Dan Walker: World Traveller

Dan Walker is an accomplished world traveller, family man and entrepreneur. After having spent many years in business in the city of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Dan and wife Marilynn moved to Costa Rica, and for the last 29 years they have been living in the lovely Province of Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Dan lives in Costa Rica

Dan and Marilynn are proud parents and boast ten grandchildren. As a devoted world traveller, Dan has successfully visit all of the countries of the world, something that few people in the world ever accomplish. The past years have been spent working his way through all of the states and provinces of every major country as well as island groups and many other geographically and politically separate places in the world.

The Young Dan

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, on the west coast of Canada, Dan was known to seek adventure as soon as he was old enough to walk!

Wandering has been in Dan's his system from birth. The only way that his mother could keep him around was to put him in a harness and attach it to the clothes line. His grandparents and mother move to Victoria when Dan was still very young. When he got a tricycle he was gone so often, that his mother had to put dog tags around his neck with his name and phone number. She would often get phone calls from strangers many miles away where he stopped to ask directions.

Young Dan Walker

Just two days after graduating from high school, Dan was on a train across Canada to join the Air Force.

The Early Years

Dan's first major trip was in 1964. With a friend and $30 between them, they hitchhiked through Canada, the USA, and Mexico. They would stop to work just long enough to earn money to continue hitchhiking. After a year on the road, he got engaged in Halifax while on his way to Europe. Dan's travel was put on hold for a quite a few years while he raised his children.

Dan enjoyed playing paintball on weekends

In 1991, after many years in business in Victoria, Dan and his second wife Marilynn sold everything and moved to Costa Rica. This is when Dan decided to make travel his priority again. He joined the TCC (Travelers Century Club) as a junior member with only 70 countries visited at the time, and decided that he wanted to travel to every place in the world.

Life & Travel Highlights

Dan and wife Marilynn often travel together - Dan writing in his journal, and Marilynn recording the journey with her camera. Many of the amazing photographs displayed on the travel site are Marilynn's fine work.

Celebrating completing 200 countries

One of Dan's most memorable trip was when he drove his 1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud around the world in 2007. While in Russia and Siberia, they were hosted by the Russian Automobile Society, and their trip was chronicled daily by media interviews, and dinners hosted by local society officials each night.

1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud in the Gobi Desert

His Rolls-Royce has been a faithful companion on several other trips, such as the Alaska to southern Argentina in 2009. In total, Dan has driven the Rolls through 49 countries plus all Canadian Provinces and the continental US States.

Dan and Marilynn shared their love of travel with their grandchildren. Each of them at the age of 10 could choose to go anywhere in the world for two or three weeks. This provided the grandchildren with an amazing opportunity to learn about other cultures, and to open their eyes to the beauty of the world.

With children in Ethiopia

Modes of transportation are always a thrill, and Dan has tried them all. Whether by automobiles of all sorts, trucks, buses, planes, boats, or with the assistance of myriad animals, such as horses, oxen, dog sleds... and yes, camels!

Travelling by camel

Reaching his goal of visiting every country in the world has had its challenges, for sure. Dan's best tip for would-be world travellers is to, "travel light. No more than one carryon bag", he says, will save countless problems down the road.

The Blue Nile Falls

Over the years, Dan has been part of many elite world traveller clubs and has taken part in various events. Dan's adventures have been featured in the media, on TV and especially in the news during his 2007 world trip. In 2015, Dan was featured in Ryan Trapp and Lee Abbamonte's book, Chasing 193: The Quest to Visit Every Country in the World.

On November 11, 2019 Marilynn and Dan celebrated their 41st years together by renewing their marriage vows in a beautiful ceremonythat took place in Costa Rica surrounded by family and friends.

Happy together, forever...