This post's overview:
- 1 30 countries you should visit before you turn 30
- 1.1 1. Thailand
- 1.2 2. Morocco
- 1.3 3. Mexico
- 1.4 4. Belarus
- 1.5 5. Cuba
- 1.6 6. France
- 1.7 7. Norway
- 1.8 8. Japan
- 1.9 9. USA
- 1.10 10. Russia
- 1.11
- 1.12 11. Hong Kong
- 1.13 12. Argentina
- 1.14 13. Italy
- 1.15 14. Scotland
- 1.16 15. Singapore
- 1.17 16. Tanzania
- 1.18 17. Bulgaria
- 1.19 18. Peru
- 1.20 19. Greece
- 1.21 20. Cambodia
- 1.22 21. Germany
- 1.23 22. New Zealand
- 1.24 23. Indonesia
- 1.25 24. Romania
- 1.26 25. Turkey
- 1.27 26. Vietnam
- 1.28 27. Ireland
- 1.29 28. Australia
- 1.30 29. India
- 1.31 30. Iceland
We are the generation of online entrepreneurs and digital nomads. We travel more than ever and sometimes we lack inspiration for our future trips. Let me inspire you! I created this list of 30 countries you should visit before you turn 30 and the reasons to visit them.
Of course, everybody has a different lifestyle and spending level, but none of these locations is really expensive and totally unaffordable and many of them you can visit in one trip. It’s not impossible to travel so much and if you’re interested how can we afford to travel every month – you can read this post.
How to combine countries and visit more of them in one trip, so you can really visit all these 30 countries before you turn 30, I’ll tell you at the end of this post.
30 countries you should visit before you turn 30
1. Thailand
From Bangkok to James Bond Island, from vicious Pattaya to Buddhist Temples in Ayuthaya, Thailand has so many things to offer to its visitors and is definitely one of the 30 countries you should visit before you turn 30. It’s even possible to go volunteering there and many people, who did that, said they had the best time of their lives. You can also, of course, just buy a ticket to Thailand and enjoy your holiday, like we did. Read some of our posts about Thailand here.

2. Morocco
From Agadir to Marrakech, Morocco is full of amazing cities and towns. Morocco is safe, beautiful, cheap and luxurious at the same time. You’ve probably seen plenty of photos on Instagram, featuring the hotels, which look like palaces – Riads. Staying in one of them is not that expensive at all. You can read about our adventures in Rabat and Marrakech here.

3. Mexico
Mexico is a very accessible destination for all the Northern Americans and it’s really amazing. Mexico has so many fabulous colourful cities like Puebla or San Cristobal and perfect resorts (see the top 10 in this post) in places like Cancun, Riviera Maya or Puerto Vallarta. And of course, in Mexico, you can try the most delicious guacamole in your life or take some colourful photos in lovely Coyoacan – one of the best districts of Mexico City.

4. Belarus
Instead of reading how and imagining, how was the life back in the USSR, just head to Belarus. The capital, Minsk shows you how the life was in the 70s or 80s. Not much has changed since then in the city and it’s really really interesting. Read about top 10 things to do in Minsk, Belarus in this post.

5. Cuba
Cuba is a unique country and my advice – you should visit it now before it changes. And believe me, it will change. Cuba is poor, but just as many other poor countries, it’s quite expensive for the foreigners. Don’t have too high expectations for food in Cuba, but their rum is one of the best in the world. Also, Cuba is all about the atmosphere and I didn’t meet anyone, who didn’t like this amazing island.

6. France
If you ask any person in the world, who hasn’t travelled outside his/her country yet, what do they want to visit, they would probably answer Paris. Paris was featured in so many iconic movies, books and it was a huge fame about it. It’s not a secret that over the last 30 years Paris changed a lot (and not to the best, unfortunately, some districts are now quite dangerous), however, it still has so many charming, cute and fabulous places! France is not only Paris, of course, and you can visit some pretty amazing places like Carcassonne or French Riviera or Bordeaux. So France definitely deserves MANY trips, but you have to visit it at least one before you turn 30!

7. Norway
Norway is expensive, so to travel there you’ve got to know your ways. If you’re before 30, you can still enjoy backpacking (don’t get me wrong, people after 30 do plenty of backpacking activities too, but usually (not always, but USUALLY), when you turn 30 and work full-time you want to have some certain level of comfort, besides you will probably have a family at some point and bringing your newborn to the hostel would definitely be a bad idea) and live in hostels, so that would help you to save a lot. While Norwegian capital, Oslo is not that impressive (read my post about my short layover in Oslo), but Norwegian nature and fjords are definitely some of the most beautiful places on Earth!

8. Japan
Japan is unique! It’s a totally different world and I’m dreaming of going there one day. People say it’s impossible not to like Japan. Again, as a young person you can enjoy Japan on a budget – staying in some capsule hotels will be somewhat intriguing and buying ready meals in the supermarkets will be definitely an interesting experience. That’s why Japan is one of the 30 countries you should visit before you turn 30.

9. USA
(in case you aren’t from the States) or even if you are: The USA has cosmic landscapes, amazing beaches, cities full of culture and history – that’s why you need to visit the States at least once in your life. The USA is one of the best countries in the world for road trips – you can do the iconic route 66 or the West Coast or even the East Coast. What you should visit is the Natural Parks – they are incredible! I also enjoyed Miami Beach – its atmosphere is great and shopping there was beyond my expectations and also I somewhat enjoyed New York City.

10. Russia
Russia is the biggest country in the world – so if you have one of these cool scratch maps of the world, it will seem like you have visited half of the world just after scratching the whole territory of Russia. However, there are of course more reasons to visit Russia than filling your scratch map – the Kremlin in Moscow is really impressive, St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the North of Russia – Karelia has amazing nature, Nizhny Novgorod has a fabulous EDM music festival – Alfa Future People, Kamchatka is cooler than Iceland and of course, Lake Baikal and the famous Trans-Siberian Railroad. Enough reasons to visit Russia? Check these 5 reasons to visit Russia right now and don’t forget to include Russia in your travel list of 30 countries you should visit before you turn 30.
11. Hong Kong
If there’s the best place for a student exchange in the world, I think it’s Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a paradise for students and I enjoyed every second of my exchange in Hong Kong! Amazing nature, interesting culture, best nightlife in the world, free alcohol, beautiful skyscrapers. What else do you need?

12. Argentina
I haven’t visited Argentina yet, but it’s in top 5 of my bucket list for the next couple of years. Argentinian food, culture and nature are amazing! And Patagonia – the most beautiful part of Argentina is definitely a must!

13. Italy
I haven’t met a single person in my life who didn’t like Italy (same goes for Cuba, but the difference is, almost everyone I know, has been to Italy and only a few have been to Cuba). Seriously, I even asked on my Instagram with 30.5K followers whether there’s somebody who actually disliked Italy. And there was no one. Is it a valid reason to visit Italy? No? Well, then there’s Rome with it’s cultural heritage, romantic city Verona, home of Rome and Juliet; the famous city of canals, Venice; the cradle of university education – Bologna; beautiful city of art – Florence; city of opera – Milan, the city of food – Naples; amazing Sardinia and authentic Sicily. There are SO many places to visit in Italy!

14. Scotland
Scotland is part of the UK, but yet it’s a different country. Is has incredible nature (Highlands look like they are from a different planet, same goes for the Isle of Skye), beautiful unique architecture – just look at Edinburgh and amazing & kind people! If you’re a student, you’ll love studying at the University of Edinburgh and if you’re a tourist, you can visit Edinburgh on a budget. Glasgow is also great and definitely deserves a visit! As well as Inverness, St. Andrews, Perth, Oban and many other places!

15. Singapore
Singapore looks exactly like the city of future (I feel that’s how the future will look like). It’s sustainable, modern, beautiful and represents a huge mix of different cultures and religions that perfectly coexist together. Singapore has some amazing & fun attractions like the Gardens by the Bay or the Universal Studios Singapore and it even has a beach. The only problem – Singapore is quite expensive, so you need to save for a while in order to be able to experience all that Singapore has to offer!

16. Tanzania
There’s incredible island Zanzibar, there’s Safari, what else do you need to enjoy your holiday? Tanzania is one of the safest countries in Africa and a great destination for tourists, that’s why it’s one of the 30 countries you should visit before you turn 30.

17. Bulgaria
Bulgaria is one of the cheapest destinations in Europe, but in my opinion, it has one of the tastiest food in Europe and great party destinations for Europeans! Sunny Beach and Golden Sands are extremely popular summer party destinations – they are cheap and fun and if that’s what you’re looking for – head there! If you’re just like me and prefer quieter locations – Varna is the place to go! Nice beaches, cheap prices, good weather, friendly people and amazing food – what else do you need?

18. Peru
Peru is home to one of the new wonders of the world – Machu Picchu. While some say that Lima is not that impressive, Cusco is a place to go in Peru. There are llamas everywhere, just like sheep in Scotland, and the locals wear their very colourful traditional outfits. Also, it’s always quite cold there, because of the elevation!

19. Greece
Greece is one of the most popular summer destinations in Europe and Santorini island in Greece of one of the most instagrammable places on Earth. However, other Greek islands like Rhodes and Crete also deserve your attention! We did a crazy Balkan trip last year and also visited Athens and Thessaloniki and enjoyed them a lot!

20. Cambodia
Cambodia is one of the cheapest countries I visited in my life and it’s a great destination for budget travellers. Cambodia has a great history, amazing historical places like Angkor Wat in Siem Reap and lovely beaches around Sihanoukville. Cambodia is hard to reach by plane (we flew there from Singapore and it wasn’t so cheap, but the best and cheapest way to get there is by bus from Bangkok, Thailand).

21. Germany
Germany has the best beer in the world and the most punctual people (how do these both facts go together, I don’t know). If you’re young, you should definitely visit Oktoberfest in Munich. However, there are so many great places to visit in Germany! I personally recommend you to go to Bavaria (Bayern) and spend a couple of days hiking and exploring lovely places like Berchtesgaden and Bad Reichenhall. I also lived in Hamburg, when I was 15 for two months and it was an interesting experience.

22. New Zealand
New Zealand is an iconic destination for all the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans. However, if you aren’t a fan of these books/movies, New Zealand still has plenty of things to offer to you, such as tasty food and incredible landscapes. You can visit on of the most impressive glaciers in the world and that’s quite an adventure!

23. Indonesia
Indonesia is one of the most popular destinations for backpackers & surfers because of its popular island Bali. Bali is the favourite place on Earth for millions of people and you’ve got to visit it at least once to understand why. However, don’t go to Bali in December and here’s why!

24. Romania
I’ve been to Romania already twice and enjoyed it a lot, that’s why I included it in this list of 30 countries you should visit before you turn 30. Bucharest is the new emerging great destination in Europe and has plenty amazing party places! Bucharest is very cheap and has plenty of things to offer! Check my post about 7 reasons to visit Bucharest! Also, there are amazing places to visit in the Romanian countryside – Brasov, the Dracula Castle Bran and the amazing castle Peles!

25. Turkey
Turkey is one of the most popular summer beach destinations for Europe, but that’s not the reason to visit Turkey. The true reasons to visit Turkey are its beautiful capital Istanbul and the balloon show in Cappadocia. Also, there are plenty of interesting places in this country. However, if you only want to visit Istanbul, you can buy a long-haul flight with Turkish Airlines and have a long stopover in Istanbul – that way you can even get a free excursion around the city!

26. Vietnam
Vietnam is incredible – it’s very cheap almost as cheap as Cambodia, has amazing beaches and even better food and it’s a great backpacking destination! Have you ever tried Pho? Well, it’s Vietnamese and if you like it, you should definitely go to Japan!

27. Ireland
Ireland is home to Guinness beer (who doesn’t like Guinness?), fabulous Cliffs of Moher, Connemara, Galway and Cork! Ireland is a must-visit destination for the nature lover, seafood lovers and beer connoisseurs and it’s a great destination for young people (despite the fact it’s not cheap at all).

28. Australia
One of the last 30 countries you should visit before you turn 30 is Australia. Australia needs at least two weeks, so you see few of the amazing places there are in Australia! The best way to explore Australia – hire or even buy a campervan or a motorhome (whatever you call it) and head on your adventure of a lifetime! If you have more time and money, don’t forget to visit beautiful Tasmania.

29. India
India is the country of culture and once of the best places for yoga retreats in the world. India is different, it’s really unique and you’ve got to be open minded to enjoy your visit to India (otherwise you’ll just complain about cows on the beach or trash everywhere or unhealthy living conditions). India is a great destination for volunteering.

30. Iceland
Iceland has been one of the most popular destinations for road trips in 2016! Why? Because of amazing nature in Iceland – geysers, waterfalls, mountains… There are so many places to see in Iceland. Also, everybody wants to take a photo in the famous blue lagoon. But what if you don’t want to take a road trip to Iceland? Don’t worry, you can stay in Reykjavik and book a couple of tours, just like I did during my solo trip to Iceland in March 2015! Iceland is definitely one of the 30 countries you should visit before you turn 30!

Feel more inspired to travel now? Liked any of these 30 countries you should visit before you turn 30? Or you’re still doubting that you’ll manage to see them all so soon? Don’t worry, if you combine them properly, you can visit from 2 to 5 countries in one 10-day trip!
So, combination variants: Thailand + Cambodia + Singapore – 12 days – read how we did it
Scotland + Ireland
Indonesia + Australia + New Zealand – 14 days
Canada + USA + Mexico – great for a 3 week adventure
France + Germany + Czech Republic – 10 days
Italy + Croatia – 10 days
Argentina + Peru
Japan + Hong Kong + Vietnam
Turkey + Tanzania (flying with Turkish Airlines)
Belarus + Russia + Norway
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Awesome list! Have you been to Philippines? It’s really a great country with beautiful beaches and friendly people.
I would love to go here after reading your post. Thanks for some great tips on where to go