Almost everyone has a bucket list, and most people have a different ones for travel or adventure activities they want to achieve. But it is not very common that people add a visit to a volcano to their travel-plans. Perhaps, this might not be everyone’s idea of a vacation. But what it offers in terms of life-time experience with their sheer grandeur, mysterious beauty, and awe-inspiring majesty should have them make it to all of our bucket list at least once. That is why we have two ideas surround exciting volcanoes around the world to our Adventure Activities & Experiences Bucket list!

But with at least 1500 volcanoes around the world which ones are bucket list worthy? Well to help you figure that out, we’ve put together the most exciting ones for you down below. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up at the summit of one of these this year!

1) Taal Volcano, Philippines

In the wake of the recent eruptions at Taal Volcano on the 12th of January, volcanoes have come back into focus as a great travel destination for many. The unpredictability of these forces of nature can’t but inspire fear, mixed with awe in the hearts and excitement. Our hopes and prayers are that those affected by the volcanic eruptions may find life returning to normal soon and that economy may be revived quickly with tourists flocking to the recently erupted wonder.

Located on Taal Lake on Luzon island, the Taal Volcano has always been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines, until the recent eruption shut the place down. Horseback riding and hiking to the edge of the crater, as well as bathing and boating on the lake’s shores, are the activities there, beside the amusement parks, picnic groves, and picturesque hotels at the nearby town of Tagaytay.

2) Mount Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Mt. Teide is a great place to test the waters if you’re new to volcano-touring. It is a relatively safe spot and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its geological uniqueness. A cable-car ride and a 3 hour hike will get you right to the edge of the cauldron, but it is advisable you go early, to avoid the Spanish heat.

3) Mount Etna, Catania, Sicily, Italy

Here we’re going from a relatively safe spot to the most active volcano in the world, and the biggest in Europe. Its latest recorded eruption was in 2017, with continuous on-going activity even today. Seismic activity and dramatic smoke take exciting to a new level here, so you better be ready for the unexpected if you decide you want to visit this place!

4) Sakurajima, Kyushu, Japan

Sakurajima Volcano looks like an unimpressive mound of rock, but nothing can be further from the truth. This continuously erupting wonder is quite the show-stopper. The closest you can get to the crater is about two kilometers, and if you had any idea how active this volcano was, that’d be quite a safe distance! Sakurajima attracts a lot of visitors in the peak season since free thermal foot spas, lava trails and the children’s dinosaur park don’t sound like a bad idea to most.

5) Whakaari/White Island, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

There is never a dull moment when nature puts its mind to something. Standing on the Whakaari Volcano will have you wondering whether you found ‘The Land Before Time’ What’s more- imagine you’d be standing on the tip of an island that remains submerged under the sea, for the most part, and what you’ll see all around you will be a bubbling, boiling, hissing, spitting combination of lakes of acid, thermal springs, boiling mud ponds, and stinking Sulphur.

 There will be no climbing involved, since you’re at the peak, anyway, and a helicopter ride can give you a great view of the island-volcano if a hike seems like too much trouble.

6) Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania

This sleeping giant has earned a number of records for the books, most notably for being the highest mountain in Africa. It is an experience worth having, just to view the snow-capped mountain peak set against the African savannah. It is one for climbing enthusiast’s must-do list, as well as one for the photographer’s portfolio.

7) Vulcan del Totumo, Santa Catalina, Colombia

Columbia’s contribution to this list is as exciting as the country itself. El Totumo, as it is known to the locals is one of the smallest volcanoes here, and it is known for spewing out not lava, but geothermally heated mud that is supposed to be rich in a number of minerals. A mud-bath here is part of the deal and could turn into a full day tour.

8) Mount Fuji, Tokyo, Japan

This Japanese entry is reflective of the country’s grace and serene beauty. Though it hasn’t erupted in the last three hundred years, Mt. Fuji is still classified as an active volcano. But that doesn’t stop tourists from flocking to its hiking trail, joining thousands of pilgrims who scale the volcano as a Japanese religious ritual. It has also inspired artists and poets with its breathtaking beauty both in the summer, as well as in the winter when its snow-capped avatar continues to awe its visitors.

9) Mauna Loa & Kilauea, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Come to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for a real volcanic experience. While we have heard of only wildlife conservation in national parks, Hawaii’s National Park is geared towards its prize volcanoes for conservation.

You can call yourself a real volcano enthusiast on these shores when you visit Mauna Loa, one of the biggest volcanoes in the world. Kilauea holds it’s own flame high, having been continuously active since the early 1980s. Stand back and watch as lava hits the sea and forms new land, or take an exciting drive around the crater, unless it’s too ‘volcanic’, or even book a lava flow pre-dawn or post-dark tour, when you can see the glowing rivers of lava at their brightest.

10) Kelimutu Volcano, Flores Island, Indonesia

Mt. Kelimutu on Flores Island is a jewel among volcanoes, literally. This unique group of active peaks enclose three distinct lake formations within their craters that change colour from glacial blue to green and mud-red to black, depending on the volcanic activity going on underneath. If there were only one volcanic spot you would visit in your lifetime, choose Mt. Kelimutu for this unique experience, as it may not be long before the still-active volcano erupts and reduces these jewel-lakes into photographic memories.

So as you can see there are all kinds of experiences one can have at any of these 10 exciting volcanoes around the world. Is seeing a volcano up close and personal on your bucket list? If so, which of these volcanoes is on your Adventure Activities and Experiences or Travel list? Have you ever been to any of these 10 volcanic sites? Or is there another exciting volcano that you think needs to be on this list? Let us know in the comments below!

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