Have you ever looked at one of those beautiful pictures of the earth seen from space and fiercely envied the astronauts that snapped it? Our planet is a gorgeous, intriguing mystery waiting to be discovered, but the realities of covering an entire globe's' worth of ground are often enough to turn an intrepid adventurer into an armchair traveler. If you've ever considered visiting all seven continents but hesitate over logistics, it's time to start quieting those fears and hitting the road. Though you are most likely already familiar with North America, Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, Australia and Antarctica are all rich new destinations waiting to be explored.
You don't have to do everything at once. There's a grand romantic idea in human history of the epic journey - around the world in 80 days, the world tour, the globe-hopping savant. In reality, you can visit a continent or continents at your own pace, hitting several at once through networks of cruises and flights or lingering at one to really get a feel for the culture. Even if years pass by between "checking off" each continent, it will give you something to anticipate and look forward to, a true boon as your golden years approach. Visiting a new place should mean more than a passport stamp after all, it should encompass both that time in your life's story as well as your surroundings, and that means a mix of careful planning and spontaneity. Breakfast in the misty mountaintops of Machu Piccu in South America may take a little forethought, but a leisurely stroll along the picturesque Seine in Europe just requires a love of the land.
Get excited about the unique experiences that await. Whether you're exploring the Buddhist cave temples of Dambulla in Asia or getting up close and personal with glaciers from an Zodiac boat in Antarctica, you will enrich your mind and soul with breathtaking vistas that will leave you with child-like awe long after you hop a flight home. Cultural displays such as dancing or festivals, nature preserves or safaris and ancient structures and ruins are all must-sees throughout your travels, enabling you to experience the true spirit of each continent you visit. Africa's Victoria Falls or Australia's Sydney Opera House will be that much more amazing when you're raring to see them in person. Once you've visited the sites that make your heart beat faster, be sure to snag a souvenir or two to help you remember your trip for the rest of your life. The word "souvenir," after all, actually comes from the French for "to remember."
The world is waiting for you to make your mark, so be brave and answer the call. You'll be able to reflect warmly on the memories you create and have great stories to tell children, loved ones and friends for the rest of your life.
Accomplishing this sounds harder than it looks. But think about it this way - do you know where you were born? That’s right, on a continent. That’s 1 out of 7 in the bag. That’s 14% of the way there! You’re so close!
Since it’s the hardest to get to, it would be helpful if you were born in Antarctica, apparently to a couple of scientists who got bored talking about penguins for the 100th night in a row and decided on a more amorous evening. If that’s not your situation, take a look at the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators website ( All IAATO members have dedicated themselves to preserving the landscape and wildlife of Antarctica.
As for the rest of the continents, if you are extraordinarily wealthy, pony up $1,000,000 and get yourself one of the more basic rooms on The World ship. (
But if you haven’t (yet) made your (many) millions, then look into getting yourself a Round the World (RTW) ticket. In short, a RTW allows you to book, in advance, a series of tickets that can take you from 2-6 continents. Obviously, the further you go, the more expensive it is. Although we have long campaigned for a Buy 5 Continents Get the 6th Free, the airlines have seen fit to ignore us.
RTW tickets can vary widely on just some of the following points:
distance traveled (tabulated in total miles or segments/number of flights taken (including connections))
if you get an alliance-style ticket where you can only travel with airlines within a certain alliance (Star Wars fans, this is NOT related to the Rebel Alliance, though RTW tickets do not typically have restrictions on dressing up as your favorite Star Wars character)
you may have to end in the same country that you start traveling from
if you start traveling east for instance, you might have to continue traveling east (e.g. on most RTW tickets if you cross the Atlantic ocean, you can’t then go, ‘Oh hey, what’s Cuba like?’ and fly back the other way)
This is only scratching the surface on the potential of RTW tickets, so here’s some links to get you learning more.
From Nomadic Matt, a very even-handed assessment of RTW tickets.
Nomadic Matt recommends Airtreks, who have been planning RTW tickets for a couple decades.
And AirTreks links to a site called BootsNAll.com, which features a handy tool that lets you start planning your RTW trek, integrated with a Google Map that will display your trip as you build it:
However you go about it, visiting all 7 continents is a major achievement and well worth bragging to us about here on theGo. Even if it really means you only visited 6 continents. Piece of cake.
Tanzania
Nepal