The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Friday, September 4, 2026
Thor Pedersen has become the first person to visit all 203 countries in the world without flying, completing his journey in nine years, nine months, and 16 days. The extreme traveler detailed his experiences, including navigating an Ebola epidemic and being stuck in Hong Kong for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in his book 'The Impossible Journey'.
“People have been on the highest mountains, the deepest seas, the darkest forests, we went to the moon. What's left? But this was left. And it was so, so important to me.”
“Well, it took nine years, nine months, and 16 days.”
“I was stuck in Hong Kong for two years during the global COVID-19 pandemic, which really wasn't much I could do about that.”