For the first time, a former team surprises racers as judges; one team member must traverse a tightrope stretched from one rooftop to another at the historic Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles before heading to Thailand.

Teams dive deeper into the countryside of Thailand for the second leg of the race, encountering catfish-infested waters and pomelo-filled rivers.

The teams feel the strain of commercial travel and float their way through the Mekong Delta as they are challenged between making rice paper or customizing a scooter by wrapping it in vinyl in Vietnam.

Teams continue racing in Vietnam and face the hustle and bustle of a congested Vietnam market, where they must properly set up a fish stand and deliver mattresses to a local hotel.

Teams travel more than 2,000 miles from Vietnam to India, where they must balance traditional pots on their heads while performing a folk dance and assemble a mural.

The votes for the mandatory U-turn are in and one team must complete both detours in India, bundling up flowers and transporting building materials on rickshaws in the bustling streets of Jaipur.

Teams visit the country of Slovenia; racers soar to new heights in glider planes and experience roadblock surprises.

Teams continue racing in Slovenia, carefully travelling on foot carrying wooden pieces on their back, descending deep into a cave, assembling a giant dragon, and scraping off mussels and barnacles in the waters.

Teams travel 1,000 miles from Slovenia to Sweden, where they must face their fears and skydive from 10,000 feet over the Baltic sea, recreate a midsummer tradition and sort through recyclable items.

Teams travel to Dublin where they must complete four challenges in the penultimate leg including swimming in the Irish Sea, dancing with the Riverdance troupe, scoring a point with the hurling team and reciting quotes from a novelist.

The final three teams travel to Seattle, where they must complete three challenges in a scramble leg; the team that successfully completes the challenges and arrives first wins the $1 million prize.