60 countries. 5 continents. 4 years. 46,000 miles
“The first great adventure of the 21st Century”
– Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Aged 24, Alastair Humphreys left England to cycle round the world. His journey along the length of the Earth’s three great landmasses (Africa, the Americas, Eurasia) took more than 4 years to complete. He has written six books about the adventure.
Alastair rode from England to South Africa, crossed the Atlantic by yacht and then cycled from Patagonia to Alaska. Crossing the Pacific by freighter, Alastair completed his expedition by cycling back to England from eastern Siberia.
Adventurer Benedict Allen called the ride “an epic adventure”. Sir Ranulph Fiennes described Alastair’s expedition as:
“…out of the ordinary. In today’s world of dashing up Everest in less than a day, sailing round the world in ten weeks, and best-selling books about three month motorbike rides, Alastair’s journey stands out as amazing. It was probably the first great adventure of the new Millennium. Alastair’s journey was an old-fashioned expedition: long, lonely, low-budget and spontaneous. It was a life on the road rather than a whirlwind break from home.”
Away from friends and family for so long, Alastair’s self-funded ride took him from the deserts of Sudan to a Siberian winter, from Albania to Zimbabwe, from the Dead Sea to Andean heights. It was a truly global journey, succeeding through the kindness of strangers -a vast, spontaneous support team- at a time where the interactions of our global community are more confused and troubled than ever. Alastair’s journey also raised funds and awareness for ‘Hope and Homes for Children’.
Learn more
- Look at the books Alastair wrote about the adventure.
- Read more about the ride in this magazine article.
- Get Alastair to speak at your event.
- Watch more mini-movies here.
- View photos from the journey here.
- Read the FAQs and some expedition planning advice.
- Read these appropriate blog entries:
- Listen to a 30-minute interview about his journey on BicycleTouringPro.
- Visit the original Round the World by Bike website
and, after all that… buy the books!
Get just one email per month with the best bits from the blog and any latest news.
If you have enjoyed this page you might be interested in my books or in subscribing to my blog’s RSS feed.
Your adventures are crazy! Such an inspiration to us! 🙂
You skipped Spain! lol another RTW trip is in order 😀
I saved it especially for this trip: https://alastairhumphreys.com/adventures/as-i-walked-one-midsummer-morning/
🙂
Loved part one. Inspirational yet attainable, confirmed my lust for adventure by bike is a must .
I don’t see a part 3. Still in the works?
There are two parts to the adult book, three parts to the kids books.
Hi Al. Well done mate.
I’m thinking of following your route. I’m 54. Any advice would be welcome.
Hi Clive,
Great to hear you are planning your own adventure!
My advice would be:
1. Go for it!
2. Don’t follow anyone’s route: make your own route from what excites you, and the state of the world today.
3. Enjoy it – go slower than I did.
I am trying to cycle around the world do you have any top tips what to take and what is a good route to take
Hi Charlie,
There is a kit list on my FAQ page. This might help you choose your route: https://alastairhumphreys.com/hatch-a-plan/
Good luck!
Alastair
You skipped Pakistan. Toughest routes to ride been there last month and was a beautiful trip I ever had in my life <3
My first bike trip was through Pakistan over the KKH to China. Wonderful place isn’t it!
That’s great that your first trip was Pakistan. I am in love with that Northern area of Pakistan. I couldn’t reply to my previous comment on your reply I dont know so just reply you here 😀
Excellent! I love your cheerful spirit and sense of adventure! And the best: humor! I’m planning few trips on my bike and searching for inspiration I found your site, love it!
Cycling is a brilliant way to travel. Moving at a slower pace, you can engage more deeply with your destination. But it also needs a lot of courage to leave everyone and take the never ending path… You are a great man