He’s got one hell of a step count.
Luke Deakin, an adventurous Brit with a backpack and a dream, is walking from his home in the UK to Southeast Asia, a journey of greater than 8,000 miles — and he’s just revealed his exact route.
The globetrotting trekker has been vlogging the wild journey on Instagram and TikTok for months, walking alongside fellow Brit Sophie. The daring journey recently went viral after a clip caught fire on a preferred Reddit group.
“Right away I’m walking from England to Vietnam and that is the route that I’ve taken to this point and the route I’m going to take,” Deakin explained within the video, originally posted Feb. 28.
“On the sixteenth of September 2024 I began walking from Stratford-upon-Avon to France after which into Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. I then headed into Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria.”
On the time, Deakin was hoofing it through Greece — with Turkey on deck.
Along the way in which, he’s been filming the whole lot: chats with locals, snack reviews, and run-ins with roadside cows.
“It’s going to take me about two months to cross Turkey where I’ll then head into Georgia, Azerbaijan after which take a ferry to Kazakhstan,” he said.
“That is where I’ll face logistical nightmares going tons of of kilometers without food and water. The long stretch of Uzbekistan crossing over into Afghanistan, Pakistan after which over India.”
“Why am I doing this? To prove that ordinary people can do great things and to have the journey of a lifetime. I’ll then cross into Bangladesh, Myanmar and down through Thailand. Navigating 40 degree heat and rainy season I’ll then cross into Cambodia, then Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi where I’ll finish my journey.”
On June 3, Deakin posted an updated video about how he stays online throughout the trip. “How I stay connected while walking from the UK to Vietnam! No SIM card hunting, no overpriced plans, just easy data anywhere on the planet,” he wrote, plugging the app Saily. “It’s something I take advantage of on daily basis on my trip!”
He doubled down within the clip: “Staying connected on my phone is essential… imagine how difficult this journey can be without the web.”
His route? “UK, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam.”
He’s already racked up 570K followers on Instagram and 236.4K on TikTok — but not everyone’s a fan. On Reddit, skeptics questioned his odds.
“People spend 5-7 months walking the Appalachian Trail… this guy stands no probability,” one hater griped.
One other shot back: “He’s already walked UK to Eastern Turkey… much further than the Appalachian Trail.”
Some argued the true challenge wasn’t the mileage — however the map. “More politically difficult than physical,” one wrote. “Walking through like 2 or 3 countries coping with civil war or straight up war lol.”
Others on Instagram cheered him on: “Love following your journey. So f–king cool,” one fan wrote.
In his June 1 YouTube update, Deakin revealed a visa dilemma: he had six days left in Turkey with 750 kilometers still to go. “I need to overstay the visa for about two to 3 weeks and pay the nice,” he said.
“We’re in Turkey. We’ve walked through 11 countries.” And so they’re “in for an additional 12 months on this trip.”
From Stratford-upon-Avon to Southeast Asia? He’s not only walking the walk — he’s living the long-haul dream.
