But with his reputation immeasurably enhanced by America's Cup success, he is only just coming to grips with the realisation that the world is his oyster.
"Obviously, our gold in Rio was a really special moment for Blair and myself, and also leading our nation into the opening ceremony and being part of our most successful ever Olympic team," Burling told Newstalk ZB's Tony Veitch.
"But this was just completely different, being a small part of a massive team putting in so much hard work over the past three years to try and achieve this goal ... and for some people, even a lot more."
Burling, 26, seems to have genuinely enjoyed being part of something bigger than just himself and Tuke, and will now have his choice of adventures.
At this stage, Tokyo is merely "definitely a possibility".
"Like a lot of our campaigns, we don't like making too many decisions while we're stilling enjoying the last one," he told Veitch. "But I'm definitely keen to keep sailing for New Zealand - it's a country I'm really proud to be from.
"Blair and I really love sailing the 49er. We obviously haven't done it for a little while now, but at some stage, we'd be pretty keen to get back into that and see if it all works out.
"But it's all up in the air, to be honest. There's the Volvo Ocean Race in the background, as well, and that's something that excites both of us."
One thing is certain - Burling and Tuke must be part of the America's Cup defence, whatever form it takes.
While Team NZ boss Grant Dalton has hinted the next regatta may not involve high-speed catamarans, the man on the wheel obviously has a preference for something close to the status quo.
"It's going to be unreal and I think what you have seen in Bermuda is what these boats are capable of," he said. "Auckland would be a perfect venue for a similar type of boat.
"Personally, I love these boats we sail - they're an incredible amount of fun.
"I don't think we've made any decisions yet about what or when the event will be. We're just really enjoying the fact that we've got this far and managed to win it."
Another aspect of the campaign that Burling also relished was the verbal sparring with Oracle rival Jimmy Spithill, the man Kiwis either loved to hate or hated to love.
The wise-cracking Aussie usually stole the show at post-race press conferences, but Burling showed he wasn't out of his depth in the media spotlight.
"I get along really well with Jimmy and there was obviously some good banter at times.
"During those press conferences, it was always good to get a laugh out of the media every now and then, especially when you don't have such a good day, just to keep everyone a bit relaxed and keep things positive."
Spithill unleashed the event's greatest quote four years ago in San Francisco, virtually predicting his team would come back from 8-1 and match-point down to retain the trophy. He never quite reached that form in Bermuda, but delighted in teasing Kiwi media especially.
"I think my expression sometimes said it all," chuckled Burling. "You had to struggle not to laugh ... a fair bit of it was truthful, but a fair bit of it was a bit of a façade.
"We just tried to be honest and let people know what actually was happening in our camp. If we couldn't share something, we'd say so."
