Route notes
Why this routing works
This 9-week economy itinerary is built as a true multi-stop sequence rather than a simple out-and-back ticket. It starts from Washington DC with short stays in San Jose and Guayaquil, then uses an open-jaw break before resuming in Zurich, allowing the overland segment between Ecuador and Switzerland to sit outside the flight ticket while keeping the onward routing intact.
From Zurich, the ticket strings together a compact Europe run through London, Florence, Madrid, and Vienna before continuing east to Denpasar Bali, Hanoi, and Tokyo. That sequencing keeps the trip moving in one broad direction, which is often the cleanest way to organize a long chain of stops across multiple regions without backtracking on the airfare.
The stop lengths are varied but deliberate: 4 to 9 nights in most cities, with longer stays in Guayaquil, Madrid, and Tokyo. That pacing gives enough time on the ground to justify each flight sector while still fitting 11 stop points plus the return within 9 weeks. The final transpacific leg lands in San Diego for a 3-night stop before the last hop back to Washington DC.
With pricing from $4,583 to $5,999 in economy and a June departure in the apr-jun season window, this is the kind of routing that suits travelers balancing many cities against a fixed overall timeframe. The open-jaw after Guayaquil is the key structural feature, while the rest of the ticket works as a continuous eastbound-style progression across Europe, Asia, and back to the US.