Samer Abouhamad completed a global bikepacking journey spanning 46,143 miles (74,263 kilometers) across 61 countries, concluding in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 10th, 2025, after departing Boston on April 22nd, 2022. The expedition, which took 911 days, evolved from an initial plan to bike from Boston to Patagonia. Abouhamad described his round-the-world trip as having three distinct chapters, with the final leg from Melbourne to Beirut beginning on October 18th, 2024, and covering 15,237 miles (24,666 kilometers) through 20 countries.
Abouhamad explained that his love for biking as a way to see new places developed during his time volunteering in Lebanon after the August 4th, 2020, port explosion. "My time in Lebanon was when and where I fell in love with biking as a way to see new places," he said, noting he wanted to continue discovering "more horizons and cultures." He cited reading Alastair Humphreys’ books about his own round-the-world trip as an inspiration.
The final chapter involved navigating through Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria, before arriving in Lebanon. Abouhamad stated, "I thought it would be a full-circle moment for me to end my trip in Lebanon—my parents’ homeland and the place where my love for cycling all began." He typically rode for 7-10 days before taking a rest day, preferring to continue forward progress until reaching an interesting location. "Most of the riding was on pavement, with gravel or dirt sections being more deliberate side quests rather than the norm," Abouhamad added.
While mostly riding alone, Abouhamad estimated that 10% of his journey was spent with other traveling cyclists, including his father, who joined him for segments in Colorado, Mexico, Bolivia, Namibia, and China. "We only fail if we quit, so just keep going and never stop," he advised. Route planning involved considering seasonal weather, geopolitical situations, and visa requirements, with a goal to avoid public transport or planes. "Across Asia, it’s actually quite tricky to overland these days, given the geopolitical situation," Abouhamad noted, explaining that closed borders in Myanmar necessitated a route through China.
The Grand Tour's Chapters
Samer Abouhamad initially planned in 2022 to bikepack from Boston to Patagonia, according to his account. He described his eventual round-the-world trip as comprising three distinct "chapters." Abouhamad stated that his first trip, "Boston – Ushuaia," covered 26,000 kilometers. He also completed a second trip from the North Cape in Norway to Cape Agulhas in South Africa, which began in September 2023 and concluded in April 2024, traversing 23,000 kilometers.
The third chapter, "Melbourne – Beirut," covered 25,000 kilometers. On this leg, Abouhamad biked for 203 days, with the entire journey lasting 297 days, including rest days and extended stops. He averaged 75.5 miles (121 kilometers) per day and spent 1,300 hours in the saddle during this final chapter. The longest period without a rest day on the Melbourne-Beirut leg was 18 days in Indonesia.
Abouhamad explained that his love for biking began after he volunteered in Lebanon for a year and a half following the August 4th, 2020, port explosion. "My time in Lebanon was when and where I fell in love with biking as a way to see new places," he said, adding that he wanted that feeling to continue "to discover more horizons and cultures." He noted that he "thought it would be a full-circle moment for me to end my trip in Lebanon—my parents’ homeland and the place where my love for cycling all began."
Abouhamad typically rode for 7-10 days before taking a rest day, preferring to maintain progress until reaching an interesting location. "I would rather keep biking than take a rest day in the middle of nowhere," he stated.
Navigating the World by Bike
Samer Abouhamad's round-the-world ride involved a total elevation gain of 1,865,748 feet (568,679 meters). He actively biked for 649 days throughout his journey, covering an average of 71.1 miles (114 kilometers) daily. Abouhamad reported spending 3,943 hours on the saddle during his expedition. His longest continuous stretch without a rest day occurred in Peru, lasting 19 days.
Abouhamad stated that he rode alone for 90% of his journey. "While I would mostly ride alone, I did end up riding with many different characters along the way when there was a natural fit," Abouhamad said. He added that the experience of sharing long days on the road with others fosters unique connections and opportunities to learn new perspectives. Abouhamad's father joined him to share miles in Colorado, Mexico, Bolivia, Namibia, and China, according to Abouhamad.
Route planning for the journey involved several key considerations, including the season, weather, geopolitical situations, and the ability to obtain visas for various countries. Abouhamad aimed to complete his route without resorting to public transport or planes, whenever possible. "Another main factor is trying to accomplish the route without taking any public transport/planes or 'skipping' any sections if I didn’t have to," he explained.
Abouhamad incorporated several challenging unpaved segments into his route. He rode part of the Trans Ecuador route and also completed the Peru Divide. In Scandinavia, he rode parts of the European Divide Trail. "Most of the riding was on pavement, with gravel or dirt sections being more deliberate side quests rather than the norm," Abouhamad stated. Other unpaved sections included a segment of the Route of Caravans in Morocco, the Namib Desert in Namibia, the Mawson Trail and the Oodnadatta Track in Australia, the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam, and the Pamir Highway in Central Asia.
Abouhamad reflected on the origins of his journey, noting, "The first trip, when I met you in Oaxaca, was supposed to just be a one-year trip from Boston to Patagonia." He further elaborated on his motivation, stating, "My time in Lebanon was when and where I fell in love with biking as a way to see new places. Fast enough to cover ground, but slow enough to take in all your surroundings and interact with locals in a more meaningful way." This experience inspired him to continue discovering "more horizons and cultures." Abouhamad explained his decision to conclude his journey in Lebanon: "I thought it would be a full-circle moment for me to end my trip in Lebanon—my parents’ homeland and the place where my love for cycling all began."
Regarding his daily routine, Abouhamad typically rode for 7-10 days before taking a rest day. "I would rather keep biking than take a rest day in the middle of nowhere, so sometimes I would just keep my forward progress going until I arrived at the next natural place to take a break," he said. Abouhamad also shared a philosophy that kept him going: "We only fail if we quit, so just keep going and never stop."
Landscapes and Trails
Samer Abouhamad rode several challenging routes and distinct landscapes throughout his global bikepacking journey. In Spain, he completed a segment of the Altravesur. He also traversed a section of the Route of Caravans in Morocco, according to Abouhamad. His journey took him through the Namib Desert in Namibia.
In Australia, Abouhamad included the Mawson Trail and the Oodnadatta Track as "dirt side quests," he stated. During his time in Australia, he rode from south to north across the Outback. He made a stop to visit Uluru Rock, as he explained. Abouhamad also completed the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam. A significant portion of his Central Asian route involved riding the Pamir Highway.
On parts of the Pamir Highway, Abouhamad reported encountering a high number of fellow cyclists. "On parts of the Pamir Highway, I crossed 10 cyclists a day going the opposite direction!" he said. He described his rationale for including unpaved sections: "Most of the riding was on pavement, with gravel or dirt sections being more deliberate side quests rather than the norm."
The Melbourne-Beirut leg of Abouhamad's journey involved a total elevation gain of 447,808 feet (136,492 meters). Abouhamad noted that when planning routes, key factors included the season, weather, geopolitical situations, and visa requirements. "For the beginning of this third leg—detailed in the video—I knew that leaving Australia in October would expose me to the start of summer in the Outback, but this made more sense than leaving Lebanon and heading into Central Asia with winter approaching," he explained.
