For many of us, summertime is a holiday season. But with such a wide variety of things to do and places to see, it can be all too easy to play it safe; to go somewhere familiar or not too far away. So how about making 2019 the year when you start checking off your ultimate bucket list destinations. In this top ten list, you’ll find a bit of everything – from ancient wonders to some of the most beautiful locations this planet has to offer. Better get packing!

Sistine Chapel, Vatican City

Michelangelo was one the worlds greatest artists and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is surely his most iconic work. Up to 25,000 tourists (a day!) walk through this small room and gaze with wonder at its intricate beauty. If you’ve seen pictures of it, you’ll know what to expect but to see it in real life is a truly stunning experience. 

NamibRand, Namibia

Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of stargazing? It’s one of those fantastic wonders that have captivated humans since the dawn of time. With light pollution ever increasing you’ll need to go somewhere dark and remote to get the full night time canvas experience. And NamibRand nature reserve is a vast open space and a gold certified ‘dark sky reserve’ making it the ideal location to go and see the stars.

Lofoten Islands, Norway

Stunning scenery and pure waters make this collection of islands a wonderful place to visit. Wrap up warm and stay in a traditional fisherman’s cottage for the complete experience. Norwegian Air is your best bet to get there and is affordable too. Absolutely beautiful!

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Get to Tanzania and climb one of Earth’s most iconic mountains (even if it’s not to the summit!). It’s a bit of an oddity in as much as its snow capped peaks despite sitting almost exactly on the equator. 

Berlin, Germany

As one of the most iconic cities of the past century, Berlin is sure to be high on a lot of people’s bucketlists. It’s simply beautiful! Also, Berlin is famous for its nightlife so remember to pack your dancing shoes. 

Pompeii & Herculaneum

Pompeii may be the more famous of these two ancient cities, but Herculaneum is arguably the better preserved. Both sit in the shadow of the giant Mount Vesuvius and both were ruined by a violent eruption in AD 79. Seeing people and animals preserved in ash is both eerie and a truly unique experience.

Trans-Siberian Railway

Running the astonishing length between Moscow and Beijing, this is a train ride like you’ve never had before. From the vast frozen plains of Siberia to the well, vast sandy plains of the Gobi desert, the sheer variety of terrain you’ll see on this journey is enough to make it onto anyone’s bucket list.

Petra, Jordan

Originally known to the people that lived there as Raqmu, this ancient and stunning city is actually carved into the rose colored rock that makes up the walls of a valley. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and was named as one of the New7Wonders of the World. A truly awe-inspiring place and uniquely beautiful in its structures and craftsmanship, Petra is a remarkable place to visit and truly worth seeing.

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There are so many other locations to visit other than Hawaii and Florida this summer. So travel to one of these places and let us know how it goes!