As someone who recently left her twenties behind, I wanted to reflect on all the travels I did during that period of my life (and what I missed but wish I hadn’t). I figured the best way to reminisce but also help anyone who finds this post was to make it into a guide of 20 trips to take in your twenties!
Being in your twenties is such a fun, magical time of life, but it’s also confusing and comes with a ton of uncomfortable changes and transitions. Travel in your twenties is so many things and morphs through out the decade. Some times it’s scrappy and rough. You probably don’t have much money or experience to fall back on, at least in your early twenties. Then towards the end you might have a bit more resources and confidence to play with.
Regardless of my exact age, the travel I did in my twenties was always expansive and world altering. When I think back to the trips I took, I realize how much I used travel to figure out who I am and who I wanted to be. If you’re currently in your twenties wanting to get out into the world, make it happen! You will not regret giving yourself the chance to explore and make memories that will last a life time.
You’ll definitely be thinking about checking things off your bucket list as you finally finish school and have your own money to play with. All kinds of trips will call your name–with friends, family, partners, and solo. You’ll want to see more of the U.S. (if you’re American) but also challenge yourself abroad. You’ll crave getting immersed in different languages and cultures. So let’s get into this list of 20 trips to take in your twenties with all that in mind! These are in no particular order.
1. New York City
Visiting the city that never sleeps is a must when you’re an age that also doesn’t require much sleep to bounce back lol. The energy in NYC is insane, and its sheer size will open your mind to possibilities you never knew before. There’s so many people in their twenties there following their dreams, trying to make it, partying, creating, living. It’s a place you have to experience.
Read more about NYC and plan what to do on a trip:
The Ultimate “Girls Gotta Eat” Guide to NYC
Culture, Concrete, & Calories: 5 Amazing Days in NYC
Summer vs. Winter: NYC Edition
2. See a Wonder of the World
It feels like a huge accomplishment to get yourself to a wonder of the world, and it is! There are seven wonders to choose from: The Colosseum in Italy, Petra in Jordan, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, Machu Picchu in Peru, The Taj Mahal in India, and The Great Wall of China. These are EPIC countries to visit and make for such bucket list trips, made even more special by being able to stand in front of one of these wonders.
When I say The Taj Mahal is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, I’m not exaggerating. And my whole time in India was chaotic in the best way. I’m so happy I was able to make that trip happen in my twenties.
Read more about my time in India:
Incredible India: 3 Weeks Through Stories & Photos
3. See a Natural Wonder of the World
There are also natural wonders of the world: the Aurora Borealis (northern lights), the Grand Canyon, Paricutin (a “young” volcano in Mexico), the harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Victoria Falls, Mount Everest, and the Great Barrier Reef. I’m just now realizing if you plan a trip to Mexico or Brazil you can see a wonder of the world and a natural wonder of the world in the same trip!
I had dreamed of snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef since childhood, probably thanks to Finding Nemo. And Australia seemed liked such a far away dream. Well, literally, because it’s on the complete opposite side of the world. It was a huge travel moment to jump into the water there and explore.
Read more:
A Call to Fins: Why You Need to Snorkel on Your Next Vacation
3 Days in Port Douglas: A Sample Itinerary
4. Go to a music festival
Not to be that thirty year old who complains about her knees and back… But there is an energy in youth that aligns perfectly with the stamina needed to attend a music festival. lol. In my twenties I went to Lollapalooza, Kaaboo, and Coachella. It was so much fun to party and dance with friends (and wear a flower crown unabashedly) for a whole weekend straight– an ideal trip to take in your twenties that sadly does get less wild the older you get. If you can get a group together I highly highly recommend!
Read more:
5. Explore a National Park
National Parks are so f*ck!ng good– we are so lucky to have 63 to choose from in the U.S. If you’re planning a U.S.-based vacation, I recommend going somewhere close to a National Park and building an itinerary with that in mind. Getting out in nature is a true reset, and there’s so much beauty to discover.
You can kill three birds with one stone if you visit the Grand Canyon. It’s a natural wonder of the world, a National Park, and makes for a great road trip. A less talked about National Park that I absolutely loved visiting time and time again in my twenties is Joshua Tree National Park.
Read more:
Joshua Tree is the Best Weekend Trip from San Diego
Joshua Tree: California’s Desert Gem
6. Travel Solo
I couldn’t put together a list of 20 trips to take in your twenties without recommending solo travel. It’s so hard to choose a favorite, but traveling solo was probably the best travel experience I had in my twenties. It was life changing in terms of confidence, knowing I could figure out anything on my own, and also so special to be my number one priority for a change. As women, we don’t normally get to listen to that inner voice that tells us what we want, not what others around us want. We’re also constantly bombarded with negative messaging about who we are. Traveling solo gives you the chance to free yourself–from expectation, from care giving, from doubt.
In terms of where to go if you’re planning to travel solo for the first time, the U.K. and western Europe are great options. There’s not many language barriers to tackle, it’s safe, and there’s so much to do on your own (even lots of free stuff if you’re short on cash). My first solo trip took me to London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Liverpool.
You can read more about those experiences here:
Traveling Solo Will Change Your Life
Solo Female Travel in Western Europe
I Didn’t Want to Leave Edinburgh
4 Nights in Belfast, Northern Ireland
7. Go Backpacking
Backpacking and traveling solo often go hand in hand, but many people do backpacking trips with a partner or friend. My definition of backpacking is when you travel with just a backpack and an open mind, letting the journey take shape as you go. You’re usually staying in hostels and going with the flow in terms of plans (not having accommodation booked too far in advance so you can go wherever you feel like after getting there and talking to other travelers). I backpacked for the first time in my early twenties with my cousin in Nicaragua, and it set my travel soul on fire. Central America and Southeast Asia have fantastic backpacking scenes.
Read more about my travels in Central America:
8. A country that will challenge you
As you gain skills and confidence through out your twenties, you’ll be called to visit places that “scare” you a little. Nothing actually bad or dangerous, just maybe a challenging language barrier or somewhere with very different cultural norms. A place that’s for sure going to get you out of your comfort zone. For me, it was India. India is an assault on all your senses at all hours of the day. Absolutely loved that trip because of how intense it was, though. I asked my cousin where she was glad she went in her twenties in terms of somewhere a bit more challenging. Her answer was Colombia.
9. Check off somewhere on your bucket list
We all have that place that calls our name louder than the others. Somewhere we dream of visiting but can’t really believe will happen. For me, it was Iceland. I daydreamed about Iceland for YEARS. When I finally went in 2017, it was so surreal to have made it happen. It was an incredible trip, and I’ll never forget how it felt to touch down in the land of fire and ice.
Read more:
Strange in the Best Way: Iceland Through Stories and Photos
What It’s Really Like Driving Around Iceland
10. Do an epic road trip
We’ve made it to the halfway point of this list of 20 trips to take in your twenties. I hope you’re feeling excited and inspired so far 🙂 Let’s keep it going!
Driving around the whole of Iceland in 10 days was certainly epic, but I also loved the road trip I did in Arizona (if you’re looking for something stateside). You’ve got all these geological wonders to explore: the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, Horseshoe Bend. And like I mentioned earlier, you can check three trips off this list in one with an Arizona road trip. EPIC!
Read more here:
How To Spend 4 Days Adventuring Through Arizona
Here’s Why You Should Visit the Grand Canyon in February (with photos)
11. A country with a very different culture
I highly recommend following your curiosity in your twenties. The small world you grew up in at home starts to open up for you with all its possibilities. I definitely craved learning new things and being exposed to cultures different from mine, which led me to visiting Asia for the first time. My trip to Japan was wonderful. I loved being totally immersed in places where no one looked like me, where the signs were in a different alphabet, where I could try new foods and wander around temples and parks I had never heard of before.
Get a taste for Japan here:
Japan for First Timers: Everything to Consider Before You Go
Exploring the World’s Biggest City: Tokyo Photo Diary
Staying at Beniya Mukayu: Culture and Luxury Combined
12. Las Vegas
Vegas, baby!! Las Vegas feels like a right of passage when you turn 21, and I have to admit–it makes for an amazing trip in your twenties. Even if you don’t make it there to celebrate a birthday, it’s such a fun spot for a weekend trip (I wouldn’t do more than 3-4 days if you plan on partying there). I did a handful of Vegas trips in my twenties but haven’t blogged about every single one. I did the party/clubbing trip with friends which is easy enough to plan. But I also did a less-focused-on-drinking trip with a friend that I did write about. As crazy as Vegas can be, you can really make it what you want! It’s a really exciting place to visit in your twenties.
Read about a more chill Vegas trip:
Two Gals Explore Las Vegas’ Arts District
13. A Winter Cabin Weekend (with or without skiing)
Your twenties are a time to try new things and see what sticks. I thought maybe I would become a casual skier when I lived in California, so I booked a room in a cabin in Big Bear and some ski lessons. While I didn’t end up making skiing my personality, it was really fun to escape to the mountains for a weekend and try something new. I think a cabin trip is so good in your twenties, with a partner or a group of friends. Rent a cabin, get cozy, and try out a winter activity or two.
For my trips to Big Bear I stayed in this Bed and Breakfast and absolutely loved it!
**Alpenhorn Bed and Breakfast**
14. Amsterdam
Amsterdam is an amazing destination to visit in your twenties. Staying in a 72 bed dorm room in a party hostel and checking out the red light district would not hit the same later in life lol. It really has everything for a young traveler–important history, scenic city streets, world class museums, weed cafes, and fascinating night life.
Read more:
Solo Female Travel in Western Europe
15. Study Abroad if you can
If you are able to study abroad, I highly highly recommend it! I was able to spend 8 weeks living and working in London in the summer of 2014, and it was one of the (if not the #1) best experiences of my twenties. Getting an extended amount of time in a different culture, even if you speak the same language, is just so special and life changing. I still have so many British habits that are a part of my current life thanks to this period of time. I also gained so much confidence being away from home, but it felt very safe, structured, and supported. What a perfect taste of independence and adventure right before full-on adulthood begins.
I’ve been to London many times, read more here:
16. Digital Detox Trip
I didn’t specifically plan a trip with no internet. It just happened naturally, but it’s one of my favorite travel memories. My cousin and I were backpacking in Nicaragua, and the volcanic island of Ometepe was on our bucket list. We didn’t realize how off-the-grid we’d be there–no cell service at all and no wifi to find either. Granted this was ten years ago so it might be different now, but it gave us no choice but to be fully present with the people around us. I had one of the most fun party nights of my life in our little jungle hostel with the small group there. I think back on how peaceful and happy those couple of days were all the time. I’ve planned “no phone” trips since, and I’m kind of addicted to how refreshing and calming they feel.
Read more about my journey with social media here:
notes on social media (and travel content)
17. Drink Guinness in Dublin
Your twenties will probably involve more drinking than later in your life, so why not combine that with travel? There is nothing that tastes better than a Guinness from the source in Dublin. UK pub life is too f*ck!ng good.
18. Berlin and Munich
Ok, we’ve made it to the part of the list where I have not actually taken these trips myself. I think Berlin would be an incredible city to visit in your twenties solely due to its clubbing reputation. Partying til the sun comes up in hip yet grungy warehouses, need I say more? But there’s also so much WW2 history to learn about as well. Learning then partying is that travel-in-your-twenties sweet spot. Plus how amazing would it be to visit Munich and drink beer at Oktoberfest?? I so wish I did a Germany trip in my twenties!
19. Van Life
A van life trip is something I’m still interested in but wish I made happen in my twenties. As I get older my travel preferences and comfort levels change, and I love a good hotel bed and nice shower situation these days. I think the freedom of van life would be so exhilarating, as long as you can deal with the small space and potentially stinkier bodies lol. But there are so many benefits–spontaneity, lower cost, being in nature, slower pace. Iceland, Australia, and Baja in Mexico come to mind when I think of bucket list destinations to do van life.
20. Buenos Aires
Another travel fantasy that didn’t come true in my twenties was an Argentina trip. I imagined renting an apartment in Buenos Aires for as long as I could, taking Spanish lessons by day, Tango dancing all night, drinking Malbec and mate, and eating all the food! I think this got into my head after reading What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding (possibly my favorite travel memoir ever??). lol still want to make it happen one day!
20 Trips to Take in Your Twenties Conclusion
So there you have it 🙂 20 trips to take in your twenties… I’d love to hear any feedback about places you think should be on this list as well!
I promised I would share the places I wish I got to visit but didn’t. Numbers 18, 19, and 20 are the main ones, but I also would have loved to backpack in Southeast Asia in my twenties. It’s affordable, culturally rich, and draws in a lot of young travelers. Of course it goes without saying that travel isn’t ageist. You can do any trip you want at any age! These are just my feelings about what trips suit the preferences of this age group the best 🙂
I hope you feel more inspired to BOOK THE TRIP after reading through this list and hearing a bit about how travel has changed my life for the better. I didn’t leave the country for the first time until I was 21, after a summer of saving every penny for my first international adventure. Travel is definitely a privilege but is always money well spent in my opinion. I’m more confident in myself because of these trips–trying new things, meeting different people, getting out of my comfort zone, seeing more of our world. I still draw on all the lessons I learned traveling in my twenties to this day.
Such a magical time in life!! So well said!!
I never had the opportunity with education and building my career to travel in my 20s. However, now in my 50s I am going for just what you mentioned. It’s never too late!!! You should have said that.
So true, you can’t put an age on travel! Love that you are getting to plan big adventures now! Where are you heading first??