EVERY COUNTRY
I visited every country in the world before my 28th birthday. It is estimated that around 200 in world history have visited every country in the world.
HOW?
I travelled alone to Egypt and Southeast Asia at the age of 17 and learned many things along the way.
I learned to travel cheaply, to negotiate, make partnerships, overcome the fear and I gained knowledge on how I could visit all the countries of the world.
WHY EVERY COUNTRY?
It started as a kid where I was inspired by watching travel shows on TV. However, I was afraid to travel abroad, so I set a realistic goal of visiting 50 countries.
Later in life, I reached 100 countries and the more I travelled, the more comfortable I became. I then set a goal to visit them all. Having this big goal was one way I could finance travel to expensive travel destinations through partnerships.
HOW MANY COUNTRIES ARE THERE IN THE WORLD?
There are 193 member states of the United Nations. In addition, there are 2 observer states. In my opinion, 193 or 195 are the two best answers to how many countries there are in the world.
In addition, there are a number of other lists such as NOC’s list of 206 countries participating in the Olympic Games or FIFA’s list of 211 football national teams.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
Visiting every country in the world requires two things in particular. Time and money. It is one of the reasons there are just a few young people that have visited every country.
If you want to visit all the countries, I recommend spending a lot of time on research, finding creative solutions and visiting several countries in the same area of the world on the same trip. It is crucial to be efficient with your time and money while having a big priority on travelling.
MY TRAVELS
LIST OF COUNTRIES
UN (193) Completed: 2016
NOC (206) Completed: 2018
FIFA (211) Completed: 2018
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TRAVELLED ON 10 PASSPORTS
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3,100+ TRAVEL DAYS
International: 2,100+
Denmark: 1,000+
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300 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES
(Travelers’ Century Club) ⇣
STATUS: 300 OF 329 VISITED
ALL 193 COUNTRIES
107 OF 136 TERRITORIES
THE 300 I HAVE BEEN
Abkhazia, Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan, Ajman, Aland Islands, Alaska, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andaman-Nicobar Islands, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina
Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Azores, Bahamas, Bahrain, Balearic Islands, Bangladesh,
Barbados, Belarus, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan
Bismark Archipelago, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabinda, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands (Keeling), Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Corsica, Costa Rica, Crete, Croatia, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus British Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri & Dhekelia, Cyprus Republic,
Cyprus Turkish Fed. State,
Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dodecanese Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Dubai, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equatorial Guinea (Fernando Pó, Bioko Island, Malabo),
Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni), Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fernando de Noronha, Fiji Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Fujeirah, Gabon, Galapagos Islands, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada & Deps., Guadeloupe & Deps., Guam, Guatemala,
Guernsey & Deps., Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hainan Island, Haiti, Hawaiian Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia (Java), Ionian Islands, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Irian Jaya, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jeju Island, Jersey, Jordan, Kalimantan, Kaliningrad, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lampedusa, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Lesser Sunda Islands, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia
Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali
Malta, Maluku Islands, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Morocco,Spanish (Ceuta, Melilla), Mozambique,
Myanmar, Nakhichevan, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia & Deps., New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria Northern Ireland, Northern Marianas, North Korea, Norway, Ogasawara, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Prince Edward Island, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Ras Al Khaimah, Republic of Congo, Reunion, Rodrigues Island, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Ryukyu Islands, Saba & St. Eustatius, Sabah, Samoa, San Andres & Providencia, San Marino, Sao Tome & Principe, Sarawak, Sardinia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sharjah, Sicily, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Sinai Peninsula, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, Socotra, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Somaliland, South Africa, South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Spitsbergen, Sri Lanka, Srpska, St. Barths, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Pierre & Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Tibet, Togo, Tonga, Trans Dniester, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey in Asia (Anatolia, Ankara, Izmir), Turkey in Europe (Istanbul), Turkmenistan, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine
Umm Al Qaiwain, United States (continental), Uruguay, U.S. Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wales, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zanzibar, Zil Elwannyen Sesel and Zimbabwe.
THE 29 I HAVEN’T BEEN
Argentine Antarctica, Ascension
Austral Islands, Australian Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Chatham Islands,
Chilean Antarctica, Easter Island
Falkland Islands Dependencies,
French Southern & Antarctic Territory, Juan Fernandez Islands
Lakshadweep, Line/Phoenix Islands, Lord Howe Island,
Marquesas Islands, Midway Island, New Zealand Antarctica, Niue, Norfolk Island, Norwegian Antarctica, Nueva Esparta, Pitcairn Island, Siberia, South Ossetia, St. Helena, Tokelau Islands, Tristan da Cunha, Wake Island and Wallis & Futuna Islands.
33 AMERICAN STATES
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FAVOURITE COUNTRY TO TRAVEL
South Africa
South Africa is my favourite country to travel for many reasons.
Visited all provinces
Spent more than four months in the country.
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FAVOURITE COUNTRY TO LIVE
Denmark
I am proud to be Danish. For me, Denmark is the best country in the world to live in. There is nothing like home.
1,000+ travel days in Denmark
Visited more than 50 islands in Denmark.
FAVOURITE COUNTRY TO RELAX
The Maldives
A unique country that has given me many fantastic memories.
Stayed overnight at more than 50 private island resorts.
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OTHER FAVOURITES ⇣
Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, Dominica, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Namibia, New Zealand, Palau, Rwanda, The Netherlands, USA and Vanuatu.
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Like to Live if Not Denmark
Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
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To Relax
Indonesia (Bali), Mauritius, Thailand and The Seychelles.
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Cities
Cape Town, New York and Sydney.
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Food
Denmark, France and Italy.
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Safari
Botswana and Tanzania.
MY PLAN FOR THE FUTURE ⇣
I would like to travel more in my favourite countries, visit the remaining 17 US states I have left and if my finances allow it, complete or at least get closer to completing the Travelers’ Century Club’s list of 329 countries and territories.
INTERVIEWS
“This 28-year-old saw every country in the world … on a shoestring budget”
“Henrik Jeppesen has taken the Internet by storm with his brilliant nuggets of knowledge on seeing the world”
“Learn the secrets of the man who visited every country in the world on a budget”
“If you’re planning the trip of a lifetime but need some inspiration, read on. Dane Henrik Jeppesen has visited every country in the world”
“Travelling to every country in the world before the age of 28”
“More than 3000 days of travel, 900 flights, 10 passports–this adventurer has been hosted by over 1000 hotels, and he’s just 28 years of age.”
“El danés que ha viajado a los 193 países del mundo por 15 euros al día”
“From an early age, he made traveling and seeing the outside world a priority in his life.”
MORE INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS IN SPANISH
TALKS
Here are some examples of my public speaking topics.
EVERY COUNTRY – MY STORY ⇣
My story about how I visited every country in the world on a very low budget before I turned 28.
HOW TO START TRAVELLING ⇣
A topic intended for young people on how to start travelling the world. This is based on my experiences and challenges in travelling the world as a teenager.
I was just 17 years old when I went to Egypt and Southeast Asia alone. Young people can learn:
-Tips on how to start travelling the world.
-Tips to overcome the fear.
-Tips on how to travel cheaply.
-Stories and valuable knowledge about several of the world’s countries.
THE DANGEROUS COUNTRIES ⇣
I visited Syria during the war, but it was not the most dangerous thing I have done on my journey to every country in the world. In this topic I talk about a number of the world’s most dangerous countries and about personal experiences with them.
There are different ways to define how dangerous a country is. One country can be dangerous because of war, while another can be dangerous because of a high crime rate.
However, so-called dangerous countries often have areas that are quite peaceful to visit.
THE HARDEST COUNTRIES ⇣
The Danish passport is one of the most valuable in the world, but there are countries that can be very difficult to visit as a Dane.
This topic is about several of the most difficult countries to visit, and about how I managed to visit them by being creative.
MY BEST STORIES ⇣
I have hundreds of stories from my travels.
Here are teasers for 100 stories.
TRAVEL AND SUSTAINABILITY⇣
This topic is about how to travel more sustainably. It contains suggestions for climate-friendly destinations, modes of transportation and how to travel light.
I have traveled a lot, but on the other hand I have also been very minimalist in my travels.
THE LEAST VISITED COUNTRIES⇣
Nauru, Tuvalu, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Kiribati and Equatorial Guinea are just some of the least visited countries in the world.
In this topic, I tell stories from some of the least visited countries in the world and how I managed to visit them.
An example is the independent country, Nauru, the only country in the Pacific where we as Danes must do something in advance to be able to visit the country.
Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa and it was very difficult for me to visit. I wasted time on two embassies that rejected me before getting a visa to the country in Lagos by being creative.
THE BEST HOLIDAYS ⇣
Travelling the world for several years is not for everyone. Many just want to have a few great holidays a year.
In this subject I talk about great holidays with fantastic value.
THE SACRIFICES ⇣
Visiting every country in the world has given me many wonderful experiences, but there has also been a downside. In fact, many downsides.
In this topic I talk about some of them. So if you thought I was just on a long big holiday, you might get a different perspective.
THE FRIENDLIEST PEOPLE ⇣
There are many hospitable countries in the world, and in this topic I talk about some of the friendliest countries based on my experiences.
OTHER TOPICS ⇣
THE WORST COUNTRIES
THE WORLD’S BEST HOTELS
THE WORST NIGHTS
THE BEST TRAIN JOURNEYS
You can request other subjects by contacting me
GRATITUDE
I am grateful to all the companies that chose to partner with me and made my journey to every country in the world possible.
Here are five of the many companies with whom I have collaborated.
ACCOMMODATION
Couchsurfing
Free homestays and an opportunity for great cultural experiences. Tips: Check feedback and make an informative profile.
Airbnb
Different kind of accommodation for different kind of budgets. Tips: Long-term rates can be excellent value. You can actually negotiate directly with the owner by sending a message.
Booking.com
My favourite hotel booking site. In recent years it’s almost always been the cheapest booking site in my experience together with Snaptravel.
HotelsCombined
My favourite hotel search engine. Booking.com is not always the cheapest, so it’s a good idea to compare rates on HotelsCombined.
FLIGHTS
Low-Cost Airlines
I’ve flown from Vienna to Eilat, Israel for just one Euro, among many other cheap flights. Tip: Sign up for airlines’ newsletters or follow airlines on social media to know about promotions.
Skyscanner
My favourite flight search engine.
Tip: You can type Everywhere in the destination field to find inspiration about where you can travel.
Momondo
Another great flight search engine with lots of third-party booking sites.
Secret Flying
My favourite flight deal site. Tip: You can use their Twitter account of a better overview of the many deals. Thanks to a Secret Flying-post, I flew to Israel for one Euro in 2019.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION
Low-Cost Buses
Booking cheap bus tickets in advance is a great way to travel cheaply. My favourites are Flixbus and Megabus.
Blablacar
My favourite carpooling website. Tip: It’s best to have a Plan B in countries where a credit card is not required to secure a booking. The driver might not show up. It happened to me once in Brazil.
Uber
My favourite ride-hailing company. I have also used Bolt, Careem, Grab and 99Pop. Tip: You can usually find codes for a free or discounted first ride with these ride-hailing apps.
Guide to Hitchhiking
I’ve hitchhiked more than 1,000 times and Hitchwiki is the my favourite hitchhiking guide.
OTHER TIPS
The Maldives in the Summer
I have stayed at more than 50 private island resorts in the Maldives.
My preferred time to visit is in July where it is great value for money and with much lower rates than in December.
Keepgo
Great value data in 100+ countries with one sim card. Promo code everycountryintheworlddotcom gives you 15% off the sim.
Google Maps Offline Maps
Downloading Offline Maps in the app can be helpful if you don’t have access to data.
Visa Requirements
I find Wikipedia useful for checking visa requirements. Tip: You can Google: “Visa requirements for *your nationality* citizens.”.