Ultimate Adventure Travel Bucket List

Hike the green folded cliffs and secret beaches of the 11-mile Kalalau Trail on the island of Kauai.

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The northern lights are brightest on the Álftanes Peninsula, just outside Reykjavík, during the winter solstice. Marvel at the celestial display, then head back to town for local lamb at Dill restaurant ($$$).

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Visit penguin rookeries on Quark Expeditions’ 20-day voyage (from $9,495).

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The jaw-dropping landscape—clear glacial waters; mist-shrouded peaks—is like a fantasy novel come to life. Explore it by ferry, sailing the length of the fjord to the Tasman Sea. nztp.net.nz.

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“I love to go fly-fishing in Jackson Hole, in Wyoming. It’s where I get some of my best thinking done. WorldCast Anglers leads excellent guided trips for all levels.” —David Chang, chef

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Have the thunderous waters all to yourself: guests of the Hotel das Cataratas ($$$), on the Brazilian side, can access the viewing platforms after the park closes—no rangers, no other people.

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“Campi Ya Kanzi, the Masai-community-owned lodge in the Chyulu Hills of eastern Kenya, achieves the perfect combination of luxury and exclusivity, with rigorous sustainability and commitment to the locals. I like to walk with Masai trackers early in the morning or hike up to the cloud forest, which is another world entirely.” —Edward Norton, actor and board member of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust

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An Inuit guide will bring you face-to-face with migrating 10-foot polar bears in the frozen tundra of northern Canada. Book with Arctic Kingdom (five days from $7,800).

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Viking River Cruises’ 18-day trip (from $4,242) takes you from Beijing to Shanghai via the imposing Three Gorges.

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“The San Juan Inn, in Mexican Hat, Utah ($), is a motel, trading post, and diner on the banks of a gorgeous red river. It’s like the motel from that Humphrey Bogart movie Petrified Forest. Monument Valley is 25 minutes south, and what you see on that drive, the scale of it, is so vast and beautiful. You’re in this enormous, wondrous silence.” —Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

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Slots aren’t thrilling enough? Zoom from zero to 60 mph in 3 1/2 seconds in a Ferrari F430 GT at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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Check in to the rustic-chic Awasi lodge and take a guided tour in a 4 x 4 to the blue-and-black twin lagoons, Meñiques and Miscanti, dotted with pink flamingos. Spend the day hiking the surrounding salt flat and volcanoes.

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Enter the citadel like the Incas did by walking through the Sun Gate. Here’s how: hop off the train from Cuzco at Km. 104. Hike to the ruins of Huinay Huayna, five miles away, then north to the 15th-century site. Stay at Sanctuary Lodge ($$$$), the only hotel there. Acquire permits in advance from travel specialist Maita Barrenechea.

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Whitewater aficionados consider this America’s most dramatic river. Attack it on a weeklong rafting trip with Row Adventures. Expect luxury camping and stops at waterfalls and hot springs.

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A desert safari with Geographic Expeditions includes trekking across 1,000-foot sand dunes, spotting black and white rhinos, and viewing the shipwrecks and bleached animal bones that give this region its name.

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On a helicopter ride from Sugarloaf, around the Cristo statue, and over Copacabana, you’ll see Rio in all its curvaceous, chaotic glory.

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Meet villagers and watch traditional ceremonies with Orion Expedition Cruises (12 days from $7,690).

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Between Argentina’s snowy Andes and arid Patagonian steppe, the 200-foot-high mass is the world’s largest expanse of ice outside Antarctica. Take in the towering views with bespoke outfitter Blue Parallel.

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“Stay at the Ahwahnee Hotel ($$$), in Yosemite National Park, and visit the ancient sequoias in Mariposa Grove, the biggest living things on earth.” —Ken Burns, filmmaker

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On Aqua Expeditions’ intimate Aria, guests can spy on howler monkeys, pink dolphins, and swooping macaws from their oversize suites—or from the Jacuzzi in the outdoor lounge. Four days from $2,835.

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Watch for breaching humpback whales along the wildest corner of the outback.

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Get behind the lens with professional photographers and capture the herds of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles on a Micato Safaris trip through East Africa’s Serengeti (14 days from $16,225).

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Spot Darwin’s finches, blue-footed boobies, and giant tortoises on a small expedition ship in the Galápagos Islands (four days from $2,427).

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The view from the helicopter is reason enough to sign up for a heli-skiing excursion with Canadian Mountain Holidays. Conquer the majestic peaks and uncharted powder by day, then unwind with a hot toddy at Bugaboo Lodge’s wood-and-stone bar.

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Cruise along the Pacific Coast Highway south from Carmel, stopping at Redwood Grill ($$) for a pulled-pork sandwich.

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“Nihiwatu ($$$) is essentially a surf camp built by an eco-minded American couple. The staff is made up of mostly locals, and they’ll take guests on village tours. Hikes, bike rides, and diving are all on the menu. Did I mention the surfing wave is perfect?” —Yves Béhar, industrial designer

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