can you visit every country in the world

Every Country in the World

How to Visit Every Country in the World

By Henrik Jeppesen

Introduction

I am a Danish traveller who has visited every country in the world before turning 28, making me the youngest Scandinavian to do so. I did it on a low budget, which involved a lot of challenges. I hitchhiked hundreds of times, stayed with local people, slept in public places and managed to do partnerships with more than 100 airlines and hundreds of hotels to complete this project in 2016 by finishing the United Nations list of countries . That’s 193 independent countries or 195 if you include the two observer states, Palestine and Vatican City.

Instead of settling down after visiting every country, I continued to travel and completed two other lists of countries in 2018.  The National Olympic Committees that has 206 members, and  FIFA’s list of 211 nations . I have visited more than 1,500 destinations and also reached 301 countries and territories combined on Travelers’ Century Club’s list of 329 countries and territories, but that is a subjective list, and I don’t plan to visit the remaining 29 territories. It is almost impossible to visit destinations like Wake Island and British Indian Ocean Territory, and they are not the most exciting places to visit anyway. Some of the territories are very expensive, like a trip to the South Pole will cost around 45,000 dollars. I can travel for several years instead of just doing that one trip. You can read more about how many countries there are in the world in this article .

Instead, I prefer to spend time in countries I love than visit every country in the world again. It’s my conclusion after visiting them all. You can read more about me here .

In this article, I will give you some tips on how to visit every country in the world, even on a very low budget.

TOP 10 TIPS

1. make time to travel full-time and don’t have bills to pay at home.

Some travellers have managed to visit every country in the world while maintaining a full-time job, but for most people, only travelling during holidays, will mean you will have to travel quite fast to be able to visit every country in the world, instead of really enjoying the destinations. Especially if you want to travel economically and cover several countries in the same part of the world on the same trip. It’s much easier to do if you decide to be a full-time traveller, for at least some time. During this time, it’s a good idea not to have any bills to pay at home.

If you own a house or an apartment, you can try to sell it. If you are renting, you can terminate the lease. If you own a car, you can try to sell that too. It’s important not to have bills to pay at home in order to make full-time travel attractive. One exception could be a phone subscription if there is one in your home country covering many, if not all of the countries you are attempting to visit.

2. Travel light

It’s an obvious one, but travelling light can save you a lot of time and money. It used to be that you just needed to avoid checking in a bag, which is easy, but now some airlines will even charge you for larger hand luggage. The key is to look at every single item and evaluate what you really need.

I can recommend investing in the ultra-lightweight Microsoft Surface Go instead of a heavy laptop and bringing a minimum amount of clothes. That’s a good start. You can wash your clothes wherever you stay, as long as you have access to a sink, instead of bringing a lot from home. Not bringing a separate camera (and separate charger) anymore also saves me some space. The quality of the cameras of mobile phones these days are very impressive and enough for me. I can recommend the website,  DxOMark  for mobile phone’s camera reviews.

3. Be creative with visas

Visas are probably the number one thing we, world travellers, dislike about what we do. If I could buy a special passport with visa-free entry to all countries, I would have been to all countries much earlier I’m sure. It’s hard work and research pays off. All embassies are different. In Europe, you might need an invitation to an African country you want to visit, but instead of applying in Europe, you might get a visa for that country at an African embassy in a day with no requirements.

I can recommend the following: Sudan visa in Aswan, Ivory Coast visa in Nouakchott, Cameroon visa in Libreville, Central African Republic visa in Pretoria, South Sudan visa in Nairobi, Ghana and Burkina Faso visa in Abidjan to name a few. Rabat, Morocco is, however, the number one place to get visas for African countries based on my experiences. It might be a great idea to rent an apartment or a hotel room for two weeks in Rabat and get as many visas as you can. Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger and Liberia were all easy to obtain with no requirements besides passport photos, filling the forms and obviously paying the fees.

If I had the time, several other African countries were also possible, including Mali that confirmed it would be easy to obtain a visa. It just didn’t work with my schedule and I instead later got the visa for Mali in Saudi Arabia. Finally, it can be a great idea to contact local tour operators and ask if they can help with a visa on arrival for countries where you need a visa. I have been surprised to learn that a visa on arrival is possible in several countries with a tour operator’s help instead of getting it in advance through a consulate or an embassy.

4. Free accommodation

Travelling to every country in the world on a low budget can often be a challenge. A night in a comfortable hotel might make you go out of the budget, and sometimes there is no public transport to reach a city from the airport. One of the times this happened to me was in Suva, Fiji in 2015. I arrived late and had two nights there, but nowhere to stay and for transport, a taxi would be the only option except hitchhiking. Instead of hitchhiking in the dark, I decided to talk. 

I talked to a local man at the airport about myself and my situation, and after a few minutes, he offered me transportation and a place to stay. In this travel tip (Free Accommodation), it’s important that you trust people and that you are not afraid of rejections. Asking people is one way to get free accommodation and a way to start a conversation could be “Do you know of a cheap place to stay here?”.

Of course, this ‘tactic’ involves risk, and there are certainly places in the world where I would be more likely to ask for free accommodation in the streets than others. However, life is a risk in itself; many things can happen at any given time. You don’t have to say yes to a place to stay the first moment you start talking, but rather decide if the person chooses to offer you a place to stay. It gives you some time to determine if it’s a person you actually trust. 

You can also do a social media post about your situation, or send a message to someone you think might know a person in the destination you are visiting. I did just that on an evening in Sydney, Australia, and shortly after one of his friends picked me up.

Couchsurfing  is the only website I have used for free accommodation, and it’s also the most popular website of this kind. Couchsurfing’s website says they are “a  global community of 14 million people in more than 200,000 cities.”  To have success with Couchsurfing, I recommend spending time setting up a good-looking profile.

I would highly recommend including information about yourself, so hosts can get to know you before making a decision. Adding a link to your Facebook profile might make you more trustworthy, but the main thing for both the host and the Couchsurfer is feedback. It’s also a good idea to check the profiles of the ones you contact and make the messages personal instead of sending many cold messages.

After setting up a profile, it’s essential to check feedback from other travellers and then contact the hosts. Don’t expect fast replies on Couchsurfing and it’s best to write to at least a few in each destination, as I’m sure a lot will say no or ignore the request. The downside with Couchsurfing is the time you spent trying to organize accommodation, that you often don’t know how it’s going to be, and the lack of privacy. 

With Couchsurfing, you pay with your time, both beforehand and during the stay. However, often the company is great and can be a great cultural experience. I think it depends a lot on how fast you travel. If you are in a rush, it might be a stress factor. However, if you travel slow, it can perhaps be the very best way for you to travel.

With Couchsurfing, you at least should spend a fair amount of time talking to your hosts, and it’s also a good idea to help with something if there is an opportunity. You might even bring a gift. A Couchsurfing host in Australia specifically asked for wine in 2009, but that was the only time I received such a request.

Another option of free accommodation is to take care of other people’s houses while they are away. You can also volunteer, which could be practical for more than the usual short stays you can expect with Couchsurfing hosts or if you talk to strangers in the streets. There are several other websites you can use, but my experiences are limited to Couchsurfing.

5. Cheap accommodation

For cheap accommodation, Airbnb and hostels are the first options that come to my mind. Free accommodation comes with some downsides, so if time equals money, it might be far better for many people to pay for cheap accommodation. To begin with hostels, I didn’t use them much in my travels as I value a good night’s sleep very highly, and I have big problems sleeping in a room with people I don’t know. Every time I have tried to sleep in a hostel room with strangers, I have not managed to sleep at all, so it’s not for me.

If you are able to sleep in rooms with strangers, hostels can be a great way to keep the cost down compared to booking hotels. Where hostels have been helpful for me, is when I can sleep in a room alone. Many hostels have private rooms you can book, often a lot cheaper than a hotel, while you might often have to share the bathroom with other travellers. That’s usually not a problem for a night or two. My best tip about hostels is if you are travelling out of season to call and ask about availability for a bed for the night and ask how many people that will be in the room. Chances are you will be the only one and that way you can get a private room for the price of a dorm bed. I only thought of this in 2019 after I was surprised to know I was the only guest at a hostel in Denmark. Later, I asked at another destination, and I again got a private room for a dorm bed price. I might use this tactic again in the future as it’s undoubtedly hard to beat the value.

Airbnb has really opened new possibilities to the way I live and travel. First and foremost, just like on Couchsurfing, it’s a good idea to spend time setting up a good-looking profile and checking the feedback of other people who have stayed at the places of which you are interested. In comparison with Couchsurfing, on Airbnb, you can see a lot of information about the places, and have a much better idea about what it will be like. I like spending time checking out potential new places to stay.

For me, Airbnb has changed the way I live as I have been able to negotiate great prices on long-term rent. It is not obvious on Airbnb, but you can click “Contact host” and write to the host without actually booking. It is an opportunity to introduce yourself, explain your situation and ask if they would be interested in renting out their place long-term at a better rate. I have several times been able to stay at places that would have been way over my budget.

Another tip is to write if it would be possible to see the place first which allows you to make a good first impression and increase the likelihood that they would be interested in renting out for a longer period at a much lower rate. There are many benefits to this when it comes to travel. The possibility to stay in places for at least a month, get the opportunity to experience and understand the destinations you visit a lot better.

For long-term rent, many would think one has to pay a deposit and probably invest in furniture, but with Airbnb, almost all places already have that, and you can avoid the expensive deposit the housing companies usually require. I am a minimalist and with Airbnb, I can easily move in and out of places. On Airbnb, you can see the availability calendar for all the places, and getting a huge discount is a lot more likely out of season. For example in Denmark, the big tourist season is the three summer months, while many of the places in summer destinations have a lot of availability for the rest of the year which is an excellent opportunity to get a really low rate. In a country like Denmark, I have paid the equivalent of just under 450 dollars per month including electricity, water, heating and internet to stay in a private room with a private bathroom including shower.

For short stays, Airbnb is also an excellent option to save money compared to hotels. In a lot of cases with hotels, you pay a lot for services you don’t need. Often you only need a clean room and a night’s sleep instead of paying for a hotel with a business centre, swimming pool, gym, bathtub, bathrobe, TV and concierge. Services you might not have time to use before your journey continues. On the other hand, I really like staying in hotels when it makes sense financially.

The possibility to arrive at any time, that you pretty much know what you are going to get, and that it’s often a good night’s sleep in a quiet and comfortable room. To avoid the uncertainty with things like Couchsurfing and Airbnb is another reason I usually book hotels for short stays, but for extended stays, Airbnb has been a tremendous help to my travels and how I have lived over the past few years.

6. Save money on hotels

This article is not only for those on a tight budget. If you are rich and value your comfort, I fully understand why your preferred accommodation would be hotels for your travels instead of focusing on cost. It’s easy, you have privacy, and you can often count on a good night’s sleep and WiFi that works. If there are any problems like noise or no hot water, people can take care of it quickly. Yes, I definitely prefer hotels, but there is often a significant price difference between hotels and hostels/home stays.

The challenge for me is to bring that difference down by booking great hotel deals, so booking the hotel instead of alternative accommodation is worth it. There are many options to save money on hotels, and it’s often something that can be time-consuming if you would like to make sure you are getting the lowest rate because none of the hotel search engines compares all booking sites.

One tip is to start your search on a hotel search engine like  HotelsCombined.com , and then compare with booking sites not included in their hotel search engine. Also, the hotel’s official website might be the cheapest option. For people that don’t want to waste time on making sure they get the best deal, Booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site, and is often the cheapest, but not always.

In 2020, I found a low rate on Booking.com for Steel House Copenhagen that is part of Arp-Hansen Hotel Group and based on the past experiences with the brand I remembered that it was cheaper to book on their website and sure enough, it was. They even had a different room category than Booking.com, a single room at a very low rate.

Booking directly with the hotel is definitely preferred if the price is lower or the same, as you don’t pay a high commission to a third party website like Hotels.com, and in case of any problems or change of plans, you are more likely to be able to make changes if you have booked directly.

While HotelsCombined is my favourite hotel search engine, I often start at Booking.com, then find the best deal for me, depending on the purpose of the trip, then compare with HotelsCombined.com, and finally, I might check the official website and other sites and apps to make sure I get the best deal. Some of those sites include Nustay.com, SnapTravel.com (via Facebook Messenger), HotelTonight.com and HRS.com. You might also compare with other hotel search engines such as Kayak, Skyscanner and Trivago to see if any additional sites show up with a better deal.

Once you have found the deal you want, there are additional ways to save money or earn credit for future travel. For Booking.com it is possible to get 5% back as WizzAir credit if you first visit WizzAir.com, click “HOTELS”, and book through them. It’s the same price, but you receive 5% of the booking amount as flight credit to use on WizzAir. 

WizzAir is a Hungarian low-cost airline with an impressive route map so this option is one I highly recommend to do if the best deal is on Booking.com. Ryanair also offers 5% back as flight credit when booking through their hotel search engine, including several booking sites like Hotels.com and HRS.com, but not Booking.com.

Some of the booking sites have their own loyalty program, like Hotels.com that gives you a free night after ten eligible nights, that is the average of the price you have paid for the ten nights. Hotels.com is rarely the cheapest website based on my experiences, but when they are, it obviously makes sense to register the nights through their loyalty program.

Also, there is a marketplace for hotels. RoomerTravel.com is an online marketplace for selling and buying discounted hotel reservations. Plans often change, and many have experienced getting stuck with a non-refundable hotel reservation, but instead of losing the money, they can sell it online and just have Roomer change the name of the reservation. 

You can also search for coupons for specific booking sites, hotel chains, or individual hotels. My favourite free coupon website is RetailMeNot.com that might bring the price down a bit. For more significant discounts, it might be worth it to buy coupons, like I did some years back from a guy selling 50 and 100-dollar Expedia coupons. Also, it might be worth checking out FlyerTalk.com where users can post hotel deals, and if you become an active member and have a minimum number of posts, you can get access to “Coupon Connection” where you can exchange coupons, points and miles with other users. 

Finally, you can also save money on hotels by collecting points in loyalty programs, and get great sign-up bonuses on credit cards if you live in the US, but since I don’t, I would instead like to mention some benefits of elite status in loyalty programs which can include free upgrade subject to availability, welcome amenities, priority check-in and other benefits.

I was once a platinum member of Starwood Preferred Guest, and it was an excellent experience. I didn’t earn the status. I saw a promotion where Accor’s loyalty program offered free status, so I got that, and then I found out that Starwood Preferred Guest status matched. Another positive result of spending a lot of time online researching ways to make my travels better and cheaper. Some say time is money, and as my budget was low, I definitely paid with my time instead.

7. Low-cost airlines

One of the main reasons I have visited every country in the world is low-cost airlines. Having time and flexibility helps a lot in securing these ultra-cheap tickets. Low-cost airlines generally have downsides for some travellers like no free check-in bag, no free drinks or food, and some airlines like Ryanair will charge you if you don’t check-in online ahead of time. Low-cost airlines are generally cheap, but what makes them extraordinarily valuable for flexible travellers are their promotions.

By signing up for newsletters or following them on social media, you can get updates about valuable promotions. I have been able to fly from Copenhagen to Africa for less than 8 dollars with a stop in Italy. From India to Malaysia for less than 50 dollars. Around the same for Malaysia to Perth in Australia and a roundtrip ticket from Denmark to the Gambia, although the last one was not actually a low-cost carrier, but a special promotion from a Danish charter company.

In Europe, I have flown Ryanair many times for less than 15 dollars, and I could continue. Instead of continuing with price examples, I will here list some of the world’s low-cost airlines as of 2020:

Africa: Fastjet . Asia: AirAsia – Cebu Pacific Air – IndiGo – Jetstar Airways – Peach – Scoot . Australia: Jetstar Airways. Europe: EasyJet – Eurowings – Norwegian – Ryanair – Vueling – WizzAir . USA: Jetblue – Southwest Airlines – Spirit – WestJet . South America: Gol Transportes Aéreos – Viva Air .

For additional airlines, I can recommend Wikipedia’s article “ List of low-cost airlines ”.

If you have a lot of time, you could sign up for all the airlines’ newsletters, follow them on social media and book fast when they have promotions. The promotions are sometimes limited to a short time frame, with a limited amount of the extraordinarily cheap tickets available on a limited number of routes.

8. Save money on flights

There are many ways to save money on flights besides using low-cost airlines. The first tip is also to do with social media, and it’s to look online for great deals. I have spent a lot of time on Secret Flying’s Twitter profile, where they post great flight deals several times per day. Because of them, I flew from Vienna to Eilat in Southern Israel for one Euro in 2019.

It’s always a good idea to collect air miles as it’s free, but the most significant benefit of miles seems to be with credit cards. Sign up bonuses and the possibility to earn miles every time you use the card. Sadly this is almost only limited to the USA and perhaps a few other countries. In Denmark, there are a few options, but without the great benefits like in the US. Some travellers have been able to play this “game” very well and earned a lot of miles by investing their time in this.

I have never had elite status on an airline, but that’s another great benefit. Selecting airlines from the same alliance over and over again might be much more valuable for you than always looking for the cheapest ticket. I have flown business class several times and had access to lounges. Lounges can be beneficial, especially for long layovers, but generally, I prefer to spend little time at the airport. Transportation like flying for me is about getting from A to B safely and comfortably. Preferably without wasting too much unnecessary time.

On the other hand, business-class travel has never been worth my money or miles, except when there was a thing called BMI Diamond Club. This loyalty program had an option to buy miles at a great value, and then use them for business class, for example between continents at a much lower price than if you had purchased the ticket with cash. It would be around the same or slightly more as buying an economy ticket for the same route in some cases. Unfortunately, the program doesn’t exist anymore, and I haven’t found a great alternative since.

My current favourite is the British Airways Executive Club because of its low redemption rate for short-haul flights. Some short-haul flights are costly, and as I don’t earn many miles year-around, the ones I do earn can be very valuable in this program. For example, flying my favourite airline, Sun-Air of Scandinavia, is very expensive. Still, since it’s a franchise of British Airways, it is part of this program, making an award ticket possible for just 4000 miles and a small cash amount (or 2,200 miles and an approximately three times the cash amount).

2,200 miles can give an approximate 80-90% saving on some of Sun-Air’s routes compared to buying the ticket directly with cash. So how do you earn British Airways miles? Flying British Airways obviously or flying any of their One World partners. Star Alliance is overall probably a better alliance, but because of the low redemption option on British Airways, they are only the next best alliance for me.

On Star Alliance, I like United Airlines MileagePlus-program the most because of the redemption options. SkyTeam is another alliance which includes Air France and KLM. Their loyalty program, Flying Blue has not impressed me as the redemption requirements are far from the options of British Airways and United.

9. Flight search engines and third-party booking sites

Another way to save money on flights is by using a flight search engine. I have spent a lot of time (often too much time) trying to find the cheapest possible ticket. It’s often been a waste of time to spend hours trying to save a small amount of money. Instead, it would have been better if I had spent that time in something productive. I’ve used several different websites like Kayak, Momondo and Skyscanner when it comes to flight search engines.

What matters most is the price difference between booking on an airline’s official website and booking on a third-party booking site. If you have any issue with your flight whatsoever, you are much more likely to get help from the airline than the third-party website. In many cases, the airline might ask you to contact your travel agent or where you bought the ticket. If there’s just a small price difference, I prefer booking with the airline directly, but sometimes it’s possible to save a lot of money on third-party booking sites with Flybillet.dk and Ticket2Travel.dk being my favourites.

Vayama.com used to be another favourite, but they no longer operate. I would highly recommend to check out the reviews of the third-party websites on sites like Trustpilot, as some are riskier to book at than others. Sometimes I have received the ticket instantly while I other times have been surprised that they first have to look at the request. It can create stress and frustration, especially if it turns out later that the ticket is no longer available.

If you are in a pleasant financial situation, I would highly recommend booking directly with the airline. My financial situation wasn’t the best being on such a low budget, and I’ve often felt it would be best to save the money and taking a risk instead of the safer option. Probably comparable to travel without travel insurance to save the money, but of course on a much smaller scale.

A final tip about third-party websites is to don’t use your primary e-mail. You might receive a lot of unwanted e-mails with “special offers” for your trip. My theory is they might not make any profit on at least some of the tickets they sell cheaper than the airlines but instead try to make a big profit on a hotel stay or car rental now that they can e-mail you.

Around the world tickets and flight passes are other ways to save money on flights. I don’t have experience with this, but many travel agencies sell around the world-tickets cheaper than if you book the tickets separately. However, suppose you focus on low-cost airlines and are flexible about the destinations you want to visit. In that case, you might be able to do it a lot cheaper yourself, so it depends if you’re going to pay with your time or prefer an easy solution. If you haven’t travelled much before, it’s probably better to go with the around the world ticket, as you will have a travel agent to contact in case of problems.

Flight passes can be of excellent value if you want to visit a lot of destinations in a short time frame. Air Asia made an unlimited pass (all you can fly for a year) in 2020, while a Norwegian airline called Widerøe several times has offered one ticket with unlimited flying. A deal that was so great that Forbes called it “An Outstanding Travel Bargain”. That’s just two examples, but if you google this subject, you will find several other flight passes that might be ideal for you depending on your preferred style of travel and where you are planning to travel.

10. Low-cost buses

In recent years, several low-cost bus companies have made travelling on an ultra-low budget more affordable. My first big experience with a low-cost bus company was Megabus between American cities in 2009, which impressed me greatly. A lot of tickets were available for a dollar plus a reservation fee of 50 cents. The United States is not a great country when it comes to public transportation compared to Europe. To reach beautiful remote places, a rental car, taxi, Uber (or similar apps) or hitchhiking might be your only option unless you want to walk or cycle, while you in Europe can reach many beautiful remote places by train or bus.

German Flixbus is probably the biggest low-cost bus company as of today. The company was founded in 2011 and described themselves with “400,000 daily connections to over 2,500 destinations in 34 European countries”. Although bus travel is not my favourite kind of travel, Flixbus is undoubtedly one of the best bus companies. Like many other buses nowadays, it offers Wi-Fi, comfortable seats and power outlets on at least some of its buses. Flixbus is unlike many low-cost airlines, often cheap if you book on the same day. However, it’s best to book in advance and look for promotions by signing up for their newsletter and/or follow them on social media.

Besides this, they have a great value deal called InterFlix, where you can buy five tickets for 99 Euros. The catch here is that you can only book direct trips, so it’s valuable to use them for long bus journeys, and buy separate tickets if you plan to visit other destinations close by on the trip. Another way to save money is to buy Flixbus vouchers online. I have purchased several Flixbus vouchers on eBay. It might not be worth it for many people, but for those on a tight budget like me, it might be very well worth it especially if you are planning to visit a lot of European countries.

Finally, sometimes Flixbus give away coupons as it happened to me at a bus station in Poland. To compare prices for European bus routes, I can recommend Busradar.com. Some of the other low-cost bus companies you might want to check out includes: Boltbus, Eurolines, Greyhound Express, National Express, Peter Pan Bus Lines and Redbus. Besides this, many smaller companies operate just a few routes like AfricanLiner between Lilongwe and Johannesburg, while Kombardo Ekspressen operates a few routes in Denmark.

I haven’t experienced anything terrible happening to me on a bus, except for the noise and bad smells. I am not a fan of smokers that during stops think it’s OK to smoke a cigarette in or near the door and to expose passengers to passive smoke. It also used to sometimes be an unpleasant experience taking trains, but several countries have now implemented a smoking ban on platforms.

One of the benefits of bus travel is you often get from city centre to city centre which is not the case when flying. Transportation to and from the airport can be costly. Tehran, Oslo and Munich come to mind. Oslo and Munich had very expensive trains. Tehran’s international airport had no public transportation to the city, so I decided to use my thumb, but more about that in the next subject below.

Honourable Mentions

Hitchhiking.

Hitchhiking is a great way to experience cultures and save a lot of money. I have hitchhiked in close to 100 countries and territories and been in more than 1,000 cars total. I hitchhike depending on the location and situation. I think it would be fair to say smaller islands generally are safe and easy, but the situation also depends if there is any public transportation available and if it’s cheap. Like in Ireland, public transportation wasn’t cheap, so I decided to hitchhike instead.

There might also be situations where it can be dangerous to hitchhike, like in the centre of a big city, but what you can do instead is talk to people. I have managed to get rides this way as well. For example, in Munich, I was frustrated about how much the train would cost to the airport. As I had plenty of time, I decided to walk the streets and look for people with bags. I found a man and his son and asked if they were going to the airport and if I could join. It worked out. “If you don’t ask you don’t get”, but it might be really uncomfortable to ask, and it’s not a wonderful feeling to get rejected. Two situations come to mind, the British Virgin Islands and Samoa.

In the British Virgin Islands, I was waiting for a LIAT flight to St. Maarten, sitting close to a British couple that said they were going to stay at Radisson hotel, which is on the French part of the island, called St. Martin. As I had a reservation at the same hotel, I decided to take a chance and talk to them about my project and if I could get a ride. The flight was approximately three hours delayed, and it would arrive very late in St. Maarten. I felt the couple were sceptical about me, and the man said he didn’t know if they would get there by taxi or boat.

After arriving in St. Maarten, I saw them on the way to a car, and I asked again if I could join, and the man just said: “I’d rather not”. Fair enough. I understand. That’s just what sometimes happens when you ask a lot to make your full-time travel to every country possible on a very tight budget. The other situation was in Samoa where I successfully hitchhiked several times, but one time a man stopped the car and asked where I was going and then demanded money to take me. I didn’t want to do that as the whole idea of hitchhiking is getting a free ride. He then got angry and said something bad I have luckily forgotten. When you have interactions with many thousands of people, there will be bad experiences here and there. Thankfully nothing really bad has ever happened to me hitchhiking, except for some scary situations.

Save money on food

After accommodation and transport, food is probably the third biggest expense when travelling the world. Some countries have some cheap local restaurants, where even people on a low budget easily can afford to eat. However, in general, going to supermarkets instead of restaurants will save you a lot of money when travelling.

It’s up to each person to decide how light they want to travel, but there are some very portable blenders you can buy cheaply online. That gives you the possibility to make, among other things, healthy smoothies, that can be very cheap, tasty and nutritious. Healthy and nutritious food can be a challenge travelling around the world where cheap fast food is often easily available, but I believe it’s well worth it to prioritise your health travelling the world.

Suppose you decide to invest in a small portable blender; I recommend bananas, carrots, and beetroots. They are usually very cheap at supermarkets, and with that in mind, you can make a cheap, nutritious smoothie for less than 50 cents in many countries.

Start a blog

Without the internet, I would not have been able to visit every country in the world. Having a blog gave me the opportunity to do partnerships and get valuable, and in some cases, necessary help from a lot of people. It’s something to consider to be able to get the help you might need to make this work.

It is a way to potentially make very valuable partnerships that can save you a lot of money. If your blog gets very popular, you also have the opportunity to make good money. That can, for example, be via affiliate marketing. To begin you can use Blogger.com for free, but for a great WordPress-hosting, I recommend DreamHost .

Enjoy it, be prepared and take your time

If you decide to visit every country in the world, instead of focusing on rushing through the countries, it’s better to slow down, plan your travels properly and enjoy the places you visit.

I have done slow travel, and I have done rush travel, and slow travel wins every time. Rush travel can be extremely stressful, especially trips that are not well-organised. There can be a lot of uncertainty, many surprises and many of those surprises can be negative. So please enjoy it, be prepared and take your time.

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She visited every country on Earth. Here’s what she learned.

Jessica Nabongo traveled to all 195 nations and became the first Black woman to have documented this feat.

It all began in Bali. On a two-week vacation there in 2017, Jessica Nabongo was feeling adrift after a career change from corporate desk jockey to entrepreneur. Then she read an article about a traveler who had just visited every country on the planet in record time. Nabongo realized there was a community of people like her—people who long to set foot in all nations. She wanted to become the first Black woman to document doing it.

Nabongo was actually well on her way, since she’d already been to 59 countries. She started traveling at age four, tagging along with her Ugandan parents on family trips from their home in Detroit, Michigan . Little did her parents know what they were setting in motion when they instilled the travel bug in their young daughter.

On October 6, 2019—her late father’s birthday—Nabongo completed her mission when she landed in the Seychelles , having visited 195 countries (193 United Nations member states plus the two non-member states, the Holy See and Palestinian territories). But it’s not just about the country count. Along the way, she became a writer, photographer, and passionate advocate for inclusive and ethical tourism. She shares her adventures on her blog and on Instagram .

Now Nabongo is publishing a book with National Geographic, The Catch Me If You Can ,   which highlights 100 of her favorite countries. Here she talks to us about surprise encounters, banishing fear, and tips for traveling better.

What inspires your adventures?

Curiosity—that’s what’s always inspired me. I have a strong desire to see the differences and similarities in how people live everywhere in the world, even at home in the United States . I put a lot of trust in strangers, and I believe you can travel solo anywhere.

Who was the most interesting person you met?

My guide in Algeria —Zaki. It was toward the end of my journey, and at the time there were a lot of anti-government protests going on there. We were supposed to be touring, but we ended up sitting in a café talking. I’ll never forget what he said: “I’m just living for the sake of living. You can’t have wild ambition around here, especially if you’re the oldest child.” It really struck me. Simply because of where he’d been born, his opportunities were limited to the point where he didn’t even want to think about success.

Do you have any travel heroes?

Barbara Hillary . She was the first Black woman to visit the North and South Poles, and she did it aged 75 and 79—isn’t that wild? The other is Cory Lee . He’s in a wheelchair and has visited 37 countries. I can’t relate to him because I haven’t faced those challenges, but I love that he hasn’t let being in a wheelchair stop him from exploring the world. I also follow Traveling Black Widow on Instagram. She was married for 31 years, but after her partner died, she went on to explore the world. I love her.

When we talk about diversity, people mostly think about racial diversity, but it’s also about abilities, age, and body type. There are so many different types of diversity, and everybody should be seen. I like to see how people are living their lives without boundaries.

( Here’s how travelers of color are smashing stereotypes .)

Before your career as a traveler, you studied international development and worked with the United Nations. Did this help to prepare you?

Learning about political and economic history at the London School of Economics absolutely opened my mind and taught me about the world, and the UN was certainly an interesting experience. My studies gave me an understanding of post-colonial dynamics and how different countries wield their power.

A simple example of how this can apply to travel is the relationship between former colonies and air routes. The easiest way to get to former French colonies, particularly in Africa , would be by flying through Paris —the French airlines there will have a monopoly because of the diaspora.

What was the most extreme place you visited?

Let’s talk about South Sudan . The U.S. Embassy strongly discourages U.S. citizens from traveling there, and I was advised by a diplomat that it was too dangerous. South Sudan is insecure in terms of its government, and, of course, terrible things have happened. But I always say no country in the world is completely safe, and no country in the world is completely unsafe. You find what you’re seeking. What I’m seeking is humanity. I’m seeking love. So I went anyway.

(In this episode of our podcast   Overheard , Jessica Nabongo shares her unique journey to become the first documented Black woman to travel to every country in the world.   Listen now on Apple Podcasts. )

I spent my time there with a South Sudanese woman, Nyankuir. I didn’t want to go to a compound and never leave it. Instead, I visited a cattle camp—cattle are an extremely important aspect of Dinka culture. I spent time speaking to the elders and the children, and I found out my bride price—30 cattle, at most, because at five-foot seven, I’m considered short there.

I also think of my trip to the market. There was an old man sitting right in the middle of it. His face was super wrinkled and I found myself just staring at him. I thought he was begging for money, but it turned out that his children were grown-up and had left home and he didn’t like being home alone. So he sat in the market every day to interact with people. I asked for his picture, and he told me to hold on because he wanted to put his glasses on first. So now I have these two portraits: one of how he wanted to be seen, and one of how I wanted to see him.

Both were beautiful and simple experiences. I never felt afraid. It was a reminder that you should take everything you hear from people with a grain of salt.

What travel kit can’t you do without?

I like mirrorless cameras because they’re lighter—whether they’re Sony or Canon. I think the 24-70mm is the perfect lens, in terms of getting that wide range of shots, from landscape images to beautiful portraits, and being able to move with one lens. Obviously, you can take more than one lens, but if you’re traveling for extended periods you should take a 24-70mm. I also travel with my drone. I have a DJI Mavic Air that I find to be lightweight—and inconspicuous when I need it to be.

Did you ever experience any setbacks?

I don’t believe in failure. And I don’t have the ability to be embarrassed. Embarrassment isn’t a natural human trait, in my eyes—it comes from socialization. If I fell over in the middle of Grand Central Station, I’d laugh at myself. I truly believe that every failure in your life is just an opportunity to learn.

What do you collect while traveling?

Alcohol. In Peru , I got pisco; in Georgia and New Zealand , I bought wine. Waragi—a kind of gin—in Uganda , and more gin in Eritrea . Then rum in Barbados, of course, and rakia in Serbia .

If you could change one thing in the world of travel, what would it be?

Single-use plastic. I wish it didn’t exist. On my travels, I really saw the effects of it. I once went snorkeling in Nauru, one of the world’s least-visited countries, and there was so much rubbish in the water—it broke my heart. I see it all the time, everywhere, but unfortunately mostly in developing countries. Corporations brought in all this plastic and didn’t tell anyone how to dispose of it. These communities are used to organic waste, like banana peel—you throw it out. They have no waste-management system to deal with it.

( We depend on plastic. Now we’re drowning in it .)

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

My mother has always said ‘humble yourself.’ I appreciate it because when you travel, depending on your passport, depending on your social class, depending on so many different things, you can go to places with a lot of ego, or you can humble yourself and know that everyone is equal. It enables you to connect with all types of people, no matter if they’re a man sitting on the floor at the market, or if they’re a general manager at a Four Seasons property. It’s really just about seeing people exactly as they are—human beings. Having humility is so important.

Do you have any advice for someone thinking of embarking on a similar adventure?

Travel with kindness, travel with positive energy and without fear. I think what holds people back a lot of the time is fear of the unknown. What I’ve learned throughout my travels is that most people are good, and because of that, there’s no reason to have an innate fear of a stranger. Most people really want to help you. A lot of the time people are just really happy that you’re in their country.

Has the pandemic caused you to think differently about travel?

I think I’m definitely more conscious about the environment . I always have my reusable water bottle instead of using those little plastic bottles. Even though I find it slightly annoying, it’s something small that I can do. On planes I fly with a reusable cup so that I’m not using plastic cups. The other thing is slowing down. I want to spend more time in places versus always having to get back home. Why do I have to leave? There’s Wi-Fi. I think we’re going to see that trend across the board because everybody’s working remotely.

( Is the office obsolete? Many travelers hope so .)

What are some other things people can do to travel more sustainably?

Single-use plastic is one of the biggest things harming Earth right now, so a lot of my focus is on that. But I also think it’s important to watch how much you waste. If you’re in a restaurant and you don’t have a big appetite, ask for a half portion. It’s about being a deliberate traveler, just taking that extra minute to think how can I have a lower impact on this place that I’m in and on the planet in general.

You took road trips in the U.S. last summer. What did you learn about your home country?

I went to 25 states in 2020. Before I left Michigan, I took a COVID test. Then I drove to New York and started with New England. Then I did Delaware , Maryland . I also road-tripped around Utah and much of the South. Americans live in one of the largest and most diverse countries in the world, but so many people have never been to the national parks in their state or in the neighboring state. And there are all these microcultures, like lobster fishers in Maine . I learned about the Geechee/Gullah culture in South Carolina . I went to Oklahoma and got to learn about the history of Black cowboys. We’re always chasing passport stamps, but how about we explore our own country, whether it’s the U.S., Kenya , or Canada .  

What are some places around the world you’re still longing to visit?

The Okavango Delta in Botswana . I’ve done safaris in almost every African country, but people say that’s one of the best. Also gorilla trekking in Uganda and the beautiful, pristine beaches of Madagasca r. I think I’ll do all three of those this year. My bucket lists don’t last very long.

This article was expanded from one that initially appeared on National Geographic’s U.K. website . The interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Related Topics

• ADVENTURE TRAVEL
• TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
• CULTURAL TOURISM
• SUSTAINABILITY
• CORONAVIRUS

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How To Visit Every Country in The World

Up for a challenge this week we’re deep diving into the concept of visiting every country in the world – including spotlighting the courageous few that have actually done it and strategizing how it might possibly be completed. buckle up – this is going to be a big one, how many countries are there.

This looks like a simple question, but it’s deceptively tricky to answer. Previous people that have completed the “globetrotter challenge” have had different answers to this question and, as ever, it generally depends on your political worldview.  

A country, loosely defined, is an area of land that is autonomously controlled by its own government. It’s also generally a place that self-defines as a “country”. Unfortunately, international parties often disagree or choose not to honour a region’s claims to sovereignty, making their “country status” invalidated in the international sphere. This is why regions such as Kosovo, Scotland and Catalonia are sometimes referred to as “countries” but often left off international lists of countries in the world.

Let’s take the most widely accepted number of countries in 2021, which is 195 . This includes:

54 in Africa

33 in South and Central America

14 in Oceania

2 in North America

44 in Europe.

Which are the Hardest Countries to Enter?

If you’re seriously up for the challenge, you’re going to have to consider the hardest points of your journey before you even begin. Sure, you can just hop over to New York, grab a “I heart NY” top and tick off America, but how will you fare when it comes to ticking off North Korea? Below, we’ve listed a few of the hardest countries to enter:

1. Equatorial Guinea – did you know that only foreigners with a US passport are allowed to enter Equatorial Guinea without a visa? It’s true, and fiendishly difficult for anyone outside of the US.

2. Afghanistan – like many places, entering an active war zone is difficult both in terms of personal safety and accessing visas. Your best bet is avoiding the big cities and entering for a few hours with a dedicated guide to a safer and more secluded part of the country

3. Libya – this is another country that does not offer tourist visas. Entering therefore will have to be through a business visa, which can be very expensive

4. Russia – Most people can get a tourist visa to Russia but be prepared for an insanely bureaucratic process. From biometric fingerprint scans to submitting millimetre for millimetre perfect passport photos – getting your visa for Russia is time consuming and very expensive

5. South Sudan – to enter this country, you need a formal invitation from a company (for a business visa – there are no tourist visas). Unless you happen to have contacts in Sudanese industry, this may prove difficult.

6. North Korea – you’ll be surprised, but getting into North Korea might actually prove to be one of the easier options. This is because the nation runs a pretty lucrative tourist industry taking fascinated visitors on day tours across the border (make of that what you will).

Which are the cheapest countries to enter?

Trying to budget a journey like this might be a difficult task. However, here are the countries where you’re least likely to run into problems financially.

1. Cambodia – legend tells that Cambodian beer is cheaper than water. Hostels cost an average of $3-5 a night and street food often costs less than a dollar. Sign me up!

2. Morocco – another country where hostels costs less than $5 (even in Marrakech) is Morocco. What’s more, transport between cities is equally affordable, allowing you to traverse the country without stretching the pursestrings.

3. El Salvador – with stunning landscapes, beaches and Mayan ruins, El Salvadore is both beautiful and budget-friendly.

4. Bolivia – if you hate cooking, why not move to a country like Bolivia, where eating out three meals a day can easily fit into your daily budget.

5. Poland – One of the cheapest countries in Europe, Poland is a fascinating place to visit. Stay in a hostel for less than $10 a night and enjoy eating out Polish-style in fabulously affordable restaurants.

Which are the most expensive countries to enter?

Let’s hope you enjoyed plenty of savings in the five cheap countries mentioned above, because here are the five most expensive countries in the world…

1. Japan – Seen those pictures of businessmen sleeping in cages in Tokyo? Well it’s no wonder, since renting a flat will cost you roughly $1400 a month.

2. Norway – Norwegians get paid high salaries, so the high cost of living tends to even out. For visitor’s however, there’s no escaping the eye-watering $9 for a beer…

3. Bermuda – It’s paradise on earth, so no wonder this tropical island comes with a hefty price tag. Beer costs a staggering $10 and rent averages at $2675 a month in the city.

4. Iceland – When you’ve got a place so remote, shipping is going to be an issue, and that cost is reflected in the price of practically anything you can buy. A flat in Reykjavik will cost you $1240 a month and $8 is common for a beer.

5. Denmark – Like Norway, high salaries cancel out the high cost of living in cities like Copenhagen. Not so for visitors!

Who has successfully completed every country in the world?

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jessica Nabongo 🇺🇬🇺🇸 (@jessicanabongo)

There are currently around 150 known people that have visited every country in the world, but there are sure to be many more. Some notable individuals include:

James Asquith – James Asquith holds the Guinness World Record for youngest person ever to visit every country in the world. At just 24 when he reached his final country, James took 5 years to travel the world, working as he went to sustain his adventures. Since then, he has gone on to write books and found HolidaySwap – a home swapping holiday service.

Jessica Nabongo – Ugandan-American travel blogger Jessica Nabongo is the first black woman to have travelled to every country in the world. Thanks to her work with the United Nations and her career as a travel influencer, Nabongo had already travelled to 60 countries by the age of 32. In 2016, she decided to go for the full list of 195, achieving it on October 6th 2019 by visiting her final destination – the Seychelles.

Things to Bear in Mind

With so many countries to visit, you’ll need to stay pretty organised in order to keep track of visas, Covid requirements, currency, time-zones, tipping and more. Download the Skratch app for easy access to key information about every country in the world – personalised to your passport and vaccination status!

Starting from Skratch? Here are a few tips to get you started: 

https://www.skratch.world

https://onestep4ward.com/my-journey-to-every-country-in-the-world-country-list-and-faq/

https://thecatchmeifyoucan.com/

Visiting Every Country – at a Glance

❌ the hardest countries to enter.

Equatorial Guinea

Afghanistan

South Sudan

North Korea

💸 The cheapest countries to enter

El Salvador

💰The most expensive countries to enter

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My Journey to Every Country in the World – Country List and FAQs

• My Journey to Every Country in the World – FAQs

I did it! It took me over a decade of full-time travel, but finally, I achieved one of my life’s goals to visit every single country in the world ! I started the day after I finished University in 2006, and finished on St Patrick’s day, in March 2017, 11 years later (I’m Irish, so I finished in style, in an Irish bar in Olso, Norway). 

So if you’re wondering how I afforded to visit every country in the world, do I have rich parents or did I really go to North Korea, then here are some frequently asked questions I get when people hear about me visiting every country in the world. Hope it helps!

Table of contents

Faqs about visiting every country in the world.

• How Many Countries Are There in the World?

South East Asia

Move to thailand, in which order did you visit every country in the world , = 197 countries in the world:.

• 193 UN member states, + Palestine, Kosovo, Taiwan and the Vatican City.

How many countries are there in the world?

How many people have visited every country in the world, how long have you been doing this, doing it my way, how much does it cost to travel to every country in the world, how do you fund this do you have a sponsor you come from a rich family etc etc etc., what was the most dangerous thing that happened to you, what was your favourite country, what was the hardest country in the world to visit, after visiting every country in the world, what’s next.

How Many Countries Are There in the World ?

That’s actually a tricky question because it depends on what you call a country! The ‘correct’ answer is somewhere between 193 and 215 countries, the most technically correct answer is that there are 197 countries in the world , I blogged about why that number is correct here. 

How did you visit every country in the world? Tell me your story in short.

I was born in Ireland, so starting there. Grew up in Northern Ireland, so that was number 2. We didn’t go on holiday until I was 14 (poor family, single-mum etc), but then we went to Frane, and I made an escape to the Netherlands and Belgium to see a girl when I was 16!. So I was on 5 countries before I went to university at 18. During my university days, I did very little other than get up to no good, drink too much and avoid studying. I did spend a couple of summers in the US working with disabled kids though, a worthwhile venture, and I made it to Canada one of those summers. So by aged 22, in 2006, I was on 7 countries. 

Then, after another summer working on Summer Camps in the US after my university was finished, I did a month in medical research in Ireland which paid me $3000. Using that money in 2007 and I flew one-way to Bangkok , to teach English in Thailand , and it was there that my life changed from poor Irish kid to self-made millionaire blogger .

I was still broke initially and spent the next couple of years visiting almost every country in East and South-East Asia, whilst teaching English in South Korea , and Thailand. Without the luxury of a normal gap-year budget, I travelled on $15 a day (that’s accommodation, food, activities), which meant sleeping in bus stations, airports, people’s houses that I met along the way. 27, still broke, I decided to use the Working Holiday Visa Australia, where I got a job in B2B sales for a company in Sydney. Lived there for 15 months, I started my blog there, and it changed my life (NOTE: If you want to know how to start a travel blog, or start a blog about any topic, I laid it out here so you can do it in less than 30 minutes!). 

I quit my job in Australia in 2010, with my new blog live and on the internet, spent $10 doing a Cape Town to Cairo trip via public transport independently, and blogged while I did it. By the end of 2010, I was 28 years old, and I had visited 49 countries. I was making $1k a month from my blog, and I traveled cheaply. I was finally free.

2011 I moved back to Thailand to focus on my blog, and to cut a long story short, within 18 months I was making $30kUSD per month online. In 2012 I overlanded from China back to Ireland, and then I travelled 9-12 months every year from then until 2017, visiting 25 countries a year or so, 2 weeks per country, when at last I visited Norway, my final country, 197/197.

Once you are making money from your laptop, and don’t have a ‘real’ job then suddenly visiting every country in the world is a lot more achievable, even if you can get to $1,000USD per month, then you’re free to travel. It was a game-changer for me. 

Visited in Chronological order, the * denote something that isn’t a country (like Hong Kong, for example, even though it should be).

• Republic of Ireland
• The Netherlands
• South Korea
• The Philippines
• South Africa
• North Korea

*Transniistria

• Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Vatican City
• Switzerland
• Liechtenstein
• Czech Republic
• Papua New Guinea
• New Zealand
• Solomon Islands

*American Samoa

*Nagorno Karabahk

• El Salvador

*Antarctica

• Trinidad and Tobago
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Saint Lucia
• Antigua and Barbuda
• St Kitts and Nevis
• Dominican Republic
• South Sudan
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Republic of Congo
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Equatorial Guinea
• Central African Republic
• Ivory Coast
• Burkina Faso
• Sierra Leone
• Guinea-Bissau
• Afghanistan
• Turkmenistan
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Marshall islands
• Saudi Arabia

193 UN member states , + Palestine, Kosovo, Taiwan and the Vatican City.

Good question! There are a few different answers to this – the United Nations list, the FIFA list, the travellers century club list, but I’ve gone with the most internationally recognized list, ratified by the UN, plus Palestine, Taiwan, Kosovo, and the Vatican City making 197 countries in total. I wrote about how many countries there are in the world in-depth here . 

The last I heard, 91 people have done it (EDIT: It’s somewhere between 100 to 200). Most of whom are older Americans who sold companies, got rich and then spent their retirement hunting a new goal. I’m hoping there will be a new breed of younger people doing it, building something as they go. People like Chris Guillebeau, Lee Abbamonte, and Graham Hughes have all kinda done it too, and they were a big inspiration for me, but they count airport stopovers or stepping one foot over a border, not getting visas and getting stamped in, or flying in, staying in an airport hotel and flying out as their travels.

For me, I want to FEEL the country, and overlanding when I can so I can experience the place. Breaking records like ‘fastest person to visit every country’, in my opinion, is awful. It goes against all the beauty that travel should bring. 

I started my travel life in 2006, the day after my final exam at university, so almost 15 years. Wow. 

How long do you stay in each country to make it count?

I do this because I love travel, even over a decade later, I still love it – crossing borders, new currencies, stressing about logistics, I’m addicted to it all. And although I may only stay a couple of days in the more dangerous countries – like the time I went to Mogadishu, Somalia , historically I’ve spent a couple of weeks in each place. Now the countries are more obscure and become a little scarier, the time has reduced, but I do it for the travel, not for the box-ticking.

I know a lot of people who have completed this goal look at it slightly differently than me. As I mentioned earlier Graham Hughes – the first guy to visit every country without flying, Lee Abbamonte or Chris Guillebeau, one of my inspirations. Those guys went about it with a view to get in, get out, move on. Lee (good guy), for example, didn’t get out of the plane and transitted through many, and spent less than an hour in lots of them. Graham counted physically stepping one foot over the border, taking a photo, and moving on. Chris didn’t make it to Eritrea, just the airport, and as a travel hacker he was more about flying in for a few hours, maybe a night, a nice hotel and fly out again. Cassie De Pecol spent less than 24 hours in over 100 countries, for example, eeek.

Personally, I want adventure, I want crazy stories to tell my grandkids, and some crazier ones to tell in the bar. But all these guys,  they helped me believe it was possible, and I’ll always, always be grateful for that. For me though, war zones aside,  I like to try to ‘feel’ the country before leaving. It’s not a box-ticking exercise for me.

Where possible I overland – Japan, to East Timor, Mexico to Argentina. China to Ireland, Cape Town to Cairo . It’s fun, I get to see the countries and it’s cheaper, but sometimes it’s not possible due to visa problems etc. All that being said, I don’t really have rules as to what counts, but at the very least you’d have to get stamped in the country by their immigration, although it will be much cooler if I can actually travel throughout the country, or overland through it.

I spent about $250,000USD to visit every country in the world. You could probably do it for about $100k if you’re fast and happy to rough it. My 250k though, that’s not as dramatic as it sounds. This was my whole life, I’ve been doing this as a lifestyle for more than a decade, so this journey is not ‘a trip’ as much as it’s my life, so equally I guess I could ask how much did your life cost over the last decade?

Probably something similar to my travels, in fact probably more. Let’s say you can do it for somewhere between $100k to $500k, I love to do everything that’s on offer, so I’m probably around the middle of that mark. Also, now I get a lot of my activities and hotels sponsored by brands and agencies due to my blog, which has helped a lot. Another HUGE benefit of blogging!

Also, the internet may have taken some of the romance of out traveling, but being able to book stuff online (even random overland journeys sometimes, look in the widget below) has made it a lot easier and cheaper than the people before me. 

I mentioned above. But of the 11 years it took me, from 2007 to 2012 I was broke, living off $15 a day or so. Then from 2012 to 2017 when I finished all 197 countries, I was making good money online blogging. 

I then started my blog, OneStep4Ward.com , and started to sell advertising on it. Once I realized how online marketing, and SEO work, I started a media company, Step4WardMedia.com , so I work as I travel and it’s worked out ok in the end. Combining that with the fact that I have a team of awesome people who work with me for my companies means I can keep traveling until I reach my goal. If you wanna read more about how I make money blogging, and how you can too, read this

I’ve had a few close calls. I’ve been to the hospital multiple times around the world, from Thailand to Korea, to Australia, even India and Burkina Faso. The most dangerous though? Either a guy getting shot in front of me in Angola , or trying to smuggle myself from Ivory Coast to Liberia during the Ebola crisis . Not good times. 

I get asked this a lot, and it’s so hard to answer! Firstly, I should say I am now based in Thailand, where I bought a condo in Bangkok . I’m in the process of building a house in Chiang Mai too. So that’s something – Thailand clearly ticked a lot of boxes for me. But it’s a great place to either live, or holiday in. Not to ‘travel’. Not to have an adventure. If I was pushed on the best place in the world to travel, I’d say it’s Socotra Island, Yemen. And lucky for you, I’m now running tours to Socotra every year, so come and join me! 

Visiting every country in the world is slowly getting easier as the world becomes smaller. COVID 19 aside, airfares are cheaper, visas are opening up, less war etc. But when I was doing it, the hardest countries were Saudi Arabia. It took me over a year to get the visa. Yemen. I had to hitchhike on a cargo ship for 4 days to get there due to the war. Equatorial Guinea, Algeria and Libya were tough too. Traveling to Libya was a bit crazy actually, you can read about that here. 

I am trying to become the first person in history to visit every country in the world (done, the South Pole, the North Pole (done, I ran the North Pole Marathon there – crazy) and climb the Seven Summits (the highest mountain on every continent), 4/7 done. 

Also, I have a goal to donate $1m in my lifetime. We started a non-profit called Mudita Adventures to do just that, and we’ve donated over $250k in the last 5 years or so. 

Also, I want to start a family. I’m engaged, and building my home in Chiang Mai, Thailand . Will I slow down on these crazy adventures? I doubt it. I would love to cycle New York to San Francisco, I’d love to row across the Atlantic Ocean (EDIT 2021, I did row the Atlantic !), I want to see how quickly I can summit the highest peak in every country in Europe , and maybe even create an ultra marathon in Mauritania or Socotra, Yemen. Let’s see!

Remember, never travel without travel insurance! And never overpay for travel insurance!

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Meet Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to visit every country in the world

Jan 12, 2020 • 7 min read

In October, Jessica Nabongo, a 35-year-old Ugandan-American from Detroit, became the first documented Black woman to visit every country in the world – that’s 195 United Nations member countries and observing states. 

Along the way she documented her adventures – from touring cattle farms in South Sudan to hot air ballooning in Myanmar  and relaxing on white sand beaches in Zanzibar – on her popular Instagram page @thecatchmeifyoucan .

For Nabongo, the well-posed pictures aren’t intended to evoke envy, rather to change the narrative around travel: her snapshots and the accompanying stories have shown nuanced versions of places many travellers shy away from. 

“The key lesson for me, on this journey, has been that most people are good,” Nabongo said. “In the US we’re groomed to be afraid of strangers. I don’t think of the world in that way.” 

Beyond discussing letting the burden of fear go and how to be a good neighbour in the world (topics she recently did a TedxDetroit talk on), she’s also spoken candidly about themes ranging from the lack of diversity and representation on social media, what it’s like to travel as a woman of colour, to menstruation, single-use plastics, and the power of positive energy. 

Changing the traveller rhetoric 

One fiction she’s unpacked is that solo travellers, particularly those with two X chromosomes, are constantly putting themselves at risk. 

Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia are just a few of the 89 countries Nabongo travelled to by herself. 

“People would ask, ‘Which countries are you afraid to visit?’” Nabongo said. “I’d tell them ‘None.’" 

When going to new countries, Nabongo would connect with locals ahead of time; people who know the country and customs and are able to make sure she’s safe. Some were guides she found through Google (as was the case in Afghanistan ) and others she found by asking her Instagram followers.

Nabongo said that places she did feel unsafe were spots that receive constant play in glossy newsstand magazines, places you might not expect: Miami , where a police officer pulled a gun on her; Rome , where a cab driver tried to forcibly kiss her on the mouth; and Paris , where someone tried to steal her phone. 

Ten of the twelve countries that the US State Department at the time listed as “Level 4: Do Not Travel” Nabongo visited alone. When researching South Sudan, she got in touch with an embassy employee who told her “don’t come, it’s not worth risking your life.” 

“I had such a great time in South Sudan ,” Nabongo said. “It goes to show that if you believe everything you read, you’ll never go anywhere.” 

Nabongo, who received a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and worked for the United Nations, added that often people don’t realise how political travel warnings are or how caucasian tourists are usually the ones being advised against going somewhere. 

“The warnings will say you’ll stand out, but that doesn’t include people of colour,” Nabongo says. “We have to shift our idea of what a tourist is. The lion’s share of tourists are white, but people of colour are travelling with more frequency and travel warnings need to be adjusted to see that.”

That ethos is part of why she travelled on her Ugandan passport when it was easier (like in  North Korea ) or cheaper (like in  Nigeria  where the visa fee for Americans is $160, but $2 for Ugandans). She said using that passport helps shine a light on the idea of Africans as travellers. 

While in the  Central African Republic , Nabongo shared a post about responsible storytelling, saying as “travellers, photographers and influencers I believe that we have a duty to tell the stories of foreign places that we visit with dignity and respect.”

Scrolling through Nabongo’s feed, you’ll not find any instances of her calling something “exotic” or fetishising a country for being different from her own. That objectifying rhetoric is part of what creates harmful physical and mental borders and others developing nations. 

“I don’t look at people who are not like me as ‘others,’ I look at them like another human being,” Nabongo said. “Oh, you too are made up of skin and bones. Why should I think myself better than you because I won the lottery of birth?”

Nabongo’s parents are from  Uganda . She has 106 cousins, 101 of whom live in Uganda. Of those, 20 or so live in villages with no running water or electricity. 

“I can see directly where I could be,” Nabongo added. “I don’t believe in a human hierarchy based on nationality, socioeconomic status, education, or anything else. We’re all born where we were by pure luck. Why should you create separation because you got lucky?”

Nabongo urges her followers to put their cameras away for at least part of their travels and instead look at the places with a lens of curiosity and a desire to understand what everyday life is like there.   

How to visit every country in the world

In the last three years alone, Nabongo has been to 135 countries for the first time. The logistics of ticking off each country was one of her biggest challenges. 

“Planning was a nightmare,” Nabongo said. “The world isn’t set up to visit every country. There’s only about 200 people who have done it.” 

The island nations in the Pacific region were the most challenging to plan, with infrequent flights and little infrastructure for tourism. At times, Nabongo said, it felt like she was going through the motions. But about 150 countries in, she said the journey became noticeably bigger to her. 

“It became apparent that it meant so much to so many other people,” Nabongo said. 

One example was the flood of messages she received from people born in Venezuela , but who had left for reasons ranging from job opportunities to fleeing conflict. Her stories on Instagram were some of the first they’d seen that didn’t portray the nation as in the grips of violence. Many messages to her read ‘thank you for showing me my home.’  

Nabongo said that while she tried to use her platform to inform and educate, what she ultimately hopes is that her content allows her readers to “realise everything they need is inside them and they have the power to create the life they want to live.” 

Some of the more than 183,000 people who follow Nabongo clearly saw the value of her mission. When Nabongo ran out of funds last year (her travels had been funded by savings and by doing brand partnerships with various hotels and tourism groups), she started a GoFundMe at the suggestion of a friend. 

“I said, ‘is anyone actually going to want to give me money to travel? So many people were moved and inspired by my journey. The GoFundMe raised $28,000.”

For her last country, it was important to her that it be in Africa. Had she started her race to the finish sooner, she would have chosen Zanzibar , but she’d already been there. Of the remaining, Seychelles sounded like it would be the most alluring for her friends and family – it’s easier to talk people into travel when luxe beaches are involved. 

Over 50 people came to celebrate her accomplishment with her. 

What’s next?

Just because she’s conquered her goal of visiting every country, doesn’t mean Nabongo is retiring. She might slow down a little, though. 

“This morning I went to get my mail and my neighbor was like, 'You’re still here? This is literally the most I’ve ever seen you,” Nabongo said. “I haven’t spent three weeks at home for a long time. It’s nice to be still for a minute.” 

Nabongo said she still plans to travel extensively. Already, she’s been to 37 countries more than once and estimates within her lifetime she’ll revisit 150. 

She’ll be going back this year to four of her favorites – Jordan , Latvia , Colombia  and Kenya – as a guide for Jet Black, a luxury travel company she founded. She’ll return to others as well, scouting out pieces for her e-commerce site, The Catch.

“I have the rest of my life to keep planning,” Nabongo said. “My lifestyle is flexible – I created the life I wanted to live and I’m living it.”  

You may also enjoy:  -  My experience traveling as a Black woman -  Plus size summer fashion: Stephanie Yeboah's guide to your ultimate travel wardrobe -  Working 9-5 but want to travel more? Here's how you can do it  

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Jessica Nabongo, the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country, Tells All in Her New Book

In “the catch me if you can: one woman’s journey to every country in the world,” nabongo shares vignettes from 100 of the 195 u.n.-recognized countries she visited..

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Jessica Nabongo in Kenya, her 38th country in her quest to visit all 195 U.N.-recognized nations.

Courtesy of Jessica Nabongo/National Geographic Books

→ Buy now: The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World, $33, Bookshop.org

Jessica Nabongo is part of a rarified group of travelers: one who has been to every country in the world. For those counting, that’s 195 United Nations member countries and observer states.

According to NomadMania , a group that tracks and verifies those extreme travelers, fewer than 300 people have ever earned that distinction (more people have gone to outer space). But even in such a small, exclusive group, Nabongo stands out. She became the first Black woman to do it when she reached Seychelles in October 2019.

Now, roughly two-and-a-half years later, she’s inviting readers along for the journey in her new memoir and travel guide, The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World , out June 14. In it, Nabongo, a Ugandan American from Detroit, shares vignettes from 100 countries in the order she visited them.

The more than 400-page book is illustrated with many of Nabongo’s vibrant personal photographs and details many of her adventures, be it visiting a cattle ranch in South Sudan, attending Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, or scootering around Nauru, the world’s least-visited country. More than that, it explores what she learned along the way: of note, that people are largely good and there’s always more to countries than what’s shared in headlines. No matter how well traveled you are, Nabongo’s book will dare you to address your own preconceptions about other countries and to look at the world (and perhaps even your own capabilities) differently.

AFAR recently sat down with Nabongo to chat about changing the travel narrative, the power of human connections, and what’s next. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Nabongo’s first book, “The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World”

Which was harder: visiting 195 countries or writing a book about it?

Definitely writing the book. It was a joy to write the book, but my journey was so personal and driven by my curiosity, so I didn’t have as many notes as I would have had if I had planned strategically to write a book based on my adventures. My favorite part of it was just being able to be incredibly intentional about the countries I picked to write about, the images selected, and the stories that were told.

There are 195 U.N.-recognized nations, but you only included 100 in your book. How did you land on those?

Obviously, some of my favorite countries made the list. Then, because I knew this book would be image heavy, I thought about places we don’t usually see beautiful imagery from, like Somalia or Yemen. They are countries we often see specific types of media about—as if beauty and war can’t exist in the same place. It was really important to me to work to change the narrative about some of these countries. I hope people think differently about the world when they read the book, so I chose some countries specifically to show the beauty and humanity.

What countries were the most difficult to write about?

Algeria was challenging. I just had an amazing time there, and there were too many stories I wanted to tell, but the word count wasn’t in my favor, so I had to cut it down a lot. The other tough one was Seychelles. That was my last country. It was incredibly monumental, not just for my travels but in my life. That was really, really difficult to write. It ended up being a short entry, quite frankly, because I struggled to put what the journey meant for me and what that moment meant to me being surrounded by my friends and family into words.

What was something you learned while writing the book? Were there any “ah-ha” moments, like maybe you realized something about a place when you were revisiting it through your writing?

You know, it’s interesting because part of my writing process was reading old blog posts and looking at Instagram stories from when I was traveling. When you’re in something, you’re in it. But when you’re outside, you’re able to re-examine it. To be able to go back and watch my stories or read my blog, almost feels like being someone who didn’t do it—it was like taking myself on that journey again.

One country I saw differently was Madagascar. When I was there, I was just so focused on getting to these baobab trees . I was taking it in, but when I rewatched the videos and reread the captions, I realized how profound an effect being in Madagascar had on me. In that chapter, I talk a lot about the Western world and what we had lost or got away from. The Malagasy people are so community-minded, aren’t caught up in capitalism, and are really hardworking. That really came through for me when reliving the content from Madagascar.

Reading your book and scrolling through your Instagram, I don’t think there was any instance where you called anything “exotic” or fetishized a country for being different from your own, which can’t necessarily be said for all influencers. What harm does saying those things cause those countries, and how do you avoid falling into that rhetoric?

I grew up in the U.S., but I’m Ugandan. I look very stereotypical African, so I’ve always been othered here. But really, the only person who is a foreigner is the traveler. Nothing else is foreign; everything else is normal to them. So I think this book and my voice are important because of that. People are people—we’re all different, but we’re all similar in that we’re all just people. I hope that reading this book normalizes everything. That we stop thinking of the exotic and we start thinking of the world as one giant neighborhood.

I see how many influencers travel and it makes me uncomfortable because it’s often patronizing. You know, people want to go to orphanages in Africa, but not orphanages in Europe. I think that’s problematic. Ultimately, my goal through my storytelling is to reduce bias. If, say, a young white man in Nebraska can read about a Black woman in Iran and feel connected, that’s what I want this book to do. It’s about building those connections. As long as we think of things as foreign or exotic, we don’t feel connected to it; we don’t care as much. But once you start to see it as someone similar to you, you feel a connection. That’s how we start to shift how people see the world. To shift how people treat each other. To shift how people travel. It’s really by increasing that connectedness across humanity, across color lines, across gender, across nationality, across ethnicity, all of it.

Nabongo with a herd of sheep in Kyrgyzstan, where the animals are important for livelihood.

Your book was published by National Geographic, which is a highly influential brand. What does that mean to you?

National Geographic carries an undeniable amount of weight in the travel space. So to have that stamp on this book means that the travel canon is forever changed. It paves the way for other people to come into the brand and do something similar because the book shows that it’s important to have these voices.

What has the response been like?

I’ve been screenshooting things because I don’t want to forget this time. For example, this morning, a woman sent me a message that read, “Can I just say, this book is such an inspiration for all women to go out there and do what everyone says they can’t. Thank you for providing a glimpse of joy and possibility in a time full of heartbreak and fear for women.” And it just meant so much to me, because people are feeling joy. Some people are feeling empowered and inspired. And I think people are already thinking differently about the world, so it’s just incredible.

You penned an opinion piece for AFAR in February 2020 titled “What Traveling to Every Country in the World Taught Me About Race.” A lot has changed since then, so I’m curious if your opinions have since changed at all?

Most people are good. I will still stand by that. Most people are not racist, or misogynist, or homophobic. It’s a minority that is really loud and trying to divide us for their own purposes. Despite everything that has happened since I wrote that article, I don’t feel differently. Even with everything that’s going on, I won’t let all of it lead me to believe otherwise, because that’s not my experience. I think if we really sit in our real life experiences, we’ll see most people treat us well. And I hope that we treat most people well.

No pressure, but what’s next?

Honestly, I’m really just trying to be present. It’s such a big deal to publish a book, and I’m just loving it. I’m doing a book tour, so I’m loving meeting people and hearing about what the book means to them. The audio book comes out in July, so I’m excited to have that in the listener’s ears. We did add some extra things to that, for example, for each of the 100 countries, I say welcome to the country in that language. We have a TV show in development, so hopefully, I’ll be able to share more about that down the line. But for now, I’m trying to enjoy this moment.

Thank you so much for your time, Jessica. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I would like to mention, please read the book cover to cover. It can be tempting to jump around to certain countries, but if you read it cover to cover, there is a really beautiful narrative that won’t come through if you’re reading randomly. You’ll really see how the journey affects me if you read it in order.

>>Next: Black Travel Is Not a Monolith

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Visiting Every Country in the World

What started as a simple idea four years ago finally ended last week when Graham Hughes became the first person to visit all 201 countries without setting foot on an airplane

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Just last week, Graham Hughes became the first person to visit every country on earth without flying. After almost four years of travel, the 33-year-old from Liverpool, England, set foot in his 201st and final country, South Sudan. When he began his challenge, the country did not even exist, but now it represents the crowning glory of a long and frustrating journey.

It started as a mad dash, one-year trip, back to Australia to be with his girlfriend, captured on the TV show, Graham’s World , on the National Geographic Adventure Channel. But things did not turn out quite as planned. Hughes broke up with his girlfriend, the show ended, and the journey took almost four times as long as intended, but he has finally achieved his goal.

Hughes caught the travel bug early, visiting Eastern Europe with his family as the Iron Curtain was coming down, and has not really stopped since. He does not, however, really have the look of a modern day adventurer. There’s no army physique or weathered features, just a typical looking English guy in a fedora, the hat made famous by Indiana Jones. Indeed, Hughes has dubbed himself the “Thinking Woman’s Indiana Jones,” but it is another one of his fictional role models that he most resembles, Phileas Fogg. The 19th-century protagonist of Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days was an unflappable charmer and schemer, able to think on his feet and talk his way around the world. Like Fogg, Hughes will return to Liverpool by boat, having succeeded in a scheme, very much in the vein of a late Victorian adventurer.

Here, Hughes tells us why the United States was one of the hardest places to enter, what pieces of equipment have been indispensable to him over the past four years, and what he plans to do if new countries are created.

Why did you embark on this journey? I think it’s the same sort of reason people give for Everest: because it’s there. The challenge was there and no one had done it before. It was a Guinness World Record I knew that I had the ability to achieve and I thought it was possible. I’d traveled before starting this and I wanted to do at least one amazing thing in my life—and now I’ve done it.

You’ve said it was a decade-long dream. How did it come to fruition? I got the concept for it when I went backpacking in 2002. I’d bought an around the world ticket and went to a lot of places. I had the most amazing experience. I said after that, Would it be possible to get to every country in the world without flying?

Throughout the 2000s, as the world was getting more peaceful and wars were ending in West Africa and Central Africa, I realized the world was getting a bit more easy to get around. By 2008, I realized I could do this in the next couple of years. I spoke to people at Lonely Planet Television in Australia and they really liked it and said you could probably do it. They commissioned me to make a TV series that was on National Geographic a couple of years ago, the first year of my adventures.

It’s taken almost four years to do. Did you ever think about quitting at any point? I never thought about quitting. I had some difficulty last year because my sister passed away. After that I didn’t want to quit, but I wanted someone to take the reins and sort of deal with the complicated stuff and arrange things for me. For the whole trip I’ve been a kind of one-man band. It was a lot of responsibility to keep it going, but there wasn’t a point where I thought I was going to give up. I felt like it would be letting so many people down, people who had helped me on the journey.

Did you have any indispensable bits of equipment that kept you company throughout your travels? My GPS logger is still with me. My trusty camcorder has been with me all the way. There are bits of equipment that really are indispensable when you’re traveling, like a Swiss Army Knife, wet wipes, a bank card, and a passport. But I travel pretty light.

Which was your favorite country? A little island state called Palau.

Which was the hardest country to get in to? The U.S.A. now, because I need some crazy visa! But other than that, the Seychelles because of the Somali pirate situation. I tried from about seven different places in the world to get to the Seychelles before I actually cracked it.

What was the issue with the U.S.? I was on a ship going to Micronesia and Palau. It stopped in Guam, which is part of the U.S. commonwealth, but they wouldn’t let me off the ship. They said I needed a special visa waiver that costs $100 and I had to apply for it three days in advance. How is that not a visa?

What was the most dangerous experience or place? I was in Senegal and I had to get some fishermen to take me over to Cape Verde on a pirogue, a wooden canoe with an outboard motor on it. I was on it for four days in the open ocean with no radio, no distress signal, no satellite phone, and no means of communication if anything went wrong.

Was it terrifying? It was fine, I suppose. There was no storm or anything. I watched the movie The Perfect Storm a few weeks afterwards. If I’d watched it before, it might have been a different story.

Who were the friendliest immigration officials? Mauritius was OK. They were pleased to see me. Going into Afghanistan, the guy was laughing. The border guard asked me what I was doing there. I said, “I’m a tourist.” He said, “You’re no terrorist, we have too many terrorists here.” That kind of thing. Some places people have been really welcoming. In Sierra Leone, the guy on the border basically gave me a hug because I’m British. It was because of the conflict there that was ended in 2002. He said the British saved his life.

What aspect of this journey would you consider your greatest achievement beyond the title and the record? Not going home in four years—that’s a pretty good achievement! I think having the determination to see it through to the end when things got very difficult. In the first two years, I traveled through 184 countries. In the last two years, I’ve been to 17. That’s because they’re all islands in the middle of nowhere. Or places like the Seychelles and the Maldives that are in pirate areas.

The record might not be static. Are you scanning the map to look at the potential for new countries to come into existence? Yes. I want to do this for the rest of my life. The idea is that every time a new country gets created, I go and visit it overland. I’ll take three or four months out of my life to go and do that. I kind of like that idea. I’m keeping an eye on things.

Are you driven by the idea of fame and creating attention as an adventurer? Long term I want to make feature films and tell stories, so that’s not that important to me. I do like that idea, but it’s not the main reason I did this. I did this more than anything because I wanted to get in the Guinness Book of World Records , and it had never been done before, and it was something that I’m good at. I’m really good at travellng! I don’t get ill when I travel, I can sleep anywhere. I’m great about waking up when I need to get on a train. I seem to be naturally adapted very well to this kind of lifestyle.

Do you have any role models as an adventurer or a traveller? My role models are obviously Phileas Fogg, Michael Palin, and my father. Those are my inspirations.

Your journey was different from most people’s experience of travel. How meaningful is as a travel experience when you constantly have to think about the next country or the next challenge? Obviously, there’s a difference between traveling for the sake of traveling and going on holiday because you need to relax from work. I don’t feel like I’ve been on holiday for four years at all. I feel like I’ve been working for four years toward something.

If you want to sit on a beach and relax, that’s fair enough. I get a bit annoyed when fellow travelers will tell you that you’re not doing it right. Just because you didn’t go to this hut in Lesotho, you’ve never really experienced Southern Africa. Come on, seriously? Everybody has his or her own experiences of travel. Travel is a very subjective thing. I don’t think there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. I just think there’s a way that you enjoy and I actually enjoy this.

What’s next for you? I want to do some more TV shows. I enjoyed doing the show for National Geographic. I like telling stories. At the end of the day, I get a random email from some person halfway around the world, saying they’ve been inspired by my travels.

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• Travel Trends

Is it possible to visit all countries in the world?

I am a wanderer. A globe trotter. Your email to me will more often be greeted by an ‘out-of-office’ reply! I love travelling so much that my ultimate dream is to visit each and every country on this planet. My bags are all packed for the moon as well! Do you harbour the same dream as mine? Travelling the globe is easier said than done. But Is it possible to visit all countries in the world? People have done it in the past. Let’s begin with the basics.

There are 196 recognized countries in the world today. With Taiwan being a tricky one- although Taiwan operates as an independent country, many countries (including the U.S.) do not officially recognize it as one because the People's Republic of China considers Taiwan a breakaway province of China. Countries which wish to maintain diplomatic relations with China don’t consider Taiwan a separate nation.  That can bring down the count to 195. However, Political Geography is a tough subject. There are at least three declared countries that aren't recognized by any UN members at all, but still operate independently from the countries that claim them.  Considering such nations along with other De Facto Sovereign States, the total goes up to 207! But I am going to consider 196 as the final number.

All set to begin the journey? Assuming we want to spend atleast 7 days on an average in each country, that brings the total number of days to 1372. Plus if we consider a day’s travel time from one nation to another, that adds another 196 days bringing the total number of days to 1568! That’s just 4 years and a few months of our lives! Even if we decide to spend 10 days in each country, it will still be approximately 6 years. That seems reasonable enough and achievable as well. To round it off, 10 years are more than enough to travel to each and every country on the planet.

However, legally, it will be practically impossible to visit all the nations due to various reasons:

- Up until 2013, the Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia did not issue tourist visas. In December 2013, Saudi Arabia announced its intention to begin issuing tourist visas for the first time in its history. But visitors holding passports containing Israeli visa may be denied entry into the country.

- There are some gorgeous countries in the world that are still unexplored due to their strict visa policies. It could take months or even years to get visa to such countries. Kiribati for example has a list of 60 nations which it allows easy travelling to. If your country is not on the list of 60, acquiring a visa can be a patience testing process.

- There are some remote countries that are not easily and frequently accessible. For example, in the case of Kiribati again, it is served by international flights, but only twice a week. Same is the case with Nauru, only one airline connects it to the rest of the world. The magnificent Kingdom of Bhutan is accessible either via road through India or, like Nauru, only one airline called Druk Air connects it via air.

- At a given point in time, your nation might be at war with other countries and hence procuring entry into such countries will be difficult as well as dangerous. For example, a few years ago US citizens were discouraged to travel to Iraq.

- Some nations may be undergoing a civil war while some may not even have a proper government. Case point being Syria and Sudan. Travel to such nations is not advised unless you are a journalist or a volunteer.

- There are some nations, like Uzbekistan, where one needs to obtain a letter of invitation from a citizen to receive a visa. But you can make do by getting this invitation letter from a local tour operator or an established hotel.

- In some countries where the citizens are at war with their governments, the chances of a foreign national getting kidnapped are more. USA as well as many European nations warn their citizens against travelling to the countries of Nigeria, Cameroon, Afghanistan and Somalia.

- To enter countries like Turkmenistan and North Korea , one gets a tourist visa only after signing up for a guide.

- The country of Libya currently does not issue tourist visas. As of the year 2014, there were plans to reintroduce tourist visas. Visitors are refused entry into the country if they are holding travel documents containing a visa (valid or expired) for Israel.

- Some countries restrict the flow of tourism if an epidemic has broken out in neighbouring nations. If you have recently travelled to any country facing an epidemic, some countries may not grant you permission to visit. For example, after the recent Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, visitors who had travelled to Liberia and Guinea were refused entry to Saudi Arabia and Australia.

- The country of Guinea-Bissau does not have a consulate or embassy in UK or USA. If one wants to travel to this West African gem, one needs to travel to Lisbon, Portugal or Ziguinchor, Senegal and then apply for a visa for Guinea-Bissau from the embassy or consulate over there.

These factors can play spoilsport in your travel plans. But there are some legends who have overcome these challenges and have achieved their dream of travelling to all the countries on the planet. Gunnar Garfors from Norway, Graham Hughes from UK, Kashi Samaddar from India and Chris Guillebeau from America are just few of the many people who can boast about having travelled to every country on the globe.

I am all set to take up my next journey now! Where are you heading off to?

Here are a few hobos’ stories which will leave you inspired:

Davide and Otilia - Chasing Northern Lights And Ending Up Sleeping In A Toilet

Alex Berger- A Wandering Artist!

Nancy Brown-Travelling The World On A Horseback!

Quest to Circle the Globe Without Getting on a Single Airplane!

A Filmmaker In Search Of Inspiration- Cailin O'Neil

Wondering how to fund all your travels? Here’s what you can do: 7 Ways You Can Earn While Travelling

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I’ve Been to Every Country in the World – Here Are My 10 Favorites

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Countries Visited: 197 U.S. States Visited: 50

Keri Stooksbury

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Countries Visited: 45 U.S. States Visited: 28

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I’ve traveled to … a lot of places. That seems like a good way to put it.

I recently completed my goal of visiting every country in the world. As I got close to this goal, I was repeatedly asked about my favorite country or which countries I wanted to visit again after I finished.

While it’s impossible to choose 1 favorite country from my trips, here are 10 countries I have truly enjoyed and think you should consider for your next vacation. The reasons each made this list are not the same, which is part of the beauty of travel. Every location, people, food, and culture is unique.

Here’s a look at why each of these countries is among my favorites, even after visiting so many places around the world.

There’s something to be said about a country that calculates its value based on Gross National Happiness rather than gross national product or other economic factors. I remember being shocked by the amount of nature I saw in Bhutan, and there’s a reason for it: The constitution requires at least 60% of the country to be covered in forest. That’s made Bhutan the first country to be carbon-negative, and they’re proud of the clean air, clean water, and clean sidewalks you’ll encounter.

Bhutan’s king looked at Southeast Asia’s overcrowded tourist hotspots and decided to pursue a different path. Yes, that means visiting isn’t cheap . You’ll pay at least $200 per day as a visitor’s fee (not including your hotel or meals — just to be in the country), which funds local education and healthcare systems. In return, you won’t be tripping over other tourists or finding American fast food on every corner. Experiencing something so unlike anywhere else I’ve been was memorable — as were the sites. The food, friendliness, culture, and temples all deserved a longer return visit . If you’re looking for a place where you take a deep breath and think, “This is what clean air feels like,” Bhutan should be on your radar.

The Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary near Paro, which you can book with World of Hyatt points, takes “all-inclusive” to another level. It includes meals, fitness regimens, massages, consultations with on-site traditional medicine practitioners, guided meditation, and more as part of your stay. I highly recommend a visit here.

If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing stars like those National Geographic photos you’ve drooled over, the Atacama Desert in northern Chile did that for me. I’ll never forget looking up at the vast sky and seeing that picture-perfect starry night . Rather than paying for an expensive guided tour out of San Pedro de Atacama at night, my wife and I traveled with another couple and rented a 4-wheel-drive vehicle for a few days. With the SkyView app ( iOS , Android ) in hand, we simply drove out to the desert, found a dark spot, and looked up. Our minds were blown.

Renting a car and making your own excursions from San Pedro de Atacama can save you hundreds of dollars in just a few days. Tours in this area are expensive, but you can reach any tourist site with a vehicle — especially if it’s 4-wheel drive.

But Chile had even more to offer. I loved the reliability of the metro system in Santiago , and the city’s long (read: loooooooong) underground tunnels to manage traffic flow were incredible. I also made my first-ever points redemption for a hotel in Santiago, which will always be memorable. Another highlight: Chiloé Island in the south of the country was incredible for whale watching , one of my wife’s favorite activities, and the nature there was rugged and beautiful.

Another country that I enjoyed for how different it is from anywhere I’ve lived was Cuba, and I loved its lack of familiar comforts . Rather than finding Walmart and Starbucks at every turn, I found independent shops and local restaurants to check out. Of course, the classic cars painted in bright colors stuck out, but my favorite memories of Cuba happened by accident . I turned down a small side street to find a stereotypical scene of men smoking cigars while playing dominos. In a courtyard not found on any tourist map, I found a band of musicians playing local music.

While reaching Havana is quite simple these days, my favorite location in Cuba was Trinidad . Much of the colonial architecture remains, with many of the original cobblestone streets. Looking for the upside-down anchor symbol to find guesthouses that rent to foreigners made the experience unique. The food was incredibly delicious and cheap. Just make sure to bring enough cash to cover your stay because you won’t be able to use the ATMs while in Cuba.

Indonesia has over 18,000 islands, and I’ve been to just a handful. While I’ve stayed at luxury properties in Bali and Jakarta, my favorite visit to Indonesia involved dilapidated buses on a patchy road on the island of Sumatra, spending several hours before reaching the town of Bukit Lawang. You can take guided nature hikes from here to find orangutans in the wild . A group tour will cost around $70 to $75 for 2 nights in the jungle with guides who even pack in your meals. All you have to do is walk. And it was no brown bag lunch, either. The massive spreads cooked over a campfire were impressive.

Of course, the highlight was the half-dozen times we saw orangutans in the wild, mostly in the trees above, but also an encounter with a mother and child who surprised us after coming around a curve. The trek to get here and the effort to reach Bukit Lawang were both worth it for this incredible experience. And you can find guesthouses in Bukit Lawang renting rooms for just a few dollars a night with a fan or with A/C for around $10 nightly. Not bad at all.

Part of travel is experiencing a location, people, and culture for yourself. I loved visiting Iran and having all of my preconceived notions shattered. Yes, there are some frustrations with not being able to use debit or credit cards, complications with booking hotels in advance, and the visa requirements for U.S. citizens aren’t simple. However, all of this effort is worth it to visit such a beautiful country with some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.

The moment people realized I was a foreigner, they made it their mission to ensure I enjoyed their country. Hospitality was endemic ; it felt like they would’ve taken it as a personal insult if I didn’t enjoy a visit to their homeland. Beyond the tourist highlights and incredible food (eating Tahdig crispy rice for the first time was life-altering), the real highlight of the trip was the Iranians themselves. I visited Iran alone last year, and my wife and I are seriously looking at the calendar to figure out when we can visit together for a longer trip. Iran is calling if you’re looking to go somewhere with friendly locals who don’t hassle you to buy things you don’t want.

I remember learning about other countries in elementary school and having my mind blown by the pictures and stories about Japan. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to visit this place that seemed entirely different from my hometown in Ohio. The third time was the charm, after our visit to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo was upended, and foreign spectators were barred from the make-up games in 2021.

Even though we spent 10 days in Japan, it felt like we only scratched the surface. The temples were fascinating, the food was incredible, and the bullet trains were better than expected . While I want to say the highlight was climbing Mt. Fuji, I think the real highlight was eating my weight in Japanese food during our stay. This is another country where my wife and I agreed that 1 visit was not remotely enough.

If you forced me to choose just 1 favorite country, this might be it. There’s so much to love about Mexico, and the variety of cultural experiences across different regions and states is one of the highlights. I simply find so many elements of Mexico’s multiple cultures beautiful. Whether it’s women’s traditional dresses in Oaxaca, the fantastic stories told in traditional music, or the Day of the Dead celebrations that vary by region, the more I visit Mexico, the more I love it.

If you haven’t been beyond the tourist zones of Cancún and Tijuana or the all-inclusive beach resorts, here are a few highlights I recommend. First, visit Mexico City and explore the countless museums. Many can be done independently, but I recommend a guide for the National History Museum in the Chapultepec Castle. I speak decent Spanish, but the lack of context for the placards next to exhibits left me a bit lost. A guide would provide the context for what you’re looking at.

Another recommendation: Visit for the final days of October and the first days of November for the Day of the Dead . Rather than a sad mourning of lost loved ones when we think about death, it’s a celebration of the life of those who are no longer physically with us. It’s one of the most beautiful festivals I’ve ever encountered, and my wife and I hope to make visits an annual tradition, though visiting different regions to see how their Day of the Dead festivities vary.

Poland has so much to offer, regardless of what activities you enjoy on a vacation. Want to see Christmas markets ? Traditional, walled-in cities? History? Museums? Nature? Street art? Culinary experiences? Check, check, check.

The Market Square in Krakow, inside the old city walls, is one of the best places in the world for people-watching. Grab a seat at a café and just watch. Something interesting will happen. It’s also a great place for shopping. And if you’re into museums, the Warsaw Uprising Museum is one of the best museums I’ve ever visited . There are also obvious sites, such as Auschwitz-Birkenau (getting a guide is worth the extra cost over the audio guide) and Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow. After multiple visits, I haven’t found a spot I didn’t like in Poland.

How does a country move forward after a horrendous genocide in 1994? For Rwanda, it was by looking inward and then moving forward. The country now has one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa , some of the fastest internet on the continent, and a booming tourism sector in the capital (Kigali) and in the abundant nature to look for gorillas and chimpanzees.

Kigali is easy to navigate as a first-time visitor, whether on foot or by flagging down someone with a motorcycle and jumping on the back. Another candidate for “one of the best museums in the world” is the Kigali Genocide Memorial , which tells the story of the Rwandan Genocide, the lives lost, the lives affected, and how the country made reconciliation a key focus for moving forward in the wake of everything that happened.

And I can’t fail to mention the country’s incredible coffee. If you’re a coffee drinker, you’re in for a treat.

Most nights of the year, the Four Points by Sheraton Kigali can be booked for around 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Next door, the 5-star Kigali Marriott Hotel costs 40,000 to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points most nights, but a fantastic stay is worth the extra points.

Türkiye has so much to offer. Istanbul has everything from super luxurious hotels to budget hostels, top-notch museums, incredible history, and food that is something to write home about. If you only have a few days to visit Türkiye, that’s where you should go. Istanbul was also the first place I ever encountered tourist police — a special police force dedicated to keeping tourists safe around the most visited sites.

But the best parts of Türkiye, if you’ve got extra time, are in the interior. Head to Cappadocia and take that hot air balloon ride on your bucket list. Rather than using your points for a stay at a chain hotel in the region, book one of the unique cave hotels you won’t find elsewhere in the world. Which one? You’ll be surprised how many there are, so choose any that strikes your fancy. And on mornings when you aren’t floating in your balloon, there’s a good chance you can simply step outside and see them passing over your hotel.

My wife is afraid of heights and thought the balloon experience would be scary. The slow, gentle takeoff surprised her, and she’s convinced others with a fear of heights to take a balloon ride after our flight was so enjoyable.

I’ve been extremely privileged to travel as much as I have. Not many people have visited every country in their lifetime (around 300, according to Nomad Mania ), which naturally leads to the question “What’s your favorite country?” when the topic comes up.

Every country is unique and has something interesting to share. However, I enjoyed some more than others. These 10 countries are the most memorable, incredible places I’ve visited. As you can see, the reasons each made the list aren’t the same. Whatever you’re looking for in your next holiday, there’s probably a place on this list that can offer it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you visit every country in the world.

Yes, it is possible. Some are easier to access than others. While you may need a visa and mandatory tour guide for many visitors in places like Somalia and North Korea, others are visa-free and can be done independently. Safety concerns are an issue at some destinations, so always read up on the latest information.

How many countries are in the world?

The United Nations has 193 full member states. There are additional nations that are members of multiple U.N. committees but aren’t fully recognized member nations. Three are due to territorial disputes (Taiwan, Kosovo, and Palestine), and one is the Vatican (or Holy See), which hasn’t requested to join despite having diplomatic relations with most of the member nations in the U.N.

How long would it take to travel to every country in the world?

It depends on how much time you spend in every country and whether you can do it all in a single trip. The world record for the fastest time to visit all countries is 1 year 178 days. However, there are criticisms that people attempting to break this record simply step out of the airport, take a selfie, and get back on the next flight (in some destinations), which is debatable whether you’ve indeed visited that country. For most people, trying to visit every country is a years-long process of seeing a few nations every year.

How many years would it take to visit every place in the world?

It depends on how much or little time you want to spend at each destination. Barring world record attempts for “the fastest time to visit every country,” most people who complete their goal of visiting every country spend years on the task. Whether that’s a handful of years or decades depends on their available vacation time, family situation, finances, strength of passport, and other factors.

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About Ryan Smith

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publications including AwardWallet, The Points Guy, USA Today Blueprint, CNBC Select, Tripadvisor, and Forbes Advisor.

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The Race to Visit Every Country in the World: Women Who Travel Podcast

By Meredith Carey and Lale Arikoglu

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It isn't every day that we have someone Skype into the podcast from Lake Malawi —but this week's guest is Jessica Nabongo , who's well on her way to becoming the first black woman to visit every country in the world. This episode, we're catching up with Jessica (currently on 151 of 195 U.N.-recognized countries) about everything she's learned so far. (Make sure to listen to our previous episodes of 'Women Who Travel' with Jessica: Can You Visit Every Country in the World Without Burning Out? and The Travel Industry Needs to Do More for Women of Color —for more context.)

We cover a lot of ground, from how to pack for two months on the road (and what to do when your bag gets lost twice ) to her favorite countries of 2018 (spoiler: Jordan took the top spot). Then, we dig a little deeper, into how social media has been both a blessing, connecting her with strangers the world over, and a curse, with commenters projecting fear onto her often-solo journeys. We also cover how she tackles visiting countries most Americans can't or won't go—like Saudi Arabia and North Korea, which Nabongo is able to visit with her Ugandan passport.

Thanks to Jessica, as always, for her candid conversation. You can follow her final 40-odd countries, which includes Iran, Belarus, and Trinidad and Tobago, at @thecatchmeifyoucan . And thanks as always to Brett Fuchs for engineering and mixing. Check back every Monday for the latest installment of Women Who Travel. To keep up with our podcast each week, subscribe to Women Who Travel on the iTunes store or Spotify and if you have a minute to spare, leave a review—we’d love to hear from you.

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• The Road to 193: Visiting Every Country in the World
• The Road to 193

Many years ago, I wrote an article entitled “The Road to 193” , in which I somewhat nebulously outlined my plans to visit every country in the world over the course of my lifetime.

Like many of you, with my travel plans having ground to a halt and life progressing at a slow pace these days, I’ve had the chance to reflect on my past travels and daydream about future adventures. And there’s nothing like a black swan event like a global pandemic to remind me that unexpected things will always come up in life, and that if I don’t take active steps to make my goals a reality, they may simply never happen.

And so, I feel it’s the right time to revisit and reiterate my aspirations to eventually visit all of the UN-recognized sovereign states, and to plot out a strategy for progressing towards this lofty goal over the coming years and decades.

Why Visit Every Country in the World?

Whenever the idea of visiting every country in the world is floated in conversation with fellow travellers, it’s usually accompanied by a debate as to whether this goal is something worth pursuing in the first place. After all, shouldn’t travel be about more than tallying up a list of countries and checking items off a list?

No doubt, there are many cities around the world where not even a lifetime would be enough to fully absorb the place, let alone a country, let alone all the countries. That’s part of what makes travel such an enrapturing pursuit in the first place – knowing that there’s an endless world out there to explore, an endless series of new adventures to look forward to.

I think there’s a subtle distinction to be made between aiming to see as much of the world as possible, and visiting all the countries purely for the sake of it.

I’ve always championed the belief that every place on Earth has something unique to offer to the discerning traveller, and I do feel that no single definable objective captures that spirit better than visiting all 193 recognized countries.

Sometimes, I hear about fellow travellers on the Road to 193 doing things like stepping across a border into a new country, only to return immediately and check it off their list. My aim will be to avoid doing this whenever possible, and ideally spend at least one night, if not a couple of nights, within the borders of each nation in order to get a proper taste of the place.

And if that isn’t possible, and I don’t feel I’ve done a place justice (as is currently the case for, say, Bosnia & Herzegovina, where I stopped briefly in the port town of Neum on the bus ride across Croatia to buy something at a convenience store) – then the country will be added back to the end of the list, so that I make sure I pay it another visit if and when I complete my goal on paper.

141 Countries to Go…

I’ve visited 52 of the UN member states as of February 2021, which leaves me with 141 countries to go on the Road to 193.

Written out like that, the task appears just as daunting to me as you might imagine. If I estimate that I’d be able to visit 10 new countries per year on average, this is a task that will take me the next 14 years, until I’m 40 years old, to complete.

It’s important to set actionable and measurable goals, after all, so I think that’s a fair barometer to measure against as I aim to make slow but steady progress towards this goal year after year.

Now, obviously, some countries will be easier than others to visit, especially since many of the 52 countries I’ve already visited count among the “easier” countries for Canadians to enter without a visa.

I was fairly young the last time I discussed the Road to 193. Now that I’m a bit older and have clearer sense of where life is going, it’s important to lay out the logistical considerations that will be essential in making this goal a reality.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Goals

I think it makes sense to tackler the more challenging countries sooner rather than later. Some of my more adventurous trips over the next couple of years are going to be focused around more distant destinations like Africa, the South Pacific, and Central Asia.

Africa will be the biggest challenge, with no less than 52 countries left to explore after Ghana and Egypt (and plenty of reasons still to return to both of those).

Besides the sheer numbers, though, there are many more factors to consider: the costs and efforts required to obtain visas, the high cost of travel within the continent, and not to mention the greater risks that remain associated with travelling in many African countries.

It’s all part of what we’ve signed up for as dedicated travellers, but there’s no denying that the risks of visiting, say, Mali or the Central African Republic do bear some consideration.

It’s another reason to focus on travelling to this part of the world in the short-term future: I’m more comfortable taking on a daring travel style these days than in the future when I have a young family that depends on me. 

The islands of the South Pacific have been a source of longstanding fascination for me. Having completed a journey through Micronesia on the United Island Hopper , I’m looking forward to exploring more of these remote, rarely-visited islands further south across Melanesia and Polynesia.

(The threat of global warming means that the local way of life on these islands may be radically different in a couple decades’ time, as some of the islanders are already facing the prospect of being forced out of their homelands by rising sea levels within their lifetimes. That’s another reason for me to prioritize visiting these countries before it may be too late.) 

Central Asia and its environs, like Iran and the Caucasus, will also be a big area of the map to tackle. Thankfully, quite a few of my friends have expressed interest in exploring these places, too, so I look forward to bringing a few travel buddies along in this part of the world.

Speaking of which, I’ll also have to give some thought as to which new countries to visit on my own or with my friends, and which trips bring along Jessy as my travel companion.

As much as we’ve enjoyed extended journeys along the Trans-Siberian Railway in the past, as Jessy embarks on a career of her own, she’d probably be less enthusiastic spending her precious vacation time accompanying me to places like… the Guineas: Bissau, Equatorial, Papua New, or the regular one. 

Instead, I’ll be saving the more traditional tourist destinations that I haven’t visited yet, such as South Africa, India, Peru, or French Polynesia for trips that we’re able to go on together, while saving the more audacious trips for my own agenda.

(Okay, French Polynesia isn’t one of the 193 sovereign states, but an aspirational Bora Bora trip is definitely something I’m aiming for, too.)

After tackling some of these gaps in my travel map, I’ll leave the “easier” destinations, like Europe, Central America, or the Caribbean for the more distant future, which are more feasible to visit with a young family in tow. I also envision spending lots of time in Asia, so the remaining Asia-Pacific countries I’ve yet to visit should also be pretty easy to reach.

The Magic of Miles & Points

Being able to earn and redeem points for flights and accommodations won’t necessarily bring you to every country around the world in a straightforward manner, but it can certainly give you a leg up in terms of planning out the trips.

Say I wanted to plan a trip to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Well, the fifth-freedom flight by Royal Air Maroc would cost $518 one-way in economy class… or alternatively, with Royal Air Maroc joining Oneworld now, only 9,000 Avios in business class.

The same principle applies all over the world, not only with Avios but also with Aeroplan now that the latter is distance-based, too. Throw in Aeroplan’s ability to book stopovers for 5,000 points on a one-way, and the possibilities grow even more numerous.

For the hardcore traveller who wants to see as much of the world as possible, credit card welcome bonuses and loyalty program sweet spots are the ultimate secret weapon.

I will say, though, that they can also offer a different temptation of their own. Indeed, over the past few years I probably would’ve gotten to visit quite a few more countries if I hadn’t always been so focused on flying the “perfect” itinerary with new business class and First Class experiences at every turn. 

Now that I’ve been fortunate enough to complete most of my aviation-related bucket list items, I’d like to focus my travel efforts more consciously on exploring new destinations as the world opens up again over the next few years.

The idea of travelling to every country in the world is something that every kid has thought about when staring at the world map.

I myself vividly remember spending long hours gazing at the map on my wall, wondering what life was like in all the different countries out there from Afghanistan through Zimbabwe, and it’s a real privilege to be in a position to pursue this goal in earnest in my adult life.

Being grounded by the pandemic has definitely brought this objective into sharper focus for me, and I’m looking forward to getting started on exploring the remaining 141 countries once things start to get better – and to document the journeys here over the years and decades to come. 

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12 Comments

Travelling to every country is fun dream to plan and work on especially considering exciting countries like Tuvalu, Seychelles, Lesotho and Dominica. Would you consider ‘Kosovo’ or ‘Palestine’ to be sovereign countries? How about the Vatican? How about SMOM or the Sovereign Military Order of Malta,? The SMOM has its own seat at the United Nations and diplomatic relations with 110 soveriegn states (and whose postage stamps are recognized by Canada). Good luck on this achievable dream!

Awesome write up Ricky! I’ll make sure to invite you when I plan trips to dangerous countries like Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and what not 🙂

I always look forward to email notifications about your blog post. I think one thing pandemic taught us is that we need to enjoy this planet of ours as much as we can cause you never know when you are not able to do so anymore.

I’m with you, Ricky! I’ve had the goal of ‘experiencing’ every country in the world for a while now. Do I think I’ll really make it? No. I’m 44 and have 87 countries under my belt. But this hasn’t stopped me from trying.

You’ve got this, Jessalyn! It’s a lifelong journey and I believe in you.

“If I estimate that I’d be able to visit 10 new countries per year on average, this is a task that will take me the next 14 years, until I’m 40 years old, to complete”. Spoken like true millennial. Trust me Ricky there is life, and a great life after 40. Enjoy your journey…even if it takes you until you’re 50:)

Oh, absolutely. I just think it’s useful to have some kind of target to track my progress through the years. I fully expect there to still be some of the more “daring” countries left that I’ll have to save for my 50s when the kids are all grown up.

While I agree with Ricky that if the mission is successful to actually visit every single country and not stop short then it may be a tremendous, once in a life time achievement. I am actually more concerned about the people who spend hundreds of dollars on visas and thousands of dollars on travel just to go to random countries to put their “foot into the boarder” for a check list. To me this 193 goal is “ALL OR NOTHING” because if you do spend your time and money planning to visit random countries and stop short say at 113 out of 193 then all that random visas and money you spent just to step a foot into a country is absolutely wasted.

I would have to agree with Max on the fact that the amount of people hoping to get to 193 and those who actually succeed do not align, and for many people it will end up in financial disappointment and wasted effort.

Yeah, and that’s why I don’t think the “foot over the border” criterion is very meaningful at all.

If I only made it to 113 out of 193 countries, but did so having spent some meaningful time in those 113, interacting with locals, and learning some of their stories, then I’d still consider it a worthwhile effort. It’d be a different story if I spent hundreds of dollars on a visa just to step foot over the border and back.

Judging by the lack of comments I will speak for the people that trying to visit every country in the world is got to be one of the most unrewarding opportunity costs of all time. The amount of effort, money and time required to accomplish this task falls far short of the yields earned achieving it. This task is a perfect ideal beautiful definition of “opportunity cost”.

I happen to completely disagree here – I think the sheer satisfaction of seeing the world and the lifetime of memories would be far more rewarding than anything else. I guess that’s why I’m going for it.

Everyone has its reasons to travel. I have memories of sites I have visited but my dearest memories are of the people I have met (an old Brahman and his wife on a train in India, a young girl selling dates in the streets of Cairo, talking international politics with our local guide in Yazd on a rooftop restaurant over a cup of tea and watching sunset, etc.) This is what I love about travel. I couldn’t care less about the stamps in my passport. This is my own personal view and not a judgment on people who think otherwise.

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I've visited all 193 countries on my own. Here are my top 10 favorites and why places like Italy don't make the cut.

• Cassandra De Pecol beat 2 Guinness World Records for fastest time to visit all sovereign countries.
• She chooses her favorite countries based on their landscapes, diverse cultures, and cuisines.
• She also said she felt humbled when she went to North Korea.

At 27 years old, I completed my wanderlust dream of traveling to every country in the world as a solo female traveler. To be exact, I've visited all 193 sovereign nations — plus Taiwan, Kosovo, and Palestine. Then, by the age of 30, I achieved my athletic dream of becoming an Ironman . I find great fulfillment in inspiring and educating young women to get out and pursue their passions — or whatever gets them excited in life.  

I'm originally from Connecticut, and due to financial reasons, I never really had the chance to travel growing up. The only country I'd been to before the age of 18 was Canada — where my mom's from. I had this innate feeling to explore uncharted territory and travel the world. Specifically, I wanted to explore places that people felt were unsafe and wouldn't usually travel to. I wanted to use my privilege and able-bodiedness to give back and enhance the world we live in whilst debunking myths about some of these precarious nations and promoting peace. 

When I think about some of my favorite countries, my mind usually gravitates toward both human interactions and natural landscapes that bring me the most joy — I love nature. All of my favorite countries boast some of the most incredible landscapes, diverse cultures, and unique cuisines. 

My top favorite countries change often as each season, I tend to reminisce about my favorite places from that time of year. Here are my current top 10 favorite countries.

1. Argentina 

I've spent a lot of time over the years in Argentina and have met some wonderful people from there. I'm drawn to their seasons and flora, which attracted me to racing a half Ironman on the Argentinean side of Patagonia.  

Spring in Bariloche — a city in Argentina's Patagonia region — is like an amplified spring in Connecticut because of the vast mountain ranges and glacier lakes that reflect the vibrant leaves and make everything more intense.  

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From the incredible beauty of Salta to Córdoba, it's just one of my favorite countries. I also enjoy the scenery in Ushuaia, which is known as the gateway to Antarctica, and the fantastic cuisine. When I visit Argentina, I take full advantage of their empanadas, Asado, and amazing sweets.

Being a sucker for mountains and nature,  Austria has always been able to deliver — the country is breathtaking. Learning about its history and visiting castles and palaces makes for such an enriching trip. It's crisp, clean, fresh, authentic, and a place I've always enjoyed revisiting time and time again.

3. Bhutan 

I always encourage culture and nature lovers to experience Bhutan at least once, if possible — it's a really enchanting place. When I was there in July 2016, I found it to be a very peaceful country and a very humbling experience. They've broken records for the number of trees planted , something I participated in while I was there. The people are peaceful and happy, and the environment reflects that.

4. Pakistan

Having traveled all throughout Pakistan , including cities such as Karachi, Lahore, and the capital, Islamabad, I can honestly say this country is worth the visit. The cuisine is heavy but so aromatic and flavorful. Similar to India, some of the common spices they use are cumin, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon, and I find those aromas really shine throughout their common dishes. The landscapes are also stunning, as varied as beaches, cloud forests, and Himalayan mountain ranges. Lastly, the people were so hospitable and welcoming — it was unreal.

Throughout my time in Vanuatu, I took it upon myself to really immerse myself in the local traditions. Vanuatu is a tiny island nation in the Pacific Oceania. I roamed around the villages, where I was welcomed into the homes of strangers who taught me valuable lessons and showed me how they made some of their traditional drinks, such as kava —  a non-fermented drink made from the root of a medicinal plant and always served cold. Vanuatu is a beautiful place, and the students I spoke to were some of the most engaging and beautiful.

6. Iceland 

Iceland is another country that I've visited a good handful of times because I just can't get enough of its natural splendor. It's the perfect place to escape to for solace and reflection. The cities aren't overwhelming, the people are very welcoming, the food is delicious, and the landscapes are out of this world. I was fascinated by the fertile lowlands and geothermal environments. Iceland has more than 600 species of moss that make the land look unique to any other country I've experienced.

The Middle East holds a special place in my heart, and Oman is just the perfect place to dive into traditional Arab culture. The kindness of the people of Oman is paramount, and their cuisine is out of this world. Their coffee and honey, among other things, are just incredible. The desert landscapes and sea are honestly a refreshing break and naturally create space for an open mind to experience all that Oman has to offer.

There's a reason many people flock to the US , and I have to include it in my top 10 countries. It's a melting pot of cultures, cuisines, landscapes, and traditions. It really is a great place to experience a taste of the world and meet people from everywhere. If I wanted to, I could visit a rainforest in Puerto Rico one day and have a Cuban café con leche and pan tostado for breakfast in Miami the next day. I could also hike in the Mojave Desert in California one morning, have dinner at an Eritrean restaurant in San Francisco late that afternoon, and be asleep among the spruce trees overlooking the Pacific Ocean with the ground covered in snow in Oregon by the evening. In the US, different environments are so close to each other by flight.

9. Mauritius 

Mauritius is so underrated as it's an uncommon place to travel, but it's such a wonderful place to visit. I love their commitment to responsible tourism, and I admired how pristine and naturally beautiful the country was when I visited. I also found the cultural diversity to be fascinating, with shared values and traditions between Indian, Chinese, African, and European communities. 

The people were very hospitable to me. I was welcomed in Mauritius with open arms and would go back in a heartbeat.

10. Tunisia

Given all of the conflict and turmoil Tunisia has experienced over the years, I was pleasantly surprised with my experience in this country. It's beautiful. I traveled to Tunisia in December 2015, roughly a week after the 2015 Tunisia bombing , almost two weeks after the Radisson Blu shootings, and just six months after the Sousse attacks that killed 38 tourists. There was a lot of turmoil going on in Tunisia at the time, which, rightfully so, turned tourists away from wanting to visit. 

I took an overnight ferry, about 10 hours, from Palermo, Italy, to Tunis and slept on a piece of cardboard on the floor, with no cell reception or wifi and surrounded by locals from both Italy and Tunisia — but mostly Tunisians. It was kind of nerve-racking, but once I arrived, there was beauty everywhere. I stayed in Sidi Bou Said — in northern Tunisia — and made my way to the ruins of Carthage nearby, among other places. There's so much to see and also so much history. I found the people to be very kind and felt more than safe as a woman traveling solo.

I didn't have the best experience in countries where the men treated me poorly  

I've been to Italy many times over the past 15 years, and my great, great, grandpa was Italian — so I have a bit of heritage there. But no matter how many times I visit, I am incessantly harassed in public by the men. 

It's a real shame because the women have always been really nice to me, and I grew up learning a lot from them, working in restaurants in both Italy and the States. I love the cuisine, culture, landscapes, and pretty much everything about the country, but whenever I go, the men don't seem to respect me. But their actions don't necessarily reflect the values of the country as a whole — which I'd say are kindness, generosity, and hospitality.

Another country that disappointed me was North Korea

When I visited in August 2016, it was a humbling experience. My North Korean tour guide was the sweetest and most helpful person — and all of the local people I came across were really kind. But I visited North Korea understanding the grave necessity to follow their rules —  and also knowing that the people who live there had to live by those rules every single breathing moment.

I had to ask permission whenever I took photos and was not allowed to leave the hotel without permission. I had to leave my DSLR camera, phone, GPS tracking device (which I used for my safety so my family knew where I was), and laptop in a locker in Shenyang airport because officials had the right to confiscate them if they wanted to. I did bring my GoPro, which I was willing to lose, so that's how I was able to capture all my photos and videos there. 

While I was in North Korea, I also was not allowed to talk to North Korean citizens. I had a cup of coffee in the hotel lobby and left it on the table when I was finished, but I was told I couldn't do that, either. There were lots of little rules that made it feel like I was walking on eggshells.

Watch: Lonely Planet named Sri Lanka the No. 1 country to travel to in 2019 — here's why you should go

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At 79, she reached her goal to visit every country in the world

Emma Bowman

When it comes to her passion for travel, Luisa Yu doesn't take no for an answer. If she did, she might not have tried dog meat in North Korea, or glimpsed the pristine beaches of Somalia or skydived in Dubai at age 77.

"Everyone said, 'Don't go to Somalia, that's dangerous,' " Yu told NPR. "If I want to go somewhere, nobody can stop me. I like challenge — it's more exciting. I want to do everything."

Thanks to her stubborn determination, the 79-year-old has now achieved her longtime, ultimate travel goal she's chased for more than 50 years. The Miami resident has traveled to all 193 countries recognized by the United Nations, according to NomadMania, which keeps track of the world's most-traveled people .

Luisa Yu shows off mask woodcraft during her time in Abanga-Bigne, Gabon. Luisa Yu hide caption

Luisa Yu shows off mask woodcraft during her time in Abanga-Bigne, Gabon.

The last stop on her world tour was to Serbia in November. Fellow traveler friends arranged to meet her at the airport there to mark her achievement, where, she says, a "big surprise celebration for me was waiting."

Yu caught the travel bug early. Growing up in the province of Leyte in the Philippines, she was inspired by the movies she watched as a kid, mostly American Westerns. She set her sights on visiting the natural landscapes she saw on screen, like the craggy backdrops of John Wayne films.

"I saw all this beautiful mountain scenery, lakes and riding horses," she said. "That's how I started dreaming and saying that one day I'm gonna see the world."

Her first step in realizing that dream came in her early 20s, when she arrived in the U.S. as an exchange student to study medical technologies. When visa restrictions prevented her from traveling outside the U.S., she explored the country by Greyhound bus. She saved up her vacation time earned while working at a Miami hospital to take stateside trips. She's yet to visit only two U.S. states — Kentucky and Oklahoma.

The 'round-the-world feat wasn't easy, Yu says. She waited 15 years to get her green card to be able to travel internationally. There were stretches where she worked as many as three jobs at a time to save up enough money for trips, she says. At one point, she earned her real estate license. But travel remained her passion.

Yu goes apple picking on a visit to Tokat, Turkey, in 2021. Luisa Yu hide caption

Eventually, she became a part-time travel agent, which afforded her greater freedom and opportunities to check places off her bucket list, including access to countries that are notoriously difficult for tourists to visit. In 2008, for example, she was invited to Iran, where she got to see the tomb of Cyrus the Great.

Last year, a record 50 new entries were added to the NomadMania list of people who have visited all U.N.-recognized countries, reported CNN . Perhaps more people than ever are trying to see it all because it's easier to do so now.

"Before, you might have needed 'connections' in particular countries, [or] have difficulty in getting visas or invitations," Michael O'Regan, a tourism and events lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University, told the outlet. "You needed a 'strong' passport, and access to resources, such as tour guides and insider knowledge about transport and hotels."

Today, low-cost air carriers, visas on arrival and the increasing flexibility employees have to work remotely makes it easier.

During the pandemic in 2020, Yu traveled to the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Luisa Yu hide caption

During the pandemic in 2020, Yu traveled to the Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

The seasoned traveler's advice?

"Don't wait for anybody," she said. "If I keep on waiting, it will never happen, because the opportunity sometimes comes only once. I can always make money, you know? But time is important."

These days, she says she's taking her time. But "slowing down" for Yu still looks pretty active.

"I'm not rushing to do anything, you know, I've become very selective [with] what I wanna do," she said. "It's just flying to one country, just going to Europe or some country, no challenge — you go there, you just do whatever you want and that's easy for me."

At 79, she reached her goal to visit every country in the world

When it comes to her passion for travel, Luisa Yu doesn't take no for an answer. If she did, she might not have tried dog meat in North Korea, or glimpsed the pristine beaches of Somalia or skydived in Dubai at age 77.

"Everyone said, 'Don't go to Somalia, that's dangerous,' " Yu told NPR. "If I want to go somewhere, nobody can stop me. I like challenge — it's more exciting. I want to do everything."

Thanks to her stubborn determination, the 79-year-old has now achieved her longtime, ultimate travel goal she's chased for more than 50 years. The Miami resident has traveled to all 193 countries recognized by the United Nations, according to NomadMania, which keeps track of the world's most-traveled people .

The last stop on her world tour was to Serbia in November. Fellow traveler friends arranged to meet her at the airport there to mark her achievement, where, she says, a "big surprise celebration for me was waiting."

Yu caught the travel bug early. Growing up in the province of Leyte in the Philippines, she was inspired by the movies she watched as a kid, mostly American westerns. She set her sights on visiting the natural landscapes she saw on screen, like the craggy backdrops of John Wayne films.

"I saw all this beautiful mountain scenery, lakes and riding horses," she said. "That's how I started dreaming and saying that one day I'm gonna see the world."

Her first step in realizing that dream came in her early 20s, when she arrived in the U.S. as an exchange student to study medical technologies. When visa restrictions prevented her from traveling outside the U.S., she explored the country by Greyhound bus. She saved up her vacation time earned while working at a Miami hospital to take stateside trips. She's yet to visit only two U.S. states — Kentucky and Oklahoma.

The 'round-the-world feat wasn't easy, Yu says. She waited 15 years to get her green card to be able to travel internationally. There were stretches where she worked as many as three jobs at a time to save up enough money for trips, she says. At one point, she earned her real estate license. But travel remained her passion.

Eventually, she became a part-time travel agent, which afforded her greater freedom and opportunities to check places off her bucket list, including access to countries that are notoriously difficult for tourists to visit. In 2008, for example, she was invited to Iran, where she got to see the tomb of Cyrus the Great.

Last year, a record 50 new entries were added to the NomadMania list of people who have visited all U.N.-recognized countries, reported CNN . Perhaps more people than ever are trying to see it all because it's easier to do so now.

"Before, you might have needed 'connections' in particular countries, [or] have difficulty in getting visas or invitations," Michael O'Regan, a tourism and events lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University, told the outlet. "You needed a 'strong' passport, and access to resources, such as tour guides and insider knowledge about transport and hotels."

Today, low-cost air carriers, visas on arrival and the increasing flexibility employees have to work remotely makes it easier.

The seasoned traveler's advice?

"Don't wait for anybody," she said. "If I keep on waiting, it will never happen, because the opportunity sometimes comes only once. I can always make money, you know? But time is important."

These days, she says she's taking her time. But "slowing down" for Yu still looks pretty active.

"I'm not rushing to do anything, you know, I've become very selective [with] what I wanna do," she said. "It's just flying to one country, just going to Europe or some country, no challenge — you go there, you just do whatever you want and that's easy for me."

JetPunk will be down briefly at 8:00PM EST (5:00PM PST, 1:00AM GST). Please finish all quizzes before then.

Countries of the World Quiz

I am taking this quiz 5 years after my previous attempt, and I still remember all the countries, several of which I did not know before this site. Let alone be able to point them on a map.

But must admit, I missed fiji and costa rica just now.. Sorry

On capitals however... I think I have forgotten half of what I have learned. Then again the majority of those might have been new to me. Unobtainium +1 Level 25 Feb 22, 2024 It's annoying when you forget that one country in that one continent, but eventually you get pretty consistent. I usually start with NA, go to SA, then Europe, Asia, OCE, and Africa. Unobtainium +1 Level 25 Feb 22, 2024 I've discovered a minor shortcut. If you type in "Republic of the Congo", you get DRC AND Republic of the Congo. Astana +1 Level 50 Feb 22, 2024 If you type in Congo, it gives you both of them too! smakallsjjsjsj +2 Level 15 Feb 23, 2024 My order is

North America

South America

Oceania GeographyMale +2 Level 35 Feb 29, 2024 I go NA, SA, EU, ASIA, AFRICA, OCEANIA ItsLiamHere +1 Level 33 Apr 2, 2024 I do NA, Africa, Oceania, SA, Europe, Asia, the first country is Canada and the last is anything in the southeast Asia Ivegotcandykids +1 Level 20 Feb 26, 2024 I play this almost every time im in a school class

always get a 196/196=100% edog12 +1 Level 45 Feb 27, 2024 best time - 3:32 Bribrithelegendi +1 Level 54 Feb 28, 2024 New PB :) 4:32 codcod +1 Level 19 Feb 28, 2024 This quiz should not be 196 as Taiwan is not a country GeographyMale +4 Level 35 Feb 29, 2024 It is though ItzIngenious +2 Level 60 Mar 2, 2024 How did an error like this go unnoticed for over a decade? Congratulations, you’re the first to notice this - you should get a medal.

In all seriousness, you’re not the first to comment your opinion on this quiz, and you won’t be the last. Some people (including the creator of this quiz, who is also the owner of the site) believe Taiwan to be an independent country, so it will most likely stay that way. And anyways, in the end JetPunk is just a small quizzing website where geography nerds spend their online hours, so it’s not like the answers on this quiz will spark a war between China and Taiwan or anything. McKenzieFam +1 Level 63 Mar 11, 2024 Well put, @ItzIngenious izna +1 Level 68 Mar 11, 2024 You’re right this quiz should be over 200 because they’re are missing countries unfinishedsenten +2 Level 46 Mar 3, 2024 Not sure how long it's been like this, but why is Crimea listed as part of Russia? It's part of Ukraine.

Russia annexed it illegally - doesn't mean the rest of us need to accept it. According to the US govt: Crimea is part of Ukraine. Some of the countries recognising its annexation include Afghanistan and North Korea.

I get that Russia has control over it but it feels like a slap in the face to Ukraine to say that it is just part of Russia the same as Moscow or St Petersburg. ItzIngenious +1 Level 60 Mar 4, 2024 If Russia has control over it - even if it was annexed illegally - it’s part of Russia. Going by your logic, we should recognize Czechoslovakia on the world map because it would be just so unfair and rude to leave them out. izna +1 Level 68 Mar 5, 2024 Crimea is part of Russia Automobile39 +1 Level 20 Mar 6, 2024 156 out of 196, best run so far NoniEmmet +2 Level 34 Mar 6, 2024 Finally got my first 100% 🎉

took me 9:03!! ItsLiamHere +1 Level 33 Apr 2, 2024 congrats! lakas1 +1 Level 19 Mar 7, 2024 ok lakas1 +1 Level 19 Mar 7, 2024 tenzin please see this comment GeoLover4444 +1 Level 22 Mar 7, 2024 Best timing so far is 3:55...trying to get sub 3 at least Fluff +2 Level 29 Mar 10, 2024 You forgot to add Palestine to the answers list VincentCanQuiz +1 Level 44 Mar 11, 2024 JetPunk doesn't recognize Palestine even though it's on the map. They just show it as a disputed territory. MARCO2011 +1 Level 29 Mar 11, 2024 196/196 tempo utilizzato 13:25 VincentCanQuiz +1 Level 44 Mar 11, 2024 100% Great Quiz Quizmaster.

I've done this quiz many times before but I wasn't signed in.

That little East Timor almost got me. GenesisG +1 Level 17 Mar 12, 2024 there isn't a palestine tho... you should add one, it is a country just as much as israel. except for that, nice quiz loshy +1 Level 43 Mar 13, 2024 disputed loshy +1 Level 43 Mar 13, 2024 Timor-Leste stalled me for 2 minutes. I see other comments talking about it. It seems to be a very forgotten nation. Scythebrine +1 Level 26 Mar 13, 2024 I think a good strategy for order is starting with Canada, filling out the Americas southwards until you reach the bottom of South America. Once all of the American countries are done, you type France and get French Guiana, completing the Americas and then you just continue with Europe and finish the rest in an border based order. IsaacParker +1 Level 25 Mar 13, 2024 Just got 5:08 woooooo hbvbsdvdk +1 Level 17 Mar 13, 2024 how do you type so fast hbvbsdvdk +1 Level 17 Mar 13, 2024 i literally got all of them 75% of the time and i usually get 14:00 Datnuklebirb +1 Level 43 Mar 17, 2024 Updated best time 5:24 cymrudad +1 Level 28 Mar 17, 2024 100 % SonoS +1 Level 74 Mar 18, 2024 3:03 gahhh so close to the sub 3, probably could'd gotten it but the fingers got a bit shaky during oceania when I realized my pace haha Scheri +1 Level 21 Mar 18, 2024 6:51 - but I'm just happy that I have everything correct. Could probably go sub 6 pretty easily but for the last 3 I always have to check what micronation is missing in the list below.

May I ask what continent you start on first and how you continue your route? Bambme +2 Level 23 Mar 19, 2024 Kosovo and Taiwan but not Palestine? PurpleGuy +1 Level 33 Apr 5, 2024 Taiwan and Kosovo are both countries. Taiwan was declared independence from China in 1949 while Kosovo was declared independent from Serbia in 2008. Palestine is not technically a country since its Israeli territory, therefore it has no reason to be added to this quiz. ogunir +1 Level 47 Mar 19, 2024 my record is 4:44 martinjetpunk +1 Level 23 Mar 19, 2024 current time: 4:24 dapherspapers +1 Level 23 Mar 20, 2024 Im 10 months old and got 196 and finished in 0:30 seconds ItsLiamHere +1 Level 33 Apr 2, 2024 im not born and got 1911233123123 and finished in 0.0000000000000000000000000000000001 zeptoseconds FijiIsDaBest +1 Level 26 Mar 20, 2024 Me fwom fwiji and me want two cwear zis course in two seconds me is twee yipeeeee eieL +1 Level 23 Apr 4, 2024 this made me so annoyed for no reason FijiIsDaBest +1 Level 26 Mar 20, 2024 I'm thirteen I got all 196 after a while and am working on capitals. my high score is 7:38. keep persisting and I know that anyone will be able to beat this quiz if they keep trying. Do your best! Rybc1a +1 Level 14 Mar 24, 2024 ktoś z polski ? Rybc1a +1 Level 14 Mar 24, 2024 myślę że 156 to dobry wynik jak na polaka Noah1909 +1 Level 52 Mar 25, 2024 5:35 :) teckyyyyyyy +1 Level 20 Mar 26, 2024 4:11 Ilovegeography64 +1 Level 23 Apr 3, 2024 Bro. I’m 4:10 SomeCanadianGuy +1 Level 47 Mar 26, 2024 I'm 15 and my new PB is 4:29. FijiIsDaBest +1 Level 26 Mar 26, 2024 7:38 FijiIsDaBest +1 Level 26 Mar 26, 2024 I got 7876655/7876655 in 2 seconds beat that

Im 1 and a half henrii +1 Level 20 Mar 27, 2024 AFTER MORE THAN TEN YEARS, I FINALLY DID IT.

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Israel wages war on Hamas

School shooter parents sentencing

Total solar eclipse 2024

By Ashley Strickland , Elise Hammond , Maureen Chowdhury , Antoinette Radford, Eric Zerkel and Aditi Sangal , CNN

In pictures: Watching the solar eclipse across North America

From CNN Digital’s Photo Team

Click here for more spectacular photos from today's eclipse.

Why eclipses create a "beautiful coincidence" on Earth

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

Americans are a little spoiled when it comes to eclipses. After all, we just experienced one that the majority of the country got to see, and it comes on the heels of the "Great American Eclipse" that tracked from Oregon to South Carolina in 2017.

But that doesn't often happen. And it won't again until the 2040s.

On average, an eclipse occurs in the same place every 375 years, said Dr. John Mulchaey, Carnegie Institution for Science’s deputy for science and the director and Crawford H. Greenewalt Chair of the Carnegie Observatories.

And we’re living at the right time to truly enjoy the sight of a total eclipse on Earth, he said.

While eclipses occur throughout the solar system, none are exactly like the ones experienced in our world.

The moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, but the moon is also about 400 times closer to Earth than the sun is, creating a “beautiful coincidence” that results in eclipses when the three celestial bodies align, Mulchaey said.

This alignment is called syzygy, or when three objects line up in space.

In the distant past, the moon was much closer to Earth, which means totality likely didn’t appear as it does now. And within another 60 million years or so, the moon will be so far away that it will never cover the sun, making this a rare moment in time, Mulchaey said.

The long history of myths and folklore inspired by eclipses

From CNN's Ashley Strickland and Terry Ward

Eclipses have long inspired terror and awe as ancient cultures sought ways to explain the celestial phenomenon .

“I find the mythology and folklore of eclipses fascinating,” said Mark Littman, a journalism professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and coauthor of “ Totality: The Great North American Eclipse of 2024 .”

“To see how people long ago and people today reacted to a total eclipse of the Sun, a sight so unexpected, so dramatic, so surprising in appearance, and so unnatural even though it is utterly natural.”

Ancient records of eclipses date back to 772 BC, when the Chinese marked them on animal bones, and 750 BC, when Babylonians recorded eclipses in their cuneiform writing on clay tablets, Littmann said. Both cultures "realized there was a rhythm to eclipses," which meant they could be calculated and predicted in the future.

Despite the ability to predict eclipses, the cause of the eclipse remained unknown, so myths and folklore filled the knowledge gap.

"The mythology of eclipses most often involves a beast that tries to eat the sun for lunch. For the Chinese, that beast was a dragon or a dog. For Scandinavians, it was a wolf," Littmann said.

Those in northern South America thought the sun and moon fought one another, trying to shut off each other's light, he said.

Transylvanian folklore suggested that the sun looked down on Earth, saw the corruption of humans, and turned away in disgust.

And the Fon people of western Africa thought the male sun ruled the day, while the female moon ruled the night.

"They love each other, but they are so busy traversing the sky and providing light that they seldom get together," Littmann said. "Yet when they do, they modestly turn off the light."

Eclipses provide unique opportunities for NASA scientists to learn more about the future of the sun

From CNN's Elise Hammond

NASA scientists took full advantage of Monday’s eclipse to collect data and study the Earth, moon and sun in different ways, the agency’s deputy administrator said. One area of specific interest is the sun’s corona , or outer atmosphere.

“This is a very elusive region and it can be viewed during a solar eclipse in a very special way,” Pam Melroy said during a news conference at the end of March .

She said understanding the corona is “key to understanding fundamental questions about how heat and energy are transferred out into the solar wind,” which contributes to how solar wind and flares impacts Earth.

“Things are happening with the corona (that) we don’t fully understand and the eclipse gives us a unique opportunity to collect data that may give insights into the future of our star,” Melroy said.

And this is an especially good year to study the corona, she said. The sun is approaching  solar maximum — the peak of activity — later this year, and scientists are eager to capture this moment through a variety of observations that can only occur during eclipses. During solar maximum, the sun’s magnetic poles flip and then the sun will grow quiet again during a solar minimum.

“The chance that we are going to see something amazing is very high,” Melroy said.

Former NASA astronaut says she hopes eclipse sparks sense of connectedness with the universe

A former NASA astronaut said she hopes Monday’s total solar eclipse inspires a connection between everyone who witnessed it and the universe.

“We’re all part of this universe – and the universe was showing us some of its secrets at that point in time,” Mae Jemison told CNN.

While viewing totality in Bloomington, Indiana, the former astronaut said she was thinking about other times she experienced eclipses. 

When she saw a partial eclipse as a child in Chicago, Jemison said she was trying to make sense of what was happening.

But then thinking about her time as an astronaut, “it reinforced the feeling that when I look up, when I look away from the Earth when I was in space, it again connects me with this world, with this universe – and know that I have a responsibility.”

Jemison said science is about building on knowledge for the next generation, and the eclipse was an opportunity to do just that. Scientists used Monday’s eclipse to gather data to better understand the sun but Jemison said she hopes there is also learning at a personal level.

“I hope what people discover is themselves and their connectedness to the rest of the universe,” she said.

Eclipse Explained: Is there anywhere that saw totality in both 2017 and 2024? 

Yes! There is an area where both 2017 and 2024 paths of totality intersect. According to a map from NASA , that area includes parts of Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky.

One of the places in that intersection, Carbondale, Illinois, experienced the longest period of totality in 2017 at 2 minutes, 42 seconds, according to NASA. 

Seeing the eclipse again more than 20 years later

From CNN's Christina Zdanowicz

Juan M. Soto Peña and his wife experienced the joy of a total solar eclipse alongside their daughter, Luciana, in Tucson, Arizona.

The couple saw a partial solar eclipse together on December 25, 2000, in the state of Sonora in Mexico, he said.

Worried about eye damage? Here are the signs you should visit an optometrist after the eclipse

Maybe your eclipse glasses were fake. Perhaps you forgot to slip them back on as the first bit of sunlight reappeared after totality. Or you noticed your child, friend or family member looking up at the sun without putting on their glasses.

Symptoms of eye damage after improperly viewing the eclipse without proper protection can take hours or days to manifest. They include loss of central vision, altered color vision or distorted vision .

And if you notice any symptoms or experience eye discomfort, make an appointment immediately using the American Optometric Association's doctor locator , said Ronald Benner, an optometrist and president of the American Optometric Association.

“For most people, it’s an alteration of color vision,” Benner said. “The next morning, colors just don’t look right, or it may be bleached out it or just kind of hazy all the time. For others, it may be that they actually have holes in their vision.”

If the damage occurs in the center of someone’s vision, it can affect the ability to read or recognize faces, Benner said.

Here's what the eclipse looked like from the International Space Station

From CNN's Taylor Nicioli

From space, crew members at the International Space Station saw a different perspective of the celestial event — the moon’s shadow cast onto Earth.

The orbiting laboratory "soared into the moon’s shadow" and NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps got a chance to capture it following their “workday filled with cargo transfers, spacesuit maintenance, and microgravity research,” according to a statement from NASA . The astronauts took pictures and videos of the shadow of the moon as seen from their position about 260 miles above southeastern Canada. 

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Total solar eclipse 2024: Where, when, and how to watch

People in North America will be able to witness a total solar eclipse on April 8 as the moon completely blocks the sun.

Millions of people across North America will get the chance to experience a very special natural event on Monday when a total solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada.

The total eclipse – which occurs when the moon completely blocks out the sun – will darken skies for a few minutes “as if it were dawn or dusk”, the US’s NASA space agency explains.

Keep reading

What to know about this week’s rare hybrid eclipse, solar eclipse wows stargazers in indonesia, australia, in pictures: solar eclipse sweeps across chile and argentina.

It will be visible from a 185km-wide (115 mile-wide) band that stretches from the western coast of Mexico, through the US, and up to Canada’s easternmost province of Newfoundland and Labrador – what’s known as the “path of totality”.

“Weather permitting, people along the path of totality will see the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the sun,” NASA says on its website.

The path of totality is really “where it’s at” on Monday, said Anthony Aveni, professor emeritus at Colgate University in New York and author of the book, In the Shadow of the Moon: The Science, Magic, and Mystery of Solar Eclipses.

“It’s that precious three minutes or so … of totality when you see a whole range of phenomena that you just don’t see in everyday life,” he told Al Jazeera. “It takes your breath away and you stop what you’re doing and gawk at nature.”

So how often do total solar eclipses occur? How long does it typically last? Where and how can you watch safely? Here’s everything you need to know.

Where will the total eclipse be visible from, and at what time?

Monday’s total eclipse will be visible from parts of Mexico, the US and Canada.

It will enter continental North America in Mazatlan, in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, at 11:07am local time (18:07 GMT). It will exit the continent on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16pm local time (19:46 GMT).

In the US, the eclipse will enter the state of Texas at 1:27pm local time (18:27 GMT) and exit in Maine at 3:35pm local time (19:35 GMT).

It will last only a few minutes, and the exact time it will be visible depends on where you are within the path of totality.

For example, in Erie, Pennsylvania, totality starts at 3:16pm local time (19:16 GMT) and ends at 3:20pm (19:20 GMT).

It will reach Buffalo, New York, a few minutes later: there, totality starts at 3:18pm local time (19:18 GMT) and ends at 3:22pm (19:22 GMT).

A partial eclipse also will be visible for about two hours on Monday, before and after totality.

What happens during a total solar eclipse?

While the Earth and moon both orbit the sun, the moon also circles the Earth each month.

During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth, completely blocking the sun’s light on one side, and casting a shadow on a small area of Earth on its other side.

The dark inner part – the “umbra” – of this shadow creates a narrow track or “path” as the moon orbits the Earth. Areas on this path, and especially on its centreline, which fall directly under the shadow, are the ones from where the total eclipse will be visible.

This track is about 160km (100 miles) wide and 16,000km (10,000 miles) long.

“If it was a lunar eclipse, it would last for a few hours and people around the world could see it. But the difference is that total eclipses only happen over a specific path of that new moon,” said Khady Adama Ndao, a NASA eclipse ambassador.

This eclipse only occurs during a new moon. And the moon’s position in its orbit, relative to the sun and Earth, as well as the angles of all three at a specific time, are what create a total eclipse.

While the moon will be close enough to Earth so as to look as though it entirely covers the sun during an eclipse, in reality the moon is 400 times smaller than the sun. It’s the increased distance between the moon and the sun at the time of a total eclipse that makes the moon look like it is big enough to cover the sun.

Meanwhile, people who are close to the path of totality, but not directly in it, may see what’s known as a partial eclipse on Monday. That’s when only a part of the sun is obscured by the moon.

Areas from which a partial eclipse will be visible fall under faint parts of the moon’s wider shadow, called the “penumbra”.

What does a total eclipse look like?

As the moon moves past the sun during an eclipse, it will slowly obscure the sun – creating a dark sky – before reaching the moment of “totality”. That’s when almost the entirety of the sun will be covered, leaving only a faint circle of the sun’s light or the corona.

After a few minutes, people in the path of totality will see a partial eclipse again as the moon moves away. The sun will become fully visible again.

What else happens during the moment of totality?

There is a drop in temperature and animals also start to behave as if it’s nighttime.

The chirping patterns of birds may change, while nocturnal animals such as bats and owls may start to wake up and look for prey.

Stars and celestial objects hanging in the dark sky may also become more visible.

If a person were to stand on the moon or a space station orbiting Earth, they would also be able to see a dark shadow passing over the Earth.

How long will the total solar eclipse last on April 8?

A total solar eclipse can last between two to three hours, from the moment the moon first begins to cover the sun, until the time the moon crosses past the sun and stops obscuring it.

However, the period of totality in most places this year will last only between three and a half to four minutes.

Areas on and very close to the centreline will experience the longest period of totality while totality will last for shorter periods of time in areas farther from the centreline.

The longest period of totality on Monday – 4 minutes and 28 seconds – will occur near Torreon, Mexico. That’s because the area is closest to the point at which the shadow’s path is perpendicular to the Earth’s surface and near the central line of the umbral shadow.

In the past, totality in some places has lasted for as little as a few seconds, and as long as seven and a half minutes.

The durations of the eclipse and the period of totality differ due to a combination of factors, such as the curvature of the Earth and angle at which the moon’s shadow strikes.

Mobile applications such as “Totality” track eclipse start and end times, as well as totality durations for different cities on the total eclipse’s path.

What are some of the cultural and historical beliefs around total solar eclipses?

Total solar eclipses have captivated people for thousands of years. But in ancient civilisations, the phenomenon was often viewed as a bad omen.

In ancient China, for example, people believed that solar eclipses happened because “a celestial dragon” was eating the sun, according to NASA . As a result, people made loud noises during eclipses “to frighten the dragon away”.

The Inca people of South America believed solar eclipses were a sign of the sun god Inti’s anger.

And in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), a solar eclipse was thought to signal that the ruler was in grave danger – leading decision-makers to put a system in place known as the “substitute king”.

In order to prevent the real Assyrian king, for example, from being harmed, a substitute would be dressed up and ultimately offered as a sacrifice “for the evil fate that was destined for the true king”, explained Sarah Graff , a curator in the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

According to Aveni at Colgate University, there is a tendency to view people in the past as being less intelligent or more superstitious about eclipses than people today. “But in every case, it’s an occasion to have a conversation,” he told Al Jazeera.

For instance, people made noise in the ancient Andean world during an eclipse “to alert the sun not to believe what the moon is whispering in his ear, which is that we people that live down here on Earth do bad things at night”, Aveni said. “This becomes an occasion to have a discussion about lying – that’s really what it’s about.”

Can you watch a total solar eclipse without glasses?

Experts stress that safety is critical.

During the brief time in which the moon completely blocks out the sun, people can view the total eclipse with their naked eye.

But during the partial eclipse before and after totality, you should use specially designed, protective solar glasses or a handheld solar viewing device.

“If people look without the proper protection, they run the risk of injuring their eyes,” said B Ralph Chou , president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

“And if they get an injury, depending on how often and how long they look at the sun without the protection, they do have a substantial risk of developing a permanent loss of vision.”

This risk is due to a number of factors such as the intensity and radiation of the sun’s light, as well as the absence of pain receptors in the eye, which makes it easier to stare for too long.

Compared with a regular day, pupils may also be less dilated during an eclipse, making the bright light that enters more dangerous. “It’s like being in the dark, when all of a sudden, someone just flashes a flashlight in front of your eyes”, Ndao, the NASA eclipse ambassador, said.

How are people preparing?

Cities and towns across the path of totality have been distributing eclipse glasses to residents in the weeks leading up to Monday’s event. Museums, science centres and other institutions are holding viewing parties.

Schools in the US and Canada have announced closures on Monday to allow students to participate in eclipse-watching events. The closures also aim to avoid safety issues, as schools have raised concerns that the total eclipse coincides with school dismissal times.

Groups of people are also flying in private planes to watch the totality, said Barbara Gruber, assistant director of education and public outreach at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in the US.

While this is permitted, the US Federal Aviation Authority has put out safety advisories about flying during totality.

Are you guaranteed to see the total eclipse if you’re in the path of totality?

Unfortunately not. Weather conditions will play an important factor in what hopeful eclipse-watchers will be able to see on Monday.

In other words, if it’s cloudy, that could ruin the visibility.

If you’re not in North America, several institutions will be hosting live coverage of the total eclipse, including NASA .

How often does a total solar eclipse happen?

While Monday may be the last time the US sees an eclipse for at least another nine years, a total solar eclipse generally occurs every 18 months.

Many total eclipses are only visible at sea and may not be seen by anyone at all, according to Ndao.

Additionally, once a particular area experiences a total eclipse, it may not see the return of the phenomenon for hundreds of years.

“On average a single location will experience a total solar eclipse about every 350 years, but averages can be misleading and some lucky places will get an eclipse in just a few years”, Gruber told Al Jazeera.

When is the next total solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse will take place on August 12, 2026, over Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. Almost exactly a year later, on August 2, 2027, one will be visible from northern Africa, Gibraltar, and the Saudi peninsula.

In the US, the next total eclipse will occur in 2033 but will only be visible from Alaska.

Western Canada, Montana and North Dakota will witness a total eclipse in 2044 and, the following year, people in the US will be able to see a total eclipse from coast to coast, according to NRAO.

Experts say a day will come, however, when total eclipses will stop occurring altogether – but not for quite a while.

As the universe expands with the moon moving further away from the Earth each year, and the sun gets bigger, the moon will eventually become too small in the sky to block the whole sun.

That day is still a distant reality though. A NASA study in 2017 estimated that total eclipses would end in 563 million years.

Your last-minute guide to Monday's total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse will cross North America on Monday , offering millions a rare opportunity to see afternoon skies temporarily darken as the moon blocks the face of the sun.

Tune into NBC News NOW as Lester Holt hosts a two-hour special at 2 p.m. ET Monday from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The eclipse's path fortuitously cuts across Mexico, 15 U.S. states and a small part of eastern Canada. In all other states in the continental U.S., viewers will be treated to a partial solar eclipse, with the moon appearing to take a bite out of the sun and obscuring part of its light.

Here’s everything you need to know about the rare celestial event.

What is a solar eclipse?

Solar eclipses occur when the sun, moon and Earth align. The moon passes between Earth and sun, temporarily blocking the sun’s light and casting a shadow on Earth.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon fully obscures the sun, whereas a partial solar eclipse means it blocks just a portion of the sun’s face.

Solar eclipses occur only with the new moon. Because the moon’s orbit around Earth is tilted, the three bodies don’t always line up in a way that creates an eclipse.

“Imagine if the moon’s orbit were in the plane of Earth’s orbit around the sun — if that were the case, then every new moon, you’d have a total solar eclipse and every full moon, you’d have a lunar eclipse,” Neil DeGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, told NBC News. “So, because things don’t always align, it lends to the rarity of the event and the specialness of the event.”

Where and when will the eclipse be visible?

This year’s eclipse will follow a slightly wider path over more populated areas of the continental U.S. than other total solar eclipses have in the recent past.

NASA estimates that 31.6 million people live within what’s known as the path of totality, where the total solar eclipse will be visible. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path, according to the agency.

The path travels through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Tiny parts of Michigan and Tennessee will also be able to witness totality if conditions are clear.

After the eclipse crosses into Canada, it will pass over southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, at the eastern end of Nova Scotia.

Those outside the path of totality can still take part in the astronomical event by viewing a partial solar eclipse — visible throughout all 48 states of the contiguous U.S. — or a NASA livestream.

The timing, including how long totality lasts, depends on the location, but some spots will see the moon fully cover the sun for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

Below is a list of timings for some cities along the path of totality, as  provided by NASA . A number of other resources, including NationalEclipse.com  and  TimeandDate.com , can also help people plan.

• Dallas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:23 p.m. CT and totality at 1:40 p.m.
• Little Rock, Arkansas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:33 p.m. CT and totality at 1:51 p.m.
• Cleveland: Partial eclipse begins at 1:59 p.m. ET and totality at 3:13 p.m.
• Buffalo, New York: Partial eclipse begins at 2:04 p.m. ET and totality at 3:18 p.m.
• Lancaster, New Hampshire: Partial eclipse begins at 2:16 p.m. ET and totality at 3:27 p.m.

How to safely view a solar eclipse

It is never safe to gaze directly at the sun, even when it is partly or mostly covered by the moon. Special eclipse glasses or  pinhole projectors  are required to safely view solar eclipses and prevent eye damage. Failing to take the proper precautions can result in severe eye injury,  according to NASA .

Eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses and specially made to enable wearers to look at the sun during these kinds of celestial events.

Sky-watchers should also never view any part of the sun through binoculars, telescopes or camera lenses unless they have specific solar filters attached. Eclipse glasses should not be used with these devices, as they will not provide adequate protection.

However, during the few minutes of totality, when the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to look with the naked eye.

Beware of fake eclipse glasses. On legitimate pairs, the lenses should have a silver appearance on the front and be black on the inside. The manufacturer’s name and address should be clearly labeled, and they should not be torn or punctured. Check, as well, for the ISO logo and the code “IS 12312-2” printed on the inside.

If you don’t have eclipse glasses, you can make a homemade pinhole projector, which lets sunlight in through a small hole, focuses it and projects it onto a piece of paper, wall or other surface to create an image of the sun that is safe to look at. 

All you need is two pieces of white cardboard or plain white paper, aluminum foil and a pin or thumbtack. Cut a 1- to 2-inch square or rectangle out of the center of a piece of white paper or cardboard. Tape aluminum foil over that cut-out shape, then use a pin or thumbtack to poke a tiny hole in the foil.

During the eclipse, place a second piece of white paper or cardboard on the ground as a screen and hold the projector with the foil facing up and your back to the sun. Adjusting how far you hold the projector from the second piece of paper will alter the size of the image on the makeshift screen.

What to look for while viewing the total solar eclipse

For people along the path of totality, there are some fun milestones to keep track of as the total solar eclipse unfolds.

As the eclipse progresses and the sun gets thinner in the sky, it will start to get eerily dark, according to Tyson.

When the last beams of sunlight are about to become obscured, look out for the “diamond ring effect”: The sun’s atmosphere will appear as an illuminated halo, and the last light still visible will look like the diamond of a giant ring.

As the sunlight decreases even further, an effect known as Baily’s beads will be created by the moon’s rugged terrain. Tiny “beads” of light will be visible for only a few seconds around the dark moon, as the last bits of sunlight peer through the moon’s mountains and valleys.

When the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to remove eclipse glasses and look at the total solar eclipse with the naked eye.

Some lucky sky-watchers may even catch a glimpse of a comet .

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks — nicknamed the “ devil comet ” because an eruption last year left it with two distinct trails of gas and ice in the shape of devil horns — is currently visible from the Northern Hemisphere as it swings through the inner solar system.

The comet can be seen in the early evenings by gazing toward the west-northwest horizon. During the eclipse, when skies darken during totality, it may be possible to see the comet near Jupiter, but its visibility will depend on whether it’s in the middle of an outburst and thus brighter than normal.

Most likely, all eyes will be on the alignment of the moon and sun.

“Most people won’t even notice,” Tyson said. “But if you know to look, it’s there.”

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse will be in 2026, but it will mostly pass over the Arctic Ocean, with some visibility in Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and northern Spain. In 2027, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Spain and a swath of northern Africa.

The next total solar eclipse visible from North America will be in 2033, but only over Alaska. Then in 2044, a total solar eclipse will cross Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, parts of Canada and Greenland.

The next total solar eclipse to cross the continental U.S. coast-to-coast in will occur in 2045. The path of totality for that eclipse will cut through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

Lucas Thompson is a content producer for the NBC News Climate Unit.

Watch CBS News

Solar eclipse maps show 2024 totality path, peak times and how much of the eclipse people could see across the U.S.

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: April 9, 2024 / 5:00 AM EDT / CBS News

A total solar eclipse  crossed North America Monday with parts of 15 U.S. states within the path of totality. Maps show  where and when astronomy fans could see the big event  as skies darkened in the middle of the day Monday, April 8.

The total eclipse first appeared along Mexico's Pacific Coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT, then traveled across a swath of the U.S., from Texas to Maine, and into Canada.

About 31.6 million people live in the path of totality , the area where the moon fully blocked out the sun , according to NASA. The path ranged between 108 and 122 miles wide. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path of totality.

Solar eclipse path of totality map for 2024

The total solar eclipse started over the Pacific Ocean, and the first location in continental North America that experienced totality was Mexico's Pacific Coast, around 11:07 a.m. PDT, according to NASA. From there, the path continued into Texas, crossing more than a dozen states before the eclipse enters Canada in southern Ontario. The eclipse exited continental North America at around 5:16 p.m. NDT from Newfoundland, Canada.

The path of totality included portions of the following states:

• Pennsylvania
• New Hampshire

Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan also experienced the total solar eclipse.

Several major cities across the U.S. were included in the eclipse's path of totality, while many others saw a partial eclipse. These were some of the best major cities for eclipse viewing — though the weather was a factor :

• San Antonio, Texas (partially under the path)
• Austin, Texas
• Waco, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Little Rock, Arkansas
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Dayton, Ohio
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Buffalo, New York
• Rochester, New York
• Syracuse, New York
• Burlington, Vermont

Map of when the solar eclipse reached totality across its path

The eclipse began in the U.S. as a partial eclipse beginning at 12:06 p.m. CDT near Eagle Pass, Texas, before progressing to totality by about 1:27 p.m. CDT and then moving along its path to the northeast over the following few hours.

NASA shared times for several cities in the path of totality across the U.S. People could have also  checked their ZIP code on NASA's map  to see when the eclipse was to reach them if they were on, or near, the path of totality — or if they saw a partial eclipse instead.

How much of the eclipse did people see if they live outside the totality path?

While the April 8 eclipse covered a wide swath of the U.S., outside the path of totality observers may have spotted a partial eclipse, where the moon covers some, but not all, of the sun, according to NASA. The closer they were to the path of totality, the larger the portion of the sun that was hidden.

NASA allowed viewers to input a ZIP code and see how much of the sun was to be covered in their locations.

Could there be cloud cover be during the solar eclipse?

Some areas along the path of totality had a higher likelihood of cloud cover that could interfere with viewing the eclipse. Here is a map showing the historical trends in cloud cover this time of year. 

You could have checked the latest forecast for your location with our partners at The Weather Channel .

Where did the solar eclipse reach totality for the longest?

Eclipse viewers near Torreón, Mexico, got to experience totality for the longest. Totality there lasted 4 minutes, 28 seconds, according to NASA. 

Most places along the centerline of the path of totality saw a totality duration of between 3.5 and 4 minutes, according to NASA. Some places in the U.S. came close to the maximum; Kerrville, Texas, had a totality duration of 4 minutes, 24 seconds.

What is the path of totality for the 2044 solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044.

Astronomy fans in the U.S. will have far fewer opportunities to see the 2044 eclipse they had on April 8. NASA has not yet made maps available for the 2044 eclipse but, according to The Planetary Society , the path of totality will only touch three states.

The 2024 eclipse will start in Greenland, pass over Canada and end as the sun sets in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the Planetary Society.

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

More from CBS News

How often do total solar eclipses happen?

When is the next total solar eclipse in the U.S.?

Is it safe to take pictures of the solar eclipse with your phone?

See the list of notable total solar eclipses in the U.S. since 1778

What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?

It almost time! Millions of Americans across the country Monday are preparing to witness the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse as it passes over portions of Mexico, the United States and Canada.

It's a sight to behold and people have now long been eagerly awaiting what will be their only chance until 2044 to witness totality, whereby the moon will completely block the sun's disc, ushering in uncharacteristic darkness.

That being said, many are curious on what makes the solar eclipse special and how is it different from a lunar eclipse.

The total solar eclipse is today: Get the latest forecast and everything you need to know

What is an eclipse?

An eclipse occurs when any celestial object like a moon or a planet passes between two other bodies, obscuring the view of objects like the sun, according to NASA .

What is a solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes in between the Earth and the sun, blocking its light from reaching our planet, leading to a period of darkness lasting several minutes. The resulting "totality," whereby observers can see the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere, known as the corona, presents a spectacular sight for viewers and confuses animals – causing nocturnal creatures to stir and bird and insects to fall silent.

Partial eclipses, when some part of the sun remains visible, are the most common, making total eclipses a rare sight.

What is a lunar eclipse?

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth. When this happens, Earth blocks the sunlight that normally reaches the moon. Instead of that sunlight hitting the moon’s surface, Earth's shadow falls on it.

Lunar eclipses are often also referred to the "blood moon" because when the Earth's shadow covers the moon, it often produces a red color. The coloration happens because a bit of reddish sunlight still reaches the moon's surface, even though it's in Earth's shadow.

Difference between lunar eclipse and solar eclipse

The major difference between the two eclipses is in the positioning of the sun, the moon and the Earth and the longevity of the phenomenon, according to NASA.

A lunar eclipse can last for a few hours, while a solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes. Solar eclipses also rarely occur, while lunar eclipses are comparatively more frequent. While at least two partial lunar eclipses happen every year, total lunar eclipses are still rare, says NASA.

Another major difference between the two is that for lunar eclipses, no special glasses or gizmos are needed to view the spectacle and one can directly stare at the moon. However, for solar eclipses, it is pertinent to wear proper viewing glasses and take the necessary safety precautions because the powerful rays of the sun can burn and damage your retinas.

Contributing: Eric Lagatta, Doyle Rice, USA TODAY