Eleven new teams begin racing on the twenty-second edition of The Amazing Race. Their first stop is the island paradise of Bora Bora, where rows of sandcastles threaten to be the downfall of multiple teams. Meanwhile, in a race first, the winner of the first leg is awarded two Express Passes, one of which must be delegated to another team.

The ten remaining teams continue their race through Bora Bora, where one team comes face to face with their fear of deep water. Meanwhile, another team experiences navigational problems on the water, opening the door for a possible comeback from the two penalised teams from the previous leg.

One team continues to struggle with a debilitating injury; in New Zealand, the racers participate in a "shemozzle" race.

Stress makes one contestant cry; a team makes history while trying to stay in the game.

As the contestants face a double U-turn in Hanoi, Vietnam, one team receives crushing news.

Racers hunt for scorpions in Africa; one team confronts another for using a U-Turn against them.

An African speed trap causes problems for teams; racers are asked to water ski with crocodiles.

The final five teams plunge 37 stories through the sky and tackle a psychedelic labyrinth in Berlin, Germany.

A double U-turn in Scotland puts two of the final five teams at risk.

After the final four teams go bog snorkeling in Belfast, Ireland, one team's race comes to an end; the three remaining teams scour historic landmarks in Washington, D.C.; the winning team is determined. Part one of two.