As I have just relocated from the UK to the USA, I thought this would be the perfect time to write down my ultimate travel North America bucket list.
This list covers the North American continent. There are 23 countries in North America, the main ones being: The United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
If you’re in a rush, pin the checklist below to come back to. I’ve written a little more about each one underneath and I will be sharing my own experiences on each place as we visit them!
Any heading that turns pink when you hover over is a link to my blog posts on that area!
North America Bucket List – The United States of America
NEW YORK
New York City, is perhaps the most iconic place in the USA. As this is where I’m going to be living, it is the perfect place to start the bucket list. I also want to check out the boroughs of Brooklyn (especially Coney Island!), Queens and Long Island. Another iconic place that is probably on everyone’s bucket list is Niagara Falls. Other, less well-known places in New York State I’m keen to go to include, Taughannock Falls, 1000 Islands (including Boldt Castle), Albany, and Watkins Glen State Park.
MASSACHUSETTS
I’ve been to Boston before and am 100% planning to return there! It’s such a beautiful city, quite expensive but I would still recommend a visit. I’ve also heard good things about Cape Cod, Salem, and Martha’s Vinyard.
NEW JERSEY
Atlantic City is another place I’ve already been to but would love to go back to (it’s basically a mini version of Las Vegas.) One of the places we considering moving to is Hoboken/ Weehawken so they are on my list of places to see.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area looks stunning and Princeton, Jersey City, Seaside Heights, Trenton, are also on the list!
VERMONT
I did a road trip through Vermont a few years ago, unfortunately, we missed the fall leaves so would love to go back in October and see them!
Burlington and Montpelier are places we’d like to return to and new places include Moss Glen Falls and Mount Mansfield.
Also, going back to do the Ben & Jerry’s factory tour again is a must!
WASHINGTON
I don’t think a North America bucket list would be complete without the capital of the USA, Washington D.C. Seattle is another city we would like to visit.
There are lots of beautiful looking National Parks and countryside in Washington, of course, we would love to see them all but my top choices are Snoqualmie Falls, North Cascades National Park, San Juan Islands, and Mount Rainier National Park.
ARIZONA
The Grand Canyon is a must-see and so is the Hoover Dam. Other areas of natural beauty on the list include Havasu Falls, Vermilion Cliffs, Antelope Canyon at Page, and Lake Havasu.
Phoenix is a city in Arizona I would love to visit.
FLORIDA
My husband and I both visited Florida as children so are really excited to go back there with our family. I have to start with Orlando, for the theme parks (Disney World is top of my list!)
Checking out some of the beaches, including, Fort Lauderdale, Key West, the iconic Miami Beach, Panama City Beach and Key Lago is a must.
Also, The Everglades National Park to see alligators has to be done.
CALIFORNIA
There are so many places in California and I hope to get to as many as possible!
Cities and towns include, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Venice Beach and Malibu.
Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Redwood National Park, Lake Tahoe, Monterey, Big Sur, Napa Valley, Palm Springs, Huntington Beach, Mammoth Lakes, Salvation Mountain, and Death Valley are all outdoor places I would like or visit.
The list here could go on and on. Of course, there is also Disney, again!
ILLINOIS
Chicago is the main place on our list for Illinois. I would also like to explore Springfield.
Again, there is a lot of beautiful-looking national parks here. The Shawnee National Forest, Matthiessen State Park, and Starved Rock State Park.
LOUISIANA
New Orleans has been on the bucket list for quite a while now. I would also love to explore the Louisiana Wetlands.
ALASKA
To visit Alaska would be a dream! Hopefully, see a bear at Katmai National Park or go whale spotting at Kenai Fjords National Park.
North America Bucket List – Canada
Canada will be a new country for me. Vancouver, Montreal, Jasper National Park, and Toronto are all places I would love to see.
North America Bucket List – The Caribbean
I’ve also never had a chance to explore the Caribbean before. Aruba is the top place on my bucket list, followed by St Lucia, Jamaica, Barbados, and The Virgin Islands are also on the list.
North America Bucket List – Mexico
Again, I’ve never had the chance to visit Mexico before and it isn’t a place we currently know much about. After a bit of research, I’m going to start this section of the list with Mexico City as it’s the most popular destination for tourists. Cancun is another popular destination. Mérida, Tulum, and Akumal are a few places I hadn’t heard of before writing this list but look amazing!
I feel like I could go on and on but I’m going to end the list there. Congratulations if you made it to the end of this long post! How many of these places are on your North America bucket list? Thank you for reading and happy travelling.
