Route notes
Why this routing works
This nine-week round-the-world itinerary runs eastbound from Tokyo across the Pacific to San Francisco, then continues to New York City before a surface sector onward to Washington DC. That open segment replaces a short flight with overland travel and keeps the long-haul structure focused on the transoceanic legs.
From Washington DC, the ticket resumes to Rome for the longest stay of the trip, then turns back toward Asia with flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai before closing the loop in Tokyo. The sequence spreads the longest intercontinental sectors across the itinerary rather than stacking them back to back.
With 5 nights in San Francisco, 15 in Rome, 5 in Hong Kong, and 25 in Shanghai, the pacing mixes shorter city stops with two extended stays. In business class, that structure suits a trip where the main planning value is in linking North America, Europe, and East Asia on one continuous ticket while preserving a surface gap on the US East Coast.