So…as I was saying…this was a fun procrastination device for me about two years ago…so fun that I figured out all the travel times online. Like gadventures and the other groups that do things like this (but as I said, they don’t do anything close to 12 months), there would have to be room for flexibility in case injury or weather or political instability became a problem. But I think about 15 to 20 people could do this, perhaps as a web series, whatever. This itinerary has changed many, many times since I first made it. I welcome suggestions, but the most welcome suggestions are the ones that also suggest what to cut. Don’t forget that THIS is a high priority: The UNESCO World Heritage List. “You have to do Oktoberfest in Munich!” isn’t much of a suggestion…I’d rather see Germany in summer and Diwali in October. Trade-offs, people. There are also certain oddities, like ferries that don’t run every day, or the fact that you can’t visit Arab countries after Israel (so you visit them before)…lot of weird stuff to account for.
It’s funny, for the last twelve months I’ve been “following” my own fictional itinerary online, checking the weather (usually great, though early December 2013 in SE Asia got a lot more rain than usual) and political headlines (we got lucky, everywhere has been safe). If this ever is a novel, there will be old characters (senior citizens!) and younger. I sort of love that it “ended” (fictionally, anyway) yesterday, the first day of the World Cup. Perhaps some of my “characters” will stay just long enough for Mexico’s first match (today, June 13).
I have NOT created this itinerary for 2014-15, and I don’t know when I’ll do it again. Maybe when I plan it for real life? If anyone reading actually believes that this is a viable business strategy, ping me. I won’t hold my breath. Though…I stand steadfast in believing that this itinerary would be more educational than any year at any university. I even believe that such an itinerary may become a standard option for university students in, say, 100 years. Bookmark this link, people. You read it here first.
I give you the world. (theworldinayear.com 2013-2014)
- Moscow – The Armory Museum, Red Square and Kremlin, Lenin’s Tomb, Tretyakov Gallery, Thursday, June 13, 2013
- Moscow – Moscow Underground (certain stations), Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye, Arbat Street, Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent/Cemetery, Bolshoi
- Moscow – Golden Ring to Uglich and Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad
Night train to St. Pete “Daily Train #28” departs Moscow 21.30 arrives St. Petersburg 5.30 (about 8 hours)
- St. Petersburg – Historic Center of St. Petersburg, The Hermitage, Russian Museum, Museum of Artillery, Admiralty, Nevsky Prospekt, White Nights Festival, Mariinsky Theatre
- St. Petersburg – Pavlovsk, Tsarskoye Selo, watch Neva bridge open late – Monday, June 17
- St. Petersburg – Strelna, Petrodvorets
Night bus to Helsinki Finnord Bus departs St. Pete 22.40 arrives Helsinki 6.30 (about 8 hours) and includes Struve Geodetic Arc
- Helsinki – Market Square, Senate Square, Temppeliaukio Church, Suomenlinna
– Wednesday June 19 – ends w night ferry to Tallinn
8. Tallinn – Historic Center of Tallinn Day in Estonia – Night ferry to Stockholm departs Helsinki 17.00 arrives Stockholm 10.00 (about 17 hours)
- Stockholm – Archipelago, Lake Malaren, Royal Domain of Drottningholm Palace and Theatre, Birka-Hovgarden, Midsummer Eve – Friday June 21
- Stockholm – Vasamuseet, Skogskyrkogarden, Old Town, Riddarholm Church, National Museum, City Center
- Day train to Oslo departs Stockholm 8.30 arrives Oslo 14.30 (about 6 hours), see Oslo for an hour, new train departs 16.00 from Oslo arrives Bergen 22.00 (about 6 more hours)
- Bergen – Cruise to Naeroyfjord, Bryggen, Central Bergen – Monday, June 24
- Bergen – Night train to Copenhagen, departs Bergen 23.00 arrives Copenhagen 15.30 (about 16 hours) – Tivoli in the Danish evening
- Copenhagen – bicycle around city including Cristiania (museums free on Wednesdays)
- Copenhagen – Roskilde Cathedral – Thursday June 27
Night train Copenhagen-Malmo-Berlin, departs Copenhagen 20.36 then Malmo 21.33 arrives Berlin 6.04 (about 10 hours)
- Berlin – Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, Reichstag, Berlin Modernism Estates
- Berlin – Postdam, Sans Souci
- Berlin – Historical Museum, etc
Night train to Krakow, departs Berlin 21.45 arrives Krakow 9.45 (about 12 hours)
- Krakow – City Center, Wawel Hill, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska – Monday July 1
- Krakow – Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine
Night train to Prague, departs Krakow 22.10 arrives Prague 6.50 (about 9 hours)
- Prague – Castle District, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, National Museum, U Fleku “if you’ve never experienced Munich’s Oktoberfest, you won’t have to after this” (Patricia Schultz)
- Prague – About 5 museums – Thursday July 4
Night train to Budapest, departs Prague 23.11, arrives Budapest 8.20 (about 9 hours)
- Budapest – Buda Castle and Royal Palace, Parliament, Hotel Gellert (including massage/spa), City Park, Andrassy Avenue
- Budapest – Szentendre, many museums
Night train to Sofia, departs Budapest 23.00, arrives Sofia 17.45 (about 19 hours)
- Sofia – Settle in
- Sofia – Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Boyana Church, Hagia Sophia – Monday July 8
Night train to Istanbul, departs Sofia 17.40, arrives Istanbul 8.20
- Istanbul – Hagia Sophia, Archeological Museum, Cagaloglu Hamam, Pera Palas (some places closed Tuesday, but not these)
- Istanbul – Historic Areas of Istanbul incl. Topkapi Palace Museum, Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Kariye Museum
- Istanbul – Suleymaniye Mosque, Covered Bazaar
Night train to Thessa, departs Istanbul 21.00
- Thessaloniki – arrives Thessaloniki 8.00 (about 11 hours), go to Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki, transfer to Intercity express to Athens, (trains run all the time; about 2 hours) after arriving in Athens – National Archeological Museum or settle in
- Athens – Acropolis and surroundings; watch sound and light show on Acropolis
- Day trip to Delphi with side trip (on return) to Monastery of Hosios Loukas; evening trip to Epidaurus for summertime festival performance, sleep in Epidaurus
- Morning trip to Mystras and Sparta; afternoon trip to Temple of Apollo Epicurius and Archeological site of Olympia; ferry for Bari departs Patras 18.00…goes all night… – Monday, July 15
- Rest day: Ferry arrives Bari 8.30, departs Bari 12.00, arrives 19.30 in Dubrovnik (about 8 hours)
- Dubrovnik
- Dubrovnik
- Dubrovnik
- Dubrovnik – See city
- Dubrovnik – Hire hydrofoil for morning in Stari Grad Plain and afternoon in Split, including Historic City of Trogir and Historial Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian – Return to Dubrovnik in time for ferry for Italy leaving at 22.00…
- Arrives Bari 8.00; train departs Bari 9.07, arrives Salerno 15.00; hire speedboat (or bus if necessary) to go up Amalfi Coast: Salerno-Amalfi-Positano-Capri-Sorrento-Napoli – Historic Centre of Naples – Monday July 22
- Naples – Pompeii and Herculaneum and Royal Palace at Caserta
Morning train to Rome (all the time; about 2 hours)
- Rome – Historic Centre of Rome – Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Capitoline Museums, Piazza Navona
- Rome – Vatican City and museums, St. Peter’s Square, The Forum, Bocca Della Verita
- Rome – The Colosseum, Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Maria de Trastevere
Evening train to Florence (all the time; about 2 hours)
- Florence – Historic Centre of Florence – Galleria Dell’Accademia, The Duomo, Uffizi Galleries, Museo San Marco, late afternoon bus to Historic Centre of Siena for dinner there before return to Florence
- Florence – Bargello Museum, Church of Santa Croce, Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza Della Signoria, sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
Morning train to Genoa (all the time; about 2 hours)
- Genoa – Le Strade Nuove and the System of the Palazzi del Rolli – Monday July 29
Evening train to Venice (all the time; about 3 hours)
- Venice – Venice and its Lagoon – Piazza San Marco, Basilica de San Marco, The Grand Canal, Ca’ D’Oro, Galleria Giorgio Franchetti
- Venice – Galleria Dell’Accademia, Chiesa dei Frari, Guggenheim Collection
Night train to Vienna; departs Venice 21.00, arrives Vienna 8.20 (about 11 hours)
- Vienna, — Hofburg, Kunsthistoriches Museum, Historic Center of Vienna
- Vienna, then Salzburg – Schonbrunn Palace, train ride (all the time, about 3 hours), Mozart’s house, Historic Center of Salzburg, Salzburg Festival
Morning train to Munich (all the time, about 2 hours)
- Munich – Deutsches Museum, Alte Pinakothek, BMW Museum, palace, evening in/near Englischer Garden
- Munich – Day trip to Pilgrimage Church of Wies (UNESCO site #50)
- Morning train to Interlaken, departs Munich 7.28, arrives Interlaken 14.57 (about 7 hours), settle in – Monday August 5
- Interlaken – Jungfraujoch, Jungfrau Mountain, Murren (depending on weather)
- Extra day @ Interlaken (river raft?)
- Travel to Berne (trains all the time, about an hour), Old City of Berne, then to Lausanne (trains all the time, about 2 hours) Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces and evening train to Geneva-Brussels
- Brussels – La-Grand Place and Major Town Houses of Victor Horta, European Quarter, Stoclet House
Evening train to Amsterdam, departs Brussels 20.15, arrives Amsterdam 23.00 (about 3 hours)
- Amsterdam – Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Oude Kerk @ 4pm for concert, evening Canal Cruise, Red Light District
- Amsterdam – Bike to Beemster Polder, see Defense Line of Amsterdam and 17th-century canal ring; bike around Amsterdam for rest of afternoon
- Amsterdam – Anne Frank House, Westerkerk, Café Society
Evening train to London, departs Amsterdam 17.15, arrives London 21.30 (about 4 hours) – Monday August 12
- London – Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and St. Catherine’s Church, Parliament, Big Ben, London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace
- London – Kew Gardens, British Museum, Tate Modern and Tate Britain, West End show
- London – Maritime Greenwich, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Tower of London
Evening train to Edinburgh, departs London 18.00, arrives Edinburgh 22.30 (about 4 hours)
- Edinburgh – Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Arts Festival
- Edinburgh – Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Arts Festival
- Edinburgh – Princes Street, Edinburgh Arts Festival
- Train to Studley Royal Park and Saltaire – try to get to Bath – Monday, August 19
- Train to Stonehenge, Avebury, evening in City of Bath
- London/Paris day – Morning drive to London; lunch in London, Eurostar departs London 15.00, arrives Paris 18.15; dinner in Paris
- Paris – visas if necessary
- Paris – Paris, Banks of the Seine – Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs D’Elysses, Notre Dame, Montmartre, Sacre-Cour
- Paris – Versailles, Musee D’Orsay, Musee de Cluny, Latin Quarter, Luxembourg Gardens
- Paris – Picasso Museum, Pompidou, The Louvre, Rodin Museum, Hotel Des Invalides
- Paris – Day trip to Fontainebleau – Monday, August 26
- Train to Loire Valley – Chateaux of Loire Valley
- Trips to Bourges Cathedral and Saint-Savin sur Gartempe, train to Avignon
- Avignon – hire bus to see Avignon and Arles and Pont du Gard and “Triumphal Arch” of Orange
- Rest day: train departs Avignon 10.00 (?), Historic Fortified City of Carcassone – Take train to Barcelona – ferry to Ibiza leaves at 23.00 and arrives at 6.00
- Ibiza
- Ibiza
- Ibiza – Monday, September 2
- Ibiza
- Morning ferry to Valencia, see La Lonja de Seda de Valencia, take late-afternoon train to Barcelona (runs all the time), spend evening on streets, La Rambla
- Barcelona – Catalan National Art Museum, La Sagrada Familia, Museu Picasso
- Barcelona – Palau de la Musica Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Miro Museum, Gothic Quarter (concert @ Palau?)
- Rest day – train departs Barcelona 7.30, arrives Bilbao 13.40, Guggenheim Bilbao, train departs Bilbao 17.10, arrives Madrid 22.00
- Madrid – Monastery and the site of the Mercurial, bullfight (must be a Sunday)
- Madrid – Prado, Reina Sofia, Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor; flamenco show in evening – Monday, September 9
- Madrid – Rent bus, day trip to Segovia and Avila, ending in Salamanca
- Morning trip to Historic City of Toledo; return to Madrid in afternoon; train departs 17.00, arrives Granada 21.45
- Granada – Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzin; train departs 16.30, arrives Seville 19.45
- Seville – Cathedral, Alcazar, and Archivos de Indias
- Rest day – bus from Seville to Lisbon
- Lisbon – Igreja de Madalena, Igreja de Santo Antonio, Se de Lisboa, Castelo de Sao Jorge, Museum Calouste Gulbenkian
- Lisbon – Day trip to Alcobaca and Batalha – Monday, September 16
- Lisbon – Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belem and Cultural Landscape of Sintra – Easyjet flight departs Lisbon 20.30, arrives Madrid 22.30
- Flight departs Madrid 9.50, arrives Marrakech 11.05 – Medina of Marrakech, Place Djemaa el-Fna
- Marrakech – just because
- Marrakech – Ait Benhaddou day trip, Sahara
- Essaouira – Medina of Essaouira
- Mazagan (El Jadida)
- Travel/rest day; Marrakech-Berlin, Berlin-Tokyo, Monday, September 23
- Arrival in Tokyo
- Tokyo
- Tokyo – day trip to Shrines and Temples of Nikko
- Tokyo; evening train to near Mt. Fuji
- Climb Mt. Fuji; evening train to Kyoto
- Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (UNESCO site #100)
- Kyoto – Uji and Otsu – Monday, September 30
- Kyoto – Day trip – Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara and Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-Ji Area
- To Himeji-jo (trains all the time), and then onto Hiroshima (trains all the time), Hiroshima Peace Memorial
- Itsukushima Shinto Shrine and last day in Japan
- Rest day – Train from Hiroshima to Fukuoka (all the time, about an hour), ferry from Fukuoka leaves 12.30, arrives Busan 18.00 (about 6 hours), bus leaves Busan at 19.00, arrives Gyeongju at 20.10 (about an hour)
- Gyeongju Historic Areas and Seokguram Grotto and Bulguska Temple
- Gongju-si: Baekje Cultural Festival
- Day trip to Hahoe and Yangdong and Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty – Monday, October 7
- Haeinsu Temple Janggyeoung Panjeon and Seonyu-do
- Seonyu-do, Gunsan – beach archipelago
- Seonyu-do
- Seonyu-do
- Seoul (visas to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore)
- Seoul
- Seoul – Changdeokgung Palace Complex and Hwaseong Fortress – Monday, October 14
- Seoul – (must be a Tuesday) Morning at Ganghwa Dolmen Site, and then Incheon ferry leaves at 17.00 to arrive in Qingdao the next morning at 9.00 (about 14 hours)
- Rest day – Temple of Confucius and Kong Family and Mount Taishan, then onto Beijing in evening (trains all the time)
- Beijing – Forbidden City, Tianenmen, Royal Palace, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace
- Beijing – Great Wall of China
- Beijing – Peking Man site at Zhoukoudian; train leaves at 20.47, arrives at Xian at 7.58am next day (about 11 hours)
- Xian – Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor; train leaves 17.48, arrives in Huangshan 8.02
- Huangshan – Mount Huangshan – north entrance – Take cable car up, explore, stay at over-priced place at summit – Monday, October 21
- Huangshan – See sunrise; come down Western steps, make the 13.40 bus to see Xidi and Hongcun; stay near there
- 3-hour bus to Hangzhou West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou – and then evening train to Shanghai (all the time; maybe 2 hours)
- Shanghai – Day trip to Classical Gardens of Suzhou
- Shanghai (Shanghai Museum)
- Shanghai – rest day begins at 19.28 train leaving for Lhasa, goes 24+ hours and…
- Train ride through China
- Train Arrival in Lhasa at 19.15 – Monday, October 28
- Lhasa – Potala Palace
- Lhasa
- Rest day: Lhasa-Katmandu (may have to fly through Hong Kong)
- Katmandu – Katmandu Valley
- Katmandu (Everest by plane is optional; $150)
- Katmandu – Trishuli river-rafting day – love bus leaves at night (with sleeping arrangements like Green Tortoise)
- Rest day – love bus from Katmandu to Sunauli (India/Nepal border town), on to Delhi – Monday, November 4 (Diwali begins the previous day)
- Delhi – Qutb Minar and its Monuments (Diwali stuff)
- Delhi – Humayan’s Tomb and Red Fort Complex
- Delhi; love bus leaves that night for Dharamsala
- Dharamsala – Attend lecture of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama; love bus leaves that night
- Delhi to Agra – Taj Mahal and Agra Fort
- Fatehpur Sikra and Keoladeo National Park
- Buddhit Monuments at Sanchi and Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka – Monday, November 11
Night love bus to Maharashtra
- Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves; night love bus to Goa
- Goa
- Goa
- Goa
- Goa, love bus to Mumbai
- Mumbai – Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
- Mumbai – Monday, November 18
- Mumbai – Elephanta Caves (they’re closed Monday)
- Travel/rest day – Mumbai to Hanoi (transfer?); After arrival at Hanoi, get train to Halong City (all the time; about 4 hours) and…enjoy Ha Long Bay
- Ha Long Bay
- Ha Long Bay
Return to Hanoi at night (trains all the time)
- Hanoi – Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long; train leaves Hanoi at 19.00 heading South
- Arrive at Complex of Hue Mountains about 9.00; eventually travel on to Da Nang (trains run all the time, about 2 hours);
- Da Nang to Hoi An, and then My Son Sanctuary, then night train leaves Da Nang at 21.41… – Monday, November 25
- Rest day – Arrive Ho Chi Minh City at 15.05
- Ho Chi Minh City (Museum of American War), go to market for Thanksgiving supplies
- Travel day – Bus leaves Ho Chi Minh City at 6.00, arrives at Siem Riep at 18.30 – Thursday, Thanksgiving
- Angkor Wat
- Angkor Wat
- Rest day – Take bus to border (Poiput), cross border, arrive at Aranyaprathet, get 13.55 train, arrive at Bangkok 19.55
- Bangkok – Monday, December 2
- Bangkok – Trip to Ayutthaya (trains all the time; about 2 hours) – spend day at Ayutthaya, then take 19.25 train to Phitsanulok, arriving there 23.06; spend night there
- 1-hour bus to Sukhothai; enjoy day; 1-hour return to Phitsanulok, then 14.01 train arrives in Bangkok at 21.10
- Trip to Thungyai-Huai Kha Wildlife Sanctuary
- Bangkok in the morning; train leaves at 14.45, goes all night…
- Train from Bangkok crosses border, eventually arrives in Butterworth at 13.51 – Butterworth, Penang – see George Town (UNESCO site #150)
- Butterworth – Archeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley
Night train leaves Butterworth/Penang 23.00, arrives Kuala Lumpur 6.40
- Kuala Lumpur — Monday, December 9
Night train leaves Kuala Lumpur 23.00, arrives Singapore 6.35
- Singapore – go to embassies, deal with visas
- Singapore – evening flight to Jakarta (all the time, about an hour) – sleep on love bus
- Love bus arrives at Yogya midday (about 8 hours) – Borobudur and Prambanan – take love bus to Bali – arrive late at night
- Bali – dive class (probably w/same Aussie co. doing Reef liveaboard)
- Bali – dive class
- Bali
- Bali – Monday, December 16
- Bali
- Bali
Morning flight to Sydney (flights all the time)
- Sydney, take connecting flight to Cairns, arrive in Cairns
- The Great Barrier Reef – begin 3-day 2-night liveaboard
- The Great Barrier Reef
- The Great Barrier Reef – Love bus leaves in evening
- Fraser Island and Brisbane – Love bus leaves in evening – Monday, December 23
- Gondwana Rain Forests of Australia (Barrington Tops National Park) – Drive to Sydney in afternoon/evening – December 24, Christmas Eve, Tuesday
- Sydney – Christmas Day, Wednesday – Sydney Opera House –
- Sydney – December 26, Boxing Day, Thursday – Drive to Blue Mountains, go mountain biking all day; love bus night trip to Melbourne
- Melbourne
- Melbourne – Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
- Beginning in morning, take Great Ocean Road west, drive on it all morning, in afternoon visit Naracoorte Caves, spend night near (or in) Mildura (yes, Mildura)
- See Willandra Lakes Region – love bus leaves by 21.00 for Uluru – Monday, December 30
- Rest day: arrive in Uluru around 15.00 – camp – New Year’s Eve @ Uluru!
- Uluru – New Year’s Day – love bus leaves that evening for Sydney
- Rest day: long, long, drive to Sydney
- Sydney – Sydney zoo, Australian Convict sites
- Sydney – Qantas Flight from Sydney to Cairo? And Cairo to Luxor?
- Wake up in Luxor, take train to Aswan, begin seeing monuments –
- Aswan, Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae, back to Luxor in evening – Monday, January 6
- Luxor, Ancient Thebes, Valley of the Kings
Night trip to Cairo
- Cairo – Giza, Memphis site
- Cairo – Historic Cairo; leave Cairo in time for night hired bus to arrive at Taba/Aqaba ferry early
- Taba/Aqaba ferry; take taxi to Petra, probably arrive noonish; Petra
- Petra – 16.00 bus to Amman, arrive in Amman 20.00
- Amman – road trip to Quseir Amra and Um er-Rasas
- From Amman to Jerusalem – Monday, January 13
- Jerusalem – Sunrise in Masada, swim in Dead Sea, see Jericho, Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem, back to Jerusalem
- Jerusalem
- Tel Aviv
- Tel Aviv – Shabbat @ sundown (no driving, no electricity)
- Tel Aviv
- Day trip to Acre and Haifa and Western Galilee and to Mount Carmel; sleep in Haifa
- Morning trip to the Biblical Tels – back to Tel Aviv in time for 17:40 flight to Istanbul to Nairobi – Monday, January 20
- Nairobi – arrange love bus – love bus by nightfall, driving to…
- Mount Kenya National Park, camp
- see Kenya Lake System in the Great River Valley – go camp at Masai Mara
- Masai Mara – balloon ride – camp at Masai Mara that night
- Wake up in Masai Mara, cross border into Tanzania, begin safari in Serengeti
- Serengeti safari
- Serengeti safari – Monday, January 27
- Begin in Serengeti, go through Ngorongoro, enter into Monduli Mountains to meet Masai warriors (they prefer evening campfire introductions)
- Spend day with Masai warriors, then to Arusha in evening
- Arusha – trip to Kondoa, check how in-shape people are, return
- Day 1 of Kilimanjaro
- Day 2 of Kilimanjaro
- Day 3 of Kilimanjaro
- Day 4 of Kilimanjaro – summit! – Monday, February 3
- Day 5 of Kilimanjaro
- Day 6 of Kilimanjaro
- Love bus from Arusha to Mombasa (about 5 hours), see Fort Jesus, Mombasa
- Mombasa – See Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests – Love bus goes all night to Dar
- Dar es Salaam – day trip to Zanzibar, Stone Town, etc.
- Dar es Salaam – drive to Kilwa Kisiwani, spend evening/night in Selous Game Reserve
- Wake up in Selous, drive more than 24 hours to Lusaka – Monday, February 10
- Arrival in Lusaka in afternoon, wander, eat dinner, board love bus at midnight to Livingstone (about 7 hours)
- Livingstone (Victoria Falls)
- Livingstone (Victoria Falls)
- Livingstone (Victoria Falls) – river-rafting optional
- Livingstone (Victoria Falls)
Morning bus to Chobe
- Chobe National Park, Botswana; spend night in Okavango Delta
- Okavango Delta – mini-safari – Monday, February 17
- Wake up in Okavango Delta, drive to Tsodilo Hills – end day in Maun, go to bed early
- Rest day: Love bus leaves Maun at dawn, passes through Kalahari Desert, arrives in Gaborone at 17.00 (about 12 hours)
- Rest day: bus leaves Gaborone at 6.30, arrives Johannesburg at 13.00 (about 7 hours)
- Johannesburg – Apartheid Museum
- Johannesburg – day trip to Cradle of Humankind
- Johannesburg – day trip to Vredefort Crater
- 5-hour drive to iSimangaliso; sunset drive, night drive – Monday, February 24
- Sunrise drive in iSimangaliso; drive to Ukahlamba Drakensburg; get to Durban by dinner – Shosholoza Meyl Tourist Class Train leaves Durban 19.15…
- Shosholoza Meyl Tourist Class Train arrives Cape Town 7.45 (about 12 hours) – Cape Town, Table Mountain
- Cape Town – day trip to Robben Island
- Cape Town – day trip to Cape Floral Region Protected Areas
- Rest/travel day from Cape Town to Rio, Brazil – Saturday, March 1
- Rio de Janeiro (Carnival)
- Rio de Janeiro – Carioca Landscapes Between the Mountain and the Sea – Monday, March 3
- Rio de Janeiro
- Rio de Janeiro – Statue of Our Savior
- Rio de Janeiro – Hire bus and leave at midnight to do a day trip (for the game) to Ouro Preto and Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas
- Bus to Sao Paolo (runs all the time, about 6 hours) – pass through Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves
- Sao Paolo
- Sao Paolo – Bus leaves 18.30, drives all night…
- Arrives at Iguacu Falls at 7.55 (about 13 hours) – Iguacu National Park Monday, March 10
- Iguacu Falls
- Hired bus leaves Ciudad del Este westward into Paraguay, drives down Highway 6 to La Santisima Trinidad de Parana; back into Argentina for San Ignacio Mini and nearby Jesuit Missions; finally night in Santa Rosa, Brazil – Day 1 of (optional) Spanish lessons
- Hired bus leaves Santa Rosa, drives to Montevideo (about 13 hours) – Dia 2 de instrucciones de espanol
- Montevideo
- Hired bus to Colonia (runs all the time, about an hour) – Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento
Morning ferry to Argentina (runs all the time; less than an hour trip)
- Buenos Aires – include Plaza Dorrego and Sunday amateur tanguerias
- Buenos Aires – Monday, March 17
- Buenos Aires – OmniLineas bus leaves 22.31 (1 Cama Suite)…
- Arrives in Cordoba at 7.30 (about 9 hours) – Jesuit Block and Estancias of Cordoba – Cordoba – Andes Mar sleeper bus leaves 21.30…
- Arrives in San Juan at 6.40 (about 9 hours); hire bus tour to Ischigualasto/ Talampaya, day trip, back to San Juan
- Rest day: Andes Mar bus leaves San Juan 7.55, arrives Mendoza 10.15; Andes Mar bus leaves Mendoza 10.30, day trip to Aconcauga, return to Mendoza maybe 16.30, leave for Santiago, arrive about 22.30
- Santiago
- Santiago
- Santiago – Day trip to Sewell Mining Town – Monday, March 24
- Morning bus to Valparaiso (all the time; about 1 hour) – Historic Quarter of Valparaiso – Turbus.cl leaves Valparaiso at 18.01…
- Turbus.cl arrives at Antofagasta at 13.10, take taxi to Tamarugal Pampa – Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works – Some overnight bus will do the 10-hour drive from Antofagasta to arrive in Arica by 6.00, but none of them have times on their websites (Pullman, Turbus, Zambrano, Carmelita, Cruz Del Norte, Ramos Cholele, Flota Barrios, Expreso Norte, Norte Grande)
- Pullman Cuevas bus leaves Arica 7.00, arrives La Paz at 16.00 (about 9 hours)
- La Paz – Mercado de Hechiceria and optional excursion to Coroico by mountain bike
- La Paz – day trip to Tiwanaku
- Morning bus to Copacabana (leaves all the time; about 1 hour); afternoon at floating Islands of Lake Titicaca, finish night in Puno, Peru
- PeruRail’s Andean Explorer departs Puno 8.00, arrives at Cusco at 18.00 (about 10 gorgeous hours) – Monday, March 31
- Cusco
- Taxi to Poroy, many options but if cheap take 7.42 train arriving at Machu Picchu at 10.51 – return to Cusco in evening
- Cusco, Sacred Valley of the Incas (bus loop) – late evening bus to Arequipa
- Historical City of Arequipa – Monasterio de Santa Catalina
- Arequipa – late afternoon bus to Lima
- Lima – Historic Center of Lima
- Lima (Islas Palomino) – Monday, April 7
- Lima
- Lima
- Hire bus, drive north, first to Caral-Supe, then Chavin, then night in Huascaran National Park
- Drive hired bus to Trujillo, see Chan Chan Peru Bus leaves Trujillo 23.00…
- Rest day: Arrive in Piura at 5.00, at Tumbes at 12.00, cross border, finally arrive in Cuenca for dinner
- Historical Center of Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca plus optional afternoon trip to Ingapirca
- Go to Sanjay National Park – finish in Ambato – Monday, April 14
- Go to Banos (buses all the time), then contract with locals, begin 4-day jungle expedition – rafting on Amazon headwaters, rain forest, meeting natives
- Still in jungle
- Still in jungle
- Finish jungle expedition, return to Banos – get bus to Quito (all the time, about 2 hours)
- Quito – Day trip to Otavalo, Saturday market
- Quito – Easter Sunday
- Quito – Rumbo.es bus leaves 18.35, drives all night… – Monday, April 21
- Arrives in Popayan at 13.20; hire bus to San Agustin
- Start day with San Agustin Archeological Park, drive to National Archeological Park of Tierradentro, finish in Popayan
- Bus from Popayan to Cartago-Armenia (all the time; about an hour), see Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, take evening bus to Bogota (all the time; about an hour)
- Bogota – Gold Museum
- Bogota – Late afternoon Vivacolombia flight to Cartagena (all the time; about an hour)
- Cartagena – Day trip to Santa Cruz de Mompos
- Port, Fortresses, and Group of Monuments in Cartagena – Monday, April 28
- Morning flight to Panama City (all the time; about an hour)
- Panama City – Canal and Portobelo-San Lorenzo Fortifications
- Panama City (Casco Antiguo) Panama Viejo – May Day
- Rest day: Bus from Panama City to Chiriqui (La Concepcion)
- Chiriqui – La Amistad National Park
- Cross border, do Corcovado National Park canopy tour
- Drive to San Jose, begin Fun in Costa Rica (beach break for some) – Monday, May 5
- Fun in Costa Rica
- Fun in Costa Rica
- Fun in Costa Rica
- Fun in Costa Rica
- Fun in Costa Rica – take afternoon Tica bus ride to Liberia (all the time; about 4 hours from San Jose)
- Guanacaste Park
- Rest day: Tica bus leaves Liberia 9.00, arrives in Managua at 14.00 (about 5 hours) – Monday, May 12
- Managua – Bus to Leon Cathedral and Ruins of Leon Viejo
- Tica bus leaves Managua at 5.00, arrives San Salvador at 16.00 (about 11 hours)
- San Salvador – Joya de Ceren
- Rest day: Tica bus leaves San Salvador at 5.00, arrives in Guatemala City at 11.00 (about 6 hours)
- Guatemala City – Day trip to Antigua, Guatemala
- Guatemala City
- Bus from Guatemala City to Quirigua, go to park and ruins – Monday, May 19
- Drive to Tikal National Park, afternoon to explore
- Tikal, then cross border to Belize, finish in Belize City
- Belize City
- Ambergris Caye – Belize Barrier Reef System
- Ambergris Caye
- Ambergris Caye (arrange love bus for Mexico) – Love bus leaves Belize City in evening…
- Quintana Roo, Sian Ka’an, drive on to Chichen Itza (3 hours away) – Monday, May 26
- Chichen Itza, Ek Balam (sound and light show at night, for those who care)
- 3 hour drive to Uxmal and 3 hour drive to Campeche, drive near Calakmul
- Calakmul and Palenque, drive all night to Tiacotalpan
- Tiacotalpan in morning, some time on beach – then all-night drive to Oaxaca
- Oaxaca – Historic Centre of Oaxaca, Monte Alban, Saturday Market, and Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla love bus leaves for another all-night drive…
- El Tajin and Marine’s Day (June 1) at Veracruz (centennial of repulsion of US forces at Veracruz); bus leaves for another all-night drive…
- Queretaro – Historic Monuments of Queretaro and Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Queretaro and Historic Center of Morelia (a little time to do laundry/freshen up) – Monday, June 2
- Querataro – Protective town of San Miguel de Allende and Historic Town of Guanajuato, love bus leaves for another all-night drive…
- Historic Center of Zacatecas and Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
- Guadalajara – Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila and Hospicio Cabanas love bus leaves for another all-night drive…
- Begin day at Archeological Monument Zone of Xochicalco, then to 16th-century Monasteries on Slopes of Popocatepetl, then to Historic Center of Puebla sleep in Puebla
- Spend morning at Teotihuacan, and then finally, finally arrive in Mexico City in afternoon, check into final hotel
- Mexico City (Tenochtitlan) – Historic Center of Mexico City and Xochimilco
- Mexico City – Central University City Campus of UNAM and Luis Barragan House and Studio – Monday, June 9
- Mexico City
- Mexico City
- go home – Thursday, June 12