Development and filming

The Amazing Race 18 was the first season of the United States series to be broadcast on high-definition television.^[4] While most other prime-time television shows had transitioned to high definition, including other reality television shows, previous seasons of The Amazing Race used standard-definition television due to the cost and fragility of high-definition recording equipment.^[5]

This season traveled a little over 40,000 miles (64,000 km) across 23 cities and five continents.

The starting line was at the San Gorgonio Pass wind farm near Palm Springs, California.

Filming started on November 20, 2010, at the San Gorgonio Pass wind farm near Palm Springs, California.^[6] Teams were spotted at Oceanworld Manly around November 22, 2010,^[2] and a day later around the mining town of Broken Hill, New South Wales, in the Australian Outback.^[7] Other locales cited as destinations were Yokohama, Japan, where teams swam in freezing waters near Mount Fuji, and the series' first visit to Liechtenstein.^[8][9]

The Express Pass, introduced in the previous season, returned and allowed a team to bypass one single task later in the season. The last team to complete the first task was forced to complete a U-Turn in the next leg, performing both tasks of the leg's Detour.^[10]

The double-length legs format previously used were changed in this season to legs without a mandatory rest period between them. At the end of the first leg in Sydney, Australia, and the fourth leg in Lijiang, China, teams were ordered to keep racing and given their next clue. The first team to check in was still awarded a prize, but the last team to check in was not eliminated and did not have to perform a Speed Bump.^[11]

Casting

Phil Keoghan described all the contestants as teams that "came so close to winning but for one reason or another just didn't quite make it over the finish line in first place.”^[12] Keoghan gave examples of two teams: Zev & Justin from season 15, who had finished first on a leg, but lost a passport too late to continue racing; and Kisha & Jennifer from season 14, who took an ill-timed restroom break while racing to the Pit Stop and were eliminated.^[12] The prior experience of all the teams in previous seasons allowed the producers to increase the difficulty of the various tasks and challenges.^[12] All of the teams were from recent seasons of The Amazing Race with the earliest season being season 12. According to Bertram van Munster, they stayed with more recent teams because "if we're digging too far back, people might not even remember who they were".^[8] Season 14 was represented by five of the eleven teams; van Munster called this particular season of The Amazing Race "a very unique season" and justified its larger proportion of teams.^[8] Though they had considered mother and son fan-favorites Toni and Dallas Imbimbo from season 13, Keoghan stated they felt the other selected teams "have the best stories and the best motivation" for casting.^[13] During an interview with CBS's The Early Show, season 17 runners-up Brook Roberts and Claire Champlin revealed they were asked to take part on the season, but couldn't due to the latter's pregnancy.^[14]

Marketing

Snapple served as a sponsor this season of The Amazing Race, with "Snapple Real Facts" introduced during commercial breaks. The sixth leg of the season in Kolkata, India, featured several tasks involving a papaya-and-mango flavored tea Snapple developed and named after the show.^[15] Ford also sponsored the season, with their new Focus serving as a prize during the eighth leg.

Leg 1 (United States → Australia)

At Oceanworld Manly in Sydney, racers participated in a Roadblock where they did a scuba dive in the aquarium's shark tank.

• Episode 1: "Head Down and Hold On" (February 20, 2011)
• Prize: The Express Pass (awarded to Gary & Mallory)

Locations

• Palm Springs, California (San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm) (Starting Line)
• Los Angeles → Sydney, Australia
• Sydney (International Airport Railway Station → City Centre)
• Sydney (City Centre → Manly)
• Sydney (Oceanworld Manly)
• Sydney (Manly 16 ft Skiff Sailing Club)
• Sydney (Shelly Beach)

Episode summary

• At the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm, teams had to search through a field containing hundreds of paper airplanes inscribed with various airline names for one matching the clue "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services", which was a reference to Qantas. Once teams presented a Qantas airplane to Phil, he gave them their first clue and tickets for one of two flights to Sydney, Australia. In addition, the last team to complete the task (Amanda & Kris) would be penalized with a U-Turn at the season's first Detour.
• The first eight teams were given tickets on the first Qantas flight and the last three teams received tickets on a flight scheduled to arrive 90 minutes later. However, due to a medical emergency on the first flight, that flight was delayed in Honolulu, Hawaii, allowing the three teams on the second flight to arrive in Sydney first. Once there, teams had to travel by ferry to Manly, and then make their way to Oceanworld Manly, where they found their next clue.
• In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to scuba dive into the Oceanworld shark and ray tank and search the floor of the aquarium for a compass. The compass included a guide to decode a message hidden in series of nautical flags outside. Teams had to correctly decode the message and then go to the Manly 16 ft Skiff Sailing Club, find the Commodore, and give him the message "I am between the devil and the deep blue sea" in order to receive their next clue.
• At the Manly 16 ft Skiff Sailing Club, teams had to join a sailing crew and sail a 16ft Skiff along a water course to a series of buoys that held their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop at Shelly Beach.

Additional notes

• Graham Keating, Sydney's town crier^[23] and the Pit Stop greeter in leg 8 of season 2, made a cameo appearance in this leg.
• There was no rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were instead instructed to continue racing.

Leg 2 (Australia)

Teams traveled to the city of Broken Hill in the Australian Outback.

• Episode 2: "I Never Looked So Foolish in My Whole Entire Life" (February 27, 2011)
• Prize: A trip for two to Cancún, Mexico (awarded to Zev & Justin)
• Eliminated: Amanda & Kris

Locations

• Sydney (Sydney Town Hall – To Sail To Stop Sculpture)
• Sydney → Broken Hill (Broken Hill Airport)
• Broken Hill (The Living Desert)
• Broken Hill (Central Football Club)
• Broken Hill (Intersection of Mercury Street & Bismuth Street)
• Broken Hill (Junction Mine)

Episode summary

• At the previous Pit Stop, teams received their clue from Phil, which instructed them to find "To Sail To Stop" and had to figure that this referred to a sculpture of an anchor near Sydney Town Hall. There, teams had to sign up for one of two charter flights leaving the next morning to Broken Hill in the Outback. Once there, teams had to choose a marked car with their next clue and drive themselves to the Living Desert.
• This season's first Detour was a choice between Spirit World or Natural World. In Spirit World, teams had to make a traditional Australian Aboriginal stone mosaic based on a model, and then perform a dance on top of the mosaic before receiving their clue. In Natural World, teams had to make traditional Australian Aboriginal paintings by spraying a mix of water and pigment to create four silhouette images on a piece of slate, after which they received their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams were instructed to return to Broken Hill and find the "home of the Magpies", which they had to figure out was a reference to the Broken Hill Football League's Central Magpies Australian football stadium: Central Football Club. At the football club, teams dressed up as kangaroos and were given a periodic table with the symbols Hg and Bi highlighted. They had to figure out that these were the symbols for mercury and bismuth, respectively, and that they were also the names of two streets in town that met at an intersection where their next clue was located. Teams then had to check in at the Pit Stop: Junction Mine.

Additional note

• Amanda & Kris had a required U-Turn because they finished last in the starting line task, so they had to complete both sides of the Detour.

Leg 3 (Australia → Japan)

The Roadblock in Kamakura had racers participating in yabusame: traditional Japanese mounted archery.

• Episode 3: "We Had a Lot of Evil Spirits Apparently" (March 6, 2011)
• Prize: A trip for two to Costa Rica (awarded to Zev & Justin)
• Eliminated: Mel & Mike

Locations

• Broken Hill → Sydney (Central Railway Station)
• Sydney → Tokyo, Japan
• Tokyo (Shibuya – Rotating Parking Garage)
• Kamakura (Tsurugaoka Hachimangū – Yabusame Dojo)
• Minamiashigara (Daiyūzan Station – Kintarō Statue)
• Minamiashigara (Yuhi Falls or Madarame Farm)
• Yokosuka (Kurihama – Commodore Perry Monument)

Episode summary

• During the Pit Stop, teams boarded a train that took them back to Sydney, and they began the leg on the train platform at the Central railway station. Teams were instructed to fly to Tokyo, Japan. Once there, teams had to travel to the rotating parking garage in Shibuya in order to find their next clue. Teams to ask the garage attendant for a vehicle before driving themselves to Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to dress as a traditional samurai archer and learn a yabusame ritual through observation, consisting of a meditative form ritual before a traditional posing with the yumi bow. Once they performed the first two aspects of the ritual to the dojo master's satisfaction, they had to mount a rotating wooden horse and hit a wooden target with an arrow in order to receive their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to the Daiyūzan Station and search the grounds for the Kintarō statue in order to find their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Prayer of Purity or Frog of Luck. In Prayer of Purity, teams had to don keikogis and travel to the nearby woods, where they took part in a Shinto cleansing ritual. First, they had to perform a prayer that consisted of a chant, lighting incense, and then shouting while thrusting a bamboo stick out in front of them. Afterward, they had to stand under the Yuhi Falls and endure being drenched in 45 °F (7 °C) water for one minute before receiving their next clue. In Frog of Luck, teams had to strip down to their underwear and put on fundoshi before walking to a mud pit, where they had to search for a toy frog in the mud while having mud thrown at them by locals. Once teams found a frog, they had to present it to the nearby master for their next clue.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Commodore Perry Monument in Yokosuka.

Additional note

• Mel & Mike were treated for hypothermia while trying to complete the Detour. They were unable to complete the task and instead went directly to the Pit Stop for elimination.^[24]

Leg 4 (Japan → China)

In Lijiang, teams rode yaks on the terraces of the Baishui River beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

• Episode 4: "This is the Most Stupid Day Ever" (March 13, 2011)
• Prize: A trip for two to Aruba (awarded to Margie & Luke)

Locations

• Yokosuka (Kurihama – Commodore Perry Monument)
• Tokyo → Kunming, China
• or Kunming → Lijiang
• Lijiang (Jade Dragon Mountain)
• Lijiang (Spruce Meadow)
• Lijiang (Old Town of Lijiang – Selling Grass Place)
• Lijiang (Old Town of Lijiang – Candy Shop or Nanmen Square & Wencheng Palace)
• Lijiang (Lion Hill – Eternal Tower)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Lijiang, China. Due to limited flights to Lijiang, all teams had to take a mandatory flight to Kunming. Once there, teams could either travel by train or by plane to Lijiang, where they had to then make their way to Jade Dragon Mountain. There, teams had to properly saddle a yak, which one team member had to ride across a portion of the Baishui River in order to receive their next clue, which instructed teams to ride a gondola up the mountain to Spruce Meadow and search for their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search through tens of thousands of wooden charms for a set of twelve that corresponded to the symbols of the Chinese zodiac. Once they collected the twelve charms, they had to place them on a mobile in the correct order according to Chinese myth in order to receive their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams traveled by charter bus to the Old Town of Lijiang. Once there, teams had to put a wish into a prayer wheel at Selling Grass Place via a slot that corresponded to their sign of the Chinese zodiac and call out the name of their sign in order to receive their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Hammer or Horn. In Hammer, teams traveled to a candy shop, where they used wooden mallets to pulverize molten peanut brittle to the right consistency. They then had to cut it into pieces and box them before the candy maker gave them their next clue. In Horn, teams traveled to Nanmen Square where they had to pick up a large traditional horn and lead a group of Nakhi dancers to Wencheng Palace on the other side of town in order to receive their next clue.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Eternal Tower on Lion Hill.

Additional notes

• Kent & Vyxsin had difficulty finding Narita International Airport in Tokyo, missed the mandatory flight to Kunming, and took a later flight to Kunming.
• There was no rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were instead instructed to continue racing. There was no elimination.

Leg 5 (China)

Teams visited Stone Forest outside Kunming for a Roadblock paying homage to Yunnan's contributions to the field of paleontology.

• Episode 5: "Don't Ruin the Basketball Game" (March 20, 2011)
• Prize: US$5,000 each (awarded to Jet & Cord)
• Eliminated: Jaime & Cara

Locations

• Lijiang → Kunming
• Kunming (Dounan Flower Market)
• Kunming (Golden Horse and Jade Cock Memorial Archway (in Chinese))
• Kunming (Makye Ame Shangri-la Tibetan Palatial Restaurant or China Great Wall Asset Management)
• Kunming (Yunnan Province Cultural Center)
• Shilin (Stone Forest)
• Kunming (Green Lake Park)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by train to Kunming. Once there, teams had to make their way to the Dounan Flower Market in order to find their next clue, which directed them to the Golden Horse and Jade Cock Memorial Archway.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Honor the Past or Embrace the Future. In Honor the Past, teams had to don traditional Tibetan outfits at the Makye Ame Shangri-la Tibetan Palatial Restaurant and then watch a theater troupe. Without taking any notes, teams then had to go offstage and arrange a series of fifteen dolls dressed like the actors in the order of their procession on stage in order to receive their clue. In Embrace the Future, teams had to don safety gear and then carry three heavy boxes up to the roof of the China Great Wall Asset Management Company building. Teams then had to assemble a solar water heating system in order to receive their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams were only given a photo of their next location and had to figure out that it was the Yunnan Province Cultural Center (referred to in the show as the "Chinese Minority Heritage Center") in order to find their next clue, which directed them to the Stone Forest.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to properly assemble a life-size 20-foot (6.1 m)-long model of a Dilophosaurus in order to receive their next clue. If, at any point, the paleontologist believed that the model was structurally unsafe, the racer had to fix their mistake before they could continue. Gary & Mallory used their Express Pass to bypass this Roadblock.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Green Lake Park.

Additional note

• This leg featured a Double U-Turn. Kent & Vyxsin chose to use the U-Turn on Jaime & Cara, while Jaime & Cara chose to use the U-Turn on Flight Time & Big Easy.

Leg 6 (China → India)

The grounds surrounding the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata served as the Pit Stop on this leg.

• Episode 6: "I Feel Like a Monkey in a Circus Parade" (March 27, 2011)
• Prize: An Indian dinner for two featuring Bollywood-inspired entertainment, and ₹1,000,000 (US$20,000) (awarded to Gary & Mallory)
• Eliminated: Margie & Luke

Locations

• Kunming (Green Lake Park)
• Kunming (Jin Fu Yi Zhan Tea Shop)
• Kunming → Kolkata, India
• Kolkata (Kolkata Town Hall)
• Kolkata (Jorasanko Thakur Bari – Tiwari Tea Stall)
• Kolkata (Rakhal Paul and Sons Statue Shop or Dey's Publishing House & Victoria Institution High School and College)
• Kolkata (Maidan – Fountain of Joy)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams had to travel to the Jin Fu Yi Zhan Tea Shop. There, they took part in a Chinese tea tasting ceremony and were given a taste of a tea that, unbeknownst to them at the time, would be featured in the upcoming Roadblock. Teams were given a brick of tea leaves that would also be needed at the Roadblock along with their next clue, which instructed them to fly to Kolkata, India. Once there, teams had to travel to the Kolkata Town Hall, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to take part in an Indian tea tasting ceremony. First, they had to bring a papaya, a mango, and the brick of tea that teams had received earlier to the tea auctioneer. They then had to search among several hundred teacups for one that held the same papaya-and-mango-infused tea that they had tasted in China in order to receive their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams were given a bottle of Snapple and had to figure out that their next clue was printed on the inside of the cap. The clue directed them to go to Jorasanko Thakur Bari in Jorasanko and then search for the Tiwari Tea Stall, where they traded their Snapple bottle for their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Hindu Art or Bengali Literature. In Hindu Art, teams had to travel to the Rakhal Paul and Sons Statue Shop and then paint, dress, and adorn a statue of the Hindu god Ganesha in order to receive their next clue. In Bengali Literature, teams had to travel to the Dey's Publishing House and pick up eight bundles of children's books. They then had to direct a rickshaw school bus across town to the Victoria Institution High School and College and deliver the books to the headmistress' office in order to receive their next clue.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Fountain of Joy in Maidan.

Leg 7 (India)

Teams visited the holy city of Varanasi on the shores of the Ganges River in this leg of the race.

• Episode 7: "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" (April 10, 2011)
• Prize: A trip for two to Hawaii (awarded to Flight Time & Big Easy)
• Eliminated: Ron & Christina

Locations

• Kolkata (Maidan – Fountain of Joy)
• Kolkata → Varanasi
• Varanasi (Tonga Stand)
• Varanasi (Tulsi Ghat – Swaminath Akhara)
• Varanasi (Ganges – Sakka Ghat or Ksameshwar Ghat)
• Ramnagar (Ramnagar Fort)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Varanasi. Once there, teams had to find a tonga stand, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search the streets of Varanasi for six different sadhus depicted in a series of photographs that they had been given. Each one gave them one of six pieces of a phrase described as "the meaning of life": "Once you're over the hill you pick up speed". Once they had all six fragments of the phrase, they had to provide the phrase to a seventh sadhu, who then gave them their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to the Swaminath Akhara at Tulsi Ghat, where they had to find next next clue by a strongman.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Feed the Fire or Feed the Buffalo. In Feed the Fire, teams traveled down the Ganges to Sakka Ghat, where they had to make fifty traditional fuel patties from water buffalo manure and then slap them against a wall to allow them to dry. When the supervisor was satisfied with their work, teams had to light a stove with dried fuel patties and boil milk for local children before receiving their clue. In Feed the Buffalo, teams had to cross the Ganges, collect two bales of hay, and then return to Ksameshwar Ghat, where they had to deliver the hay to a specific address in order to receive their next clue.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Ramnagar Fort in Ramnagar.

Leg 8 (India → Austria)

Teams' first destination in Austria was Schallaburg Castle in Schollach.

• Episode 8: "I Cannot Deal With Your Psycho Behavior" (April 17, 2011)
• Prize: A 2012 Ford Focus for each racer (awarded to Zev & Justin)

Locations

• Ramnagar (Ramnagar Fort)
• Varanasi → Vienna, Austria (Vienna International Airport)
• Schollach (Schallaburg Castle)
• Vienna (Austrian National Library – Prunksaal)
• Vienna (Sigmund Freud Museum & University of Vienna or Wiener Riesenrad)
• Salzburg (Sternbräu Restaurant)
• Salzburg (Aigen – Villa Trapp (in German))

Episode summary

• At the start of this episode, teams were instructed to fly to Vienna, Austria. Once there, teams went to one of the parking garages at the Vienna International Airport and chose a vehicle, where they received a message from Phil directing them to put the car in reverse to activate the rear-view camera system in order to see their next clue. As they backed up, teams could see the name of their next destination on the pavement behind them: Schloss Schallaburg in Schollach.
• At Schallaburg Castle, teams were given a large book with a stamp on the front page with the text – Librarian Prunksaal/Österreichische Nationalbibliothek – directing them to drive to the Austrian National Library and find the librarian in the Prunksaal section, who traded them their next clue in exchange for their book.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Long Hard Walk or Quick and Easy Meal. In Long Hard Walk, teams made their way to the Sigmund Freud Museum, where they picked up a psychoanalysis couch, which they then had to deliver to the former office of Sigmund Freud at the University of Vienna in order to receive their next clue. In Quick and Easy Meal, teams traveled to the Wiener Riesenrad Ferris wheel, where they picked up two large servings of traditional Austrian cuisine: Wienerschnitzel, Sauerkraut, and Sachertorte. They then boarded one of the dining cars, where they had to finish both servings within one 12-minute revolution of the Ferris wheel before they could receive their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams had to drive to the Sternbräu Restaurant in Salzburg, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to don a traditional chimney sweep uniform, go onto a roof, and use a weight with wire mesh on a rope to clean one of the chimneys. Once they'd cleaned the chimney three times, they had to go to the basement and open the chimney cleaning door that held their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: Villa Trapp in Aigen.

Additional note

• This was a non-elimination leg.

Leg 9 (Austria → Liechtenstein → Switzerland)

For the Roadblock in the Alps, racers traversed the entire country of Liechtenstein on a motorized bicycle, ending their trip at Gutenberg Castle.

• Episode 9: "We're Good American People" (April 24, 2011)
• Prize: A trip for two to Curaçao (awarded to Zev & Justin)
• Eliminated: Jet & Cord

Locations

• Salzburg (Aigen – Villa Trapp (in German))
• Salzburg → Feldkirch
• Schaanwald, Liechtenstein (Austria–Liechtenstein Border Crossing)
• Balzers (Gutenberg Castle)
• Balzers → Sargans, Switzerland
• Sargans → Zermatt (Zermatt Railway Station)
• Zermatt (Restaurant Walliserkanne Zermatt or Zermatt Railway Station)
• Zermatt (Hinterdorf – Inderbinen-Fountain)
• Zermatt (Bergrestaurant-Moos)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by train to Feldkirch, and then cross the border to Schaanwald, Liechtenstein, in order to find their next clue.
• For their Speed Bump, Gary & Mallory had to prepare the right mixture of gasoline and oil to power their VéloSoleX motorized bicycle for the Roadblock before they could continue racing.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to use an odometer to measure the entire length of Liechtenstein by riding from Schaanwald to Balzers on a VéloSoleX. At the Swiss border, they met six-time Winter Olympian Marco Büchel, where they gave him their distance written on the back of a postcard. If they were correct, Büchel directed them to Gutenberg Castle, where they could meet up with their teammate and read the next clue. If they were incorrect, they had to travel back to Schaanwald and start over.
• After the Roadblock, teams traveled by bus to Sargans, Switzerland, and then by train to Zermatt. Teams then found their next clue at the train station.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Cheese or Wheeze. In Cheese, teams traveled to the Restaurant Walliserkanne Zermatt, where they had to finish an entire pot of cheese fondue in order to receive an empty fondue pot with the name of the next location printed on the inside. In Wheeze, teams had to dress as bellhops and then pick up pieces of luggage from the Zermatt railway station. They then had to deliver the suitcases using a luggage cart to different hotels throughout Zermatt where they received receipt tags for each piece of luggage. Once teams had a total of twenty tags from at least five different hotels, they could exchange them for their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams had to travel by foot to the Inderbinen-Fountain, where they found their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop: the Bergrestaurant-Moos.

Additional note

• Flight Time & Big Easy chose to use the U-Turn on Jet & Cord.

Leg 10 (Switzerland)

Teams traveled to the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps where they participated in mountain rescue-themed Detour tasks.

• Episode 10: "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" (May 1, 2011)
• Prize: A trip for two to the Cook Islands (awarded to Flight Time & Big Easy)
• Eliminated: Kent & Vyxsin

Locations

• Zermatt (Bergrestaurant-Moos)
• Zermatt (Air Rescue Helicopter Port)
• Swiss Alps (Matterhorn Glacier)
• Swiss Alps (Matterhorn Glacier) → Riffelalp (Riffelalp Resort)
• Riffelalp → Zermatt
• Zermatt (Le Petit Cervin)
• Zermatt (Chalet Gädi – Swiss Cabin)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams had to make their way to the Air Rescue helicopter port, where they had to sign up for a helicopter flight to their next location: the Matterhorn. Before they left on their flight, they received their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between two mountain rescue tasks: Search or Rescue. In Search, teams used a set of avalanche beacons to search the Matterhorn Glacier for a dummy buried in the snow. They then had to excavate the dummy before they could receive their next clue. In Rescue, teams had to use a special hoisting device to rescue a mountaineer trapped in a crevasse. One team member had to lower their teammate into the crevasse so they could attach a carabiner to the mountaineer. The teammate at the top then had to raise their partner back to the surface and then work together to bring up the rescued mountaineer, who gave them their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams had to take a helicopter to the Riffelalp ski resort and travel by train back down the mountain to Zermatt in order to find their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to make a Travelocity Roaming Gnome out of Swiss chocolate. First, they had to decorate a chocolate mold with colored chocolate. Once it was filled with chocolate, they had to bury it in the snow outside for 30 minutes in order for the chocolate to harden. Once the chocolatier approved their gnome, teams received a real gnome and their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop: the Swiss cabin at Chalet Gädi.

Leg 11 (Switzerland → Brazil)

While visiting Rio de Janeiro, teams traveled to the famous Escadaria Selarón and searched the tile-covered steps for their next clue.

• Episode 11: "This is Where It Ends" (May 8, 2011)
• Prize: A cruise for two on the Mediterranean Sea with visits to Rome and Casablanca (awarded to Gary & Mallory)
• Eliminated: Zev & Justin

Locations

• Zermatt (Zermatt Railway Station)
• Zermatt → Zürich
• Zürich → Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Rio de Janeiro (Carioca Aqueduct)
• Rio de Janeiro (Escadaria Selarón)
• Rio de Janeiro (Largo de São Francisco de Paula (in Portuguese))
• Rio de Janeiro (Centro de Orientação Profissional Salon)
• Rio de Janeiro (Leme Beach – Espaço OX or Copacabana Beach)
• Niterói (Praia de Boa Viagem (in Portuguese))

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by train to Zürich, and then fly to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, teams had to take a tram to the top of the Carioca Aqueduct, where they made their way on foot to Escadaria Selarón. There, they had to search the tile-covered steps for a tile that had their next clue on the back.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to participate in a Rio Carnival parade. After donning costumes, they had to learn the samba and then lead a parade of dancers. If the Carnival Princess approved their dance, teams received their next clue; if not, they were sent back to relearn the dance and try again.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to find the Centro de Orientação Profissional Salon, where they had to undergo a Brazilian body waxing session for fifteen minutes before receiving their next clue.
• This season's final Detour was a choice between On the Rocks or On the Beach. In On the Rocks, teams traveled to the Espaço OX bar, where they had to make 100 satisfactory caipirinhas in order to receive their next clue. In On the Beach, teams had to pick up an umbrella loaded with bikinis and a mobile changing station and then sell the bikinis to people on Copacabana Beach. If teams had earned R$100 (roughly $60), they would have received their next clue. Although Zev & Justin tried selling the bikinis, they quickly grew frustrated by their lack of sales and switched to the caipirinhas.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Praia de Boa Viagem, beneath the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum in Niterói.

Leg 12 (Brazil → United States)

Pigeon Key Historic District, located in the middle of the Old Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys, was the finish line of The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business.

• Episode 11: "This is Where It Ends" (May 8, 2011)
• Prize: US$1,000,000
• Winners: Kisha & Jen
• Runners-up: Flight Time & Big Easy
• Third place: Gary & Mallory

Locations

• Niterói (Praia de Boa Viagem (in Portuguese))
• Rio de Janeiro → Miami, Florida
• Miami (Virginia Key – Rickenbacker Marina)
• Key Largo (Jules' Undersea Lodge)
• Big Pine Key (U.S. 1 Mile Marker 29 – Seacamp)
• Monroe County (Horseshoe Island)
• Big Pine Key → Marathon (Galway Bay Mobile Home Park)
• Marathon (Old Seven Mile Bridge) → Pigeon Key (Pigeon Key Historic District)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Miami, Florida. Once there, teams had to travel to the Rickenbacker Marina, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's first Roadblock, one team member had to operate a heavy load forklift and move a boat into drydock without dropping it in order to receive their next clue.
• After the first Roadblock, teams were directed to Jules' Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, where they found their next clue.
• In this season's final Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the previous Roadblock had to use a submersible to search the lagoon for one of several floating treasure chests that contained their next clue, while surrounded by distracting mermaids, who were swimming around them and playing music.
• After the second Roadblock, teams were given a riddle instructing them to go to the sea camp near a mile marker on Big Pine Key by "subtract[ing] 4 from 33": Mile Marker 29. There, teams were instructed to walk across a shallow portion of the Gulf of Mexico to Horseshoe Island, where they found their next clue underneath the island's tallest tree. Teams were then instructed to walk back to Big Pine Key, where they took a speedboat to the Galway Bay Mobile Home Park in Marathon.
• At Galway Bay, teams had to set up a travel trailer as it appeared in a brochure in order to receive their final clue directing them to the Old Seven Mile Bridge, where they had to ride large tricycles along the bridge to the finish line at the Pigeon Key Historic District on Pigeon Key.

Additional note

• Legs 11 and 12 aired back-to-back as a special two-hour episode.

Critical response

The Amazing Race 18 received mixed reviews. Scott Von Doviak of The A.V. Club wrote that by the end of the season, it was "finishing (mostly) strong after so many lackluster weeks along the way."^[25] Daniel Fienberg of HitFix wrote that "this 'Amazing Race' season was almost conspicuously designed to prevent memorable moments."^[26] Luke Dwyer of TV Fanatic wrote that "the start of The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business was chock full of dynamic challenges, interesting legs and surprises. As the number of teams got whittled down, the legs became less creative."^[27] Michael Hewitt of the Orange County Register wrote that "the show still has much to recommend it: spectacular locations, engrossing human drama and brilliant editing. But it needs to be a race once again."^[28] Patrick Hodges of CinemaBlend wrote that it was "all in all, a very good season. Lots of great locations, lots of sportsmanship, very few assclownish moments."^[29] In 2016, this season was ranked 13th out of the first 27 seasons by the Rob Has a Podcast Amazing Race correspondents.^[30] Kareem Gantt of Screen Rant wrote that this "the legs are fantastically planned and executed, the suspense was high, and viewers even got some emotional eliminations that made for great TV."^[31] In 2021, Jane Andrews of Gossip Cop ranked this season as the show's 7th best season.^[32] In 2022, Rhenn Taguiam of Game Rant ranked this season as the sixth-best season.^[33]

Ratings

U.S. Nielsen ratings

• Episode 2, "I Have Never Looked So Foolish In My Whole Entire Life", aired the same night as the 83rd Academy Awards.
• Episode 9, "We're Good American People", aired on Easter Sunday.
• Episode 11, "This is Where It Ends", the two-hour season finale, aired on Mother's Day. It was the lowest-rated season finale in the show's history until the season 26 finale.

Canadian ratings

Canadian broadcaster CTV also airs The Amazing Race on Sundays at 8 p.m., with only two exceptions: Episode two aired an hour earlier than its normal start time due to CTV's broadcast of the 83rd Academy Awards. Episode six aired an hour earlier due to the said network's broadcast of the 2011 Juno Awards.