The Great Classic
London - Johannesburg - Bangkok - Tokyo - Sydney - Hawaii - Los Angeles - New York - London
A truly complete Round the World Tour, which touches the heart of 5 continents. You will fall in love with the incredible diversity of our planet! This memorable trip will take you through a stunning variety of landscapes, experiencing both ancient cultures and futuristic cities.
When this page went up it sold the ticket from €2,500 and a 33-day package with hotels from €6,000. Those prices are long gone. AirTreks now puts the flights from London as far as New York at about $2,045 to $3,119 per person in economy, and the flight home across the Atlantic adds to that. It is a planning estimate from AirTreks fare history, checked 1 October 2026, and an AirTreks specialist will price your exact route and dates.
Thirty-three days is still a sensible length. It gives you four days or so in each place, and more if you drop a stop.
Europe
Your starting point for exploring the Old World is the great historic city of London. The wonders of Europe are so accessible: Paris, Madrid, Milan, Rome, Prague. You can easily travel by train or use a low cost airline, so where do you want to spend your time?
Africa
Entering through the southern gate of this incredible continent, you will immediately feel its attraction. Africa is still mysterious and full of contrasts, and it offers a breathtaking world of nature that will leave you spoiled for choice. The Kruger National Park and Cape Town are just a couple of must-see destinations.
Johannesburg is the gateway. Cape Town is a flight of just over two hours, and Malelane Gate at the southern end of the Kruger is about four and a half hours by road, around 400 km. Unless you have a week here, pick one.
Oceania
Perched on the edge of the most beautiful bay in the world, if you're not careful Sydney could seduce you into spending your entire stay in its embrace. But you would be foolish to miss such unique experiences as a visit to Uluru, the sacred monolith that rises in the heart of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland or the Great Ocean Road and beautiful Melbourne. And remember you can easily make a visit to New Zealand, the perfect destination for lovers of unspoiled nature and the world capital of extreme sports!
Since 26 October 2019 you can no longer climb Uluru. You walk around its base instead, 10.6 km on a flat path.
Asia
Which destinations embody such fascinating contradictions as Bangkok and Tokyo? The Thai capital can evoke an incredibly diverse mix of feelings that's quite impossible to describe: the beautiful architecture, the chaotic streets, the mouth-watering cuisine, the surreal atmosphere of the markets. There's plenty to love and to loathe in Bangkok! But Thailand is also synonymous with great hospitality and idyllic beaches, which await you in the south of the country, easily reached on internal flights or by land. Japan owes much of its charm to its unique culture, the product of centuries of isolation, which to visitors can appear both incomprehensible and fascinating.
America
Visiting Hawaii is a dream many people nurture, and it's finally time to gather this fruit of Paradise! If you've ever tried to imagine heaven on earth, once you've seen these amazing islands you'll have no more doubts. Trekking in the forests, white beaches, surfing and snorkelling, active volcanoes: a few days of well-deserved relaxation in the Aloha State!
And here you are in Los Angeles. From now on Hollywood, Venice Beach and Malibu are no longer only places you've seen on TV! L.A. is also a great starting point for discovering California and the Wild West. Try a road trip to San Francisco or San Diego. And definitely not to be missed is the big loop to the National Parks (Death Valley, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon), passing through crazy Las Vegas, of course. Road trips like that count as an overland on a round-the-world ticket: fly into Los Angeles, drive, and fly out of Las Vegas or San Francisco.
The last stage of this amazing RTW tour is New York, the Big Apple.
For other routes built the same way, see the Classic RTW Tour and our classic tours. For the Pacific version of the trip, see the RTW Pacific Tour.
Tags: rtw itinerary, great classic round the world trip
Planning a round-the-world trip? AirTreks has built multi-stop itineraries since 1987. See sample routes or ask a specialist.