There you go, it’s been a year since I left for my trip around the world: 1 year of travel, 1 year of memories. In this article, I will give you a summary of my journey.
📋 The essentials to remember: A one-year trip around the world costs on average between €10,000 and €18,000 per person depending on the destinations. My typical itinerary: 4-5 months in Southeast Asia (the cheapest), 2-3 months in South America, 2 months in Oceania or Africa, ending in North America or Europe. Average budget: €30-50/day in Asia, €60-90 in Latin America, €100-150 in Oceania.
Leaving for a year around the world
Here is the itinerary of my trip around the world:- Turkey, 2 weeks
- South Africa, 2 months including two days in Lesotho.
- Zimbabwe, 5 days including one afternoon in Zambia.
- Dubai, 4 days
- Cambodia: 10 days
- Thailand: 1 month
- Kuala Lumpur: 2 days
- Taiwan: 3 weeks
- The Philippines: 3 weeks
- Singapore: 1 day
- Australia: 3 weeks
- New Zealand: 1 and a half months
- Canada: 1 and a half months
- USA and Hawaii: 1 and a half months
- Mexico: 1 month.
- Belize: 4 days
- Guatemala: 2 weeks.
Here is my travel itinerary during this one year. At first, I only had my ticket for Turkey and South Africa. I shaped my trip according to my desires, here is an article about my plane ticket expenses. I booked my plane tickets as I went along to arrive today in Guatemala where I will stay at least 3 more weeks.
My 10 best memories from around the world:
- Hot air ballooning over Cappadocia in Turkey
- Going on a safari in South Africa
- Swimming in Victoria Falls in Zambia
- Visiting the Angkor Wat city by bike in Cambodia
- My first encounter with a whale shark in the Philippines
- Swimming with giant manta rays in Hawaii
- Watching a volcano erupt on Big Island in Hawaii
- My hikes in the Canadian Rockies in Canada
- Visiting the Grand Canyon, in Arizona, USA
- Swimming in the cenotes and the seven-colored lagoon in Mexico
There are many other memories but I had to make a choice. I am often asked “what is your best memory” or “best place during your trip around the world”. It’s a difficult question to answer because my last trip is always the best since my memories are the freshest.
@Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA
My 3 big hardships:
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My credit card being blocked in Australia, luckily I have two cards.
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Sleeping at the airport and several layovers of more than ten hours in Thailand and the USA.
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Waiting for two hours hitchhiking in the rain in New Zealand.
So far, I haven’t really had any serious troubles, knock on wood. I have nothing juicy to tell you on this subject. I rather feel that it always happens to others.
@Plane to Cancun
🌍 Did you know?
The around the world ticket (Star Alliance, Oneworld) only saves money if you plan at least 5-6 long-haul flights in the same direction (always east or always west). For a flexible itinerary with round trips, separate tickets via Kiwi or Skyscanner are often 30 to 40% cheaper.
Some figures about this around the world trip over 1 year:
More than 40,000 km traveled, 19 countries visited but only 13 countries truly explored by boat, bike, plane, train, bus, car, or on foot.
I visited 19 countries but traveled in a maximum of 5 places for stays under one month, generally 4-5 days in a new place. I prioritized the quality of places and the number of countries to visit.
I met several hundred people, slept in at least 50 different places (hostels, hotels).
During this trip, I saw: 3 whale sharks, 7 wild bears, dozens of elephants, 2 cheetahs, 1 lion and its lionesses, dozens of dolphins, a humpback whale, hundreds of seals, penguins, dozens of macaques and ostriches, etc.
What this first year around the world brought me
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Being comfortable in every new country I visit. I feel like traveling is my everyday routine and I easily find my bearings wherever I go.
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Learning a new language, speaking with locals or other tourists is part of the daily experience when traveling solo around the world. Learning Spanish for my future trips in Latin America is one of the most important things I have done.
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Knowing what I really want and the experiences I want to have. For example, I prioritize outdoor activities. Here are roughly my plans for the coming months.
I regret none of my choices during this around the world trip and really look forward to getting to know Latin America better. This trip around the world is one of the things I am most proud of and I do not regret any of my choices. The best and worst are yet to come. 😀
| Region | Daily budget /person | Monthly cost | Best to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| South-East Asia | 30-50 € | 900-1500 € | Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia |
| Latin America | 60-90 € | 1800-2700 € | Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico |
| India / Nepal | 25-40 € | 750-1200 € | Trekking, culture, spirituality |
| Oceania (Australia/NZ) | 110-150 € | 3300-4500 € | WHV (working holiday visa) |
| South Africa | 50-80 € | 1500-2400 € | Safari, Garden Route road trip |
| United States | 120-180 € | 3600-5400 € | West road trip, national parks |
@Desert in Dubai
Budget for this around the world trip.
🗣️ My experience: For my first trip around the world, I had planned 14 countries in 12 months. Too ambitious. After 4 months, I was exhausted by the pace and returned without really having enjoyed it. For the second trip, I kept 7 countries prioritizing immersion: at least 3 weeks per destination. Much more enriching, and not more expensive in the end, since I paid for fewer internal flights.
Having visited in turn, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, then the USA, for a total of about 5 months. My budget more or less suffered. I spent between 1200 and 1500 euros per month in these countries.
For the other countries, I spend on average 1000 euros when I treat myself.
My plane tickets cost me about 3000 euros. In addition to that, you have to add 400 euros for the travel insurance, here is a comparative article on insurances.
I don’t really keep track but during my first year of traveling around the world I spent about 16000 euros more or less. I am very comfortable with my budget because I left my company with 3 months’ salary (7500 euros) and I earned 7000 euros with my websites in one year.
The 10 activities that cost me an arm and are often the best memories:
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Hot air balloon flight in Turkey, 130 euros.
🍀 Around the world: what you gain
- Huge perspective on your life
- Memorable encounters (other travelers, locals)
- New skills (languages, resourcefulness)
- Lifetime memories
🔻 The downsides
- Difficult return (post-trip blues)
- Opportunity cost (career, savings)
- Fatigue after 6-8 months of movement
- Distance from loved ones
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Swimming in Victoria Falls, 100 euros plus the plane tickets to Zimbabwe at 250 euros.
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Swimming with manta rays in Hawaii: 120 euros.
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Guided tour of the Grand Canyon in the USA: 110 euros.
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Spanish course in Playa del Carmen: 700 euros for two weeks including accommodation in Mexico plus the tequila bottles :D.
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Boat cruise in the fjords in New Zealand: 110 euros.
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Buying my GoPro in Dubai: 400 euros.
⚠️ Classic trap
Wanting to plan everything in advance. Over a year, the unexpected is guaranteed: new encounters that change the itinerary, weather, crushes, fatigue. Plan the first 2 to 3 months in detail (flights + first nights), then leave the rest open. You will save stress and money.
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Tour of the Canadian Rockies: 110 euros.
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My casino tour in New Zealand, Australia and USA: 250 Euros.
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Island hopping in Hawaii, 200 euros.
That’s more than 2000 euros or a little over 10% of my expenses.
During this trip around the world, I could have spent a little less but I prioritized comfort over money. For example, I took the plane instead of the bus in Asia, I had accommodation just for myself in Mexico and now in Guatemala instead of going to hostels. I took Spanish classes even though I could travel without taking any.
Before booking, preparing your long trip covers the administrative and logistical steps to anticipate. Regarding flights, the round-the-world ticket, really interesting? compares the round-the-world ticket to separate tickets. To dig into the numbers, details of my round-the-world budget breaks down the real expenses on the ground.
I have often reduced my expenses by staying longer in places and working on my computer, which prevents me from doing activities.
I am currently in Guatemala where the cost of living is one of the lowest among the countries I have visited during this world tour.
Upcoming trips:
What budget should be planned for a one-year world tour?
Is a round-the-world ticket necessary?
How many countries can you visit in 1 year of world travel?
- A short tour of Guatemala after my Spanish classes, probably two other places.
- The city of Mexico before boarding for Cuba.
- I will fly to Colombia right after.
- There is a good chance I will celebrate the New Year in Colombia or in Paris, France.
- Taking your time for your world tour.
- How to get the cheapest plane tickets possible.
- The pre-world tour, how I felt it.
- How I managed to limit my world tour expenses.
