In this 2 hour season premiere, 18 new contestants are stranded in the harsh conditions of Gabon, Africa.

To start the thirteenth season of The Amazing Race, eleven teams are transported by classic cars to the Los Angeles Coliseum. After receiving a set of initial instructions, they all scramble for clues which direct them to travel on one of two flights to Salvador, Brazil. Several teams are excited to catch the earlier flight, but disappointed when a delay shaves an hour an a half off the three hour lead that they had hoped to enjoy. The teams are directed to find a sandwich shop called O Rei Do Pernil, where they then receive a task instructing them to become old school barristas. They deliver a cart to a man named India in a coffee shop called Parąca de Se, who then gives them a clue directing them to a Brazilian military base. The teams spend the night at the military base and then depart in three groups– one leaving at 9 in the morning, one at 9:30 and a final one at 9:45. The teams find a church in Pelourinho, the historic center of Salvador and also find a Detour involving a choice of upward or downward travel. One team makes a critical mistake at their task, forcing them to repeat previous actions. Ultimately, however, it is another team who is unable to overcome both their early mistakes and slow progress and is eliminated from the race.