30 Milestone Days for an 18-Month Family RTW

Day 1 - Wed, Jan 6, 2027

U.S., Mérida

Fly U.S. to Mérida

08:00 AM

Home airport

Settle into a budget apartment base

03:00 PM

Centro, Mérida

Santiago Market dinner

06:00 PM

Mercado de Santiago

Plaza Grande evening stroll

07:30 PM

Plaza Grande

Day 2 - Wed, Jan 13, 2027

Mérida

Mérida historic center walk

09:00 AM

Plaza Grande

Mayan World Museum

11:00 AM

Gran Museo del Mundo Maya

Lunch at a cocina económica

01:30 PM

Mérida Centro

Pool or apartment downtime

03:30 PM

Mérida

Day 3 - Wed, Jan 20, 2027

Valladolid, Bacalar

Bus to Valladolid

08:00 AM

Mérida bus station

Valladolid plaza and convent walk

11:00 AM

Valladolid

Market lunch in Valladolid

01:00 PM

Mercado Municipal

Arrive for lagoon time in Bacalar

05:30 PM

Bacalar

Day 4 - Wed, Feb 3, 2027

Belize City, Antigua Guatemala

Cross toward Guatemala

07:00 AM

Chetumal or Belize City

Arrive Antigua base

04:30 PM

Antigua Guatemala

Early dinner near Parque Central

06:00 PM

Parque Central

Laundry and route admin

07:30 PM

Antigua apartment

Day 5 - Wed, Feb 10, 2027

Lake Atitlán

Shuttle to Panajachel

08:30 AM

Antigua Guatemala

Lakefront orientation in Panajachel

12:00 PM

Panajachel

Budget lunch on Calle Santander

01:30 PM

Calle Santander

Boat to San Marcos or San Pedro

03:30 PM

Lake Atitlán

Day 6 - Wed, Feb 24, 2027

Flores, Tikal

Fly or overnight bus to Flores

08:00 AM

Guatemala City to Flores

Flores island base check-in

11:00 AM

Flores

Tikal ticket check and early plan

02:00 PM

Flores

Flores lakeside dinner

06:00 PM

Flores

Day 7 - Mon, Apr 5, 2027

Lima, Sacred Valley

Fly to Lima, then connect to Cusco

08:00 AM

Lima and Cusco airports

Transfer down to the Sacred Valley

02:00 PM

Cusco to Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo plaza acclimatization

04:00 PM

Ollantaytambo

Soup-and-rice dinner

06:00 PM

Ollantaytambo

Day 8 - Mon, Apr 12, 2027

Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu

Train to Aguas Calientes

07:30 AM

Ollantaytambo Station

Machu Picchu timed entry

11:00 AM

Machu Picchu

Late lunch in Aguas Calientes

02:30 PM

Aguas Calientes

Return to Ollantaytambo

05:00 PM

Aguas Calientes Station

Day 9 - Mon, May 3, 2027

Cusco, La Paz, Uyuni

Bus or fly toward Bolivia

08:00 AM

Cusco

La Paz altitude buffer

02:00 PM

La Paz

Continue to Uyuni

07:00 PM

La Paz to Uyuni

Pack snacks and water

08:00 PM

La Paz bus terminal

Day 10 - Fri, May 7, 2027

Salar de Uyuni

Salar de Uyuni day tour departure

09:00 AM

Uyuni

Salt flats photo stop

10:30 AM

Salar de Uyuni

Picnic lunch on the flats

12:30 PM

Salar de Uyuni

Return and warm-up evening

05:00 PM

Uyuni town

Day 11 - Thu, Jun 10, 2027

Morocco, Marrakech

Fly South America to Marrakech

08:00 AM

Marrakech Menara Airport

Riad check-in near the medina edge

03:00 PM

Marrakech Medina

Early tagine dinner

06:00 PM

Marrakech

Jemaa el-Fnaa short visit

07:30 PM

Jemaa el-Fnaa

Day 12 - Thu, Jun 17, 2027

Marrakech

Bahia Palace morning visit

09:00 AM

Bahia Palace

Medina souk wander with a fixed budget

11:00 AM

Marrakech Souk

Lunch near the medina edge

01:00 PM

Marrakech

Majorelle Garden late afternoon

04:00 PM

Jardin Majorelle

Day 13 - Mon, Jul 5, 2027

Granada

Ferry or flight to Spain

08:00 AM

Morocco to Andalusia

Albaicín sunset viewpoint

06:00 PM

Mirador de San Nicolás

Tapas dinner in Albaicín

07:30 PM

Albaicín

Alhambra ticket verification

09:00 PM

Granada lodging

Day 14 - Mon, Jul 12, 2027

Granada

Alhambra and Nasrid Palaces

08:30 AM

Alhambra

Generalife gardens break

11:30 AM

Generalife

Picnic or budget lunch near Plaza Nueva

01:30 PM

Plaza Nueva

Apartment siesta and Schengen count

03:00 PM

Granada

Day 15 - Mon, Aug 16, 2027

Sarajevo, Mostar

Move to Bosnia and Herzegovina

08:00 AM

Balkans transfer

Sarajevo old town walk

03:00 PM

Baščaršija

Ćevapi lunch-dinner

05:00 PM

Baščaršija

Miljacka River evening stroll

07:00 PM

Latin Bridge area

Day 16 - Mon, Sep 6, 2027

Istanbul

Arrive in Istanbul

10:00 AM

Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen

Sultanahmet orientation walk

02:00 PM

Sultanahmet

Budget dinner near a lokanta

05:30 PM

Sultanahmet or Fatih

Ferry sunset from Eminönü

07:00 PM

Eminönü Pier

Day 17 - Sun, Oct 10, 2027

Delhi, Jaipur

Fly Istanbul to Delhi

08:00 AM

Delhi

Check India train booking windows

02:00 PM

Delhi

Simple thali dinner

06:00 PM

Connaught Place

Early night before Jaipur

08:00 PM

Delhi lodging

Day 18 - Wed, Oct 20, 2027

Jaipur

Morning train to Jaipur

07:00 AM

New Delhi Railway Station

Hawa Mahal exterior and old city walk

01:00 PM

Hawa Mahal

Lassi and snack stop

03:00 PM

Jaipur old city

Guesthouse rooftop sunset

06:00 PM

Jaipur

Day 19 - Fri, Nov 5, 2027

Kathmandu

Fly India to Kathmandu

09:00 AM

Kathmandu

Boudhanath Stupa evening kora

04:00 PM

Boudhanath

Momo dinner near Boudha

06:00 PM

Boudha

Trek-permit and gear check

08:00 PM

Kathmandu lodging

Day 20 - Fri, Nov 12, 2027

Pokhara

Travel to Pokhara

08:00 AM

Kathmandu to Pokhara

Lakeside Pokhara check-in

03:00 PM

Phewa Lake

Lakeside dal bhat dinner

06:00 PM

Lakeside Pokhara

Short Phewa Lake boat ride

07:00 PM

Phewa Lake

Day 21 - Sun, Dec 5, 2027

Bangkok

Fly Kathmandu or Delhi to Bangkok

09:00 AM

Bangkok

Set up transit cards and local SIMs

03:00 PM

Bangkok

Food court dinner

06:00 PM

Siam or Asok

Riverside evening walk

07:30 PM

Chao Phraya River

Day 22 - Sun, Dec 12, 2027

Chiang Mai

Train or budget flight to Chiang Mai

08:00 AM

Bangkok to Chiang Mai

Old City temple loop

02:00 PM

Chiang Mai Old City

Khao soi lunch or early dinner

05:00 PM

Old City

Night market with a spending cap

06:30 PM

Chiang Mai Night Bazaar

Day 23 - Sat, Jan 8, 2028

Luang Prabang

Slow boat, train, or flight into Laos

08:00 AM

Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang

Mekong riverside check-in

04:00 PM

Luang Prabang

Night market dinner plates

06:30 PM

Luang Prabang Night Market

Mount Phousi sunset, optional

07:30 PM

Mount Phousi

Day 24 - Thu, Jan 20, 2028

Siem Reap, Angkor

Arrive Siem Reap

10:00 AM

Siem Reap

Buy or confirm Angkor pass

03:00 PM

Angkor Enterprise ticket office

Early dinner in Siem Reap

05:30 PM

Old Market area

Pack for Angkor sunrise

07:00 PM

Siem Reap lodging

Day 25 - Thu, Feb 10, 2028

Da Nang, Hoi An

Travel to central Vietnam

09:00 AM

Da Nang

Hoi An homestay check-in

01:00 PM

Hoi An

Hoi An Ancient Town evening walk

05:00 PM

Hoi An Ancient Town

Cao lầu dinner

06:30 PM

Hoi An

Day 26 - Wed, Mar 15, 2028

Taipei

Fly to Taipei

09:00 AM

Taipei

EasyCard and MRT setup

02:00 PM

Taipei Main Station

Shilin or Raohe Night Market

06:00 PM

Taipei

Neighborhood laundry and budget reset

08:30 PM

Taipei lodging

Day 27 - Tue, Mar 28, 2028

Tokyo

Fly Taipei or Seoul to Tokyo

09:00 AM

Tokyo

Apartment check-in near a transit hub

02:00 PM

Tokyo

Ueno Park cherry blossom stroll

04:00 PM

Ueno Park

Convenience-store picnic dinner

06:00 PM

Ueno

Day 28 - Wed, Apr 5, 2028

Kyoto, Osaka

Tokyo to Kansai rail decision

08:00 AM

Tokyo Station

Fushimi Inari early or late visit

02:30 PM

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Osaka budget street-food dinner

06:00 PM

Dotonbori

Golden Week avoidance check

08:30 PM

Kansai lodging

Day 29 - Wed, May 10, 2028

Bali, Java

Fly Japan or Korea to Bali/Java

09:00 AM

Denpasar or Jakarta

Ubud or Sanur family base

02:00 PM

Bali

Warung dinner

06:00 PM

Bali

Beach sunset decompress

07:00 PM

Sanur Beach

Day 30 - Fri, Jun 30, 2028

Cairns, U.S.

Great Barrier Reef family snorkel, optional final splurge

08:00 AM

Cairns

Final packing and document check

02:00 PM

Cairns

Fly Cairns or Brisbane toward the U.S.

06:00 PM

Cairns Airport

Arrive U.S. and close the RTW loop

11:00 PM

U.S. gateway airport