Greatest Adventures Around the World for Adrenaline Junkies

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We all have our own ideas of a perfect vacation. While many may consider lying on the beach sipping a Mai Tai the ideal getaway, some of us crave for something new, exciting and a little crazy to fill our travels. Whether it is jumping out of a plane, or rafting on the challenging rapids, we seek out opportunities to get our thrills, to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, and to feel alive again.

In today’s post, I partnered with fellow adrenaline junkies to share with you our best picks on adventure activities around the world. Now, get ready to get your blood pumping and the adrenaline flowing!

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: Rafting Rotorua New Zealand

01| CN Tower EdgeWalk, Toronto, Canada

CN Tower Edgewalk Toronto

Everyone has heard of the CN Tower in Toronto. Many have taken a selfie on the glass-bottom floor with a view 342m straight down. So I thought to myself – how can we make our Toronto experience unique and memorable? That’s what prompted me to start looking into the EdgeWalk tour, which challenges adventure lovers to take a walk outside, around the circumference of the roof! Doesn’t that sound exhilarating? Without a moment of hesitation, I bought us the tickets to experience the highest hands-free circular skywalk!

Standing 356 meters above ground, I’d be lying if I said I had no fear at all. I could feel my heart beating hard, but the spectacular panoramic views (and the desire to impress Kev) soon calmed my nerves. Even after pushing our limits by trying out some daredevil stunts, including sticking our toes over the edge, leaning forward & backward, and walking on the edge, I enjoyed every. thrilling. minute. of. it. It was a memory that we would never forget and would treasure for a lifetime!

Interested in reading more about our Edgewalk tour? Then you gotta check out my CN Tower EdgeWalk post!

⚡️ Service provider: CN Tower Edgewalk / Cost: CAD$225 + tax

02| Skydiving, Lake Wanaka, New Zealand

Robyn Spice from Rupert on the Road: “I am scared of heights and flying, so of course it made sense to choose to do a skydive when I was traveling in New Zealand. So why did I do it? It was for the brief couple of seconds that your life seems to pause. You are sitting at the edge of an airplane about to put your existence into the hands of a complete stranger –  it’s about trust, about doing something that scares you and being a little crazy. That’s why I decided to do a skydive. 

New Zealand is a beautiful country. It is for the outdoor enthusiast, the lovers of nature and also the adrenaline seekers. I didn’t feel right leaving the country without doing some sort of crazy adrenaline experience. The reason my friends and I picked Lake Wanaka was pretty simple, the scenery is gorgeous. Instead of paying for a scenic flight over the area, we took the 10-minute flight up to 12,000 feet and then experienced the 45-second free fall. The moment we jumped I remember being upside down and looking over to Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand. Obviously, there was no picture opportunity but that image will stay in my mind forever.

Am I still scared of heights? Absolutely. But I would do it again? In a heartbeat.”

⚡️ Service provider: Skydive Wanaka / Cost: starting from NZD$289

03| Canyoning, Karijini National Park, Western Australia

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: Canyoning, karijini western australia

Maartje van Ringen from Quokka Travel: “Karijini is Western Australia’s oldest National Park, it is known for its breath-taking gorges. The park offers a spectacular scenery, ancient geological formations with tree-lined watercourses winding their way over the dusty plan. I joined the only canyoning tour in Karijini NP and it genuinely has been one of the coolest days of my WA camping trip!

Our guide and tour company owner, Pete, was a passionate guy whose humor made my day! Sliding down waterfalls, scrambling on rocks, abseiling, tubing, climbing. It was all part of this awesome adventure. We spend most of the day in restricted areas of the national park, so it really felt like a special day with our tour group.

We kicked off the tour at Knox Gorge – go check out Google images! – hiked through waist-high waters and made our way down to the beautiful Red Gorge. We had lunch at a spot where you will only have lunch once in your life. After tubing and paddling, we arrived at Junction Pool, a unique spot where four gorges come together. The highlight of the day was the vertical climb along Kermit Pool and the Spider Walk. There are worse locations in the world to be as an adrenaline junkie!”

⚡️ Service provider: Spacechameleon Adventure Co / Price: AUD$375

04| Sand Buggying, Huacachina, Peru

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: Sand buggying Huacachina Peru

Ellis Veen from Backpack Adventures: “Despite traveling all over the world, I am actually not that adventurous. I am afraid of big insects, heights, and speed. On my most recent trip to Peru, I signed up for an afternoon sand buggying and sand boarding in the desert of Huacachina for 25 dollars.

I was not sure what to expect, but I did not think it would include height or speed. I did not even know there were desert and sand dunes in Peru before I booked my tickets. I thought it would be a gentle ride through the desert and then sliding down some sand dunes. Peru isn’t really known for its sand dunes so how high can they really be?

At the normal speed, we were driving out of the small oasis town into the desert. The scenery was amazing. That was when our driver gestured to us to securely fasten our seatbelts. After that, he continued on full speed driving up and down sand dunes like a roller coaster. And yes, sand dunes in Peru are actually quite high. He would drive to the top and then go down at full speed. Every time I was so scared that I thought I was going to die. I did survive, but I have to be honest that while the others went sand boarding I stayed on top to enjoy the view and get back to a normal heart rate.”

⚡️ Service provider: Huacachina Tour & Package / Price: USD$25

05| Diving, Loreto, Mexico

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: diving Loreto Mexico

Ed and Jenn Coleman from Coleman Concierge: We chose Loreto because the bay is a federally protected national park, and Dolphin dive center because the online reviews were phenomenal. This was going to be our first dive after certification and we weren’t sure we would be ready.

The water of Loreto Bay is the bluest water I have ever seen. Every bay looked like it came straight off a postcard. Above the water, we saw giant humpback whales, huge schools of mulba rays breaching and sea lions sunning on volcanic rocks. It was beautiful beyond compare, but we were here to explore the depths.

Below the water, we found sea horses, sea stars, and giant sea bass. We weren’t sure we could remember everything from our open water course, but the quality staff was there to help. Diving has lots of critical life support gear to take you into regions where humans can’t naturally live. You have to use your gear and trust your training like your life depends on it because it does.

Not only was this our first dive trip out of dive school, it was our first trip as bloggers. We realized how many adventures there are in the world and how much more fun, play, and adventure there is ahead of us.”

⚡️ Service provider: Dolphin Dive Baja / Price: USD$169

06| Jet Boating, Lake Taupo, New Zealand

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: Jet Boating, Lake Taupo, New Zealand

Ashlyn George from The Lost Girl’s Guide to Finding the World: “It was in New Zealand where I first realized my crazy obsession with trying as many extreme adventure activities as possible. So crazy that I decided to book in for an insane day with 4-Play Lake Taupo. This meant completing four of the most adventurous activities on the planet in just one day. What encouraged me to do it was the price. At the time in 2011, it cost me less than $400 dollars. I went skydiving and bungy jumping then hopped in a helicopter and finished with a jet boat ride to Huka Falls.

The jet boat ride was something I had never even heard of before but was a blast – literally! A jet of water propels the boat, making it highly maneuverable. So maneuverable in fact that the drive would skim across the water at high speed, cut the engine, crank the steering wheel then start the engine again. This caused us to 360-degree spin our way across the river – repeatedly. Would I do the day over again if given the chance? In a heartbeat!”

⚡️ Service provider: 4-Play Lake Taupo / Price: NZD$665 for all 4 activities

07| Swimming with Humpback Whales, Ha’apai Resort, Tonga

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: Swimming with humpback whales, Ha'apai Resort, Tonga

Nicole LaBarge: “Tonga is one of those places that doesn’t receive a lot of love (except during the Olympics when their flag bearer made headlines), but the small Pacific Island has a lot to offer and is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales.

One day we watched four males showing off to prove who was the dominant one. They were breaching, and blowing bubbles and all around showing off for us. It was amazing to then get in the water with them and watch this. I still remember this gigantic male swimming below our boat and he was belly up so you saw the bright white of his underbelly in the deep blue of the ocean. And he was fast. So fast. And then two flicks of the tale and he breached again. It was an amazing experience.”

⚡️ Service provider: Ha’apai Beach Resort / Price: USD$120

08| Shark Cage Diving, Gansbaai, South Africa

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: Shark Cage Diving, Gansbaai, South Africa

Nicole LaBarge: It’s the ultimate adventure, but I was scared to death to do it. In the end, it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and peaceful things I’ve ever done. SHARK CAGE DIVING!

As I was eating breakfast I realised I was getting more excited to dive with Great White Sharks. Before I was kind of dreading it, hoping it would get cancelled. There was still a part of me that was saying ‘I don’t have to get into the water if I don’t want to’ or ‘All the best shots will be taken from the boat’. I was trying to reason with myself before that on why I wouldn’t get in the cage, but now I was looking forward to it.

After our briefing – basically no one can put their arms or legs outside the cage….umm yeah, not a problem – we had a 30-minute boat ride out onto the water where we would anchor and start throwing out the chum which is fish guts and blood to attract the sharks.

Then, everyone was given a wetsuit, boots and a hood. I wish I could say they kept you warm, but I would be lying. It definitely helped but the water was cold – 12 degrees Celsius to be exact. I waited in the cage until the guide told me to dive down. I held my breath and used the bar to pull myself below the water to see the sharks. Diving with the sharks is an adrenaline rush but I also found it quite a peaceful experience. As the sharks swam right past me, I looked into their giant black eyes. At that moment, I forgot everything I saw on ‘Shark Week’ and was there in awe of what a spectacular species I was looking at.

And then just like that, the experience was over and I was talking with my new found friends about how cool that was on the boat ride back to the shop.”

⚡️ Service provider: White Shark Diving Company / Price: USD$130

09| Ziplining, Labadee, Haiti

adventure for adrenaline seekers: zipline, labadee, haiti

Mandy Carter from A Cupful: “Dragon’s Breath Flight Line is the World’s Longest Over Water Zipline and is by far the best zipline I have done. It is a one continuous line expanding 2500 feet over the Caribbean water of Haiti.  After a brief training and test line, you are driven to the mountain top to the launch pad where you can gain a speed of 50 mph as you zip back down to the land. The only way to experience this zipline is by visiting the private island by way of a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship.

This zipline helped me overcome a fear of heights and required me to relinquish some of my control freak tendencies. Had I not took a chance on this excursion I may have passed up many wonderful opportunities that involved heights. Almost 10 years later of ziplining, I have still not found one I enjoyed as much as this one. So much I have gone back 3 times to experience it again!”

⚡️ Service provider: Royal Caribbean / Price: USD$105

10| Powered Hang Gliding, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: powered hang gliding cabo san lucas Mexico

Christina Ropp from Littles, Life & Laughter: “There are not many things that scare me but the open ocean and heights top the list. It only makes sense then, when I booked my trip to Cabo San Lucas, that I would include a powered hang gliding tour, right? I had heard so many positive reviews about flying with Ernesto in his powered hang glider that I knew I had to give it a chance. As we were going over safety procedures before our flight, I told Ernesto about my concerns and he immediately reassured me with a big goofy grin, “You will love it!” Luckily for me, he was right!

As soon as we were in the air, my fears disappeared. Flying in a powered hang glider over Cabo San Lucas offered breathtaking views of Land’s End, the infamous El Arco, and the Sea of Cortez. Ernesto dipped and dove so that we could get up close to the whales that had migrated down from Alaska, pointed out dolphins swimming alongside a boat in the ocean, and over the sand dunes where the movie Troy was filmed. Whether you opt for the smooth or extreme version of his flight, be prepared for an adrenaline filled adventure you will never forget.”

Service provider: Cabo Sky Tours / Price: starting from USD$95

11| Bungy Jumping, Bloukrans Bridge, South Africa

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: Bungy Jumping, Bloukrans Bridge, South Africa

Eemma Iseman from Always A Gringa: “Bloukrans Bungy is the world’s highest commercial bungy bridge. It is also the highest commercial natural bunny jump in the world. Bloukrans River Bridge is run by Face Adrenalin Bungy and the bridge’s height measures up to an astounding 216 meters! Your jump will take you down around 160 meters or so, depending on your weight. Once you sign your wavier and are strapped in there is not turning back. I’ve heard stories of stallers getting a quick nudge. While I managed to jump on my own, it was not an elegant swan dive, but more of a pencil drop. The descent was super smooth and after the initial jump, I couldn’t even tell the difference between falling and recoiling.”

⚡️ Service provider: Face Adrenalin Bungy / Price: starting from R$1200

12| White Water Rafting, Rotorua, New Zealand

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: White Water Rafting Rotorua New Zealand

Birthe Vandermeeren from Wandering The World: “Even though Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of the world, it’s not the only place in New Zealand where you can get your adrenaline fix. Brecht, my SO, wanted to go white water rafting for a while now, and when he spotted a deal with Kaituna Cascades in Rotorua, it was on! I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into, and looking back, that was probably for the best.

Kaituna Cascades, just like a couple of other companies, offers a white water rafting experience on the Kaituna River near Rotorua. It’s said to be a white water rafter’s dream come true, as it has the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world: the 7-meter Tutea Falls.

Before we hit the water, we practiced how to react in each scenario, including the worst case one. Silently praying we wouldn’t need those moves, we were enjoying our first white water rafting experience. Fast forward to the bottom of the Tutea Falls, where I found myself rolled in a tight ball waiting to get above water again. Classic: everyone was still sitting in the raft, Brecht and I were in the water.

Even though the photos clearly prove that Brecht took me in the water with him, we all could laugh about it afterward. We’re glad to have shared this adventure and the nearly-drowning part just makes it even more fun and memorable. We still laugh about it sometimes, even a year later. Guess this proves it was an adventure activity worth the money!”

⚡️ Service provider: Kaituna Cascades / Price: NZD$115

13| Kayaking, Antarctica

Adventure for adrenaline seekers: Kayaking Antarctica

Lauren Jessica from The Traveller’s Guide By #ljojlo: “Gaining a certificate qualification in kayaking while in Antarctica is certainly something unique. Learning a self-rescue in the frigid waters of Antarctica is not something you do every day, that is for sure.

On a recent trip to the 7th continent, my partner and I decided to sign up for the kayak course, with certificate qualification, because we believed this was the best way to witness the exquisite ruggedness that is Antarctica. The course allowed us to kayak within the waters of Antarctica every day, navigating icebergs, breaking the thin ice on the top of the water and even experiencing wildlife up close and personal.

Kayaking in Antarctica and submerging myself within its waters is something I honestly cannot put into words. It is without a doubt the best travel experience I have had to date and one I would love to do again. So, my advice, if you are planning a visit to the 7th continent, be sure to see whether the boat you are on offers kayaking and if so, definitely consider taking up the extreme yet magical activity that is kayaking within Antarctica.”

⚡️ Service provider: Hurtigruten Cruises / Price: NOK$5900

14| Piloting a Cessna 172, Toronto, Canada

adventure for adrenaline seekers: piloting a Cessna 172 Toronto Canada by Ethan Chin

Alaska Rue from My Dot on the Map: “We took off from Ward’s Island and flew over the pitch blackness of Lake Ontario. There was nothing beneath us except darkness, perhaps the occasional odd glint off a wave in the night. We followed the curve of the land, venturing out to the Scarborough Bluffs before veering back and entering a city of lights. The impressive billboards outside Eaton Centre were reduced to smartphone screens; the throngs of people walking on the sidewalks were ants. We cruised around the CN Tower, watching its slow blink from red to green to blue.

Our seats seemed to drop out from beneath us, or maybe we leaped into the air. My brother and I laughed as my co-pilot maneuvered us into a series of zero-gravity drops. I grabbed the wheel and spun the plane into a 90-degree turn. We danced through the sky as the world fell away. When we finally landed, the sky seemed even bigger than before.

I’d been depressed for a good part of my 21st year and so decided to pilot a Cessna 172 on my 22nd birthday. Flying this plane was a metaphor for the rest of the year. No longer would I be a passenger, led through life on the tailwind of someone else’s whims.

No, I was going to be the pilot and decide where exactly I was going to go.”

⚡️ Service Provider: Island Air Flight School and Charters Inc. / Price: CAD$320 for an hour flight.


With so many fun ways to experience the world, which one would you like to experience on your next travel?

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34 Comments Leave a Comment »

  1. OMG so many fun and adventurous things to do! This is right up my alley! I love trying thrill seeking adventures whenever I go to a new place! These are all great suggestions! I’ve always wanted to swim with Sharks in South Africa. I hope I get to do that one soon!

  2. Wooohh! What an adventurous tours guys!!! I would like to go for sand buggying & water rafting. Thanks for sharing such a thrilling tours.

  3. I’d be down to do everything here except for the ones with heights… which is like half of the list lol! I think I’d pee myself or pass out from fear if I had to go bungee jumping or skydiving. I can already feel my knees go weak from just THINKING about it. No thanks haha! Kayaking in Antartica and swimming with humpback whales sound AMAZING!!

  4. Wow these adventures look craaaazy! I do absolutely love adventure, but I’m not an adrenaline junkie, so I have to pick and choose which adventures feel doable to me. I love some of these suggestions. I know i have to skydive once in my life, and New Zealand sounds like the ultimate place to do it! I also think I could handle the CN tower edgewalk – amazing views!

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  6. Thanks for sharing our adventures. This is quite a list we are paired up with. I think I would pick kayaking in Antarctica from this list if cost wasn’t an object but they all look super fun. I just always wanted to visit Antarctica and, if I leave from South America, I could get my sixth and seventh continent in the same trip.

  7. So much adrenaline rush in all these activities. I hope I’ll get to try some soon!

  8. ALL OF THESE LOOK AWESOME! There are so many different activities to do while traveling, and I loved this post because I also consider myself an adrenaline junkie! The only things I probably wouldn’t do are the diving activities, because that just scares me haha

  9. What a great little collection of adrenaline pumpin activities. The crazier and closer to death things put me (to a point of course), the happier I am in life. Most of these trips appeal to me, though I wouldn’t recommend cage diving. It’s doing evolutionary harm to our relationship with the white sharks being that it associates us with food which is completely non-natural thus far. Otherwise though, diving with humpbacks in Tonga looks AMAZE-ING! That one’s certainly high on the list and I’m jealous that Nicole got to do it!

  10. Love it!! Swimming with Humpback Whales in Tonga is already on my bucket list and when I go back to Toronto, I think I will do the CN tower cause I didn’t want to pay the last time but next time I am in!

  11. Love this post! They all look fun, but I couldn’t do them all. Your pinterest picture gave me the goose bumps!

  12. Had to hold my breath till I completely read your blog. Those are really great adventures may be we won’t dare to do them. Sand Buggying sounds fun and Shark Cage Diving will be something we would think twice before diving in 🙂

  13. Wow I thought I’m adrenaline junkie but obviously I need to work much more to cover this comprehensive list! 🙂 Amazing!

  14. What a great list of adventures! Some of these are too adventurous for me but would love to do the CN Tower Edge walk one day.

  15. Wow! So many amazing adventures! I want to try all of them although it’s tough for me. Love those pictures as well. Will put these activities on my list!

  16. Thanks for including us, Cat! 🙂 It sure is an awesome list of adventure activities, and it seems like we still have a lot to tick off of our adventure bucket list. 😉 The kayaking in Antarctica looks absolutely awesome, and I would love to try the powered hang gliding! We already did a bungy jump and a jet boat ride, but swimming with humpback whales is still on our list. Looking forward to more adventures to come!

  17. What an awesome list … I have just done the shark cage diving as yet… so much more to do. I would love to add waterfall rappelling in India to the list… so much fun. Ting is on my list .. hope it happens soon!

  18. After reading this, I cay say with certainty that I am NOT an adrenaline junkie haha.. while I have bunge jumped and white water rafted, I would NOT want to swim with sharks any time soon. Swimming with the whales sounds awesome though. I definitely want more information about that. Kayaking in Antarctica also looks rather peaceful though probably freezing too.

  19. OH MY GOSHHH GIRL!!!! So brave of you! Can’t believe you did the Edge Walk! Even just standing on the tower’s glass floor I was trying not to freak out and taking little baby steps hahaa. I’d definitely be down to try kayaking in Antarctica tho!!

  20. These photos make this little adventure junkie so happy! I love seeing other people do great adventures around the world. Personally I can’t wait until I get to go Sand Buggying in Peru~!

  21. I feel lucky to have done a few of the adventures off your list (skydiving, bungee jumping, swim with great whites, white water rafting) – but I’d love to do the rest of the things on your list too, with Kayaking in Antarctica at the top of my list!

  22. There are so many crazy awesome things to do in this world! Out of these I have only done the shark cage diving in Gansbaai but I am definitely going to try and add more to my list. Epic post that made me crave adrenaline! 🙂

  23. Wow, what an extreme adventure. Some of these adventures, I’ve already experienced. Truly, these kind of adventures should be on everyone’s bucket list. Aside from these are challenging, I also like the fulfillment you’ll get once you’ve tried and conquered your fear. Thank you so much for sharing!

  24. I’m not an adrenaline junkie, but kayaking in Alaska sounds really cool.

    I’ll admit I’ve looked at booking flying lessons in Toronto, too, but so far I haven’t actually done it. We booked a little biplane to fly over Cape Cod and that was lots of fun.

  25. Wow all of these look so fun! I love doing adventure activities cause it always feels amazing after!! 🙂 My favorite so far has been skydiving in New Zealand 🙂 Great post — it’s fun to see all the crazy activities out there!

  26. All of them are really exhilarating activities. Loved them all. The CN tower edge walk in Toronto reminded me of a similar activity we had done in the Macau Tower in Macau. The Sand bugging brought back memories of a similar activity that we had done in the Thar desert in Rajasthan. It would be wonderful to experience the thrill of all the listed activities.

  27. Whoa! That’s an awesome list! I really hope I’ll get to do some of these atleast! 2500 ft of ziplining? That’s crazy! I want to do that and a skydiving & white water rafting too!!!

  28. Wow! I just loved this post – It has all the best adventures in the world combined in one. Just reading them and imagining brought goosebumps to me! I feel like trying most of these although I’m scared of heights and flying. Kayaking in Antartica looks the coolest of all!

  29. Your post is challenging but me hanging up there in the air, no, no way. Even if I like adrenaline and adventures, I limit myself to the safest ones. And as I don’t like water too much, sharks and whales are out of the question. However, Canyoning in Karijini National Park seems a good choice for me and I would do that one. At least I have my feet on the rock, or water …

  30. This is a superb list of activities and I felt the adrenaline pumping while I was reading and looking through the photos.

    I am going to try white water rafting this weekend and I cannot be more excited! Or scared 😛

    Xiexie ni for sharing this excellent collaborative post! Pinned!

    Svet,
    The Vocabulary Titan

  31. This is amazing. I wish I had more guts to do this kind of stuff everytime I travel. I have done bungee and canopy in Australia. I am not sure if I would do stuff like that in every country. But I feel Australia and New Zealand follow safety procedures quite well. Thank you for this post. Have to pin this 😀

  32. Oh my god, it’s so exhilarating. I wish I could do all of these, I always dream of going to Antarctica and doing Kayaking would be cherry on top. I wish I could do it someday. Wonderful post.

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