The Amazing Race backdrop
Reality

The Best Episodes of The Amazing Race

Every episode of The Amazing Race ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Amazing Race!

Binge this in 14d 8h•Peaking at 10.0/10

This reality competition sees teams embark on a trek around the world to amazing destinations where they must compete in a series of challenges, some mental and some physical. Only when the tasks are completed

Airs on
CBS
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons38

All1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Click to reveal
    The Amazing Race Season 17 Episode 3 - In Phil We Trust
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - In Phil We Trust

    S17:E3

    The remaining teams continue racing in Leg 3, where a challenging detour tests one couple's relationship, while another team's Racer requires medical attention, threatening their position in the competition.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 1 - The Race Begins
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #2 - The Race Begins

    S1:E1

    The teams begin in New York. They need to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa. Cooperation problems surface early on with a few of the couples. The teams have to decide which airport to take to the destination. Once they arrive in South Africa, they must take yet another flight. Before ultimately get to Songwe Village, they must find beautiful Victoria Falls. From there, they must get to Knife's Edge, a cliff. There, they must bungee jump and glide across a rope, eventually getting to the other side. The Pit Stop is located in Songwe Village. Rob and Brennan obtain the Fast Forward near Victoria Falls, allowing them to avoid all other tasks and go straight to the Pit Stop. Matt and Ana are the last to arrive and are eliminated.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. The Amazing Race Season 2 Episode 1 - The World is Waiting: Go!
    8.5/10(2 votes)

    #3 - The World is Waiting: Go!

    S2:E1

    The second group of the Amazing Race contestants are off on the first leg of a journey across the world. The first place they must travel to is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where the teams rappel down the face of a 590 foot mountain and others search for the woman that inspired the song ""The Girl from Ipaneema"". Problems arise between two of the teams when Tara & Wil claim to have been at the Hotel (where they were to get reservations) before the rest of the teams arrived. Blake and Wil have it out about this, even to the point of Wil bragging up his travelling skills. Peggy and Claire, the oldest contestants in the race are sure they will get eliminated but in a mad rush to the finish, they get to the pit stop minutes before mother and daughter pair, Deidre and Hillary, while separated couple Tara and Wil place first. After being eliminated, the team feels the race has definitely improved their relationship and has brought them closer together after Hillary had spent most of her life living

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. The Amazing Race Season 35 Episode 2 - You Don't See That at Home
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #4 - You Don't See That at Home

    S35:E2

    Teams dive deeper into the countryside of Thailand for the second leg of the race, encountering catfish-infested waters and pomelo-filled rivers.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. The Amazing Race Season 35 Episode 3 - No Sleep and a Million Dollar Dream
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #5 - No Sleep and a Million Dollar Dream

    S35:E3

    The teams feel the strain of commercial travel and float their way through the Mekong Delta as they are challenged between making rice paper or customizing a scooter by wrapping it in vinyl in Vietnam.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. The Amazing Race Season 35 Episode 4 - The Day Keeps Rockin' Here in Vietnam
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #6 - The Day Keeps Rockin' Here in Vietnam

    S35:E4

    Teams continue racing in Vietnam and face the hustle and bustle of a congested Vietnamese market, where they must properly set up a fish stand and deliver mattresses to a local hotel.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Amazing Race

    READ
  7. The Amazing Race Season 36 Episode 3 - It's Not Over Til Phil Sings
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #7 - It's Not Over Til Phil Sings

    S36:E3

    Teams climb the stairs to the top of El Peñon de Guatapé in Colombia to find their clue and begin the third leg of the race.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 2 - Divide and Conquer
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #8 - Divide and Conquer

    S1:E2

    The teams start out in Songwe Village,Zameia. When the times depart from the pit stop they must find the Songwe Museum in the village without any signs to indicate where it is located. They must use the help of the villagers. The first to leave are Rob and Brennan but they decide to wait for the members of their newly formed alliance with Frank, Margarita, Joe and Bill. Once locating the museum, the teams must decide in a detour to do one of two tasks involving photography. Then they have to bring the pictures to a chief in another village. Pat and Brenda decide not to do the tasks after failing to find the museum and decide to go for the Fast Forward. They complete this with ease and head to the next pit stop, the Arch de Triomphe in Paris. At the airport, some problems surface between Kim/Leslie and Paul/Amie. Once in Paris,the teams must find a monument through a telescope. For some of the teams this is easy but for others, proves extremely difficult. Kim and Leslie are the last to

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 3 - Home for Some
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #9 - Home for Some

    S1:E3

    At the Arc de Triomphe, at departure times the teams are told to find La Grande Rue, a ferris wheel located somewhere in the city. They will have to get the route marker when the ferris wheel opens. When they get there, they are to do a detour. An ""Easy Walk"" where they must find Foucault's pendulum. There are two nearby, but you must chose the right one .Unfortunately for Pat and Brenda, they do chose the wrong one which puts them far behind the others. The second is ""Tough Climb"" in which the teams must climb to the top of Notre Dame and ring Quasimodo's bell. Kevin and Drew decide to go for the Fast Forward, where they have to retrieve it from a local coffee shop. Then they must head directly to the pit stop which is located in Chateau Les Baux. In the Roadblock, one of the team members must travel through the Paris sewers. Pat and Brenda are the last to arrive and are eliminated, going from 1st in Leg #2 to last in Leg #3.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 4 - Colossal Showdown
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #10 - Colossal Showdown

    S1:E4

    The teams start off at the Chateau Les Baux in Paris, France. The first task is to find a man in a red hat, standing under a miniature Arc de Triomphe. All they have to discover where the man is located, is a flag and a picture of the man. It seems clear that the alliance between Frank/Margarita, Rob/Brennan and Joe/Bill has officially crumbled. The teams discover that the flag is from Tunisia. Before this discovery, some guess Turkey or Morocco. Paul/Amie at departure, notice the cab they had previously ordered the night before is not there. This causes some anger and Paul debates quitting. All the teams must get to Tunisia. Most take plane but some take boat. When they find the man, they are given a Detour. They must take a ""Full Body Massage"" or ""Full Body Brew"", involving coffee. They must with the given map find one of these two places in busy crowded streets. When these tasks are completed they must get to El Jem Coliseum. There they must run around the coliseum and most find a s

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 5 - Desert Storm
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #11 - Desert Storm

    S1:E5

    The seven remaining teams start off in El Jem Coliseum, the pit stop for the fourth leg. Upon departure they are given a route marking which tells them they must find a monument known as the Tataouine which is 300 miles away. Although Paul and Amie arrived fifth in the last leg, production problems cause them to move ahead one place in front of Frank and Margarita. When the teams arrive at the Tataouine, they are given a Detour. They must chose between an easy and a difficult game. The easy game is at a hard to find location and the hard game is at an easy to find location. The games are called ""Puzzle"" and ""Listening"" .All the teams chose Listening in which they must find the clue using a walkie talkie and find where the other one is. There they will find the clue. The clue says that must find a ""yellow and white flag"" in the middle of the Sahara Desert and that there are rocks to guide them there. Some teams are a little bit confused as to how the rocks guide them there. But eventual

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 6 - Whatever it Takes to Win
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #12 - Whatever it Takes to Win

    S1:E6

    The teams start out in the Sahara desert. Kevin and Drew are the first to depart. The clue reads that they must get to the Palace Hotel in Tunis,300 miles away. Joe and Bill are the first to arrive at the clue. They must get to a spot outside the famous Coliseum in Rome. The teams head to the Tunisian airport. Tensions are high at the airport. At one point, Drew ask Team Guido if they want to have one of their legs broke. Joe and Bill laugh at this and don't see it as a threat. Drew then tells the team he was joking. Joe and Bill are the first of the teams to get tickets on the plane and are the last tickets on that flight. When the other teams arrive at the airport, the Guido's (all ready to go) decide to spy on the other teams and at one point, decide to eavesdrop. Teams are getting extremely frustrated when they learn of the air strike in Rome. They are having serious trouble getting tickets. With ""charm,"" Kevin and Drew get tickets for themselves and two other teams (Nancy/Emily an

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 7 - Triumph and Loss
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #13 - Triumph and Loss

    S1:E7

    Tensions are high and it seems that Team Guido is separated from the rest of the group, socially. Teams are still distraught about what happened in the previous leg. The teams are in Rome. Frank and Margarita are the first to leave the pit stop. The first clue is a Detour. The teams must chose between ""Glide"" and ""Ride."" In ""Glide"" the teams must take a glider to the next location and in ""Ride,"" the teams must take a set of bikes to the next location, which is Ferrara. However, the teams must note there is only one glider so they may have to wait for another team to finish the task before they can start. It's first come, first served. Frank and Margarita decide to go for the fast forward which is hidden in a moat at a castle. Rob and Brennan decide to do the glider and are the first to arrive there. Joe and Bill decide to do the biking, where they must find the bike shop. Frank and Margarita obtain the Fast Forward and start heading straight to the pit stop; New Dehli, India. Nancy/Emi

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 10 - To the Physical and Mental Limit
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #14 - To the Physical and Mental Limit

    S1:E10

    The teams begin this leg at the Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi. Only four teams remain: Joe and Bill, Kevin and Drew, Frank and Margarita and Rob and Brennan. The first clue directs the teams to Raile Beach in which they must find ""the king"". Rob and Brennan are the first to depart the pit stop. They must take a cab and a boat to get to the next destination. Operating hours end at 5:30 PM and Joe and Bill are set to depart at 6:30 PM so they cannot do anything that night. The teams discover that ""the king"" is a large rock formation and that they must go rock climbing or they can take an extremely long hike, as part of a Detour. All of the teams chose to go rock climbing. Rob injures his finger during the climb. After rock climbing the teams must find there way to Sea, Land & Trek in Bor Tor, Ao Luk, which is a boat rental company. The route info notes that the place closes at 5:00 PM. Rob and Brennan arrive in first place and Joe and Bill arrive in last plce but are not eliminated because

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 11 - Fight to the Last Minute
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #15 - Fight to the Last Minute

    S1:E11

    The teams traveled from Thailand to Bangkok to Beijing. They performed a series of tasks. Frank and Margarita and Rob and Brennan had to play ping-pong against a local in a Detour. The teams had to buy beetle larvae, chicken feet and squid on the local market, then take it to a cook and in the Roadblock. One of the team members then had to eat it. Relationship problems surfaced for Frank and Margarita as Frank called her a ""moron."" Margarita, Kevin, Joe and Brennan ate the food. Throughout the leg, Kevin/Drew and Joe/Bill were side by side. Nearing the pit stop, Kevin and Drew panicked when they couldn't find the South Gate and arrived last. Joe and Bill were estatic. Kevin and Drew were the last team to arrive and were eliminated.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 12 - Race to the Finish (1)
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #16 - Race to the Finish (1)

    S1:E12

    The teams began in Beijing, China. Their first task was to head to Tiantan park and retrieve the clue from a kite being flown by a local. From there they headed to the Great Wall for a Detour. They had to chose between walking up steep steps in close range or flat steps farther away. All the teams chose the steep steps. In this task, we began to see some problems with Frank/Margarita's relationship. Margarita later said they had to work as a team, always in order to win the race. At the top of the Great Wall, there is a clue. The teams have to get to a bed and breakfast in Anchorage, Alaska. All the teams got tickets to San Francisco and from there to Seattle and finally to the destination (Anchorage, Alaska.)When in Alaska, they stayed the night at the bed and breakfast. In the morning they had to perform an old Alaskan ritual, called a ""Blanket Toss"" to find where the next clue was, in which they were ""trampolined"" by the locals. The next clue involved them getting to a glacier, wher

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. The Amazing Race Season 1 Episode 13 - Race to the Finish (2)
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #17 - Race to the Finish (2)

    S1:E13

    The three teams, from Alaska have to travel back to the starting point in New York City where Frank and Margarita live. This worries Rob and Brennan. Frank and Margarita think they have it in the bag but at the final pit stop in Flushing Meadows Park where all the eliminated teams are waiting, Rob and Brennan are the first to cross the finish line. Frank and Margarita are the next team to arrive, obviously disappointed because of their loss. Joe and Bill are informed of Rob and Brennan's win back in Alaska and although they are disappointed they are glad that Rob and Brennan had won the race. In post-race interviews, Frank and Margarita claim they have won more than a million dollars in that of the rekindling of their relationship. Rob is happy to have won the race and to have won it with his best friend, Brennan.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. The Amazing Race Season 2 Episode 2 - Help Me, I'm American
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #18 - Help Me, I'm American

    S2:E2

    All of the ten remaining teams continue the race in South America. In this leg of the race, teams hang-glide, much to the chagrin of Peggy who has had problems with her knee for years, but does it reluctantly anyway. Shola & Doyin obtain the fast forward by playing volleyball with professionals in which a foot gets twisted. Other problems occur with the twins, when at one point, [one of the twins] gets their foot run over. Blake and Paige have problems when they lose their wallet and have to go around the bus station, begging for money. Several problems occur on the bus rides to the next pitstop, as one breaks down and the other gets a flat tire. Chris & Alex, tired of waiting, decide to fix the flat tire themselves and get back on the road. Again to their surprise, Peggy and Claire stay in the race, this time placing in 8th position. And it's a race by Hope/Norm and Blake/Paige to the finish, which results in the elimination of the married parents from Tennessee. They also feel this h

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. The Amazing Race Season 2 Episode 3 - My Alarm Clock Didn't Go Off
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #19 - My Alarm Clock Didn't Go Off

    S2:E3

    The teams leave Brazil and South America all together to head to South Africa. There some teams dance for money, haul fish and are forced to drink blended sheep's head in the road block. Peach gets emotional when giving sunglasses to kids on the street. Shola and Doyin feel at home, as that's where their father was born. Tara and Wil's alliance with Chris and Alex comes to a halt, as they realize this game is every man for themselves. Peggy and Claire sleep through their departure time and Blake and Paige, in last place, decide not to wake them up. Problems at the airport, including missing their flight, case Peggy and Claire to fall a day behind and are the third team eliminated from the race.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. The Amazing Race Season 2 Episode 4 - This Game Is About Minutes
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #20 - This Game Is About Minutes

    S2:E4

    The teams travel to Namibia where they climb sand dunes and slide down them as a task. Shola and Doyin face problems of driving standard in the desert and eventually get stuck. Wil and Tara accuse Gary and Dave of speeding and even call them cheaters and Gary tells them that ""[They're] going down!"". A feud on the horizon? Oswald and Danny maintain their position in first place as they capture a rather easy fast forward which sends them directly to the pit stop. Shola and Doyin can not overcome their problems in the desert and end up skipping most of their tasks and just head directly to the pit stop where they are eliminated. Blake and Paige spark controversy with Mary and Peach as in a race to the finish, the brother and sister team cut across the trees to finish minutes before the two sisters.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. The Amazing Race Season 2 Episode 5 - Welcome to the World of Being Human
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #21 - Welcome to the World of Being Human

    S2:E5

    The teams travel from their pit stop at Anani Lodge to Bangkok. They all fight for planes, but the airport ends up being the usual great equalizer. In Bangkok, they take part in a Detour in which they must choose between Confusion Now and Confusion Later. Confusion Now involves finding the correct taxi at a water taxidock, while Confusion Later involves burning a paper car as a spiritual offering. The teams split the choices, some encountering difficulties. One team loses valuable time after going to the wrong shrine. Later, the teams take part in a Roadblock that requires a journey into a deep, dark cave. The fear of this obstacle could cost one team the race.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. The Amazing Race Season 2 Episode 7 - I'm Gonna Throw Up on Phil's Shoes
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #22 - I'm Gonna Throw Up on Phil's Shoes

    S2:E7

    The teams drive from their Pit Stop in Northern Thailand to Chiang Mai. After receiving a clue, they find themselves facing another long drive, this time to Hong Kong. There they must find the Central Plaza and then the Star Ferry. There, they reach the Detour, which is a choice between Wishing Tree or Herbal Tea. Most teams choose the Herbal Tea option, but one decides to go a separate way by doing the Wishing Tree. Yet another skips it all together, by taking the Fast Forward. The remaining teams then do a Roadblock that involves operating a crane. One team falls hopelessly behind and is eliminated from the race.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. The Amazing Race Season 2 Episode 8 - I'm Not a Miner! No, You're an Idiot!
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #23 - I'm Not a Miner! No, You're an Idiot!

    S2:E8

    In this special two hour episode of The Amazing Race, the teams make their way all the way from the Hong Kong Harbor to deep in the Australian outback. In the first leg, the teams travel from Hong Kong Harbor to Repulse Bay. There, they complete several tasks including a Detour that gives a choice of Dragon or Lion and a Roadblock that involves a walking tour using Australian slang. The Roadblock proves very confusing for some teams, but the confusion may not be the tragedy that one team thinks it is. In the second leg, the teams continue their journey in Australia, heading into the Australian outback. Some teams pursue the Fast Forward to keep themselves in the game. The Detour is a choice of Cool Down or Heat Up and the Roadblock requires skill with a boomerang. One team struggles with the challenge but hangs on, while another falls dangerously behind.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. The Amazing Race Season 2 Episode 9 - Ready to Lose Our Lives
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #24 - Ready to Lose Our Lives

    S2:E9

    The four remaining teams travel to Auckland, New Zealand, and rappel into the nearby Lost World caves.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. The Amazing Race Season 2 Episode 10 - It's Hammer Time
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #25 - It's Hammer Time

    S2:E10

    The three remaining teams compete for the $1 million first-place prize as the second edition of the race around the world concludes. ""It is a truly sensational finish,"" reports host Phil Keoghan. ""I was standing at the finish line waiting for the teams to come in and thinking 'This is what reality television is all about. To be here right now and not know which team is going to run up first and collect the money.' "" At press time, the pairs still in the hunt are lifelong friends Chris and Alex, brother-sister combo Blake and Paige, separated couple Tara and Wil, and best friends Oswald and Danny. The final dash includes stops in Hawaii and Alaska before ending near Las Vegas.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Best Episodes Summary

"In Phil We Trust" is the best rated episode of "The Amazing Race". It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/10/2010. This episode scored 1.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Race Begins".