Some trips are easy. You book a few days off work, grab a flight, and before you know it, you’re sipping something cold with your feet in the sand.
But then there are those other trips – the ones that live quietly in the back of your mind. The ones you keep saying you’ll do one day. A family holiday that’s been talked about for years. A solo adventure you’ve never quite had the courage to take. A place you’ve always felt drawn to, even if you don’t fully know why.
The thing is, life doesn’t wait. “One day” has a sneaky way of turning into “never”.
So maybe this is the year you finally go. Just go. Make the plan, press the button, book the thing. Because those meaningful trips? They’re the ones you remember for the rest of your life. Here are a few once-in-a-lifetime trips that might just be worth turning “one day” into “this year”.
1. The Glacier Express, Switzerland – A window into Europe’s most breathtaking landscapes
If you’re looking for a journey where the train is the destination, the Glacier Express offers one of the most spectacular rail experiences in the world — no passport stamps required at every stop, just pure, panoramic magic.
This iconic route travels across the heart of the Swiss Alps, connecting the glamorous resort towns of Zermatt and St. Moritz. Over eight leisurely hours, the train glides through deep valleys, over dramatic gorges, and across 291 bridges, with huge viewing windows giving you front-row seats to snow-capped peaks, pine-covered hills, and storybook villages.
You’ll pass the Landwasser Viaduct, curve through tunnels carved into mountains, and rise to the Oberalp Pass, more than 2,000m above sea level. In winter, everything sparkles white. In summer, the meadows glow green and gold.
Onboard, everything is calm and considered. Elegant meals served to your seat. A gentle pace. And a quiet reminder that you don’t need to rush to get somewhere — sometimes, you just need to look out the window and take it in.
It’s perfect for solo travellers, couples, and anyone craving a slower, more scenic way to move through the world. And in true Swiss fashion, it runs like clockwork — making it spectacular and stress-free.
2. Machu Picchu, Peru – A journey through cloud forests to the lost city in the sky
Hidden high in the Andes, Machu Picchu isn’t just a destination – it’s the crescendo of a journey that winds through some of the most spectacular landscapes on Earth.
To get there, you can take the scenic train through the Sacred Valley, where windows frame rivers, terraced hillsides and distant peaks. But for many, the magic lies in walking the ancient paths – trekking the Inca Trail over four unforgettable days. Each step brings you deeper into the Andes: through cloud forests thick with orchids, along stone stairways carved centuries ago, past ruins still whispering with stories.
And then, just when your legs are heavy and your breath is short, you arrive. The Sun Gate. Morning light spilling over the peaks. And below, Machu Picchu itself – majestic, mysterious, impossibly green against the stone.
It’s a place that stirs something in you. A feeling that’s hard to explain, like you’ve stepped outside time and into something sacred.
You don’t just see Machu Picchu – you feel it. The scale of the ruins, the silence between the stones, the sheer ingenuity of a civilisation that built a city in the sky. Whether you’re an adventurer, a history lover, or simply a seeker of once-in-a-lifetime views, this is a trip that grounds you, lifts you, and stays with you long after you’ve left.
3. The big family holiday – A chance to bring everyone together, in a place you’ll never forget
The logistics can be chaotic – group chats that spiral, calendars that won’t align, someone always saying “maybe next year.” But once you pull it off, a big family holiday becomes something much more than just a trip.
It becomes a memory you’ll all carry for life.
Picture a sunny villa in Spain, with a long table outside where everyone gathers for lunch. Or a beachside villa in Portugal, where mornings start with barefoot breakfasts and end with golden-hour swims. Maybe it’s something deeper – a visit to your grandparents’ hometown, where family history becomes real for the next generation.
These trips aren’t about ticking off sights – they’re about creating space for connection. Mornings that start slowly. Beach bags packed with far too many snacks. Board games that no one really remembers how to play. Laughter over burnt barbecue sausages. Shared glances across the room when an old song plays and everyone sings along.
Cousins become best friends. Parents and kids spend proper time together – without distractions. And the older generation? They get to see the whole family in one place, sharing something simple and joyful. It’s in these in-between moments – sandy feet on stone floors, ice cream melting too fast, one more round of cards before bed – that the magic happens.
Years from now, when the kids are grown or loved ones have gone, these are the holidays you’ll still talk about. The ones you’ll pull up in photo albums and say, “Remember when…?”
And they only happen when someone takes the lead, picks a place, and says, “Let’s make it happen.”
4. A Safari in Kenya – A front-row seat to the wild world, just as it was meant to be
If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the world in its wildest form, Kenya delivers it in breathtaking detail.
From the vast plains of the Maasai Mara, where wildebeest thunder across the savannah during the Great Migration, to the rugged red earth of Tsavo, where herds of elephants coat themselves in ochre dust, Kenya is a land that feels alive in every direction.
There’s Amboseli, with its sweeping views of Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance, and Lake Nakuru, where thousands of flamingos paint the water pink. Each region has its own rhythm, its own wildlife, its own magic. One day you’re watching a pride of lions laze in golden grass. The next, you’re spotting endangered rhinos or listening to hippos grunt from a riverside camp.
But a safari in Kenya isn’t just about the big five. It’s the light in the early morning, soft and amber. It’s the open sky that stretches endlessly above you. It’s meeting local Maasai guides who know the land like an old friend and share stories that bring it to life.
You’ll stay in lodges tucked into the bush, or canvas tents where the sounds of the wild become your soundtrack at night. Some are rustic. Some are luxurious. Many are deeply committed to conservation, designed to preserve the land and support the communities that call it home.
Because in Kenya, a safari isn’t just a holiday. It’s a reminder of everything that still exists when the world is left untouched. It’s humbling. It’s heart-opening. And when done responsibly, it helps protect what makes this place so extraordinary.
So go for the wildlife. Stay for the people, the landscapes, the stories. And leave with a part of Kenya that never really leaves you.
5. A Solo Retreat in Bali – Find stillness in the island’s soul and come home to yourself
Bali isn’t just a destination – it’s a feeling. And for solo travellers, it offers something rare: the space to be completely yourself, while still feeling deeply connected to everything around you.
You’ll find it in Ubud, where jungle vines creep over temples and the air hums with birdsong and incense. Mornings here might start with sunrise yoga overlooking rice terraces, followed by a smoothie bowl that tastes like sunshine and mango. The pace is slow, the energy is calm, and every corner feels like an invitation to pause.
If you’re craving movement, you can hike to hidden waterfalls in the north, cycle through sleepy villages in Sidemen, or surf gentle waves in Canggu, where the rhythm of the ocean becomes your own. If you’re seeking silence, temples like Tirta Empul offer sacred water blessings, and wellness retreats throughout the island guide you inward through meditation, breathwork, and simple stillness.
There’s no need to explain yourself here. Solo travellers are not just common – they’re welcomed. Whether you’re sipping coffee in a quiet café or watching a kite festival unfold over the beach, Bali meets you exactly where you are.
And somewhere between the mountain air, the ocean breeze, and the warmth of the people, something begins to shift. You start to slow down. To breathe more deeply. To reconnect – with yourself, with the world, with something greater.
You might arrive in Bali feeling burnt out, uncertain, or just in need of a change. But you’ll leave lighter. Clearer. Stronger. Maybe even a little transformed… because some trips aren’t about escaping life – they’re about finding your way back to it.
6. Chasing the Northern Lights – A front-row seat to nature’s most surreal show
There are very few moments in life that truly stop you in your tracks. Watching the Northern Lights dance across a frozen sky is one of them.
The journey begins long before the sky comes alive. Maybe it’s in Iceland, where you wind your way along snow-dusted roads through lava fields and glaciers. Or in Finnish Lapland, where cosy log cabins glow in the darkness and huskies howl in the distance. Or perhaps it’s northern Norway, where fjords stretch out beneath the stars and the air feels charged with anticipation.
You’ll layer up in everything you own. Stand outside in the cold for what feels like forever. It might be silent. It might be snowing. And just when you think it’s not going to happen – something shifts.
The sky begins to shimmer. First green, then violet, maybe even deep red. The lights ripple, curl, stretch, and dance. They flicker like fire and move like wind. And in that moment, the cold disappears. The world narrows to just you, the sky, and the feeling that something ancient and otherworldly is unfolding right above you.
Some places offer glass igloos or heated domes so you can watch the lights from the warmth of your bed. Others take you out by snowmobile, dogsled, or even by boat, chasing clear skies along frozen coastlines. But no matter how you get there, the experience is the same: completely humbling.
The aurora doesn’t perform on demand. You wait. You hope. And when it comes, it reminds you just how full of wonder this planet still is.
7. Japan’s Sacred Mountain Trails – Ancient paths, timeless beauty, and the quiet magic of walking with purpose
Not all spectacular trips are about adrenaline. Some are about depth. Stillness. Awe.
Japan’s Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails wind through misty mountains, cedar forests, and tiny villages that feel untouched by time. These UNESCO-listed routes have been walked for over 1,000 years – by emperors, monks, and now, modern-day travellers searching for something more meaningful than the usual bucket list tick.
Along the way, you’ll pass Shinto shrines hidden in trees, steaming onsens (hot springs) in remote inns, and locals who greet you with kindness and tea. Each day, you walk a little further. Not to conquer the trail – but to be changed by it.
The experience is meditative. Powerful. Surrounded by nature, with only the sound of birds and your own footsteps, your mind starts to quiet. Your senses sharpen. And something in you softens.
End your journey through Japan with time in Kyoto or Nara, where ancient temples, moss gardens, and traditional ryokan inns complete the feeling that you’ve stepped into another rhythm entirely.
This isn’t just a walking holiday. It’s a pilgrimage – whether spiritual or personal. And it’s a reminder that sometimes, the most spectacular journeys aren’t about what you see… but how you choose to move through the world.
The Truth? These trips aren’t about escaping life…
They’re about embracing it.
The world is full of places that can change us, challenge us, move us, and remind us what really matters. While they might take a little more planning or courage, these are the journeys you’ll be talking about for the rest of your life.
And wherever you’re headed, you deserve to go with reassurance knowing that your travel insurance is right by your side.
