Race Across the World is back, baby! This time, five new teams are embarking on a mahoosive 14,000-kilometre journey across three countries and we’re following them each week through tears, tasty food, and totally-shouldn’t-have-spent-that-much-money-on-that-taxi. 

On a shoe-string budget of just over £1000 (!) they’ll be making their way to the finishing line to claim a £20,000 jackpot. As they head from A to B, C, and D, we’ll be catching up with each week’s check point, giving you some tips on what you could get up to there and how to get around in prep for your own Race Across the World adventure…

This year, Race Across the World stretches across three countries, from the Great Wall of China to Kanniyakumari, the southernmost tip of India, with stops in Nepal along the way.

Race Across the World 2025: From the Great Wall to Beijing 

Last week we left this year’s Race Across the World contestants in McLeod Ganj, home to the Dalai Lama and a mix of Indian mountain town energy and laid-back Tibetan calm.

Race Across the World 2025: From Huangling to Hainan Island

The next checkpoint

Sasan Gir, India: 1,900km from McLeod Ganj

Tucked away in the western folds of Gujarat, this little village acts as the gateway to the Gir National Park, the last stronghold of the Asiatic lion – a creature that once roamed from Greece to India and now finds its only refuge in this dry deciduous forest, clinging on with a regal snarl.

Unlike their African cousins with flowing, shampoo-commercial-worthy manes, Asiatic lions have a more modest look. A bit smaller, a touch leaner,there’s around 600 of them in and around Gir –  so, actually, more than just a success story, it’s more of a conservation legend. These lions are a bit like rock stars that took early retirement – roaming through forests, crossing village borders, occasionally chilling on the road (yep, you might see one casually lounging like a big housecat in the middle of a trail).

But Gir isn’t just a lion lounge. It’s a living, breathing ecosystem, where Teak, Acacia, and Flame of the Forest trees sway lazily in the breeze, and the terrain shifts between scrubland, grasslands, and semi-evergreen patches. Other resident animal celebrities include leopards, hyenas, jackals, crocodiles, and over 300 species of birds, from majestic crested serpent eagles to peppy green bee-eaters. Oh, and don’t forget the chital (a spotted deer you’ll find all over the park.)

It’s not just home to wildlife – it’s also the ancestral land of the Maldharis, a pastoral community that lives in harmony with the lions.

Gir must-do’s

Visit a Maldhari Settlement

The Maldharis are semi-nomadic herders who live inside the park boundaries (yes, with lions as neighbours). You’ll learn how they’ve coexisted with lions for generations from people who’ve actually met them… on foot… without a Jeep.

Bonus points for: Trying fresh buffalo milk tea (basically a creamy hug in a cup).

Take a nature walk with a guide

Want to feel the forest instead of just seeing it through a dusty windshield? Book a guided nature walk (only in buffer zones, don’t go full Bear Grylls alone). Conducted outside the core lion zone, you’ll be accompanied by a trained forest guide or naturalist.

Bonus points for: Learning how to read pugmarks (animal footprints) like crime scene clues.

Go bird-watching

Gir is a secret paradise for bird nerds. With over 300 species, including Paradise Flycatchers, Painted Storks, Crested Serpent Eagles, and vultures doing their cleanup crew routine. Pack binoculars, channel your inner Attenborough, and find a peaceful corner near a water body.

Bonus points for: Spotting marsh crocodiles chilling alongside the birds.

Race Across the World 2025: From Sanya to Shangri-La 

On the next stretch, this year’s Race Across the World contestants are heading waaaay south to the western state of Gujarat. They can do it two different ways – head west and explore the Great Indian Desert (the trickier route, due to less reliable transport options) or head east and tick off a whole load of the famous ‘blue, pink and white cities’ of Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur.

We’re focusing our itinerary on the eastern route, because we just couldn’t resist the opportunity to take in Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur in one fell swoop. With three incredible cities along the route, we reckon this stretch should be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace, giving you enough time to soak up each spot along the way.

This is how you do it

After catching a HRT bus back from McLeod Ganj to the larger city of Pathankot (about 3 hours), you’ll take a night train, like the Shalimar Express or the Shalimar Malani Express from Pathankot Cantt that’ll reach Jaipur in just over 17 hours.

Jaipur is the Pink City. Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, Jaipur is India’s first planned city – a feat of urban foresight and architectural flair, blending Rajput grandeur with Mughal symmetry. The City Palace is still partly royal residence and partly museum, so you might just spot a descendant of royalty having tea. There’s Hawa Mahal, the honeycomb-like “Palace of Winds,” built so royal ladies could observe the world without being seen. And let’s not forget the Amber Fort, which looms above the city like a sandstone mirage – filled with mirror halls and echoes of ancient battles.

Take a stroll through Jantar Mantar, the 18th-century astronomical observatory that looks like a surrealist sculpture park. And then there’s the old city itself, wrapped in a nine-gate wall like a terracotta dream. It’s a chaotic symphony of rickshaws, camel carts, temple bells, and the smell of fresh samosas frying somewhere nearby. But Jaipur isn’t just trapped in the past. It pulses with modern energy too – rooftop cafés, boho boutiques, and a food scene that’ll have you reconsidering your life choices after one too many plates of laal maas and ghewar.

If you don’t fancy leaving just yet, book a hotel and stay the night in this salmon-hued gem.

This next stretch is only 5 hours or so, so no need for a night train. From Jaipur Junction multiple trains head directly to Jodhpur with no need to change, so you can pick and choose a service to suit you. Spend more time in Jaipur and catch an afternoon train, or head out early and be in Jodhpur by lunchtime.

The Blue City, on the edge of the Thar Desert, Jodhpur feels like a heat-kissed mirage rising out of the sandstone. Equal parts warrior pride and desert soul, the city’s heart beats through its bazaars, especially around the Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar) where you’ll find spice merchants shouting about turmeric and chili, silver trinkets catching the sunlight, and the smell of frying mirchi vadas luring you in like a spicy siren song. Sardar Market is a maze of sensory overload: fabric shops bursting with bandhani prints, bangles stacked high, and old men brewing masala chai with a philosopher’s patience.

Dominating the skyline like a sandstone battleship is the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort, perched on a rocky hill. This fort isn’t just big – it’s thunderously grand, and full of intricate courtyards, marble lattices, and rooms that echo. Stand on its ramparts and you’ll see a sea of blue houses stretching to the horizon, a colour once used by Brahmins, now a kind of sun-reflecting, identity-defining statement. The view? Pure magic, especially at sunset when the city glows like a mirage carved from lapis lazuli..

You’ve got two options to get you from Jodhpur to Udaipur, and both come with very different travel times. Catch an express train and you could be in Udaipur in as little as 3 hours. But if you want to save on a night’s hotel accommodation, you could catch the night bus instead – you’ll reach Udaipur in around 6 hours.

Tucked away in the hills of southern Rajasthan, Udaipur might be called the White City – due to the abundance of marble in the place – but it’s also often called the City of Lakes, because it’s a got a fair few of those too. At the heart of it all is the stunning Lake Pichola, a body of water so serene it could calm a caffeinated squirrel. Floating on it like a marble mirage is the Taj Lake Palace, once the pleasure pad of Maharajas, now one of the most luxurious hotels in the world. (Yes, James Bond filmed Octopussy there, and no, you’re not the first to ask.) On the lake’s edge sits the City Palace, a labyrinth of courtyards, balconies, and royal apartments, each window framing a postcard view. Inside, there are mosaics of peacocks, walls that sparkle with mirror work, and a sense that you’re walking through centuries of royal indulgence – and maybe a scandal or two.

But Udaipur isn’t all about marble and mansions. The city has a bohemian heartbeat, especially in the old town, where narrow lanes weave past rooftop cafés, artisan shops, and temples chiming gently in the distance. You’ll find artists painting miniatures with brushes so fine they could thread a needle, and shopkeepers who’ll insist you stay for chai even if you buy nothing. And when the sun dips behind the Aravalli Hills, the city turns gold. The lights of the palaces dance on the lake, ghats come alive with prayer and soft music, and the scent of incense and fresh dal drifts through the air.

To reach Sasan Gir from Udaipur, you’ve got two options again.

You can either take a pretty lengthy overnight bus (a whopping 12 hours!) to Junagadh, and then grab a taxi (around 1 hour) to Sasan Gir, or you can break up the journey by taking a train from Udaipur to Ahmedabad (around 6 hours), and then a train from Ahmedabad to Junagadh (another 6 hours), before taking a taxi for the last stretch to Sasan Gir.

You’re actually already inside Gir National Park at this point, so go on, get the binoculars out and see what you can find.

Fancy trying your own Race Across the World? Get started with cheap flights to India