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    It’s the Nordic blood in me. ❄️ Ironically, It’s the Nordic blood in me. ❄️

Ironically, we did happen to “escape the cold” during this winter Rocky Mountain National Park trip. It was -45 at home and literally 70 degrees warmer in the Colorado mountains hahaha.
    Here’s our EXACT 3-day itinerary for Kyoto, Japa Here’s our EXACT 3-day itinerary for Kyoto, Japan, including our bullet train travel day. 🇯🇵 And, honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Tips…

Go to Fushimi Inari Shrine and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest as soon as it starts to get light out in the morning (I’m talking like 5:30 a.m.) if you want any shot at taking photos without crowds!

Also… The monkey park was my favorite. 🙊
    Lack of oxygen was worth it. Location: Trail Ridg Lack of oxygen was worth it.

Location: Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park

Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the USA, peaking at over 12,180 feet of elevation. 🤯 As you could imagine, the road closes to vehicle traffic during the winter because of snow. BUT, you can still hike, snowshoe or cross-country ski on it in the winter!

We rented skis at Estes Park Mountain Shop, parked at the Many Parks Curve Overlook parking lot and skied away. ⛷️

Would you ski here?
    It’s literally 70 degrees warmer in Colorado. T It’s literally 70 degrees warmer in Colorado.

This whole weekend we joked that we were “escaping the cold” on this winter Rocky Mountain National Park trip because it was around 25 degrees Fahrenheit there and -45 degrees in Wisconsin.

All of the Denver locals were like, “You picked a cold week to be here.” And we were like, “No no… We picked the perfect weekend to be here.” 🤣

Tropical vacation for a Wisconsinite.
    Next destination? Points and miles millionaire 💸✈️ Come with me to strategically earn one million credit card points in one year without spending more than I usually do. Think I can do it? 

Follow @indigosahara for part three.
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Best Places To Travel In Your 20s On A Budget

By: Indigo Sahara, M.A. | Published: July 3, 2023 | Updated: March 30, 2024

Looking for the best places to travel in your 20s on a budget? Allow me to assist.

Your 20s are the perfect time to travel. You’re physically fit to adventure. You still have freedom from kids, house payments or peak career obligations. And, you value unforgettable experiences over material possessions. There’s just one problem: money.

Best Places To Travel In Your 20s On A Budget

Typically, when you’re in your 20s, money is the one thing keeping you from fulfilling all your wildest travel dreams. It’s easy to believe that traveling is inaccessible to you because of limited funds, but this simply isn’t true.

There are tons of way to travel on a budget without sacrificing experiences (which I teach in my ebook, the Budget Travel Bible). So, to get you started, here are the best places to travel in your 20s on a budget.

places to travel in your 20s

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • Is traveling in your 20s worth it?
  • Is 29 too late to travel?
  • Best Places To Travel In Your 20s On A Budget
  • Best Places To Travel In Your 20s On A Budget In The US
  • More Budget Travel Guides
  • Save These Places To Travel In Your 20s

Is traveling in your 20s worth it?

Traveling in your 20s is absolutely worth it.

Even though society tells us that you should focus on your career in your 20s and wait to travel until retirement, this belief system is totally flawed.

The truth is, if you wait to travel, you will only become more constrained by family obligations, homeownership responsibilities, career duties, as well as the physical limitations that result from aging.

best places to travel in your 20s

Plus, very few people actually save enough money to travel in retirement. Most retirees barely have enough saved to live without downsizing. So, really, you’re not any financially better off to wait to travel anyway.

When you’re in your 20s, on the other hand, you have independence, fewer responsibilities and peak physique for hiking, walking and long-haul flights.

Although you may be on a budget, traveling in your 20s is definitely worthwhile.

Is 29 too late to travel?

That being said, 29 is not too late to travel. In fact, it’s never too late to travel.

Yes, the older you get, the harder it may be logistically to travel (due to more family and job obligations), but there is never a better age to travel than your current age.

Don’t let fear convince you otherwise.

cheap places to travel in your 20s

So, then, where should you travel? Let’s get into the reason you’re reading this article: the best places to travel in your 20s on a budget.

Best Places To Travel In Your 20s On A Budget

  1. Albania.
  2. Bali (Indonesia).
  3. Bosnia-Herzegovina.
  4. Bulgaria.
  5. Cambodia.
  6. China.
  7. Colombia.
  8. Costa Rica.
  9. Cuba.
  10. Czech Republic.
  11. Egypt.
  12. Greece.
  13. Guatemala.
  14. Hungary.
  15. India.
  16. Laos.
  17. Mexico.
  18. Myanmar.
  19. Nepal.
  20. Oman.
  21. Peru.
  22. Philippines.
  23. Portugal.
  24. Romania.
  25. South Africa.
  26. Sri Lanka.
  27. Thailand.
  28. Turkey.
  29. Uruguay.
  30. Vietnam.

Ready to add these countries to your budget travel bucket list?

places to travel in your 20s U.s. states

Here’s a free printable bucket list with all of these cheap destinations (and more) so that you can easily check them off in your 20s.

All of these destinations have iconic tourists spots, stunning landscapes, luxurious accommodations, fantastic food — and all for a cheap price.

Traveling to these places in your 20s means you can experience more, without giving up nice accommodations, while spending less. How? Geoarbitrage.

top places to travel in your 20s

Geoarbitrage, in simple terms, is taking advantage of favorable currency exchange rates.

Basically, in these destinations, your home currency (such as the dollar, pound or euro) is more valuable.

For instance, in the United States, $500 USD might get you a few nights max in a midrange hotel. Whereas, in Bali, you can easily stay in equally nice accommodations for an entire month for the same price — simply because the dollar is more valuable there.

Best Places To Travel In Your 20s On A Budget In The US

  1. Arizona.
  2. Florida.
  3. Georgia.
  4. Louisiana.
  5. Montana.
  6. New Mexico.
  7. Oklahoma.
  8. Pennsylvania.
  9. Puerto Rico.
  10. Tennessee.
  11. Texas.
  12. Utah.
  13. Wisconsin.
  14. Wyoming.
  15. US National Parks.

Similarly, some states (or territories) within the US are cheaper to travel to than others.

For example, your dollar will get you a lot farther in Tennessee or Wyoming than it will in California.

If you’re hoping to travel within the US on a budget in your 20s, I highly recommend visiting the national parks. Our country’s national parks offer some of the most diverse, epic and otherworldly views in the entire world, and camping can make for cheap accommodations.

places to travel in your 20s destinations

You can see all of my US national park guides here.

My personal top-five favorite US national parks to date include:

  1. Arches National Park.
  2. Zion National Park.
  3. Canyonlands National Park.
  4. Grand Teton National Park.
  5. Yellowstone National Park.
  6. Haleakala National Park.

Now that you know all the best places to travel in your 20s on a budget, where will you go first?

Don’t forget to download your free budget travel bucket list so you can check off all your cheap destinations along the way!

places to travel in your 20s europe
SEND ME THE BUCKET LIST

More Budget Travel Guides

Cheap Travel Tips That Will Change Your Life
How To Choose The Best Travel Credit Card (Quiz)
How To Start Traveling in 6 Easy Steps
Budget Travel Bible: How To Travel The World More For Less

Best Places To Travel In Your 20s On A Budget

Save These Places To Travel In Your 20s

Save these best places to travel in your 20s on a budget for later by sharing to socials.

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By: Indigo Sahara, M.A.

About Indigo Sahara, M.A.

Indigo Sahara, M.A., is the founder and CEO of the Indigo Sahara travel blog. Since earning her master's degree in global leadership, she has traveled to more than 20 countries. Now, her goal is to make travel accessible to all by teaching others how to travel on a budget. She writes world travel guides and travel hacking tips weekly.

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I'm Indigo, a 27-year-old full-time travel blogger who's on a mission to make travel accessible to all through budget travel tips and bucket list destination guides.

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It’s the Nordic blood in me. ❄️ Ironically, It’s the Nordic blood in me. ❄️

Ironically, we did happen to “escape the cold” during this winter Rocky Mountain National Park trip. It was -45 at home and literally 70 degrees warmer in the Colorado mountains hahaha.
Here’s our EXACT 3-day itinerary for Kyoto, Japa Here’s our EXACT 3-day itinerary for Kyoto, Japan, including our bullet train travel day. 🇯🇵 And, honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Tips…

Go to Fushimi Inari Shrine and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest as soon as it starts to get light out in the morning (I’m talking like 5:30 a.m.) if you want any shot at taking photos without crowds!

Also… The monkey park was my favorite. 🙊
Lack of oxygen was worth it. Location: Trail Ridg Lack of oxygen was worth it.

Location: Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park

Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in the USA, peaking at over 12,180 feet of elevation. 🤯 As you could imagine, the road closes to vehicle traffic during the winter because of snow. BUT, you can still hike, snowshoe or cross-country ski on it in the winter!

We rented skis at Estes Park Mountain Shop, parked at the Many Parks Curve Overlook parking lot and skied away. ⛷️

Would you ski here?
It’s literally 70 degrees warmer in Colorado. T It’s literally 70 degrees warmer in Colorado.

This whole weekend we joked that we were “escaping the cold” on this winter Rocky Mountain National Park trip because it was around 25 degrees Fahrenheit there and -45 degrees in Wisconsin.

All of the Denver locals were like, “You picked a cold week to be here.” And we were like, “No no… We picked the perfect weekend to be here.” 🤣

Tropical vacation for a Wisconsinite.
Next destination? Points and miles millionaire 💸✈️ Come with me to strategically earn one million credit card points in one year without spending more than I usually do. Think I can do it? 

Follow @indigosahara for part three.

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