- The Amazing Race Season 39 countries span North America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe across 13 teams.
- First-ever start in Mexico: The race kicked off in Puerto Vallarta instead of Los Angeles.
- Canada finally hosted a leg, with stops in Vancouver and Tofino, British Columbia.
- 13 Express Passes were in play at once — a franchise first that reshaped strategy.
- The finale landed in Nashville, Tennessee, capping a multi-continent route.
Season 39 Countries: The Full Route Overview
The Amazing Race Season 39 countries made up one of the most geographically varied routes in recent franchise history. Filmed in 2023 and aired on CBS, Season 39 sent 13 teams across multiple continents, opening in Mexico for the first time in the show's run before pushing through the Caribbean, Canada, Southeast Asia, and Central Europe.
Video Highlights:
- Phil Keoghan confirms the 13 Express Pass twist — a franchise first for this season.
- The Vancouver, Canada leg is previewed, fulfilling years of Canadian fan requests.
- Host commentary on first-leg eliminations and how the new Express Pass shook up leg order.
- A look at the casting process that selected this season's 13 teams.
Based on the broadcast route, here is the country-by-country breakdown teams traveled through:
| Leg Region | Country | Key Cities / Locations | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legs 1–2 | Mexico | Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita area | North America |
| Legs 3–4 | Jamaica | Kingston, Port Antonio | Caribbean |
| Legs 5–6 | Canada | Vancouver, Tofino (British Columbia) | North America |
| Legs 7–8 | Thailand | Khao Lak and surrounding Phang Nga region | Asia |
| Leg 9 | Vietnam | Hanoi area | Asia |
| Leg 10 | Slovenia | Ljubljana and surrounding areas | Europe |
| Final Legs | United States | Nashville, Tennessee | North America |
Route details above reflect the destinations shown during the Season 39 broadcast on CBS. Double-check episode order when referencing specific legs, as some countries hosted two legs while others hosted only one.
Country-by-Country Breakdown
Each country on the Season 39 route delivered distinct challenges, from beach detours in Mexico to alpine tasks in Slovenia. Here is what stood out at each stop:
| Country | Signature Challenges | Route Highlight | Difficulty for Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Start-line tasks, local market work | First Mexico start in show history | ★★★☆☆ |
| Jamaica | Rafting and coastal physical tasks | Port Antonio's rivers and docks | ★★★★☆ |
| Canada | Urban tasks in Vancouver, wilderness in Tofino | Long-requested Canadian leg | ★★★☆☆ |
| Thailand | Long-tail boat work, beach detours | Khao Lak's recovering coastal communities | ★★★★☆ |
| Vietnam | Hanoi street-food and motorbike logistics | Dense urban navigation | ★★★★★ |
| Slovenia | Castle and lakeside tasks in Ljubljana | First Slovenian visit in years | ★★★☆☆ |
| United States | Nashville music-themed finale tasks | Final memory challenge | ★★★★☆ |
Mexico - The New Start Line
- First-ever Mexican start
- Puerto Vallarta beach opening
- Immediate heat and pace pressure
Canada - Fan Demand Answered
- Vancouver skyline leg
- Tofino wilderness follow-up
- Phil's personally requested stop
Thailand - Coastal Grind
- Khao Lak boat operations
- Tropical humidity factor
- Classic Southeast Asia racing conditions
The Vancouver leg carried special weight. As Phil Keoghan explained in CBS's Unpacked companion content, Canadian fans had asked for years for the U.S. version to race north, especially given the success of The Amazing Race Canada. Season 39 finally delivered — and the show made a point of enjoying it, with Phil noting the city "showed off" on a spectacular weather day.
How the 13 Express Passes Changed the Route
Season 39's defining twist wasn't just where teams raced — it was the equipment every team carried. For the first time in franchise history, all 13 teams received an Express Pass at the start, allowing each team to skip one challenge of their choosing at any point in the race.
The strategic implications across the Season 39 countries were significant:
| Strategy | How It Worked | Risk Level | Best Used By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Burn | Use pass on Leg 1 to avoid first elimination | Low | Weaker starting teams |
| Mid-Race Hold | Save as insurance for a bad leg | Medium | Middle-of-the-pack teams |
| Deep Hold | Keep until final stretch for maximum value | High | Confident front-runners |
According to host commentary, strong teams historically dominate Leg 1 and keep winning — but with 13 passes in play, front-runners had to second-guess what mid-pack teams might do, and leg order got scrambled repeatedly.
Receive Your Pass at the Start
Every one of the 13 teams began the race holding an Express Pass — no need to win it on the course.
Read the Field Each Leg
Teams had to assess their position, the difficulty of the current country's challenges, and how many opponents still held passes.
Choose the Skip Moment
The pass skips one challenge only. Choosing a physically brutal task over a quick one wasted its value.
Announce and Collect the Clue
Teams declared the pass at the challenge ("We'd like to use our Express Pass") and received the next clue immediately.
Each team had exactly one Express Pass for the entire race across all countries. Teams that burned it early lost their safety net for the tougher later legs in Vietnam and Slovenia.
Season 39 Teams and the First Leg
The cast featured 13 teams, including married couple Morgan and Lena, who became the first mother-daughter winners in the show's 39-season history. The season also opened with a notably harsh reality: the first team eliminated — Zach and Nate — was knocked out just hours after the race began.
| Team Detail | Season 39 Fact |
|---|---|
| Total teams | 13 at the starting line |
| New twist | 13 Express Passes in simultaneous play |
| Historic result | First mother-daughter champions in franchise history |
| Casting background | Some teams had applied seven or eight times before being cast |
| First boot | Zach and Nate, eliminated hours into Leg 1 in Mexico |
Phil Keoghan repeatedly reminded teams that simply making the cast meant beating thousands of applicants — a framing that softened, at least slightly, the sting of an early exit in a foreign country.
Fan Route-Watching Checklist
If you're rewatching or tracking the Season 39 route for the first time, use this checklist to catch every country highlight:
Season 39 Route Watchlist:
- Watch the historic Puerto Vallarta start line in Mexico
- Track each Express Pass usage across all 13 teams
- Note the Vancouver and Tofino legs in Canada
- Spot the Jamaica rafting tasks in Port Antonio
- Follow the Thailand and Vietnam legs through Asia
- Catch the Ljubljana, Slovenia leg in Europe
- Revisit the Nashville finale and memory challenge
Season 39 episodes and the companion series Unpacked are available through CBS's official platforms and Paramount+ for viewers who want to follow the full route in broadcast order.
Season 39 Countries FAQ
Q: How many countries did The Amazing Race Season 39 visit?
The Amazing Race Season 39 route covered six countries outside the United States — Mexico, Jamaica, Canada, Thailand, Vietnam, and Slovenia — before returning to the U.S. for the Nashville finale.
Q: Did The Amazing Race Season 39 really start in Mexico?
Yes. Season 39 marked the first time the race started in Mexico, with the opening legs based around Puerto Vallarta rather than the traditional Los Angeles launch.
Q: Why was the Canada leg such a big deal?
Canadian fans had campaigned for years for the U.S. version to race north, especially with The Amazing Race Canada running successfully. Season 39 answered with legs in Vancouver and Tofino, and host Phil Keoghan publicly thanked Canadian viewers for the request.
Q: What was the big twist affecting travel through the Season 39 countries?
Every one of the 13 teams received an Express Pass at the start — a franchise first. This let any team skip one challenge in any country, which scrambled leg placements and forced front-running teams to reconsider their strategies all season.