At an age when many people are still figuring out their career paths, Shubham Kumar has already completed a journey that most travellers only dream about. At just 24, the young creator from rural Bihar has travelled to 197 sovereign nations using an Indian passport, documenting the experience along the way for millions of viewers online. He has become the youngest Indian to cover 197 countries, ending his journey in Brazil!
His story does not begin in airports or luxury travel lounges. It begins in a small village located between Munger and Bhagalpur, where life was simple, resources were limited, and global travel felt like a distant idea.
Yet today, Shubham Kumar has built one of the most remarkable travel journeys to come out of India.
Shubham’s Journey From Rural Bihar to the World
Shubham Kumar first introduced himself to the internet in 2018. He was just 17 when he uploaded a simple YouTube video explaining who he was and why he wanted to travel. Speaking in straightforward Hindi, he described himself as a boy from rural Bihar who wanted to make travel easier to understand for people like him.
He openly admitted that he was not fluent in English and did not come from wealth. His father worked as a government school teacher, and his upbringing was far from the urban privilege usually associated with international travel.
But what Shubham had was clarity. The dream of seeing the world had taken root when he was around 13 or 14. A trip to Leh Ladakh in 2018 strengthened that desire and pushed him to start exploring beyond borders.
His first international trip was to Nepal. Soon after came Russia, Thailand and Laos. In 2019, he uploaded his first major global vlog from China, marking the beginning of a journey that would eventually take him across nearly every country on the planet.
How Shubham Built a Global Travel Journey on a Budget
Travel was never easy or glamorous in the beginning. To fund his trips, Shubham Kumar relied on hitchhiking, volunteering abroad and carefully stretching every rupee he had.
In the early days, he managed on a monthly budget of around ten to twelve thousand rupees. He once even took a refund from his coaching institute to fund his travel plans.
His first long hitchhiking experience from Kota to Jaipur was less adventure and more determination. Soon after, he travelled to Russia at the age of 16 and hitchhiked nearly three thousand kilometres across unfamiliar territory.
Along the way, he faced challenges that many travellers never encounter. In Gabon, he was suspected of being a spy by local authorities. In Mozambique, protests left him stranded. Language barriers often forced him to rely on gestures, kindness and shared meals with strangers.
Instead of focusing only on tourist attractions, Shubham Kumar made it a point to explore local life, collaborate with regional creators and show the everyday realities of different countries.
Shubham’s 197 Country Milestone at 24
Seven years after he began travelling, Shubham Kumar finally reached a milestone that very few people in the world achieve. At 24, he completed visits to 197 sovereign nations, all funded by his own earnings.
Over time, his YouTube channel grew to more than 3.2 million subscribers, while his Instagram following crossed six lakh followers. His travel vlogs regularly attract millions of views.
One of the most meaningful moments of his journey came when former President Ram Nath Kovind personally congratulated him after seeing his work.
For many viewers, Shubham Kumar is simply a successful travel vlogger. But for young people growing up in small towns and villages, his story carries a deeper message. It proves that where you start does not have to define how far you can go.
Sometimes the biggest journeys begin in the most ordinary places. In Shubham Kumar’s case, it began on rural roads in Bihar long before the world knew his name.
