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40 Trips You Should Take Before You Turn 30

6 minute read

You’re not young and free forever.

Your 20s are an ideal time to take on some adventure and travel to faraway places. Chances are you’ll end up having some experiences that you’ll never forget.

From partying at the world’s largest Carnival in Rio de Janeiro to paragliding in New Zealand, here are the trips you should take when you can still handle the thrill.

Upsala Glacier in Argentina

ARGENTINA-PATAGONIA-UPSALA
Mario Goldman—AFP/Getty Images

Marvel at the icy-blue Upsala Glacier, a valley glacier in Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia.

Victoria Falls in Zambia

Rainbow over Victoria Falls seen from the shore of the
Wolfgang Kaehler—LightRocket/Getty Images

Feel like you’re swimming off the edge of a cliff at the Devil’s Pool, a natural infinity pool in Victoria Falls, which borders Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Pacific Crest Trail in the U.S.

69–year–old George Woodard, a legend on the Pacific Crest Trail, hikes along the famed cross countr
Brian Vander Brug—LA Times/Getty Images

Hike the Pacific Crest Trail through California, Oregon, and Washington. The whole trail is 2,650 miles, but you don’t have to do it all at once.

Koh Phangan in Thailand

Thailand's Full Moon Party 25 years On
Paula Bronstein—Getty Images

Dance the night away decked out in neon at one of the monthly full-moon parties in Koh Phangan, Thailand. The beach rave starts at dusk and continues till the early hours of the morning.

Eil Malk Island in Palau

31 Mar 2009, Eil Malk, Palau --- Mastigias jellyfish (Mastigias sp) with mass of jellyfish in background, Jellyfish lake, Palau, Western Pacific Islands, Micronesia --- Image by © Ingo Arndt/Nature Picture Library/Corbis
Nature Picture Library/Corbis

Swim with thousands of jellyfish at Jellyfish Lake in Eil Malk Island, Palau.

Cancun, Mexico

Frostbitten U.S. Fliers Chase Sun, Cheap Pesos
Bloomberg/Getty Images

Spend a break in Cancun, Mexico.

Southeast Asia

Thailand
People climbing and descending the 300 steps up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Nov. 12, 2010.UIG/Getty Images

Backpack through Southeast Asia. Some popular stops include Chiang Mai in Thailand, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Laos, Hanoi in Vietnam, and Bali and Ubud in Indonesia.

New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.

<> on February 16, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Erika Goldring—Getty Images

Parade through the streets of New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Maui, Hawaii, U.S.

Biggest Surfing Winter Swell In Past Six Years Hits Hawaii
Barcroft Media/Getty Images

Surf Jaws (Pe’ahi in Hawaiian) in Maui, a spot that has consistently been ranked among the best for die-hard surfers. Waves supposedly reach 120 feet.

The Swiss Alps, Switzerland

Belalp Witches Ski Race
Harold Cunningham—Getty Images

Ski the majestic mountains of the Swiss Alps.

Nagano, Japan

JAPAN-LIFESTYLE-ANIMAL
Toshifumi KitamuraI—AFP/Getty Images

Get up close and personal with Japanese snow monkeys who come to bathe in the hot springs of Japan’s Jigokudani Yaen-koen in Nagano.

Casa del Arbol in Ecuador

Tungurahua Volcano Erupts In Ecuador
Patricio Realpe—LatinContent/Getty Images

Swing on the Swing at the End of the World at the Casa del Arbol in Ecuador and catch stunning views of the Tungurahua Volcano.

Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

Inside The 2015 Consumer Electronics Show
Bloomberg/Getty Images

Go to a party in Las Vegas, Nevada.

To Sua Ocean Trench in Samoa

SURVIVOR: SAMOA
CBS/Getty Images

Swim in the To Sua Ocean trench, a 30-meter-deep natural-seawater pool surrounded by stunning gardens in the village of Lotofaga in Samoa.

Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, U.S.

Travel Destination: Western USA
Sean Gallup—Getty Images

Trek up to Rainbow Point, the highest part of the Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah at 9,105 feet, to see stunning views of the Aquarius Plateu, Bryce Amphitheater, the Henry Mountains, the Vermillion Cliffs, and the White Cliffs.

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland

Hillary Clinton touring a fjord near Nuuk, Greenland this morning, May 12, 2011.
The Washington Post/Getty Images

Fly to Ittoqqortoormiit in Greenland, which can only be reached via helicopter. From there you can sail the world’s longest fjord.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

BRAZIL-CARNIVAL-RIO-CHAMPION PARADE-PORTELA
Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images

Party at the world’s biggest Carnival celebration in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa

South Africa / Tsitsikamma Nationalpark / Garden Route (Eastern Cape): Bloukrans Bridge
Ullstein Bild/Getty Images

Bungee jump off Bloukrans Bridge, the world’s highest bungee bridge located between South Africa’s eastern and western capes. You’ll fall a whole 709 feet.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.

Annual Albuquerque International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
UIG/Getty Images

Ride in a hot-air balloon above the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, N.M. The city hosts an International Balloon Fiesta, but you can also take tours in hot-air balloons year round.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica Zip Line Tour
JTB Photo/UIG/Getty Images

Zip-line above Costa Rica’s lush rain forests.

Great Barrier Reef in Australia

20 Apr 2015, Green Island, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia --- Aerial View of Green Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia --- Image by © Reinhard Dirscherl/Corbis
Corbis

Dive into the clear blue waters of Australia’s Coral Sea to see the spectacular Great Barrier Reef.

Machu Picchu in Peru

High Angle View Of Machu Picchu
Getty Images

Climb up to Machu Picchu in Peru to see the impressive and almost untouched ruins of the ‘Lost City of the Incas.’

Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Canada

ca. 2002, New Brunswick, Canada, Canada --- Kayakers in the Bay of Fundy --- Image by © Richard T. Nowitz/CORBIS
Corbis

Kayak in the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia. Chances are you’ll run into more than one humpback whale.

Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave in Belize

BELIZE---12/01----Deep in the cave of Actun Tunical Muknal lies skeletal remains encrusted with calc
Steve Russell—Toronto Star/Getty Images

Wade through the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave in Belize. The cave is full of ancient artifacts such as bones and pots; there’s even a full skeleton of a 1,000-year-old human.

Poison Spider Mesa Trail in Moab, Utah, U.S.

04 Apr 2015, Moab, Utah, USA --- Apr 5, 2015 - Moab, Utah, U.S. - Mountain biker TIM LANE rides past a giant wind blown bore hole in the rock on the red slickrock sandstone of Poison Spider trail. The Poison Spider Mesa trail is one of the ''Must Do'' rides of Moab. Combining physically demanding biking challenges with great views, this trail is for expert bikers. The trail can be ridden as an out-and-back, or a 13-mile loop that includes the infamous Portal Trail as the return-route off the mesa. (Credit Image: ¬© Ruaridh Stewart/ZUMA Wire/ZUMA Press) --- Image by © Ruaridh Stewart/ZUMA Press/Corbis
Corbis

Mountain bike along the Poison Spider Mesa Trail in Moab, Utah.

Saint-Michel D’Aiguilhe Chapel in France

10 Apr 2009, Le Puy, France --- France, Haute-Loire, along El Camino de Santiago, UNESCO World Heritage, Le Puy-en-Velay, rocher Corneille and chapel of Saint-Michel Aiguilhe --- Image by © Marc Dozier/Corbis
Corbis

Climb the 268 steps to reach the France’s historic Saint-Michel D’Aiguilhe Chapel, which was built in the year 962 and sits atop a volcanic structure.

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia

BOLIVIA-UYUNI-LITHIUM
Aizar Raldes—AFP/Getty Images

Four-wheel drive across Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world.

Amazon River in South America

Brazil, Amazonas, nr Manaus, passenger ferry crossing river
Getty Images

Boat across the Amazon River, the world’s second-largest river and home to more than one-third of the world’s animal species.

Sahara Desert in Africa

Men with camels, Festival of Sahara in Douz
De Agostini/Getty Images

Explore the Sahara desert, the largest desert in Africa.

Black Rock Desert in Nevada, U.S.

BURNING MAN -- 08/28/05 -- BLACK ROCK DESERT, NV -- An day-long windstorm whips sand as fine as talc
Jim Rankin—Toronto Star/Getty Images

Camp out in Nevada’s remote Black Rock desert with over 65,000 other art and music lovers and enjoy music performances, crazy costumes, and massive fire displays at Burning Man.

Ibiza

Cala Compte beach
Raquel Maria Carbonell Pagola—LightRocket/Getty Images

Go to a party in Ibiza.

Kenya

African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana)
De Agostini/Getty Images

Observe wild animals in their natural habitat on a safari in Kenya.

Queenstown, New Zealand

People paraglide from Ben Lomond mountai
Paul Ellis—AFP/Getty Images

Paraglide over the mountains and water surrounding the picturesque city of Queenstown, New Zealand.

Grand Canyon, U.S.

Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park, Colorado River, Still Water Reflections at campsite
UIG/Getty Images

Raft the waters of Arizona’s stunning Grand Canyon.

Java, Indonesia

Indonesians Perform Kasada Ritual On Mount Bromo
Ulet Ifansasti—Getty Images

Explore the almost 45 active volcanoes in Java, Indonesia.

Dubai, U.A.E.

Francois Nel—Getty Images

Skydive from as high as 10,000 feet up in the sky at the Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residences in Dubai.

Plitvice Lakes in Croatia

Travel Destination: Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
Matej Divizna—Getty Images

Walk through Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with stunning lakes, caves, waterfalls, and an array of wildlife.

Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt

The Pyramids of Menkaure
De Agostini/Getty Images

Visit the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the only one of the seven ancient wonders of the world still in existence.

Taktsang Palphug Monastery in Paro Valley, Bhutan

Paro, Bhutan - September 7, 2013 : Taktsang Palphug Monastery, or The Tiger's Nest Temple, near Paro, Bhutan on September 7, 2013. Bhutan, a Buddhist kingdom which allows only a limited number of travelers since it opened to foreigners in 1974 in order to preserve its fragile environment and culture, has become an increasingly popular destination for international tourists.  (Photo by Kuni Takahashi/Getty Images)
Kuni Takahashi—Getty Images

Climb up to the Taktsang Palphug Monastery, known as the Tiger’s Nest, in Paro Valley, Bhutan. Padmasambhava, or the “Second Buddha” of Bhutan, is believed to have meditated here.

Times Square in New York City, U.S.

NYC City Council Bill Aims To Reduce Energy Usage By Limiting Lighting Of Empty Buildings At Night
Spencer Platt—Getty Images

Join the massive crowd in Times Square, New York.

This article originally appeared on Business Insider

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