adventures happen close to home, cost little to nothing, and are available to everyone!

This first section’s dedicated to these sorts of fun adventurous things to do:

1. Going star gazing.

2. Waking up for sunrise.

3. Stopping to watch the sunset.

4. Going for a hike at night.

5. Try wild/free camping.

6. Camp in your backyard!

7. Explore the local area and its famous landmarks.

8. Go to the tourist traps in your area.

9. “Climb Everest” by going up and down your stairs countless times.

10. Take the scenic route home from work.

11. Get purposefully lost somewhere new and find your way home.

12. Ride a random bus/train to the end of the line and explore the final destination.

13. Try hitch-hiking!

14. Go hiking around a new National Park.

15. Do a night-time “ghost tour” around town.

16. Sleep up a tree and wake up to nature.

17. Build a treehouse.

18. Research forgotten local history and then explore the old sights in real life.

19. Go swimming in a local river, lake, or watering hole.

20. Go treasure hunting, metal detecting, or beachcombing in your local area.

Grand Ideas for Adventure [Crazy Adventure Ideas]

I’m all for having everyday adventures.

But I can’t deny that the ideas for adventures that really get my juices flowing are bigger, grander, and more epic in nature!

If that’s the sort of adventure you’re looking for too, then this section should help:

21. Ride a motorbike around Asia.

22. Walk the Pacific Crest Trail (or any other thru-hike).

23. Pick a far-flung destination and hitch-hike there.

24. Pick a far-flung destination and cycle, walk or run there.

25. Close your eyes, spin the globe, put your finger on a destination, and go there.

26. Swim, sail, or row across a big stretch of water.

27. Train for and partake in an ultramarathon.

28. Crew on a boat to experience life at sea.

29. Learn about ancient explorers and take the trips for which they’re famous.

30. Go to Everest Base Camp.

31. Climb Mount Everest.

32. Travel over-land from one side of the country to another.

33. Kit out a campervan and experience van life for yourself.

34. Traverse the full length of the Great Wall of China.

35. Go up in a hot air balloon.

36. Travel to Lapland to see the elusive Northern Lights.

36. Catch a train across the Sahara Desert.

37. Canoe or raft down the Grand Canyon.

38. See how far you can travel without spending anything.

40. Visit all 7 wonders of the world.

Adventure Ideas for Couples [Awesome Weekend Adventure Ideas]

Any of the adventures ideas I’ve talked about so far could be done with your partner.

If you want some more specific adventure ideas for couples, though, then this upcoming section’s for you:

41. Take a trip together.

42. Go on a motorbike trip together.

43. Sail around the world in a boat together.

44. Go skinny dipping in the local lake.

45. Go rock climbing together!

46. Find the best places in your area to watch the sunset together.

47. Take your partner somewhere in your area that you love, but they’ve never been.

48. Do a sky-dive together.

49. Visit and explore each other’s childhood homes/neighbourhoods.

50. Break a rule.

51. Go fruit picking!

52. Start growing your own food together in the backyard.

53. Get into the habit of surprising each other with random weekend trips.

54. Spend the night together in a haunted house.

55. Ride a tandem bicycle between two far-flung destinations.

56. Go coasteering together.

57. Start a new couples’ tradition to do every year.

58. Create a bucket list of activities to do together and start ticking them off.

59. Go on a road trip with no pre-planned final destination.

60. Remember your very first dates and do them all over again.

Fun Adventures with Friends Ideas [Adventurous Ideas to Do With Others]

Solo and couples’ adventures are both awesome. But so are adventurous things to do with friends!

With that in mind, check out these adventures with friends ideas:

61. Find out each other’s favourite bands and take turns to see them live.

62. Cycle around the local area together.

63. Pack some clothes into a backpack and explore the world together.

64. Go hunting together.

65. Set a big mutual goal and work together to achieve it.

66. Go into business together.

67. Take a picnic to the local park.

68. Find a cause you’re passionate about and fundraise for it.

69. Volunteer somewhere together.

70. Start a book club and host meetings every week!

71. Pick a destination, assign different modes of transport to each person, and race each other to get there.

72. Attend a major international festival together.

73. Organize a bungee jump or skydive together.

74. Go surfing/learn how to surf together!

75. Find an epic outdoor location, pack some beers, and sleep under the stars.

76. Climb a mountain in time for sunrise.

77. Grab a last-minute budget flight and go away together.

78. Do a crazy fitness challenge together.

79. Cook each other a different type of foreign meal every week.

80. Go on a silent retreat together and see who speaks first!

Adventure Birthday Ideas [Epic Birthday Adventure Ideas]

What could be better than having an adventure for your birthday?!

Whether you’re organizing it for yourself or somebody else, here’s a big bunch of adventure birthday ideas that should do the trick:

81. Camp at the nearest beach.

82. Attend a circus training class.

83. Go white-water rafting.

84. Arrange a scavenger hunt in the local area.

85. Go axe throwing or to a shooting range.

86. Have a rock climbing lesson.

87. Do a Tough Mudder race with friends.

88. Spend the day at the nearest natural hot springs.

89. Spend the day at the lake, with a BBQ, water sports, and so on.

90. Paddleboard, kayak, or canoe down a river!

91. Try go-karting, zip-lining, or some other fast-paced fun-filled activity.

92. Hire a boat or yacht.

93. Organize a DIY festival in someone’s backyard.

94. Go on a “staycation”.

95. Party the night away on a beach and stay up for sunrise.

96. Go on an overnight biking trip.

97. Grab a projector, pack the popcorn, and find somewhere cool to create your very own drive-in cinema.

98. Try geocaching to partake in the world’s largest treasure hunt!

99. Go canoe camping with your closest friends and family.

100. Go on a road trip together through a National Park.

---

Searching for spontaneous adventure ideas? You might also like:

• 85+ Road Trip Trivia Questions & Games
• 75 Essential Things to Pack for Travel
• Key Features of the Experience of Travel
• 100 Reasons I love to Travel (& You Will Too)
• The Characteristics of Heritage Tourism

---

Ideas for Adventure Weekends [Fun and Adventure]

Fun adventure activities, like backpacking, can last for weeks, months, or even years. But don’t worry if you’ve not got that kind of time to play with!

Want to go on an adventure weekend trip instead? This section’s for you:

101. Book a weekend getaway somewhere.

102. Go camping, hunting, or fishing at your favourite outdoor spot.

103. Hire an RV/campervan and hit the road for a few days.

104. Take a weekend bike trail trip.

105. Kayak down a river, stopping off at noteworthy destinations along the way.

106. Do a multi-day hike with your friends/family.

107. Treat yourself to a spa weekend.

108. Spend the weekend exploring your local area.

109. Grab your chalk bag and a tent and go on an epic bouldering trip.

110. Shut your eyes, pick a point on a regional map, and spend the weekend there.

111. Spend the weekend camping under the stars in your backyard!

112. Do something that scares you on each day of the weekend.

113. Spend the weekend exploring local farmers’ markets.

114. Attend every garage sale in your area, bagging bargains to sell online.

115. Find and attend the meetup opportunities in your area.

116. Spend the weekend watching adventure movies with your friends!

117. Sign up for the walking tours and nature walks in your area.

118. Host a couchsurfer for the weekend and show them around town.

119. See how far you can travel from home without spending any money.

120. Go overlanding in your 4×4 for 48 hours.

---

Remember These Ideas for Adventure

One of my biggest intentions in life is to fill it with adventures!

I want to spend my time doing cool stuff, seeing amazing places, exploring, and just generally trying to make the most of each moment.

If you’re similar, then having a big long list of adventure ideas to call upon might prove useful. After all, coming up with new ideas for adventures all the time can be a genuine challenge.

That’s why I decided to put this post together!

I hope it’ll help out whenever you’re desperate to get away; do something different, and reap the many physical, mental, and spiritual rewards that adventures have to offer.

---