Lonely Planet Bucket List: “Best Experiences” in Japan—and the World

Underwater, on water, overland, underground or high in the sky, here are the 25 experiences you must try before 2026 is over, according to the “backpacker’s bible” on October 23. For Japan, says Lonely Planet, “best for a mindful getaway” is a ryokan—a traditional inn typically featuring tatami-matted lodging, fresh local delicacies and steaming open-air communal baths often fed by hot springs. 

“Don’t come to a ryokan if you’re looking for a large-screen television, a business center to take conference calls or an espresso bar to fuel your packed itinerary,” advises the travel guide publisher founded in 1973. “Instead, expect tatami mats, shoes off, elaborate set meals, common bathing facilities and futon bedding. The pace is downright languid in these traditional Japanese inns: a kimono clad-attendant glides down a hallway before disappearing behind a sliding paper door; a murmur of conversation comes from a dining room; a susurrus of bamboo and maple leaves whispers in from the garden.  

Biking, whale-watching, partying, horse-riding, football, food, wine, even street art and much more are all mentioned in the latest Lonely Planet. As we said in September, it’s all about the experience these days.

 As a former contributor to Lonely Planet guides, I’ve experienced only five of the 25, so here’s my brief highlights:

Japan, spend the night in a ryokan

I stayed in a ryokan gonged by the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest hotel, the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in Yamanashi Prefecture (pictured above). Established in 705 AD, it has been continuously operated by 52 generations of the same family for more than 1,300 years and is famous for its natural, flowing hot springs. As you circle up the mountain road by car, staff spot or hear you coming from miles away and bow deeply outside the front doors when you pull up. 

Apart from the Guinness link, it’s just like any good ryokan—clean, efficient, spacious, quiet but expensive compared to normal hotels. 

“The standard stay,” says Lonely Planet, of most ryokan, “comes with two gourmet meals, highly seasonal and elaborately presented. Menus are preset, but many inns can accommodate dietary needs with advance notice. A sample sumptuous vegetarian spread from Tamagoyu in Fukushima Prefecture includes tempura, sweet potato dumplings, grilled and marinated eggplant, gingko nuts and sakura mochi (rice cake confections). 

Bristol, England, deep-dive into street art

Banksy put Bristol on the map with his satirical take on mindful messaging or mindless vandalism, depending on your view. But he’s not the only “social artist” in Bristol as you’ll see on many streets, walls, buildings and bridges especially in the sleazier and central parts of the city. 

Despite being Bristol born, though, I think Berlin and Belfast have much more impressive street art, creatively and historically.

England, attend a Premier League game

Football has come a long way since the 1970s when hooligans ruled the standing-only terraces of rundown stadiums. Today, though, it’s a family affair with huge investment pouring in to offer fans a safe, sit down experience to enjoy shrimp sandwiches and champagne. The newest Premier League stadium is home to Everton, a sprawling £750-million mixed-use monolith also including shopping, housing, gyms and entertainment in north-west England that kicked off in August. Lets hope it’s better than my last visit to their previous home at Goodison Park in 2023, when we had to walk one hour to the stadium due to poor public transport, they ran out of food before half time and we lost to Chelsea in the first match of the season.

Kruger National Park, South Africa, stay in a train carriage 

Trains and animals are abundant in South Africa and you can experience the famed Big 5—lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos—at dawn or dusk while aboard the immobile Train on the Bridge in Kruger National Park. But I learned the hard way while on assignment for a US magazine that it’s the fearless hippo that kills more people than any other large land animal in Africa. Don’t be fooled by their pink glistening skin as they almost ballet dance underwater with eyes menacingly just above the gentle waves. We scrambled for our lives up a steep bank leaving our gear submerged after a protective hippo targeted us while passing his territory. 

Old Dubai, United Arab Emirates, go on a cultural food tour

During a year in the UAE as a reporter for the the local Khaleej Times (affectionately known as The Kebab Times), I often spent balmy evenings along Dubai Creek enjoying the multicultural ambiance and cheap street eats prepared by friendly expat Asians. When my budget allowed, I’d cross the creek by boat in five minutes to the “other” Dubai and its skyscraping hotel bars serving ice cold booze and British fish ‘n’ chips in aircon luxury. 

And here are the rest of the World’s 25 Best Experiences in 2026:

• Azores, Portugal, go whale-watching

• Batanes, Philippines, see the sights by bike

• Belgrade, Serbia, experience the legendary nightlife scene

• Bolivia, watch a Flying Cholitas match

• Ecuador, ride horses in the Andes Mountains

• Grand Canyon, US, rapid-raft the Colorado River

• Grenada, party in the Caribbean

• Iberá, Argentina, look for jaguars in the wetlands

• Kerala, India, go on a culinary tour

• Louisiana, US, take a Creole trail ride

• Melbourne, Australia, savour the exciting food scene

• Namibia, track desert elephants

• Oregon, US, visit Willamette Wine Country

• Southern France, visit Eileen Gray’s House

• Tajikistan, hike and wildcamp

• The Amazon, Peru, become a citizen scientist

• Victoria, Australia, explore the Bathing Trail

• Vietnam & Cambodia, cruise the Mekong River

• Volcanoes National Park, US, stay at Hawaii’s Volcano House

• Wairarapa, New Zealand / Aotearoa, go stargazing