PLANNING A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD

Planning a trip around the world is one of the most thrilling adventures you can undertake. While the prospect of organizing such an extensive journey might seem overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. The key decisions about where to go, what to do, and how to maximize your time should be an enjoyable part of the experience.

Whether you’re taking a sabbatical or career break, celebrating a life milestone, retiring, or embarking on a gap year, this guide is a great tool for you. I’ll share the essential steps to create an itinerary that enhances your around-the-world travel experience. From choosing your destinations and finding the best times to visit, to fitting your budget and booking flights, we’ll cover all the bases. Plus, I’ll share my own meticulously crafted itinerary to inspire your planning.

When I create an itinerary for a week or two, it’s meticulously planned, printed out, and spiral-bound with Excel packets complete with booking confirmations. Every detail is sorted – from flight times and car services to hotel addresses. This level of planning gives me the peace of mind to simply enjoy my trip. However, planning an around-the-world trip, especially for several months, requires a different approach.

You might be thinking, “With all that effort to plan a two-week trip, how in the world are you going to manage planning for several months?” The answer is simple – adapt. While my current spreadsheet is a masterpiece, you would not want it to be too rigid. Flexibility is key to a long-term journey. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to create a structured yet flexible itinerary that maximizes your experience.

Let’s dive into the step-by-step approach to planning your ultimate around-the-world trip.

STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH TO PLANNING

Creating a well-structured itinerary is key to ensuring a fulfilling and efficient travel experience. Below is the step-by-step method you can use use to plan your trip around the world.

1. CREATE A LIST

Creating a list is the first exciting step in planning your around-the-world trip. It’s time to brainstorm and think of everywhere you want to go. Use your imagination and go wild. Consider places that are more difficult to get to and wouldn’t be suitable for a long weekend or a standard vacation. If you have already traveled extensively, this list allows you to delve deeper into places you may have already been or venture into exotic destinations that have been on your bucket list.

If you’re traveling with a partner, this step becomes even more interesting. My partner and I, both extensive travelers prior to meeting, decided to independently create lists of places and experiences we wanted to explore. We prioritized our lists before sharing them with each other. Doing this independently ensured that we weren’t influenced by each other’s travel past or preferences.

The fun part was comparing our lists and discussing our choices. We aimed to avoid overlap as much as possible to create new memories together in places neither of us had visited. For the areas where our lists did overlap, we noted key destinations to negotiate into our itinerary. Remember, unless you have unlimited funds and time, you won’t be able to see and do it all, so be prepared for some happy negotiating.

2. FIND THE BEST TIME

Every destination or experience on your around-the-world trip has a sweet spot in terms of timing. Consider how important the weather is for each destination and whether the experience you want to have can only be done at a certain time of year. Decide if you want to visit a place during its peak period or if a shoulder season might be just as rewarding but less crowded. These factors are crucial when evaluating your list.

With your potential destinations and experiences in hand, a helpful exercise is to create a matrix broken down by month, indicating the “best time to visit” each location throughout the year. Take time to do your research, and once all the destinations are plotted, check if these times align with your anticipated travel dates. This matrix will be a valuable tool in ensuring your trip is both enjoyable and feasible.

As adventure travelers, our matrix wasn’t purely about favorable weather – it also included the optimal times to experience the key activities we wanted to do. For example, we removed Japan from our around-the-world travel list because the best time to climb Fuji coincided with the best time to trek the W Trek in Patagonia. Since we both wanted to do the W-Trek, we prioritized it and left Japan for another future trip.

Balancing your priorities and making these kinds of decisions will help you create a well-timed and memorable itinerary.

3. FIT YOUR BUDGET

Now that you know where and when you want to go, it’s time to figure out the financial how. Many people make the mistake of focusing too much on the money part upfront. If you wait for the perfect time financially to take a trip around the world, it might never happen. Instead, fit your budget into your trip, not the other way around.

We often adapt our daily lives to fit our budgets, so why not do the same while traveling? You’ll always have options that fit your financial plan. For transportation, you can choose between flying, renting a car, taking taxis, or using public transport. Accommodation choices are abundant, ranging from luxury hotels and simple hotels to hostels, homestays, Airbnbs, and camping. When it comes to food, your options are equally varied – from Michelin Star restaurants and local eateries to street food and markets where you can prepare your own meals. Don’t think you have to rule out expensive destinations right away; with smart planning, you can make your money last longer.

Be mindful that you can make your money work for you. Many long-term travelers leverage their expenses to fuel their travels. A common tactic is using financial rewards cards to earn mileage points, which can help pay for flights and accommodation. For instance, we frequently booked through Hotels.com, which rewarded us with a free night after every ten nights booked. This was incredibly helpful during our extensive journey and continues to benefit our travels today.

Don’t let financial concerns hold you back. Assuming your affairs at home are in order and you have saved for your trip, you can do this. Focus on what you want to get from your trip and adjust how you operate within your budget as you go.

4. MAP IT OUT

Now it’s time to start plotting your destinations to find an order that makes sense directionally. Begin by listing your destinations and experiences in a calendar-like Excel file to visualize your journey with a time element layered in. Look for a natural flow between locations to create loose itineraries that minimize backtracking. Avoid wasting precious time traveling back and forth from places you’ve already visited. Instead, find ways to journey from one destination to the next efficiently, reducing travel time and mitigating travel fatigue and jetlag.

Consider how long you want to spend at each destination. Unless you’re among the lucky few with unlimited time, your around-the-world trip will have an end date. The total time you have and the number of activities you want to experience will determine what you can fit in. We aimed to spend about three weeks in each country, adjusting for smaller countries where shorter stays were sufficient. This approach allowed us to prioritize quality over quantity, ensuring we had meaningful experiences without feeling rushed.

Use key destinations and experiences as anchor points for your itinerary. For us, these were items with specific timings, such as spending Christmas snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, celebrating New Year’s in Hong Kong, and trekking to Everest Base Camp in March/April. These anchor points provided structure, allowing us to flesh out the trip with loose time frames and significant activities at each destination.

Flexibility is crucial – view your trip as a big-picture adventure rather than a rigid schedule. Some destinations may not fit into this trip, and that’s okay; they’ll be there for future journeys.

5. BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS

Now it’s time to commit. With an idea of where you want to go and when, you can start to create a trip skeleton by booking some of the larger, long-haul flights. These are the flights that will have the biggest impact on the cost of your trip. It’s a good rule of thumb to book and pay for these big-ticket items in advance. This helps to alleviate some of the financial burden before you leave and also provides you with the core structure to build your itinerary around.

We did extensive research on standard Around the World tickets and found that, for our destinations, it was actually cheaper to book individual legs of the trip. This might not be the case for everyone, so be sure to check with your preferred airlines and online booking tools. For larger international flights, websites like Kayak.com are useful for exploring your options.

When planning, try tweaking your departure dates to save money; mid-week and non-holiday flights are generally cheaper. Remember that the further afield you go, the more likely you are to find smaller (and less expensive) airline carriers that may not appear on mainstream booking sites. Doing thorough research once you know your journey’s path can lead to significant savings.

We also examined our Air Miles balances to see what we had available. Knowing our basic route allowed us to identify opportunities to use our accrued air miles, resulting in a series of free and discounted flights. This left us with more money for adventures and less spent on transportation. When planning, try tweaking your departure dates to save money; mid-week and non-holiday flights are generally cheaper.

For reference, if you are looking at our itinerary originating from London, UK, we pre-booked the following major flights in advance: London to Atlanta, Los Angeles to Quito, Buenos Aires to Auckland, Sydney to Hong Kong, and Mumbai to London. We planned and booked everything in between in the lead-up to the trip and during the journey.

CRAFTING AND FINALIZING YOUR ITINERARY

If you follow the above method, you’ll end up with a well-structured and logical itinerary. The final step is to tailor it to your personal travel style – deciding how much or how little you want to plan in advance versus leaving room for spontaneity. The additional details you add will enhance your overall travel experience and enrich what you bring back with you upon your return.

As you might have guessed by now, I prefer more structure than most, but I also recognize the need for flexibility when planning a trip around the world. Pre-planning every single detail can strip away some of the spontaneity that makes travel exciting and can make it more difficult to navigate inevitable changes. Sometimes you will connect with a destination that begs you to stay longer, either through the people you meet or your connection to the experience. Other times, unforeseen circumstances will require you to adapt and change your plans. As long as you have solid travel insurance, you should be good to go.

The final itinerary should reflect your balance between planning and flexibility. Our resulting itinerary was a meticulously crafted multi-tabbed document that could bring tears of joy to any spreadsheet enthusiast. The immense effort we put into planning meant we were able to enjoy every minute of our journey. We had clear ideas of what we wanted to achieve, the type of experiences we sought, and where we could find them. This preparation allowed us to make the most of our trip, ensuring that our adventures were both structured and adaptable to unexpected opportunities.

AROUND THE WORLD TRAVEL PLANNING ESSENTIALS

Flights

When planning an around-the-world trip, securing your flights is a crucial step. Use tools like Kayak and Google Flights to find the best deals on international flights. Remember to book long-haul flights in advance to lock in the best prices and create the skeleton of your itinerary.

Accommodation

As a long-time rewards member, Hotels.com is my first stop when exploring accommodation options. Not only do they have great inventory globally, but you get a free nights stay after every 10th booking.

Car Hire

We found that one of the best ways to explore our destinations is by car. If you are thinking of doing the same, be sure to compare local car hire options at RentalCars.com.

Travel Insurance

Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. (As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.)

MY JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD: AN ITINERARY AND GUIDE

Embarking on a 7-month sabbatical, we meticulously planned and crafted an itinerary that took us to 15 incredible countries. This journey is not just a testament to our extensive planning process but also a tool for you. Whether you’re looking to replicate our entire adventure or pick and choose segments to build your own dream trip, our itinerary serves as a comprehensive guide.

Each destination is linked to detailed articles, providing insights and highlights to inspire your own travels. Join us as we recount the experiences and adventures from our unforgettable trip around the world.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

No trip around the world is complete without a road trip through the U.S.A (in a Mustang convertible – of course). It’s a rite of passage for most who grow up in the States, but I never had that experience. Travelling through the U.S. offered a way for us to get our travel juices flowing in a somewhat familiar place – easy to get around and we spoke the language. It also just happened to be the first country that made sense to visit given the matrix that was created. The U.S is vast and likely a place that you will need to visit many times before getting the full breadth of what it has to offer. Take the opportunity to see a few different corners like we did. During our trip we explored the deep South and contrasted our visit with a journey to the West coast.

Southern Route: Georgia – Tennessee

Western Route: Las Vegas – Grand Canyon – Death Valley National Park – Yosemite National Park – San Francisco – Pacific Coast Highway – Los Angeles

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS & ECUADOR

Keen to feed your inner David Attenborough? Then it is time to head to South America and visit the fantastic country of Ecuador. After a few days exploring the capital city of Quito and the surrounding volcanoes, we flew to the world’s best nature and wildlife viewing destination – the Galápagos Islands. There are a few ways to see and explore the Islands – we opted to hop on a boat and cruise around the central, western and southern islands. If the idea of exploring various ecosystems on land and underwater excites you – then this is the perfect stop for you. Get ready to don your wet suit and swim alongside with rays, sea lions, penguins and sharks.

Route: Quito – Puerto Ayora – Isla Rábida – Puerto Egas – Punta Espinoza/Urbina Bay – Elizabeth Bay/Punta Moreno – Puerto Villamil – Puerto Ayora – San Cristóbal – Quito

PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA & CHILE

It’s not time to head further south through South America. We are trading in the boat and wet suits for tents and hiking boots. Skip over to Argentina and kick off this leg of the trip with tango, Malbec, and empanadas in Buenos Aires. Once you have had your cosmopolitan fill, make your way through to gorgeous Patagonia. This spectacular region is shared by both Argentina and Chile, and the Andes Mountains as its dividing line. Explore some of Mother Nature’s finest works as you fly, drive, raft and trek through to the southernmost city in the world – Ushuaia. Traveler often spent months here – so be ready to find what you are after and enjoy.

Route: Buenos Aires – Bariloche – Puerto Varas – Punta Arenas – Puerto Natales – Torres del Paine National Park – Puerto Natales – El Calafate – El Chaltén – Ushuaia

NEW ZEALAND

When you are done navigating your way through South America – cross the Pacific Ocean and head to New Zealand. Comprised of two islands, New Zealand is an adventure lover’s paradise. When we were planning our trip around the world, we knew we wanted to explore in New Zealand. Our long haul flight from South America took us into Auckland, which is located on the North Island. The only thing that we booked prior to our arrival was a 4×4 car and a flight that departed the South Island 3.5 weeks later. Our road trip was efficient, epic and allowed us to see a pretty substantial amount of New Zealand.

If you are trying to decide whether or not New Zealand make your list, be sure to check out my ultimate itinerary in Destinations // New Zealand Itinerary for some inspiration.

Route: Auckland – Taupo – Hawkes Bay – Wellington – Marlborough – Christchurch – Dunedin – Fiordland National Park – Doubtful Sound – Milford Sound – Queenstown – Glacier Country

AUSTRALIA

A hop, skip and a jump away – you will find yourself in gorgeous Australia. Having been to Oz a couple times, we took the opportunity to sync up with friends enjoy a little bit of down time. If you have never been to Australia before, you will likely realise that it’s a massive country and unlikely you will be able to go everywhere you like in one trip. Pace yourself and explore what most would consider the highlights. Visit the capital city of Sydney, make your way out the bush to experience the sacred site of Uluru and be sure to get some beach and time in in one of the many amazing locations – Whitehaven Beach, Hamilton Island and Cairns just to name a few. We opted for a few lazy days along the east coast in Cairns and snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef. Stay tuned for features on previous destinations in Australia including Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and the Great Ocean Road.

Route: Sydney – Uluru – Cairns – Port Douglas

HONG KONG

If Asia is on your destination hit list, then it’s time to head to bustling Hong Kong. While there are undoubtedly more countries in Asia than you will have time to see, Hong Kong always serves as a great base for exploration throughout South East Asia. Hong Kong is an explosion to the senses and a feast for the eyes. Whether you choose to spend a weekend here or longer, soak it up as the next few stops will on your trip around the world will have you getting out of the hustle and bustle and off the beaten path. Having been to Hong Kong before, we used our stop here as a way explore it a bit deeper and taking advantage of what it has to offer – especially the dim sum. Yum.

Route: Hong Kong

MYANMAR

Having only opened its doors to tourism in 2012, Myanmar offers it’s visitors a glimpse into a land that is relatively unspoiled. As our first real foray into South East Asia, we opted to visit the country’s bustling capital city Yangon, attempted to explore the thousands of temples in Bagan and took the opportunity to experience life on the vast and serene Lake Inle. We fell in love with this destination and are happy to have seen it for what it was before tourism likely changes it.

Route: Yangon – Bagan – Lake Inle

VIETNAM

Ever feel like you are the only one of your friends that hasn’t been to Vietnam? Yea – that’s me and that finally changed. Plant yourself into hectic Ho Chi Minh City, take a trip out to the mighty Mekong river and slowly work your way over the 3,000km+ coastline to Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi. After exploring Hanoi be sure to head to the northern rice paddy filled mountain city of Sapa for an unforgettable trekking adventure. Before you leave this beautiful country be sure to head out to the coast for a cruise around the picturesque Halong Bay. We found that you can make your stay as long or short as you like but two to three weeks will give you a solid amount of time to experience the charm of Vietnam.

Route: Ho Chi Minh City – Nha Trang – Hoi An – Hue – Hanoi – Sapa – Halong Bay

LAOS

Often listed on many a backpacker trail guide, you should definitely make it a point to venture to Laos, the landlocked country in the heart of South East Asia, to see what all the fuss is about. Start north in lush green town of Luang Prabang and spend a few days exploring what life is like on the Mekong. Continue south through the country and head to the reformed party city of central Laos, Vang Vieng. It’s ere that you will find stunning scenery, boutique hotels and a tubing adventure along the Nam Song River that will make you feel like you are in another world. When you are done soaking up the vibes, make your way further south to the capital city of Vientiane. We didn’t know much about Laos prior to our arrival but are very glad that it made our itinerary. It’s these experiences that sum up why exploring new countries is so great. Enjoy it.

Route: Luang Prabang – Vang Vieng – Vientiane

CAMBODIA

When you think of Cambodia, you probably have Angelina Jolie and temples coming to mind. What probably doesn’t is the dark history that the country endured during the reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Before you may your way to Siem Reap, head to capital city Phnom Penh for a some reflection and a history lesson. The stories like the ones that you will hear and experience while in Phnom Penh need to be told. It’s only through reflection of our history, that we can influence our future. This couldn’t more true when looking at the past of Cambodia. Of course no trip to Cambodia is complete without a visit the Angkor Wat Archaeological Center in Siem Reap. I’ve now been twice and can’t get enough. This is where you will get your temple fix. Temples, temples, and more temples.

Route: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap

PHILIPPINES

With a few months of solid travelling under our belts it is time to slow things down a bit. If you are following this itinerary, it is likely that will want this as well. Not initially on my travel hit list, tales from the road made Philippines shoot up in priority. If you have the time, do yourself a favour and see as much of this corner of the world as possible. Fly into Manila and explore a bit of northern Luzon before you head out to the islands. Swap your trekking gear for bathing suits, snorkel gear and sun tan oil and head out to the gorgeous islands. With over 7000 islands to choose from you will have your work cut out for you. No need to worry. I’ve done the digging and can happily say that our route was an easy and fantastic was to experience the Philippines.

Don’t believe all the noise you hear about it being complicated to get around. Just prepare yourself to be spoiled with white sand beaches and some of the most pristine coral gardens in the world.

Route: Manilla – Sagada – Coron – Puerto Princesa – El Nido – Cebu – Bohol – Boracay

MALAYSIA & BORNEO

After travelling in some of the most remote places in South East Asia you may need a dose of big city life and some developed civilization. Next stop? Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After a couple days of exploring and stocking up on your essentials, hope on a short flight to Sandakan for the start of your Borneo adventure. Your eyes will be permanently peeled for wildlife as you make your way deeper and deeper into the jungle. If you are up for a challenge after spending time in the jungle, set your sights on the summit of the highest mountain in South East Asia – Mt Kinabalu. What to do after a mountain summit? Relax. We opted to pop over to Borneo’s tropical Gaya Island for a few days. Might be a good option for you if you like treating yourself when on the go.

Route: Kuala Lumpur – Sandakan – Sepilok – Abai – Sukau – Kota Kinabalu – Gaya Island

NEPAL & EVEREST BASE CAMP

I have always had a fascination with Mt. Everest. Having trekked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu and summited Kilimanjaro – the roof of Africa, it only seemed natural to take my trusty boots to Nepal. We’ve carefully crafted an off the beaten path a couple of the regions High Passes and actually stayed overnight at Everest Base Camp with an expedition team. Our Everest Base Camp adventure was like that once in a lifetime trip and one that I knew would be a part of our journey as soon we started planning a trip around the world. If the idea of trekking to Everest Base Camp sounds too extreme to you, take the opportunity to visit Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu. Visit the Stupas, spin a few prayer wheels or fly to Everest in one of the many scenic flights that are offered. Nepal holds a special place in my heart – and I’m sure it will for you as well.

Route: Kathmandu – Lukla to Phakding – Phakding to Namche – Namche to Thame – Thame (Acclimatisation Day) – Thame to Lumdeng – Lumdeng to Gokyo – Gokyo to Thangna – Thangna to Dzongla – Dzongla to Lobuche – Lobuche to Gorakshep – Gorakshep to Everest Base Camp – Everest Base Camp to Periche – Periche to Tashinga – Tashinga to Monjo – Monjo to Lukla

INDIA

India is spectacular and is another destination that is an assault on the senses. If you have not been to India before, be sure to make it a part of your travels. Having already comprehensively explored Rajasthan, we knew we wanted to go back and see more. Keen to use India as a place to unwind after Everest, we found another great area to explore over three week. Another great India itinerary includes Mumbai and the South. If you want to see a different side to India spend a couple days in the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, and then hop on a plane and head south. Treat yourself to some luxury in Goa before exploring the backwaters of Kerala. This proved to be the perfect way to round out our trip around the world before venturing back to London.

Route: Mumbai – Goa – Kochin – Munnar – Thekkady – Allepey – Kochin

Whether you are planning a trip around the world looking for smaller holiday ideas, I am certain the above will give you plenty to ponder over. One other thing you may be pondering is what happened to Europe, Africa and Antarctica? Yes there are some gaps in the above itinerary.

My past travel experiences have led me throughout Europe quite extensively. As we leave in the vicinity, most of the time spent on our Sabbatical was in areas that are much further away from home. Africa is an amazing and vast continent. I have been lucky enough to visit Morrocco, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa. I look forward to sharing these adventures with you, including summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro and wild camping in the Serengeti and Ngornongoro Crater. There is so much more of Africa I would like to experience – and feel it needs its own dedicated trip. And then there is Antarctica. What can I say – this is a bucket list destination for me and I can’t wait for the day I get to share my adventures there with you.

For a peek at where DomOnTheGo has been, be sure to check out my Destination Guides page and start exploring.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links and I earn a small commission if you make a purchase. I personally use all of these companies for my own travel needs and feel they can help you make yours. Clicking through the links doesn’t cost you anything and if you decide to make a purchase with one of these organisations, you will be helping to support the DomOnTheGo website.

8 Comments

Carmen Edelson on February 25, 2018 at 5:35 pm

Nepal has been on my list for so long! I need to make it happen by 2019. Thanks for reminding me and giving me the travel inspiration 🙂
Sam Sparrow on February 24, 2018 at 7:52 am

I’m not in a position to take a sabbatical but I’d do this route if I could – especially visiting the Galapagos, a total dream of mine! Sadly it isn’t to be, but I can try and make it through your list one trip at a time!
Rachel on February 21, 2018 at 6:51 pm

I’m so glad you included New Zealand – so far its been my favourite place, its so beautiful and under appreciated! I wish I could afford to do a Round the World trip myself, but instead I’ve opted for slower travel along with working in between. So glad you got to experience so many wonderful destinations.
Danila Caputo on February 20, 2018 at 9:40 pm

Sabbatical is out ouf question in Italy, but it really does sound pretty busy to plan a no-stop trip around the world, I had no idea!
Sandy N Vyjay on February 19, 2018 at 4:51 am

You have been to some great places and had some great experiences. Of course the Piece de resistance is your exploration of Nepal and the Himalayas. Happy to see that you have also spent time exploring the backwaters of Kerala. Kerala is such a unique and tranquil region.
lukeandmeagan on February 19, 2018 at 3:35 am

What an amazing resource – and a great place to start when planning 🙂 Now I’m wishing my 9-5 was a little more tolerant of sabbaticals 😉
Danik on February 17, 2018 at 4:50 pm

Love this route of a Round the World trip. The mustang across the US is a must, I am still to do it. I only done a road trip in their verison of a Ford Mondeo! I felt so small with their trucks on the highway 😀
Martina on February 17, 2018 at 8:52 am

What a fantastic blog post! Thanks for the great informations – making a trip around the world is a dream of mine!

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Planning The Ultimate Itinerary Around The World

PLANNING A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD