Summer Vacation Ideas Everyone Should Add to Their Bucket List

Figuring out your next vacation could take some extra planning. You might know a few places you enjoy visiting every year, but the world has so much more to explore. Check out these incredible summer vacation ideas that redefine what traveling means. You’re about to have so much fun—bring a camera to save all your new memories.

1. Renting a Houseboat

Save money by skipping a hotel room during your next vacation. Houseboats are available for short-term rentals at lakes across the U.S. and Canada. Find one with enough space for yourself and all your loved ones. You could jump off your front porch and splash into a lake or look at the stars from the middle of a serene river.

2. Swapping Houses With Friends

Sometimes it’s impossible to find a place to stay. You might want to visit a popular tourist destination during its busiest season and find everything booked. If you have a friend who lives in the area, you could plan a vacation together where you swap houses.Your friend might appreciate getting away for a while. They could stay where you live while you relax in their home and explore the surrounding area. It could even double as a working vacation if either of you works remotely.

3. Riding a Luxury Train

You might imagine trains operating in other countries, but America has them too. Train passengers rode an average of 26.85 billion kilometers on North and South American railways in 2019 alone. You could join them by booking yourself a luxury train trip.Train operators take passengers from coast to coast and anywhere in between. Research trips according to your desired destination or the views you’d like to see along the way. Your ticket could include a luxury room and amenities better than your average hotel visit. It’s one of the summer vacation ideas everyone should experience at least once.

4. Staying at a Pool House

  People often rent vacation homes with a pool and spend most of their trip at a tourist attraction. While that can be tons of fun, you can always rent a pool house just to go swimming. Create a staycation experience by booking a home with amenities like a luxury pool, a hot tub or smart home appliances. You’ll have fun whether you read by the pool and sip on watermelon mojitos or swim laps as the sun rises.

5. Camping at Prehistoric Lakes

Anyone can pitch a tent in a state park. Who gets to roast marshmallows alongside a prehistoric lake? See if you can travel to Lake Minchin this summer. It’s one of the many lakes formed while dinosaurs roamed the earth. You could hike across the salt flat during the day and return to the lake’s summit to eat campfire stew underneath an orange sunset sky.

6. Exploring on a Safari

Naturalists and animal lovers could have an incredible time on a safari. Head to South Africa to experience the many safari adventures happening across the continent. Depending on the company leading your week-long tour, you could completely unplug to get the most from your experience. Lodges are also available if you want a different kind of trip.Either way, you’ll see wildlife from incredible vantage points and immerse yourself in cultures with so much to teach you about the natural world.

7. Walking Through a Pyramid

Egyptian tour companies offer exclusive experiences inside places like the Great Pyramid of Khufu, Menkaure and Khafre. Get your tickets early to beat the crowds. It’s an affordable way to spend your summer and could result in a lifetime of memories.Walk the same steps into pyramids as the people who built them. You’ll see inner chambers straight out of history books and still be close to cities with shops and other attractions. It’s a unique vacation you could take this coming summer with some planning and an international flight.

8. Sleeping in an Igloo

The Innuit people in Greenland invite tourists to stay in igloos throughout the year. Even if it’s July, the weather is cold enough to preserve their snow-packed homes. You could hike across snowy hills and enjoy activities around towns like Ittoqqortoormiit before huddling back in your igloo for the night.Don’t worry about getting too cold. People make igloo walls with packed snow bricks. The bricks have air pockets that retain heat throughout the structure. You could unroll sleeping bags on the two elevated floors within the igloo and listen to the wind whistle across the snow-covered plains around you while everyone back home deals with intense heat waves.

9. Kayaking in Croatia

Croatia is a famously popular place to spend time on the beach. The country has nearly endless islands to explore, but your summer vacation ideas should be an elevated experience. When you finish relaxing by your beach umbrella, rent a kayak and head out on the crystal clear water. You’ll see fish swimming around the seabed while you get a quiet moment away from the bustling cities along the coast.

10. Living Out of a Covered Wagon

Yosemite National Park is full of uncovered treasures. Grab your hiking gear and head back in time this summer. You’ll see the massive sequoia trees that made the park’s trails famous. You could also spend a day hiking to the top of Yosemite Falls, which reaches nearly 2,500 feet and sources its water from nearby snow melts.When you’re ready to turn in for the night, businesses offer furnished covered wagons so you can pretend you’ve gone backward in time. You’ll have air conditioning, a coffee pot, a mini fridge and more. Many are even close to on-site pools, restrooms and showers so you can feel like you’re at a campsite without using a tent.

Consider Trying These Summer Vacation Ideas

You might love these summer vacation ideas if you’re looking to change how you travel. Try these unique experiences and see what memories you’ll make. Your bucket list will be much more fun when you open your mind to new possibilities.