In 2014 and 2015, we spent 13 months traveling around the world. If you are considering long-term travel and need some inspiration, or just want to find out what we did, here is our around the world itinerary.
An Overview of our Trip
Duration: 13 months, 396 days
Countries visited: 35
Continents: 5
Distance traveled: 87,314 miles
Nine of the 13 months were spent in Asia. We had several reasons for doing this. Asia is one of the cheaper places to travel through, so our money could go farther here, helping us stick to our budget. Second, it takes a long time to travel to Asia from the east coast of the USA, so we wanted to explore this region thoroughly while we had the luxury of time. And finally, there is SO MUCH to see in Asia, a continent that was brand new to us before starting this around the world trip.
We spent less time in more expensive countries, such as Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Japan did not even make it on our original itinerary simply because it can be so expensive, but we did end up adding it in, anyway. It was a great decision; Japan is now one of our favorite countries.
We did not visit South America on this itinerary. For one thing, we ran out of time. Plus, it’s fairly easy to fly from the US to South America, so we could visit this continent once we were home again.
Our Around the World Itinerary
New York City – June 29, 2014
From Maryland, we took the Bolt Bus to New York City. In Times Square, we snapped a family photo and then boarded our flight to Europe. Hello world, here we come!
Copenhagen, Denmark – June 30
We landed in Copenhagen and had a six hour layover before our flight to Rome, Italy. This was just enough time for lunch in Nyhavn and before we knew it, we were on our way to Rome.
Our route through Europe
Italy and The Vatican – July 1 to July 25
Rome
Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi Coast, Pompeii
Florence
Siena and Tuscany
Pisa
Cinque Terre
Milan
Venice
Dolomites
Since we traveled as a family, we had to adjust to being with each other every moment of the day. We wanted to get into this new groove of traveling in a place that felt somewhat familiar to us. For us, this “familiar” place was Europe. We did not want to deal with culture shock, exotic locales, and a new style of traveling all at once, so Italy made it as our first destination of the trip.
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein – July 25 to August 6
Berchtesgaden, Germany
Salzburg, Austria
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Innsbruck, Austria
Rothenburg, Germany
Munich, Germany
After spending several days in Berchtesgaden, Germany, we made Garmisch-Partenkirchen our home base. From here we explored Liechtenstein (with a very brief visit to the unexciting town of Buchs, Switzerland), Innsbruck, Austria, and Rothenburg, Germany. From Munich we flew to Africa, to a brand new continent for us.
Our route through Southern Africa
Southern Africa – August 7 to September 17
Johannesburg, South Africa
Francistown, Botswana
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Zambia
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Mlilwane Animal Sanctuary, Swaziland
Blyde River Canyon, South Africa
Kruger National Park, South Africa
St. Lucia and iSimangaliso National Park, South Africa
Drakensburg, South Africa
The Sani Pass & Lesotho
Addo Elephant Park, South Africa
Garden Route: Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Oudtshoorn, Hermanus
Cape Town
For six weeks, we toured southern Africa on one epic road trip. We logged thousands of miles, driving through Botswana and a huge portion of South Africa.
United Arab Emirates – September 17 to September 21
Our flight from Johannesburg, South Africa to Kathmandu, Nepal had a layover in Abu Dhabi. We changed this layover into a stopover, spending just three days here, just enough time to climb the world’s tallest building and drink cappuccinos sprinkled with gold, before entering Asia.
Our route through Nepal, Bhutan, and India
Nepal – September 21 to October 17
Kathmandu
Everest Base Camp Trek
Patan & Bhaktapur
Pokhara
We planned our entire itinerary around being in Nepal at the end of September, the start of the trekking season to Everest Base Camp. Most people make the trek in early to mid-October. We took our chances, starting a week earlier, to minimize the number of people on the trail. We got lucky that monsoon season did not run late and we had a fabulous experience.
While in Nepal, we also toured Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur, and Pokhara.
Bhutan – October 17 to October 23
Thimpu
Punakha
Paro and the Tiger’s Nest
With a daily tariff of $250 per person (about half that cost for kids) Bhutan was a budget breaker. We almost did not include this into our itinerary because of the high daily cost. But because we had Nepal and India in our itinerary, we were so close to Bhutan that it seemed a shame to skip over it.
It was an awesome decision to include Bhutan in our around the world itinerary. Bhutan is now one of our favorite spots in the world…it’s exotic, tranquil, incredibly beautiful, and a unique destination that we were very lucky to visit.
We spent just a week here, just long enough to see the highlights and fall in love with Bhutan. I have a feeling we will be back again someday…
India – October 23 to November 28
Siliguri
Darjeeling
Mumbai
Udaipur
Jodhpur
Jaisalmer
Jaipur
Agra & the Taj Mahal
Delhi
Varanasi
Khajuraho
Kolkata
Our grand tour of India started in Siliguri on Diwali. Immediately, we were thrust into the amazingly colorful, intriguing culture of this country. After a few days in the cool, misty hill town of Darjeeling, we flew to Mumbai, where we hopped to Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Agra, Delhi, Varanasi, Khajuraho, and Kolkatta.
It was in India that I got sick with dengue fever and Kara dealt with homesickness. It is no secret that we were not big fans of India during our five week visit here. In fact, we considered skipping the last several weeks, shortening our itinerary and traveling to Myanmar or Thailand early. But our time in India changed us in so many ways…how we travel, who we are as a family, and how we think about our place in the world.
Our route through Southeast Asia
Myanmar – November 28 to December 11
In Myanmar, our first week was spent in Yangon, getting visas for Thailand, doing a little sightseeing, and getting get caught up on things like homeschooling and future trip planning. Then we took a bus north to visit the temples of Bagan. From Mandalay we flew to Bangkok, Thailand.
Thailand – December 11 to January 11
Bangkok
Krabi
Ayutthaya
Sukhothai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Rai
Bangkok is an amazing city and a great launching point for exploring Southeast Asia. We spent several days here before flying to Krabi, Thailand. We wanted to be somewhere extra special for Christmas, and with beautiful beaches, rock climbing, and snorkeling, Krabi was perfect.
After nine days in Krabi, we flew back to Bangkok, and then hopped to Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai using public transportation. For our most memorable New Year’s Eve yet, we spent the night launching paper lanterns into the sky, a unique and unforgettable Thai experience.
Laos – January 11 to January 18
We spent just one week in Laos and this was not enough time. Laos blew away our expectations, and I wish we spent more time here.
Leaving Thailand behind, we drifted down the Mekong River for two days, our journey ending in Luang Prabang. This small, French city in the Laos jungle was a joy to explore. From Luang Prabang, things kept getting better with a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Cambodia – January 18 to January 31
We spent two weeks in Cambodia. Our first week was spent exploring the temples around Siem Reap. From Siem Reap we spent several days in Phnom Penh, visiting the Killing Fields, and ending in wonderful little Kampot.
Vietnam – January 31 to February 25
Phu Quoc Island
Mekong Delta (Can Tho)
Ho Chi Minh City
Hoi An & Da Nang
Hue
Hanoi
Halong Bay
We explored Vietnam from bottom to top, starting on Phu Quoc Island and slowly hopping northward, ending in Hanoi. From Hanoi, we traveled overland into China, taking a series of buses to get to Nanning.
Our route through China and Taiwan
China, Hong Kong, & Macau – February 25 to March 25
Nanning
Yangshuo
Changsha
Zhangjiajie
Beijing
Shanghai
Hong Kong
Macau
From walking on the Great Wall, visiting the Forbidden City, cycling among the fantastic scenery in Yangshuo, to visiting Zhangjiajie, our time in China was extraordinary. Hong Kong was just as amazing, although our side trip to Macau was a bit of a letdown.
Taiwan – March 25 to April 8
Taipei
Keelung & Teapot Mountain
Haulien & Taroko National Park
Taitung
Kenting National Park
Kaohsiung
Tainan
With two weeks, we toured the most popular spots of Taiwan, the highlights being the city of Taipei, hiking Teapot Mountain, exploring Taroko National Park, and eating at the night markets.
Fiji – April 9 to April 17
Again, we turned a layover into a stopover. Our flight from Taiwan to New Zealand flew through Fiji, so we plopped ourselves down in paradise for one wonderful week.
New Zealand – April 17 to May 11
Te Anau & the Milford Sound
Queenstown
Wanaka
Mt Cook/Aoraki NP
Christchurch
Motueka & Abel Tasman NP
Blenheim & Marlborough Wine Region
Wellington
Turangi & the Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Taupo
Hamilton, Matamata, & Hobbiton
Auckland
New Zealand was our favorite country on our around the world itinerary. It’s gorgeous, it’s adventurous, it’s clean and quiet, and it’s a joy to explore.
Australia – May 11 to June 11
Hobart, Tasmania
Adelaide and the wine regions
Great Ocean Road
Melbourne
Uluru
Sydney
Town of 1770, Great Barrier Reef
Brisbane
Australia was one of our most expensive countries on the list, but that’s OK, we thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Tasmania was our favorite spot, but Melbourne, the Great Barrier Reef, and Uluru were also pretty awesome.
Bali – June 11 to June 23
For some much needed chill time, we relaxed in the cultural heart of Bali, Ubud, followed by surfing and beach time in Seminyak.
Singapore – June 23 to June 28
As the end of our trip loomed out in the distance, we began hopping from country to country, trying to see as much as possible before this amazing adventure came to an end. For a quick five days, we toured the highlights of Singapore, then hopped over to Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur – June 28 to July 1
Tim found a series of cheap flights linking Singapore to Japan, and Kuala Lumpur was on the list. We were here just long enough to see the Petronas Towers and to learn that Kuala Lumpur was much more interesting than we expected it to be.
South Korea – July 1 to July 7
We were in South Korea during the MERS epidemic. Unfortunately, because of MERS, the DMZ was “closed,” so we missed seeing it, a huge bummer. With just a week, we spent a few days in Seoul and then spent a little time exploring Jeju Island.
Japan – July 7 to July 23
Osaka
Kyoto
Hiroshima
Himeji
Tokyo
Japan is amazing. It’s also extremely hot and uncomfortable during the mid-summer months. The food, the culture, the temples, the history…Japan is a place we cannot wait to explore again…just not during the summer.
USA – July 23 to July 29
Los Angeles
New York City
Bus to Maryland
From Tokyo, we flew to Los Angeles. How strange it felt to back in the good ole USA. By this point in our travels, we were exhausted and actually looking forward to being “home.” The thing is, we had no house, since we sold it to take this trip, but still it felt wonderful to be heading back to our hometown.
We spent a few days in the stupor of jet lag, touring LA, before flying to New York City. It felt great to connect the dots on the map, getting back to the starting point of our trip around the globe. From NYC, it was one final 4 hour bus ride back to Maryland.
Life After an Around the World trip
Just because our trip around the world came to an end, our travels did not have to end, also. Now we are home owners, work full time jobs, and have two kids in public school. Still, we find the time to travel. In fact, we make it a priority.
For us, an around the world trip did not extinguish our wanderlust. It’s still there, burning as brightly as before that first flight to Copenhagen. Now, we travel every chance we get, traveling to new countries, and exploring parts of the US that are still brand new to us.
Who knows, maybe someday, we will circle the globe again…
Are you Considering a Trip Around the World?
Visit our Around the World page, where we offer information about all phases of long-term travel, including the planning phase, what it’s really like to be on the road, and what it is like to come home.
How to Travel Around the World
You Might Also Like:
- RTW: How Much Does it Cost to Travel Around the World?
- RTW: Our Around the World Packing List
- Blogging: My Life as a Travel Blogger…An Unexpected Journey
- Travel Advice: 101 Travel Tips after Traveling Around the World
- Inspiration: 365 Days of Travel in 100 Photos
All of the maps on this post were made on Travellerspoint.com. It is a free service offered on their website. They also provide other travel planning advice.
Comments 42
Wow – your site is so inspiring!! I discovered it as I’m in the middle of researching a trip through SE Asia and India for four months with our family of five (we have three boys aged 2, 6 and 9). You’ve mentioned in some places where you felt your stay in certain places was too long or too short. It would be great to get your thoughts on the amount of time you spent in Vietnam and Cambodia and whether you would have spent more or less time in these countries in hindsight? I’m looking at scheduling a trip from Australia to Thailand in late November (as I’d really love us to be there for the Loy Krathong festival), finishing up in India in late March (I’d love to be somewhere in Uttar Pradesh for the Holi Festival in late March). Other countries we definitely want to include on our visit are Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, and if there’s time, we’d also love to travel to Malaysia (especially Borneo), the Philippines and/or Indonesia (esp. Bali) and maybe Singapore. Any advice you could give on which countries are must-sees and the best route we could take beginning in Thailand and ending in India would be hugely appreciated! 🙂
Author
On this itinerary, we spent 7 consecutive months traveling through Asia, and then ended with another 5 weeks at the end. In our experience, we spent 5 weeks in India and felt like this was too long for us. But we had also just spent 1 month in Nepal. If you have never been to India before, my advice would be to spend no more than 2 to 3 weeks here. We were given the same advice, didn’t take it, but wished we had. India is wonderful but it is overwhelming. We spent 2 weeks in Myanmar, 1 week in Laos, 2 weeks in Cambodia, 4 weeks in Vietnam, and 4 weeks in Thailand, and felt like these were all the perfect amount of time for us.
You could spend 3 – 4 weeks in Thailand (Bangkok, Krabi or Phuket, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai), 1 week in Laos (Mekong River and Luang Prabang), fly to Cambodia for 2 weeks, then travel up through Vietnam for 3 – 4 weeks. If your timing works out, you could be in Vietnam for Tet, and we loved it. From Hanoi, you could fly to Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, or Indonesia, then fly to India.
Another way to do this would be to start in southern Thailand, then travel to Cambodia, up through Vietnam, west to northern Laos and on to northern Thailand, then travel into Myanmar, and fly to India. Maybe while you are in Bangkok, you could fly round trip to the Philippines/Indonesia/Singapore or Borneo since Bangkok is a great hub city for flights.
Let us know if you have more questions. Cheers, Julie
This is all such helpful advice – thanks so much, Julie! 🙂 Of the countries we’re planning to visit, I’ve only been to Thailand, so I’m anxious about making sure we spend the right amount of time in each place. I’ve always wanted to visit India, but reading about your travels there, it does sound like it would be an overwhelming country to visit with young children and I can appreciate how five weeks would have been too long for a first trip. I would love to plan things so we can be in Vietnam for Tet. I have family members who lived in Hanoi for many years and have always spoken about what a great time of year that is! If we could travel for longer, I’d also love to visit Songkran in Thailand, which looks like it would be amazing fun with young children! 🙂
Author
It was wonderful being in Vietnam for the whole month of Tet. It’s one of the best cultural experiences we have ever had. India was also a life changing cultural experience. We couldn’t wait to leave, but now, I can’t wait to go back. It’s a place that everyone should visit, but I do recommend taking it in small doses, at least your first time. Happy planning and let us know if you have more questions! Cheers, Julie
Amazing!!! Thank you so so much for this really useful information, has helped me make a very good template for my travel route!! 🙂
Author
Are you planning an around the world trip? That is so exciting!!! Good luck and happy travels!
Your RTW trip is truly inspiring! We did a RTW trip in 2014, but you know, it lasted three weeks not 13 months! Definitely something to aspire for.
Author
Thanks! Three weeks still sounds like an amazing experience. We’d love to “aspire” to another long-term trip. 🙂 Cheers, Julie
Hi: You mentioned you spent 5 days in Singapore, but did not make any comments or photos. What exciting things did you do there? We are also planning on going there on our trip. Thanks
Author
We have a post on Singapore if you want to read it. Gardens By the Bay was our favorite thing to do while in Singapore. And we spent part of our time in Singapore working on this website and working on trip plans, so it wasn’t a packed 4 days of things to do. At least you can get an idea of some of the more popular things to do. Cheers, Julie
You have absolutely inspired me to try to do this when my kids are 12 and 10 (I have a few years only!) I am thinking we will focus on Asia, a few places in African and South America…
Seems we have similar taste in travel and things to do so I am devouring your blog for tips. Thank you for sharing!
Author
Awesome!! Your kids will be the same ages as Tyler and Kara when we did this…perfect ages in our opinion. Have fun planning and let us know if you have any questions. Cheers, Julie
Thank you for your reply! We are busy getting the ‘bucket list’ of places and ideas organized so I can then start on the budgeting and timing…
Right now our itinerary looks very similar to your Asia part but without Indonesia (we are going next year) India, Australia and New Zealand (visited / lived there before) and Sinpagore and Hong Kong are a maybe since we have been there before.
We are now seriously considering / debating dropping most of our Europe part to do South America instead (at least Patagonia, Galapagos, Peru Bolivia and Cuba) though we do want to add Morocco and I would love to visit Scandinavia.
Mmmm decisions decisions…
I will definitely come back to devour reading your specific trip details (thank you for putting so much effort and detail into this!) and may ask some questions too.
Woo hoo for inspiration!
Author
Your picks for South America sound amazing…can we join you? By the way, we just published a “Start Here” page (if you haven’t noticed it yet). It has more links to travel advice, around the world travel, and inspirational posts. Have fun planning! Cheers, Julie
Yes! Come with us! I am a Spanish speaker (mother tongue) so I can help at least in South America. If you ever need recommendations in Mexico, let me know! (especially Southern part). Oaxaca is amazing – alas, another time.
And thank you for the link – I have been reading like crazy and changed my itinerary because of some of the things I have read.
As for hiking, have you done Cordillera Blanca in Peru? One of my favorites (despite day 1 emergency horse I had to use given altitude kicking my butt even after coming from Cusco)!
I loved Togariro Crossing and hiking around Mount Cook in NZ and have added some to my list of your adds. If you have not done this already, my absolutely most favorite day hike ever is Lake O’hara Alpine Circuit in Yoho National Park in the Canadian Rockies (and so many others around it). Surprisingly too, we did hiking in Sai Kung in Hong Kong – unexpectedly awesome!
As for the RTW trip, here is the list as it stands today and # of weeks. We skipped Peru since we have done that before and we will do Cuba on another trip along with the parts I had to take out from Central America, sniff. Here goes:
1. Colombia (2) – Cartagena, Tayrona and Valle de Cocora / Cafetales
2. Ecuador (3) – Quito and Galapagos
3. Bolivia (2) – La Paz, Titicaca, Amazon (maybe), Salar de Uyuni (most do)
4. Chile (4.5) – Atacama to Lake District, Santiago (and day trips). Debating Easter Island, Torres de Paine. (unless we vomit in the car 😉 – poor girl!!).
5. Argentina (4.5) – BA, Mendoza, San Martin de los Andes, Iguazu, Salta loop, Patagonia glaciers and hikes. Not sure about Tierra de Fuego.
6. Uruguay (1.0) – Montevideo and Punta
7. Brazil (1.0) (Maybe) – Not sure why this is not as appealing but Rio and potentially Amazon if we skip it in Bolivia.
Now, the below borrows very very heavily – almost identical, to yours. Are there any things you would do differently in any of these if you had to do it again?
8. Southern Africa (6) – would you do anything differently here?
9. UAE (0.5) – or less time, like you.
10. Nepal (2) – not doing Everest Base, a shorter alternative you would recommend?
11. Bhutan (2) – Too long?
12. Myanmar (2)
13. Thailand (4)
14. Cambodia (2)
15. Laos (2)
16. Vietnam (3)
17. Hong Kong (0.5) – May skip if needed.
18. Taiwan (1.5) – Considering skipping, thoughts?
19. China (3.5)
20 Japan (3)
21. Hawaii (2) OR Vancouver (2). – Maybe
We have not decided the order yet, trying to figure out list first (type A project manager for the win!).
The more I read on your blog the more I want to do this NOW.
Author
This sounds absolutely amazing. We are considering trekking in Peru this summer (Cordillera Blanca or Huayhuash). Looks amazing, and I’ll look into your Canadian experience, that sounds great, too.
We loved our 6 weeks in southern Africa, and no, I wouldn’t change a thing. If anything, I would add two more weeks and add in Namibia. I think two weeks in Nepal is good: one week for Kathmandu and surrounds, one week to chill in Pokhara or do a shorter trek somewhere. Nepal is so cheap that it helps your around the world budget. The flight from Kathmandu to Bhutan is amazing…seeing the Himalayas are incredible. Most people do 5 to 7 days in Bhutan because of the expense, but two weeks lets you go deeper. It would be phenomenal. We had 4 weeks in Vietnam and thought this was the perfect amount of time. However, we were also here during Tet so we had some downtime here (but you will need it…don’t forget to factor in days where you don’t have to do anything). We really, really enjoyed being in Vietnam for the Tet season and recommend it if it fits in your itinerary in February. Taiwan is also great. I think it would be good to do before China, because it’s an easier version of China, to get you accustomed to the food and menus and language. I’d go back to Taiwan just to eat in the night markets every night. And they have some cool, colorful temples that your kids would love. But then again, Taiwan could also make a great 10 day trip in the future. Tough call, but if you are looking to save time somewhere, you could eliminate Taiwan and put it on your future travel wish list.
I’m glad you’re so excited!!
Cheers,
Julie
Thank you so much again for your response! I will do some more refinement based on your comments and see where I land.
And if you do make it to the Canadian Rockies, or back to Mexico, let me know if I can add recommendations!
Author
Sounds great. Thank you!
oh ps. If you loved eating in Taiwan you probably would love Penang Malaysia. We have never eaten more street food in our lives! ok maybe at the Hawkers markets in Singapore too… And the street art!
So much to see, so little time.
Hi Julie,
Loved reading your blog and adventures ! The photos are amazing and makes me so badly want to take a trip around the world !!
Do you have an post on how you packed for this trip ? If not, can you please do one on this topic — what kind of luggage did you take – did you 4 manage in 4 backpacks or did you need additional suitcases too ? What kind of shoes were used – did you pack sneakers, hiking shoes and hiking boots — for different uses ? What kind of clothing and how many winter/summer clothes ? How did you manage a trip around the world with the luggage you packed ? The lesser the luggage, the easier travel would be, but then you may miss out on things you wish you had packed.. ? Any other useful tips ?
Thanks in advance for your response !
Keep up with the travel blog and sharing your information so generously ! You guys deserve a BIG thanks from all of us ! Looking forward to reading more of your travel to different parts of the world and US !
Indira
Author
Hello Indira! No, we do not have a packing post, but it’s a great idea! I’ll add it to my list of things to write about. Just as a quick overview…
We had two pairs of shoes (tennis shoes and hiking shoes). We planned the itinerary to stay in warmer temps, so we had mostly shorts and T-shirts. We each had two long sleeved shirts and long pants, and a fleece and a rain jacket that we could use for layers when temps got cooler. Everything we carried fit in four backpacks (the kids packs were small, like school backpacks) and two daypacks. We had 7 pairs of socks and underwear so we could go one week without doing laundry. It felt great only having just a few bags of stuff.
Cheers, Julie
How much did the spend on the entire trip
Author
For how much it costs to travel around the world long term, check our post about planning your budget. Cheers, Julie
Hi! I noticed that you went through most of the countries in SE Asia. Any reason why you skipped visiting the Philippines? Just wondering. Thanks!
Author
We simply ran out of time (nothing against the Philippines…it looks amazing). Someday soon we are hoping to get there. – Julie
Truly inspirational guys! I love your passion for travel and believe the best way to educate your kids is with the type of knowledge you can obtain outside of the classroom.
You missed out on South America though – I travelled through Chile and Brazil and highly recommend them. If adventure travel is your thing (and I gathered it is), you should check out the desert and volcano hikes in Chile.
Author
We gave up South America in order to have more time in Asia. However, last year, we did travel to Chile and Argentina, hiking to Aconcagua Base Camp and visiting Santiago and Mendoza. Can’t wait to see Atacama, Chile someday!! Cheers, Julie
It’s such a pleasure to read you. Always!
Thank you for sharing your itinerary, very exciting!
Author
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed reading it … Cheers, Julie