I think we could all do with a bit more adventure in our lives.
Adventures shake us out of apathy, expand our horizons, give us stories to share, and make us feel alive. Ultimately, an adventurous life is full of meaning and excitement.
You go from existing to really living.
In this post, I thought I’d share a big long list of fun adventure ideas. From crazy adventure ideas to ones you can do as a family, I hope it’ll help anyone looking for ways to make life memorable.
Ready for 120 ideas for adventure? Here we go!
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 is 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.
The ideas for an adventure that appeal most to me tend to be big, grand, and involve travelling the world!
Crazy Adventure Ideas
I’m all for having everyday adventures. But the adventure ideas 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, 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 hitchhike 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.
Looking for adventure ideas for couples? This section should help!
Adventure Ideas for Couples [Awesome Weekend Adventure Ideas]
Any of the adventure 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.
In my experience, fun adventures with friends are often the most enjoyable ones!
Fun Adventures with Friends Ideas
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!
The only thing better than an adventure? Having an adventure on your birthday! These ideas for an adventure should deliver the best birthday yet…
Epic Adventure Birthday 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:
Related: The Best Jobs for Adventurers
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.
With the adventure birthday ideas down, let’s move on to some ideas for awesome adventure weekends!
Ideas for Adventure Weekends
Fun adventure activities, like backpacking, can last for weeks, months, or even years. But don’t worry if you haven’t 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 Fun Adventure Ideas
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 fun adventure ideas to call upon might prove useful.
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.
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Thanks for this post. While I have a long list of big adventures to go on, I’m looking for new ideas and this helped spark my imagination! Sarah
Hey Sarah! Really pleased these ideas were useful! Enjoy your adventures 🙂