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Go wild with your Bucket List

Don’t let life tame your bucket list – let us help you unleash your free spirit in the wildest places on Earth! Be inspired by our ultimate guide for 2024, which offers something for every kind of traveller, from stepping foot on the White Continent to beholding the dazzling Northern Lights from the top deck of your purpose-built new ship – the Greg Mortimer or the Sylvia Earle. Or maybe ticking off three iconic Arctic destinations in one incredible adventure is the bucket list experiences you didn’t know you needed.

If you need help choosing your next meaningful adventure, complete our quiz to help you find your dream destination and experience to add to your bucket list.

To help you make your dreams a reality, enjoy Air Credit and savings of up to 20%* across our 2024 Arctic & Beyond and 2024-25 Antarctic seasons. Check out our Special Offers

View 2024 Bucket List e-book

There’s something for every traveller in our ultimate travel guide for 2024, including visiting some of the world’s most remote Inuit communities, watching the dazzling aurora borealis from the top deck of the ship, or joining the fortunate few who have crossed the Antarctic Circle.

Explore our Top 10 Wildest Experiences

Be inspired by our top picks for 2024 in some of the wildest destinations on the planet. Click on your favourite experience to find out more! 

Antarctic Peninsula

Step on the 7th Continent and witness scores of penguins, wildlife & and icebergs

Costa Rica

Go from reef to rainforest in one of the most biodiverse places on Earth

Svalbard

From polar bears to arctic foxes, discover the unbridled beauty and iconic wildlife of Svalbard

Arctic

Go big then go home – tick Greenland, Svalbard & Iceland off your bucket list in one life-changing expedition

Antarctic Circle

Join the fortunate few who have crossed the Antarctic Circle

Scotland

Roam on kayaks amongst towering bird cliffs and ancient caves

Antarctica

Embrace the isolation as you camp in Antarctica and fall asleep to the sounds of cracking ice

Patagonia

Enjoy the best of both worlds: trekking and cruising the wilds of Patagonia

Northern Lights

Behold the dazzling aurora borealis from the top deck

Iceland

Dare to marvel at thundering waterfalls, lava fields and landscapes shaped by volcanic activity

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Antarctica is a top bucket list destination for many intrepid explorers, and for good reason. A vast, captivating expanse – it is one of the last truly wild places on the planet.

That first step onto the famed White Continent reveals an epic wonderland teeming with life, undoubtedly one of the world’s great wildlife-viewing destinations. It is home to millions of seals, several species of whale, spectacular seabirds, and of course, more penguins than anywhere on the planet.

Witness the ancient giants – towering icebergs up to one million years old, or simply watch the changing light in this pristine environment. It is difficult to comprehend Antarctica’s magnitude until one experiences it firsthand.

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Costa Rica is a nature lover’s paradise that punches well above its weight – though it covers only 0.03% of the Earth’s surface, the lush Central American country contains a staggering 6% of the world’s biodiversity.

Around a quarter of Costa Rica’s area comprises protected jungle, while its Pacific and Caribbean coastlines are brimming with marine wildlife and easily accessible rainforests filled with colourful plants, birds and animals such as monkeys and sloths.

This tropical paradise is best explored along its coastlines by ship, allowing for a variety of activities including hiking through tropical rainforests, and witnessing spectacular underwater panoramas on snorkelling and scuba diving excursions.

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Known as the wildlife capital of the Arctic, Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago and one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas. The summer months bring near-endless daylight hours to the region, providing ample opportunities to explore as the surroundings become increasingly alive with wildlife and nature.

This icy realm is home to two arctic giants that bring a thrill to all that have the chance to see them – the majestic polar bear and the wallowing walrus. Look out for countless other creatures in this fairytale-like environment, including beluga whales, arctic fox, reindeer, ringed and bearded seals and bird species perched on cliffs in their thousands, such as guillemots, puffins and kittiwakes.

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The great sweep of the Arctic encompasses the northernmost latitudes on earth, offering unparalleled encounters with the natural world at its most rugged and wild. One of the world’s last remaining largely untouched and unexplored wilderness regions, the Arctic contains eight unique countries, astonishing landscapes, fascinating traditional cultures, iconic wildlife and countless opportunities for awe-inspiring encounters with nature.

With so much to offer, it can be hard for travellers to know where to start. Our expert team recommend the ‘Jewels of the Arctic’ voyage. This is the ultimate ‘greatest hits’ adventure – combining the mind-blowing landscapes of Greenland, iconic wildlife of Svalbard and volcanoes and waterfalls of Iceland.

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Few are lucky enough to tick the elusive 7th continent off their travel bucket list, and even fewer have the opportunity to cross the Antarctic Circle. A hot-ticket item for many an intrepid explorer, crossing this imaginary line at 66°33’ south affords not only a celebratory toast out on the deck, but a glimpse of an untouched world that is colder and wilder, where nature reigns supreme.

An expedition across the Antarctic Circle requires truly embracing the spirit of adventure and the unknown of each day. Navigate channels full of pack ice and breathtaking ice sculptures, watch for feeding whales, visit bustling penguin colonies, Zodiac cruise through mirror-like waters and hike to remote vantage points to view this remote, pristine realm of wildlife, glaciers and unmatched natural beauty.

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Scotland’s Isles are a haven for adventure, wild exploration and fascinating human history. These Isles comprise destinations including the windswept Hebrides, inhabited for over 8,000 years, the verdant Orkney Islands, where ancient Neolithic and Viking sites conjure images of civilisations long gone, and the 100 islands of the Shetlands, Britain’s most northerly islands.

Kayaking past these rugged, sea-sculpted coastlines is an unforgettable experience. Watch for dolphins, whales, seals and thousands upon thousands of seabirds as you circumnavigate tiny islets or glide into narrow waterways that intertwine the islands.

On land, there are golden beaches and jagged peaks to admire, ancient sea caves to explore and charming villages packed with friendly locals to meet.

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Camping on the ice in Antarctica is undoubtedly one of the world’s wildest experiences, which comes with the ultimate bragging rights. This experience offers adventurers the unique opportunity to roll out their sleeping mats and wriggle into their thermal sleeping bags for a night out on the ice.

Once you’ve settled in, prepare to witness the beauty of the Antarctic ‘night’ sky, where the sun doesn’t set during the summer months, and revel in the remarkable surroundings. Though this experience isn’t known for the most restful nights’ sleep, campers don’t mind as they bask in the silence of the world’s southernmost continent, punctuated by the occasional cracking of ice in the distance, or perhaps the waddling of penguins passing by.

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Wild and isolated, the vast region of Patagonia is shared by Argentina and Chile, stretching for thousands of kilometres along the Southern Andes. This destination is high on the bucket-list for outdoor enthusiasts and photography buffs for its turquoise lakes, jagged peaks, impressive glaciers and unique wildlife, including guanacos, condors, pumas, whales, sea lions and even penguin rookeries.

A small-ship expedition to Patagonia allows travellers to experience the best this region’s coastal and alpine environments. Highlights include sailing the legendary Beagle Channel, Zodiac cruising through glacier-flanked fjords looking out for wildlife, and of course, spending two days hiking in the iconic Torres del Paine National Park.

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The captivating celestial phenomenon of the aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights, can be seen in the high-latitude regions of the Arctic in the late summer months of mid-August to mid-September. As the periods of darkness lengthen in this part of the world, the chance to witness this natural spectacle is a major drawcard for travellers to destinations like Iceland, Greenland and Norway. The visibility and intensity of this light display is influenced by solar activity and atmospheric conditions, so it can be a matter of luck to choose the right destination and timing.

In addition to enabling you to experience more of the Arctic’s breathtaking landscapes, taking a small-ship expedition that explores the coastlines of the Arctic Circle can be a good way to increase your chances to view this stunning light show.

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Geologically, Iceland is one of the youngest countries on Earth, but arguably one of the most spectacular. An expedition here reveals a symphony of natural wonders: a place of thundering waterfalls, lava fields and landscapes shaped by thousands of years of volcanic activity.

From erupting geysers in the Golden Circle and snow-capped peaks rising above glaciers, to bubbling hot springs and breathtaking fjords, unrivalled experiences can be found here for every kind of traveller.

Enjoy a glacier hike at the incredible Snæfellsjökull Glacier, Zodiac cruise through the jaw-dropping Westfjords region, watching millions of seabirds soar above, or even scuba dive between two tectonic plates.

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Want more inspiration?

There is so much more to experience with AE Expeditions. We’ve handpicked some of our favourite itineraries and destinations for you to explore. Download or order our latest brochures for our full range of itineraries. For help finding your dream destination and itinerary, call 0808 189 2005 or reach out to our friendly reservations team using the links below. 

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