Eleven teams of two people travel from Los Alamitos, California to Stechelberg, Switzerland. At Locarno, they take a death-defying leap at the Road Block.

The ten remaining teams travel from Stechelberg, Switzerland to Salzburg, Austria. En route to the Road Block at Ruhpolding, Germany, they ride a cable car to the top of a mountain. One person has to make a game-changing decision when a groin injury puts his team's destiny in Mother Nature's hands, while a wrong turn leads to the hopes of another person being pinned to some help from a stranger. Written by Allister Coots

The nine remaining teams travel from Salzburg, Austria to Brasov, Romania. At the Detour, some teams scour the Transylvanian countryside for buried coffins. An unexpected plane landing sends one front running team to the back of the pack.

The eight remaining teams travel from Brasov, Romania to Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Another leading team quickly learns how it feels to be last, while a new twist leaves another team scrambling for their survival.

The seven remaining teams stay in Russia as they travel from Krasnoyarsk to Novosibirsk. At the Detour, some teams struggle to stay in the race when they have to navigate their Lada cars with manual transmission through Siberia's icy streets. At the Road Block, one person from each team has to strip down to their bare essentials for a bone-chilling task. Written by Allister Coots

The seven teams travel from Novosibirsk, Russia to Jaipur, India. As the race heats up, one team faces a Speed Bump the size of an elephant. They all encounter a Road Block made of camel feed, and a Detour that is made more complicated for one team by an impatient taxi driver.

The six remaining teams travel from Jaipur, India to Phuket, Thailand. A shop keeper hinders the movement of one team, while others who started the task after them complete it quicker. They find that time is not of the essence, while other teams find that a hurried pace doesn't translate to a victory, especially when one team makes mistakes for which they incur time penalties. Written by Allister Coots

The five remaining teams stay in Thailand as they travel from Phuket to Bangkok. When some teams leave their backpacks behind at the Road Block, they find themselves without their shoes, passports or money. A Detour choice with a karaoke theme gives teams a chance to let off some steam. Written by Allister Coots

The five teams travel from Bangkok, Thailand to Guilin, China. One person gets frustrated when a dancing judge can't understand their question. A battle between two teams throughout the leg leads to a full-blown meltdown when they arrive at the Pit Stop. Written by Allister Coots

The four remaining teams stay in China as they travel from Guilin to Beijing. One team loses an early advantage when their taxi driver cannot find the place they are looking for. At the Detour, some teams have to overcome a fear of water. Phil has a surprise for the first team to reach the Pit Stop. Written by Allister Coots

The four teams continue the leg in Beijing, China. One team struggles with the language barrier, becoming frustrated with their taxi driver. A trip to the toilet in sight of the Pit Stop costs another team a place in the final three.

The final three teams travel from Beijing, China to Maui, Hawaii in a gruelling final leg that tests their endurance, their memory and the karma of one person. The first team to arrive at the finish wins the US$1 million prize.