If you’ve hit 50 and think the thrill ride is over, think again. This is the age where you stop giving a damn about what people think and finally start living for you.
Whether you’re craving adventure, growth, healing, or just want to feel alive again, these bucket list ideas will spark a fire under your butt that will make you shout, “hell ya let’s gooooooo”. Or at the very least, make you feel alive again!
Life isn’t winding down after 50. No girl. We’re just getting started!. These aren’t just “cute” bucket list items. They are things to do before you die that remind you your best years aren’t behind you.
As I was coming up with this list, I had to think about all the things I’ve done so far (at 62 yrs old) and all the things I still haven’t done yet. Honestly, I haven’t checked off very many and only 1 in the travel section. Oy!
100+ bucket list ideas to try before you die
Whether you want to check off some of these bucket list ideas with your bff or do it alone, I hope that you find the courage to knock off some of these before you die.
Life is way too short to live with regret.
Travel & Adventure Bucket List Ideas
There is still so much travel I want to do before I’m too old to do it. I hope I never get that old that I can’t travel.
- Visit all 7 continents – I’ve only seen 2.
- Take a solo trip somewhere new – I’ve done this a few times already, and honestly, I prefer company when I travel
- Stay in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora
- Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – been there.
- Ride the luxury Orient Express
- Watch the Northern Lights dance across the sky – something I saw often when I lived in Northern Ontario.
- Go on an African safari
- Cruise through the Greek Islands
- Sleep under the stars in the desert
- Take a cross-country road trip – did that!
- See cherry blossoms in Japan
- Float in the Dead Sea
- Ride a hot air balloon in Cappadocia
- Explore haunted castles in Europe
- Go glamping somewhere remote
- Take a scenic helicopter ride over mountains or oceans
- Visit a spiritual retreat in Bali
- Go whale watching
- Take a cruise, solo or with your ride-or-dies – hard pass on that!!!
- Visit a country where you don’t speak the language – did that and now live here!
Bold, Brave, and a Little Badass
I’ve checked off almost every one of these and damn it feels good!!! But many of these things didn’t happen until I was well into my 50s. See? There’s still time!!
- Conquer a lifelong fear (heights, water, public speaking)
- Get your first (or fifth) tattoo – more like 100th for me haha!
- Try ziplining or bungee jumping
- Take a self-defence class
- Book a boudoir photoshoot
- Start a podcast or YouTube channel
- Go skinny dipping in the moonlight
- Finally, stand up to someone
- Chop off your hair or dye it a wild colour
- Say “no” and mean it, without explaining
- Perform a dance routine in public
- Break a rule (or a few)
- Go on a blind date just to shake things up
- Speak your truth, even if it’s messy
- Rock something that makes people stare
Wellness & Self-Care Bucket List Items
Self-care is SO important for your overall well-being, especially your mental health. Please take time daily to do self-care activities, no matter how small they are.
- Do a full digital detox for a week
- Join a yoga or meditation retreat
- Treat yourself to an all-day spa indulgence
- Create a non-negotiable daily self-love routine
- Sleep in luxury linens (and keep them for yourself)
- Get a massage abroad, try Thai, Balinese, or Ayurvedic
- Start a gratitude journal
- Try a wellness cleanse or juice fast
- Float in a sensory deprivation tank
- Craft a slow, nourishing morning ritual
- Make peace with your body
- Visit a natural hot spring
- Attend a silent retreat
- Declutter everything you hate
- Create a sacred space just for you, and guard it fiercely
Career, Money & Legacy Goals
At almost 63 years old, I’m still checking things off my money goals list, and I won’t stop until I’ve reached my goal!
- Launch your online biz or side hustle
- Write your book, even if only 10 people read it – working on that!
- Sell a digital product or course
- Learn how to invest like a boss
- Take a money-mindset course
- Pay off a debt that’s been haunting you
- Buy yourself something ridiculously luxurious
- Get paid for your expertise or story
- Take a sabbatical or mini-retirement
- Demand what you’re worth, and get it
- Mentor a younger woman
- Become location independent
- Get a second passport
- Create something that lives beyond you
- Set up passive income (finally!)
Creative Bucket List Ideas That Spark Joy
I’m a very creative person! That’s one thing I love about myself! Never stop being creative or learning. It keeps us young and keeps our minds active and strong!
- Learn how to paint
- Take a pottery or sculpture class
- Learn a new language, even just a few phrases
- Write your memoir or poetry collection
- Take an improv or acting class
- Enroll in a photography course
- Join a book club or writers’ group
- Make a new vision board
- Take a cooking class in another country
- Learn an instrument
- Create daily mini artworks
- Redecorate a room just for you
- Build your own website or blog
- Master a tech tool just because you can
- Get certified in something wild or fun
Real-Life Connection & Relationships
Honestly, I need to work on this list more. I feel that as I get older, I become more introverted and am happier to stay home with my cats rather than have to go out and people.
- Reconnect with someone from your past
- Make peace with someone in your family
- Plan an epic girls-only trip
- Host a dinner party, wine, candles, and real convo
- Tell someone exactly how much they mean to you
- Volunteer for a cause close to your heart
- Spend an entire day with no distractions, just one loved one
- Say “I love you” first
- Go on a surprise date
- Join a women’s circle or spiritual group
- Visit your childhood home or neighbourhood
- Trace your ancestry or family roots
- Throw yourself a birthday party like a queen
- Send the first message, call, or email
- Hug more. Judge less.
Soulful, Bold, and Deep AF
Seriously, this is an important list, especially the first five items. Check them off.
- Forgive someone who will never apologize
- Forgive yourself, deeply
- Start therapy or hire a life coach
- Learn how to meditate (for real this time)
- Walk away from a toxic person or situation
- Make a list of 50 things you’ve survived or achieved
- Say yes to something wildly out of your comfort zone
- Create a “reverse bucket list”, everything amazing you’ve already done
- Set a bold new 5-year vision
- Name this your hell ya era, and actually live like it
Final Thoughts on Bucket List Ideas
This list of 100+ bucket list ideas for women over 50 isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about finding your spark, choosing experiences that make your heart race, and living your life without regrets.
These aren’t just things to do before you die; they’re reminders that you’re still alive.
Print this out, keep it somewhere sacred, and start checking off these bucket list ideas like the fearless woman you are. You’ve got time, power, and freedom on your side. Use it.
