For adventurers who climb, mountain bike, and hike the tallest mountains, we want to rank the world’s best locations for thrill-seeking travellers.
Exhilarating experiences can be found in every corner of the world, but which destinations offer the most once-in-a-lifetime opportunities? We have explored the hotspots that are bound to offer adrenaline-fueled fun thanks to their extreme tours, natural wonders, and unique activities.
We compiled the index by analysing a variety of factors that every adrenaline junkie longs for, including extreme tours, watersports, motorsports, and marathon events.
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The Best Destinations For Adrenaline Junkies
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, offers the best activities for thrill seekers in the world
1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Adrenaline junkie score: 8.08 out of 10
Rio de Janeiro ranked the number one destination for adrenaline junkies after scoring highly in almost every category. Rio is popular for extreme tours thanks to its breathtaking landscapes (109 per 1,000 km2). One of the best extreme tours is hiking to the peak of Christ the Redeemer on top of Mount Corcovado, which is said to have become a symbolic protector of people. Travellers can take a helicopter tour to admire the monument or even take up hand-gliding from its peak.
Rio de Janeiro also offers plenty of epic running routes, and there are 194 marathon events in the city. One of the largest events held annually is the San Silvestre International Race.
2. Las Vegas, Nevada, United States and Cape Town, South Africa
Adrenaline junkie score: 7.93 out of 10
In the sunny desert state of Nevada, Las Vegas tied with Cape Town, scoring 7.93. The neon-washed city is sprawling with outdoor activities (1,139 per 1,000 km2) and plenty of pulse-racing experiences, including helicopter night rides, ATV experiences over the dunes, and desert shooting (597 adrenaline tours per 1,000 km2). One of the leading adrenaline-inducing experiences is the SkyJump, which allows you to leap from the 108th floor of the Stratosphere Hotel, descending to the ground from 855 feet. It is North America’s highest skyjump.
Cape Town ranked second alongside Las Vegas, attributed to the South African capital's high scores for outdoor activities (313 per 1,000 km2). Cape Town is every adrenaline junkie’s dream destination, thanks to its splendid natural beauty. The iconic Table Mountain is one of the world’s seven Wonders of Nature. There are also plenty of adrenaline tours, where you can join a safari group to get up close and personal with the most dangerous predators on the planet (159 per 1,000 km2). For the most daring travellers, there is an opportunity to experience shark-cage diving with the iconic Great White in False Bay.
3. Ko Samui, Thailand
Adrenaline junkie score: 7.70 out of 10
Ko Samui placed fourth, scoring 7.70. Known for its palm-fringed beaches and mountainous rainforest, Ko Samui, Thailand’s second-largest island, offers plenty of adventurous activities. Some of the best adrenaline tours include ziplining through the jungle, quad safari tours, and open-water diving (372 tours per 1,000 km2). Ko Samui also boasts many outdoor activities (835 per 1,000 km2). One of the most popular is a speed boat trip to Koh Madsum, an island that has semi-wild pigs that stroll around the beaches.
4. Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Kathmandu, Nepal
Adrenaline junkie score: 7.19 out of 10
Dubai and Kathmandu round out the top five, attributed to the Emirate of Dubai capital's high scores for outdoor activities (1,925 per 1,000 km2). Dubai is every adrenaline junkie’s dream destination, thanks to its plethora of heart-pounding activities. Some of the most popular include looking over the iconic skyline and marina on the XLine Dubai Marine Zipline. Tourists can also take advantage of the city’s water sports (27 per 1,000 km2) by taking up flyboarding or even a futuristic water adventure by e-foiling. The latest water sport sensation allows you to experience surfing with an electric-powered hydrofoil beneath your board.
Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, tied for fifth place with Dubai, scoring 7.19. As a city considered the gateway to the Nepal Himalayas, it offers the best variety of extreme tours (17,012 per 1,000 km2), including guided trekking adventures through the mountainous Annapurna Circuit and Himalayan whitewater rafting. Kathmandu’s warm climate is perfect for water sports, and nine beautiful rivers offer breathtaking views of the mountain nation (99 watersports per 1,000 km2).
The destination with the most watersports
San Pedro, Belize: 291 per 1,000 km2
San Pedro has the most watersports, with 291 activities per 1,000 km2. One of the top water excursions is scuba diving, where tourists can swim alongside dolphins, sharks, and turtles at the world’s second-largest Barrier Reef.
The destination with the most motorsport venues
Canada: 48 venues
Motorsport is a popular spectator sport in Canada, as shown by the 48 venues it offers. Perhaps one of the most famous venues is Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, which hosts the Grand Prix du Canada for biking, in-line skating, jogging, and walking enthusiasts..
The destination with the most marathon events
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 194 events
Rio de Janeiro’s tropical beauty and warm climate make for a wonderful running destination, particularly in some scenic waterfront spots. One of the most popular races is the Rio de Janeiro Marathon. The 26.2-mile course runs every June and features views of the beautiful beaches, while the Serra do Mar Mountains provide the perfect backdrop for marathon pictures.
Methodology
A seed list of 40 bucket list destinations for adrenaline junkies was taken from listicles, including Orbitz, Flight Centre and The Travel Textbook.
Wikipedia was used to find the area size of each destination.
Tripadvisor was used to determine the number of adrenaline and extreme tours, watersports, and outdoor activities available in each destination. The total for each factor was divided by the population size to find the number of activities per 1,000 km2. This data is accurate as of 19/06/2024.
The number of motorsports by country was taken from Wikipedia on 19/06/2024. For destinations in the United States, the number of venues by state was taken.
The number of marathon events by destination was taken from World’s Marathons on 19/06/2024.
The PERCENTRANK formula on Google Sheets was used to give each destination an adrenaline junkie score out of 10.
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