My mom & I stayed at a cute, small hotel (Hotel Rosa) right in the middle of Old San Mario, which is perched way on top of a mountain. The room was small, but perfectly comfortable. I’d recommend getting one with a view (ours did not sadly). The 10 euro breakfast was great – and honestly I didn’t see many great breakfast options in town (which is what I usually prefer) so would recommend doing the hotel breakfast.
WHERE TO EAT:
Two places we loved in San Marino:
Caffè Titano – Great little cozy spot for a casual lunch or coffee.
La Terrazza – AMAZING dinner spot – this is a must do while in San Marino. It’s higher end but so worth it. Views were awesome & service was top notch. We both said this was out favorite meal of the trip! I had a delicious truffle & rabbit stuffed pasta while my mom had a seafood pasta that she raved about.
WHAT TO DO:
Here were the highlights of our San Marino visit:
Most importantly visit all the towers. Start with the Guaita Tower before walking over to the second tower (Falesia Tower). Both offer fabulous views over the whole of San Marino & on to Italy.
Just walk around the tiny old town (probably takes about 20 min in total haha)
Ride the Funivia up & down (a gondola offering pretty views of the surrounding areas)
We also spent one day visiting Rimini, which was fun because neither of us had been to the East Coast of Italy. However, I think both of us preferred San Marino. I think Rimini is better in the summer when beach activities are in full swing.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
San Marino was so dang delightful & special. We couldn’t get over how cool this little city/country is. It is literally perched on top of this huge mountain and is built into the cliffs. We loved our time here and can’t believe more people we know haven’t visited.
My mom joined me for this little adventure so we stayed a cute, small airbnb right near old town. It had a loft with a queen bed + a pullout couch in the living room. It also had a washing machine which was awesome. It was very walkable to all the important parts of Nice & the main train station. Highly recommend!
WHERE TO EAT:
Nice – Try Casa Leya for dinner. Food was delicious and ambiance was lively. We also wanted to check out Comptoir du Marche but it was too busy when we showed up.
Monaco – We had lunch at Graziella. It’s tucked away in the Fontvieille neighborhood and it delivered. Delicious spinach salad & caprese salad! Not touristy at all, which was exactly what we were looking for.
WHAT TO DO:
So the main reason we went to Nice was to spend a day in Monaco. I am currently trying to visit the final few countries in Europe that I haven’t been to (like Monaco)! With our one full day here we got up and headed to Nice-Ville to catch a train to Monaco. We bought tickets day-of so no need to plan ahead. Trains run every 15 min or so.
Here were the highlights of our whirlwind visit to Monaco:
Fontvieille neighboord to check out the Princess Grace Rose Garden + quiet waterfront.
Walk up to the Prince’s Palace – the views from here are incredible!! The palace isn’t open year round, but just coming up to the top of this cliff/mountain for the views & charming streets is absolutely worth it. This was my favorite stop in Monaco.
You can’t come to Monaco without visiting the casinos! Step into the Casino de Monte-Carlo to see what all the hype is about.
We also spent two evenings walking around the old town in Nice & the waterfront!
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Nice was a really pleasant city to visit! I can’t imagine how packed it is in the summer time, but in October the weather was still warm, but the streets weren’t overly full. Also Monaco for the day was great! The weather was perfect for walking around without breaking a sweat. Tons of beautiful views and buildings. Definitely a fun adventure!
Malta is part of the Schengen Zone so no visa needed for US Citizens but just watch your 90 day count if you are visiting here on a longer trip around Europe
They use euros here so currency is easy 🙂
Uber & Bolt both work for getting around the island
Avoid coming in August as I can only imagine how packed it would be
Bring a friend or partner as I think this would’ve been a lonely place to visit solo
Decide if you want to stay the entire time on Malta or if you want to spend some time in Gozo. Gozo is pretty tiny so would be pretty quiet, but if that’s your thing, could be fun for a night or two
CITY: VALLETTA
HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
Because my best friend Haley joined me in Malta, this was more of a vacation vibe than a backpacker vibe so these places were $200+ per night (good thing I’m staying with friends for most of the rest of the trip 😝) #balance
For our 4 nights in Valletta, we stayed at the Grand Excelsior. Theoretically it’s a five star hotel but was a little tired & dated. The room was very spacious as was the bathroom! We had a little balcony which is always nice. The hotel has a big outdoor pool & indoor pool as well as a little beachfront area where you can jump in the sea. We didn’t eat at the hotel but there were a few options.
WHERE TO EAT:
My favorite restaurant for breakfast was Elephant Shoe. Such yummy breakfast options and felt like a classic brunch spot from home. A real treat since I haven’t had a good brunch in a while! Also the service was top notch, which isn’t always the case in Europe haha.
We also had breakfast at Manouche Craft Bakery which had a nice menu + lovely outdoor patio.
For dinner, check out Papannis. Right in the center of Valletta, it’s a cute, upscale restaurant with great locale cuisine menu options. Haley tried the rabbit here!
WHAT TO DO:
Three main things I’d recommend:
Day trip to Comino & Gozo – We signed up for this one through Viator. You sail from the North part of the island to Comino to visit/swim in the Blue Lagoon, then have a few hours to explore the island of Gozo. This is a must!! If you don’t care about visiting Gozo, there’s also an option to stay at the Blue Lagoon for a few extra hours (while the others visit Gozo).
Walking around Valletta – the streets & views are so charming!
Taking a water taxi to the “three cities” across from Valletta – check out Senglea & Birgu. The water taxi was a fun experience in and of itself and only costs 3 euros per person. Walking around the small fortified cities was a great way to spend a half day.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Valletta was fabulous! Charming, medieval, & highly walkable. It was a great first stop back in Europe after 2 years away! Haley & I had a blast meandering & catching up during out time in Valletta.
CITY: MDINA
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
We stayed at Palazzo Bifora in Mdina. Obviously Mdina is TINY, but it was fun to stay in the middle of it. This hotel is quite small but it felt really nice. The room is quite small (but that what’s available in a quaint, small medieval walled in city 😅). Breakfast was included! Would highly recommend at this hotel if you plan to stay here! Also, Haley told them we were celebrating our friendship anniversary so we arrived to this gorgeous room haha
WHERE TO EAT:
I wouldn’t say we were overly impressed with any of the restaurants, except the restaurant at our hotel. Definitely worth the splurge!
We also obviously found some sweet treats to try around town! Try Fior di Latte for an afternoon gelato.
WHAT TO DO:
It doesn’t take long to explore all of Mdina, it’s so so so small, but we enjoyed strolling through all the quiet alleys and taking lots of pictures 🙂
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
I’m glad we stayed in Mdina for 2 nights even though there’s not much to do. We loved the slow pace, especially at night when it really emptied out (since most people just come visit a a day trip). We even said we could’ve spent another night here, but I think Haley & I would be happy to spend time anywhere together haha.
BUDGET FOR 6 DAYS IN MALTA:
Accommodation: $766 ($110 per night)
Food: $200
Activities: $45
Local Transportation: $71
Miscellaneous: $10
Total: $1092 (Daily average: $182)
Transportation to next destination: $100 (Flight to Marseille + train to Nice)
Time. Is. Flying. I have now completed 2 years on the road! Since I track every dollar I spend while traveling, I thought it would be helpful to publish an updated report of how much this trip has cost me! See here for the original post of my 1 Year trip Cost Summary. Also if you are considering doing a big trip, check out my best tips for planning an epic adventure here.
Some considerations:
This is only for one person (me)
I travel fairly cheaply (mostly staying in hostels) & in general don’t have expensive taste in food or transportation, but I also am saying yes to any experiences that I want to say yes to & not staying in the cheapest hostel.
I am traveling fairly quickly so taking lots of flights + moving locations every 3-5 days usually. It’s much cheaper to travel slower.
I am not traveling in a super logical route. For example, while in Europe I went to England, then Northern Ireland, then France, then England, then Switzerland, then England, then Ireland… I was meeting up with different friends at different points so while it wasn’t logical, it made sense for what I was doing. Or how about when I flew to Australia in the middle of my 3 months in Central America for a wedding? This is definitely an area that one can make cheaper if they don’t travel in circles like I did haha
I am flying home to California quite often for Christmas, my 30th birthday, and for some weddings. Again this is driving up some inefficiencies.
I have spent both summers at home in CA (a total of about 5 months between the two summers). This has actually saved me some money as I don’t pay for accommodation while I am home (thanks Mom + Dad!)
Here’s the trip summary leaving in June 2023, covering 42 countries across all 7 continents:
6 months in Europe + Egypt – 19 countries
1 month Fiji & New Zealand with my family – 2 countries
3 months Southeast Asia + Japan – 6 countries
6 months Mexico + South America + Antarctica- 6 countries
1 month Australia + Vanuatu with my family – 2 countries
3.5 months in Central America – 7 countries
Here’s how many days I spent on each continent in my two years of travel:
In full transparency, my parents kindly paid for Fiji, NZ, Australia, & Japan since I was with them for those four countries (very, very lucky!!) so this analysis will cover roughly 21 months (as the aforementioned countries were essentially free). This does include any spend I had while in CA, which is usually cheaper than traveling as I have no accommodation costs while at home.
Also on this trip, I have tried to add what I spent in each country to its dedicated blog post so hopefully that’s helpful. For example: scroll to the bottom of this blog post to see how much I spent for 3 weeks in the Philippines!
One last caveat – I did not include my costs for going to Antarctica because I got a deal through Freestyle Adventure Travel & signed an agreement that I wouldn’t share what I spent. Check them out if you are ever interested in exploring the one of the coolest (pun intended) places I’ve been.
Here we go…
Total Spend: $66k USD
I feel pretty great about this number! I’m averaging about $3k per month while really enjoying life! I spent an average of $40k per year in my “regular” life while living in San Francisco, CA, so I’ve spent about 20% less by traveling to 42 countries – not bad!!
Spend by Segment
This shows a breakdown of the total spend by trip segment. Obviously Europe would be the highest since that was the longest segment of the trip so far. Pre-trip expenses include: clothes, Workaway membership, initial flights, & electronics. Health insurance for the duration of the trip was $170 per month ($2,040 for the year). Scuba diving really drove up costs in Central America.
Average Daily Spend by Region
This shows the daily cost by region, which makes it far easier to compare the costs agnostic of time spent in each spot. An interesting trend I’ve noticed is that I seem to scale what I’m comfortable spending on based on roughly a $100 per day budget. To be clear, I don’t do this consciously or intentionally as in I haven’t limited myself to $100 per day, but I do seem to naturally know that in more expensive countries, I have to be more simple in my spending, whereas in Southeast Asia, I go crazy with activities and still can’t spend as much as existing in Europe. Put another way, here’s the percent Activities made up of total spend by region:
Europe – 15%
Southeast Asia – 35%
South America – 18%
Oceania – 1%
Central America – 25%
California – 14%
Spend by Category
This is a breakdown of how much I spent by category. As expected, accommodation is my largest spend, but I am actually proud of myself for spending so much on activities! I can be pretty stingy with spend so I love that I have said yes to so many experiences on this trip. A lot of them ended up in my top 5 memories of the trip 🙂 You’ll find the breakdown for the trip overall, as well as by region.
Europe (6 months): $18.1k
Southeast Asia (2 months): $7.5k
South America & Mexico (4.5 months): $14.5k
Central America (3.5 months): $13.2k
Top 5 experiences of the trip so far:
Antarctica ($$$$$)
Riding Motorbikes through the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam ($300)
Hiking Milford Track in New Zealand ($2,045)
Climbing Acatenango in Guatemala ($105)
Scuba Diving with Thresher Sharks in the Philippines ($88)
Top tips for traveling cheaper:
Stay in dorms in hostels – you might sacrifice a bit on quality of sleep but in general the cost savings + meeting so many cool people makes this a great resource for traveling on the cheap.
You’ll notice I spent about $8k on eating out. If you are staying in airbnbs or hostels with kitchens (more common in Europe, NZ & Australia), buy groceries!
Travel slower. As I mentioned, you’ll save a lot on accommodation costs if you can book a month long airbnb rather than hotels/hostels for a few nights at a time. This also will bring down your transportation costs.
Fly less! Unfortunately I am doing a lot of flying. I’d be saving a ton of money if I was doing bus/train travel.
Only take a carryon backpack. You’ll save on baggage fees every time you do have to fly.
Use credit card points to book flights.
Consider doing WOOFING or Workaway to save money in exchange for working a few hours a week (usually ~20).
Make friends on the road and then go visit them in their hometowns. It’s the best way to experience a place in a (usually) non-touristy place & you save money on accommodation: it’s a win-win!
Hope this was helpful!!! Wish me luck on my last chapter for the trip: Western Asia & Europe for 3 months 🙂
Sighnaghi – A charming hilltop town in Georgia’s wine country, known for its cobblestone streets and sweeping views of the Alazani Valley.
Tbilisi – The vibrant capital blending ancient history with modern culture along the banks of the Mtkvari River.
Stepantsminda – A gateway to the Caucasus Mountains, famed for its dramatic scenery and the iconic Gergeti Trinity Church.
Other cities to consider
Batumi – A lively Black Sea resort city with a mix of beaches, modern architecture, and subtropical charm.
Kutaisi – One of the world’s oldest cities, rich in UNESCO-listed monasteries and natural wonders nearby.
Mestia – A remote Svaneti mountain town, renowned for its medieval stone towers and alpine landscapes.
PRO TIPS:
Visit Wanderlush for the best resource in planning your Georgian adventure!
No visa needed for US citizens (as of Sept 2025). In fact, Georgia is known for being very visa friendly in that many nationalities don’t need them and you can stay in Georgia for a long time before needing one!
While you can pay for a lot of things with card (especially in more touristy areas), you will also need to have some cash for smaller vendors or for mrshtrukas for example.
Public busses around Tbilisi were super easy to navigate with google maps and just tapping your credit card on the machine reader on the bus.
There are some long journeys in Georgia as you get around so plan that into your trip.
You can book hotels/homestays as you go if you want flexibility. There was always plenty of availability even booking day of while I was here.
TRANSPORTATION:
Sighnaghi —> Tbilisi: Easy marshrutka ride from the bus station in Sighnaghi (just ask your accommodation to point you in the right direction but I’ll link it here too). It’s about a 2 hour journey.
Tbilisi —> Stepantsminda(also can be listed as Kazbegi): Head to Didube Bus terminal (see here for the exact location of the marshrutka). It’s a chaotic station, but if you ask anyone for Kazbegi, they should point you in the right direction. See here for a comprehensive write up on transport options between these two locations as well.
If you want you can ask the driver (would cost more) to make a few stops along the way.
Ananuri monastery along a gorgeous river/lake
Gudauri view point / Friendship monument
Stepantsminda —> Tbilisi: see above but in reverse. Marshrutkas leave from here.
FOOD TO TRY:
Khinkali – meat or cheese dumplings where you flip them upside down and hold them by their little nub. Try to eat them without the juice flowing out!
Adjarian khachapuri – the only non-circular Khachapuri. This one is in a boat shape with a raw egg + pad of butter they throw in right as it comes out of the oven. Then you mix it all together inside the bread boat so it all cooks. You eat it by ripping off pieces of the bread boat and then dip it into the cheese/egg mixture.
Mingrelian khachapuri- looks like pizza without red sauce. This version is HEAVY on the cheese so obvi I loved it, but it might be a bit much for most folks.
Shkmeruli – a delicious baked chicken dish cooked in a garlic/sour cream sauce.
Kebabs- They have delicious pork/beef combo kebabs.
I had lots of different soups here that were all yummy!
CITY: SIGHNAGHI
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at one of the few hostels here (more of a homestay with one dorm room), and it was GREAT (except one thing, which I’ll mention at the end). Nato & Lado (both the name of the homestay & the name of the couple who runs it) are so unbelievably hospitable and kind. Every night they offered a free wine & chacha tasting (that they make themselves) and you can chat with them about their lives in Georgia. Unfortunately, in the middle of my first of two nights, I woke up to bed bugs again! Twice in two days in two different countries, that seems like a record haha. They were very kind about it and were very distressed about trying to resolve the issue (which is understandably difficult). They also moved me to a private room for my second night. It’s a bummer because I would absolutely recommend this place, except for the bed bug incident
WHERE TO EAT:
You must stop by Cafe Medea for her ice cream with wine. It’s divine, and I’m someone who doesn’t love wine. It’s more like sweet muddled berries but wow it’s delicious. Also the view is fabulous!
Have a lunch or dinner at The Golden Lion. The prices are reasonable and there are tons of local dishes to pick from. I tried the shkmeruli – so great! Make sure to get bread to soak up all the yummy sauce.
WHAT TO DO:
Spend an afternoon walking around town for beautiful picturesque views of the old town with its walls and towers surrounding it.
Our hostel arranged for a day trip around the region to see some wineries & a monastery. We visited:
Bodbe Monastery – near town & easy to visit. Unfortunately it was raining but we still made the best of it.
Kvareli Wine Cave- We had a wine tour but opted out of the wine tasting since we would do one at the next stop. Opened in 1962 with 15 tunnels (2 major tunnels at 1.5km & 13 connecting tunnels, almost in a ladder shape). They have 40,000 wine bottles in their reserve – eventually their goal is 1 million bottles in reserve. They make 70 varietals of wine & produce 10 million bottles a year
Corporation Kindzmarauli – This visit included a wine tour & tasting for 10 Lari. This is the oldest in the Kvareli region – 16th century. They produce 40 types of wine & 2.5 million bottles per year. They export to 22 countries & a total of 80% of their wine is exported. We learned that in Georgia there are 520 types of grapes.
Our last stop was a man-made lake, which was pretty but nothing to write home about.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Other than the bed bug incident, I really liked it. If I didn’t have to race to Armenia to meet up with my friend Sabrina, I likely would’ve stayed another night or two here just to soak up the views and maybe have another wine ice cream 🙂
CITY: TBILISI
HOW LONG: 10 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I visited Tbilisi two separate times so the first time I stayed in a hostel (2 nights) and the second, longer visit I rented an apartment on airbnb (8 nights).
I stayed at Envoy Hostel in the old town. It’s walking distance to all the major sites and plenty of great restaurants. There are personal lights and plugs for each bed, as well as lockers. No curtains though. There are two common areas, one more traditional one with a kitchen and lots of seating to work, play cards, eat etc and then a rooftop bar where you can see the skyline and get a drink.
My airbnb for 8 days was very tiny, but perfectly adequate for what I needed. It was a little studio with twin beds in it, a washing machine, and AC. It was very affordable so I can’t really complain, but I would stay elsewhere if I was here with a friend. The location was the highlight – right in the middle of in the mix of Old Tbilisi.
WHERE TO EAT:
Head to Khinkali Pub to try a few different khinkalis in a swanky setting. It gets busy though!
Dila Georgia – cute small breakfast cafe. I tried the Georgian breakfast with a hard boiled egg, bread, cheese and honey. Yum!
Cafe Daphna was a great spot for your first meal in Tbilisi. You can order khinkali by the unit so you can try all the different flavors! I also got to try Lazuri Khachapuri for the first time here. It’s not too far from the center of the old town but far enough that it doesn’t feel touristy!
Khinkali Collection – I mean I really didn’t have a bad meal in Georgia. This was yet another great Georgian restaurant will all my favs: khinkali, khachapuri, and compote 🙂 I also had a khinkali dumpling soup which was great!
Café Stories – very cutely decorated brunch spot with delicious food offerings. Very Instagrammable! I tried a Khinkali that was made in a croissant – so fun! I also had the French toast, which was great! The service was fabulous and I’d happily return.
Brunch & Dine – little brunch restaurant (serves breakfast food until 5pm) tucked away in a quiet neighborhood. Colorfully decorated with an open kitchen. Lovely vibes with good food.
My Coffee Tbilisi – One of my favorite hot chocolate’s I’ve ever had! Tiny, cozy spot with comfy chairs to read a book with your coffee/hot chocolate in hand.
Try a chimney cake from Lumier’s. I’ve had a chimney cake before in Prague, but this was also delicious! This locally owned shop is popular so don’t be surprised to see a line out the door. It’s small but has tons of great options. Pro tip: before 6pm they have a mini chimney cake option if you just want to try it without fully committing 🙂 I had one filled with strawberries, vanilla cream and chocolate!
I loved Tbilisi and look forward to coming back in the future. It’s just so flippin’ pleasant. The architecture is charming, the food is stunning, the people kind, and I felt so safe. I really enjoyed my slow week here. I actually think I could happily live here.
CITY: STEPANTSMINDA/KAZBEGI
HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I couldn’t find any hostels in this tiny town (hello business opportunity!!) so I decided to splurge on a private room at a hotel. It was such a treat. The hotel was small but felt pretty new. It had great views of the mountains and a nice outdoor deck. Breakfast was available each morning downstairs (for a price). It’s about a 10 min walk to the very center of town, but very accessible & safe to walk around at night here. I would absolutely recommend this hotel (but there are plenty of great options here), just make sure to get a room with mountain views!
WHERE TO EAT:
Ratio Bakery – this place has delicious baked goods that are a great option to pick up for a quick breakfast before heading out for a hike!
Capra Breakfast & Coffee – This happened to be in my hotel, but this is a great option for a more sit down breakfast with a large buffet of delicious options.
Samani – This is a great dinner spot with all the classic delicious Georgian classics. I split a Adjarian khachapuri, khinkali and a Liter of Strawberry compote (local handmade fruit juice) with a Spanish couple I met on my bus ride from Armenia to Tbilisi, a few days prior. The restaurant had a nice vibe to it (whereas a lot of places in Stepantsminda were more basic in decor)
Dootsi – great for lunch or dinner. After our big hike to the Trinity Church, the three Slovenian gals I met on my bus here from Tbilisi & I headed here for a hearty lunch. As per usual we got some khinkali to share. It was my first time trying the cheese khinkali (normally I’ve order the meet one) and I really enjoyed it! This place has a big deck with stunning views of the Trinity church and MT Kazbek (as long as it’s clear).
Chek Shawarma – Really yummy, cheap shawarma spot. I ate here a couple times as a casual, quick meal. Would highly recommend!
WHAT TO DO:
The main thing to do here is hiking!
I hiked to Trinity Church (the most popular hike) with three Slovenian gals I met. It had stunning views of the whole valley. Ideally you go on a clear, sunny day for the best experience. It can get cold & windy at the top so bring some layers (I was here in Sept so maybe in July it’s fine).
We also hiked to this viewpoint which was stunning in the other direction. We saw lots of sheep & a small church.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Stepantsminda is lovely! It was slightly less developed than I expected given it’s such a popular destination, but that’s part of its charm. Just be aware that in off season there will likely be even less restaurant options. It’s a pretty casual town so half the time I’d walk into a restaurant and no one would be there. Eventually someone would show up, but pretty funny experience. The views are unreal and I would highly recommend spending 1-3 days here (longer if you want to do more hiking).
BUDGET FOR 16 DAYS IN GEORGIA:
Accommodation: $463 ($29 per night)
Food: $320
Activities: $15
Local Transportation: $51
Miscellaneous: $80 (massage)
Total: $929 (Daily average: $58)
Transportation to next destination: $265 (Two flights to Malta + bus to Armenia in the middle of Georgia)
The Pursuit Of Travel 