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Around the World: A Sabbatical on Six Continents

Itinerary through Lisbon, Porto, Barcelona, Rome, Florence, Athens, … (265 days), with day-by-day ideas, shared by a Voyageur traveler.

Portugal · Spain · Italy · Greece · Egypt · South Africa · India · Nepal · Thailand · Laos · Vietnam · Indonesia · Japan · Australia · New Zealand · Fiji · Peru · Argentina · Brazil · Mexico · 265 days · 40 Stages

Lisbon, Portugal

Days 1–8

  • Day 2 10:00: Alfama and São Jorge castle
  • Day 4 09:00: Sintra palaces
  • Day 6 21:00: Fado night

Porto, Portugal

Days 8–12

  • Day 9 10:00: Port lodges in Gaia
  • Day 10 09:00: Douro valley wine day

Barcelona, Spain

Days 12–18

  • Day 13 09:00: Sagrada Família
  • Day 14 10:00: Park Güell and Gràcia
  • Day 16 20:00: Tapas in El Born

Rome, Italy

Days 18–24

  • Day 19 08:00: Colosseum and Forum
  • Day 20 08:00: Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel
  • Day 22 19:30: Trastevere cacio e pepe

Florence, Italy

Days 24–28

  • Day 25 08:15: Uffizi gallery
  • Day 26 09:00: Chianti by Vespa
  • Day 27 18:30: Piazzale Michelangelo sunset

Athens, Greece

Days 28–32

  • Day 29 08:00: Acropolis
  • Day 30 18:00: Sounion sunset

Naxos, Greece

Days 32–38

  • Day 33 10:00: Agios Prokopios beach
  • Day 35 09:00: Mount Zas hike
  • Day 36 19:00: Portara sunset

Cairo, Egypt

Days 38–42

  • Day 39 07:30: Pyramids of Giza
  • Day 40 10:00: Grand Egyptian Museum

Luxor, Egypt

Days 43–46

  • Day 44 05:30: Balloon over the Valley of the Kings
  • Day 44 09:00: Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut temple

Cape Town, South Africa

Days 47–68

  • Day 48 07:00: Table Mountain via Platteklip Gorge
  • Day 50 09:00: Cape Point and Boulders Beach penguins
  • Day 53 09:00: Robben Island
  • Day 56 10:00: Stellenbosch and Franschhoek wine tram
  • Day 61 08:00: Hermanus whale watching

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Days 68–72

  • Day 68 16:00: Sunset game drive
  • Day 69 05:30: Dawn walking safari
  • Day 70 05:30: Big Five game drive

New Delhi, India

Days 73–77

  • Day 74 08:00: Old Delhi food walk
  • Day 75 10:00: Humayun’s Tomb and Lodhi gardens

Agra, India

Days 77–79

  • Day 77 17:00: Mehtab Bagh sunset
  • Day 78 06:00: Taj Mahal sunrise

Jaipur, India

Days 79–83

  • Day 80 08:00: Amber Fort
  • Day 81 10:00: Hawa Mahal and bazaars

Varanasi, India

Days 83–87

  • Day 83 18:30: Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh ghat
  • Day 84 05:30: Sunrise rowing boat along the ghats
  • Day 85 09:00: Sarnath

Kathmandu, Nepal

Days 87–91

  • Day 88 09:00: Boudhanath and Pashupatinath
  • Day 89 09:00: Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Pokhara, Nepal

Days 91–98

  • Day 92 05:30: Sarangkot sunrise over the Annapurnas
  • Day 93 06:00: Poon Hill trek (4 days)
  • Day 97 10:00: Paragliding over Phewa Lake

Bangkok, Thailand

Days 98–103

  • Day 99 09:00: Grand Palace and Wat Pho
  • Day 101 18:00: Chinatown street food

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Days 104–125

  • Day 106 09:00: Thai language classes (3 weeks)
  • Day 110 09:00: Elephant Nature Park
  • Day 116 07:00: Doi Inthanon
  • Day 122 18:00: Yi Peng lantern festival

Luang Prabang, Laos

Days 125–130

  • Day 126 05:30: Alms giving
  • Day 127 10:00: Kuang Si falls

Hanoi, Vietnam

Days 130–135

  • Day 131 17:00: Old Quarter food tour
  • Day 132 08:00: Ha Long Bay day cruise

Hội An, Vietnam

Days 136–143

  • Day 137 08:00: Cooking class
  • Day 139 10:00: Tailor-made suits
  • Day 141 06:00: Mỹ Sơn sunrise

Ubud, Indonesia

Days 143–164

  • Day 145 07:00: Daily yoga at The Yoga Barn
  • Day 148 02:30: Mount Batur sunrise
  • Day 153 09:00: Sidemen valley and Tirta Gangga
  • Day 158 08:00: Nusa Penida day trip

Gili Air, Indonesia

Days 164–170

  • Day 165 09:00: PADI open-water course (3 days)
  • Day 169 18:00: Sunset swings

Tokyo, Japan

Days 171–179

  • Day 172 06:00: Toyosu market
  • Day 173 10:00: Meiji shrine and Harajuku
  • Day 175 07:00: Hakone and Mount Fuji views
  • Day 177 20:00: Golden Gai izakayas

Kyoto, Japan

Days 179–185

  • Day 180 07:00: Fushimi Inari
  • Day 181 09:00: Arashiyama
  • Day 182 10:00: Nara deer park

Sydney, Australia

Days 186–194

  • Day 187 07:00: Bondi to Coogee walk
  • Day 189 19:30: Opera House
  • Day 191 08:00: Blue Mountains

Melbourne, Australia

Days 194–200

  • Day 195 10:00: Laneways and street art
  • Day 196 08:00: Great Ocean Road
  • Day 198 18:00: Phillip Island penguin parade

Queenstown, New Zealand

Days 200–208

  • Day 201 07:00: Milford Sound cruise
  • Day 203 10:00: Bungy at Kawarau bridge
  • Day 205 09:00: Ben Lomond track

Auckland, New Zealand

Days 208–212

  • Day 209 09:00: Waiheke island vineyards
  • Day 210 10:00: Hobbiton movie set (Matamata)

Mana Island, Fiji

Days 212–220

  • Day 213 09:00: Snorkel the Mamanuca reefs
  • Day 215 08:00: Cloud 9 floating bar and Monuriki (Cast Away island)
  • Day 217 19:00: Lovo feast and meke dance

Lima, Peru

Days 220–223

  • Day 221 13:00: Central restaurant tasting menu
  • Day 222 10:00: Miraflores cliffs

Cusco, Peru

Days 223–230

  • Day 225 09:00: Sacred Valley
  • Day 227 05:00: Rainbow Mountain

Km 82, Peru

Days 230–233

Classic Inca Trail, 4 days · Alpaca Expeditions

Cusco, Peru

Days 233–234

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Days 234–241

  • Day 235 10:00: Recoleta
  • Day 237 22:00: Tango show
  • Day 239 20:00: Don Julio parrilla

El Calafate, Argentina

Days 241–245

  • Day 242 08:00: Perito Moreno glacier
  • Day 243 07:00: Day hike in El Chaltén

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Days 245–252

  • Day 246 08:00: Christ the Redeemer
  • Day 247 17:00: Sugarloaf sunset
  • Day 249 10:00: Ipanema and Arpoador

Mexico City, Mexico

Days 253–259

  • Day 254 09:00: Teotihuacan at opening
  • Day 255 11:00: Frida Kahlo museum and Coyoacán
  • Day 256 10:00: Xochimilco trajineras
  • Day 257 20:00: Lucha libre at Arena México

Oaxaca, Mexico

Days 259–265

  • Day 260 09:00: Monte Albán
  • Day 261 08:00: Hierve el Agua
  • Day 262 10:00: Mezcal palenque visit
  • Day 263 14:00: Mole cooking class