Best Road Trips in the World
The greatest road trips on earth — coastal highways, desert crossroads, mountain passes, and drives where the journey is the destination.
A road trip changes the way you experience distance. On a flight, geography is abstract - a map on a seatback screen. In a car, you feel every kilometre of coastline, every change in vegetation, every shift from farmland to desert to mountain pass. The best road trips are the ones where the driving is the destination, not the obstacle between you and where you’re going.
Some of these routes take a day. Others take weeks. All of them reward the decision to go slowly, stop often, and resist the urge to see the next thing before you’ve finished looking at this one.
The Essentials#
If you only do a handful of road trips in your life, these are the ones that belong on the list. Each one has become iconic for a reason - the scenery is relentless, the infrastructure supports the journey, and the drive itself has become part of the cultural identity of the place.
Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles, hugging the California coast the entire way. The Big Sur section is the star - Bixby Bridge spanning a canyon 85 metres above the creek, McWay Falls dropping onto an empty beach, and blind curves carved into cliffs with the Pacific crashing below.
North of Big Sur, the road passes through Monterey (aquarium, Cannery Row) and Santa Cruz. South, it flattens through Malibu into LA. Drive north to south to keep the ocean on your side of the car. Pullouts are frequent; use them.
The original American road trip, decommissioned in 1985 but still driveable in stretches. The route cuts through eight states - Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California - and the landscape shifts from Midwest flatlands to Texas panhandle to painted desert.
The Petrified Forest, Cadillac Ranch (ten Cadillacs nose-down in a Texas field), the Wigwam Motel, and a parade of neon-lit diners line the route. Much of the original road now parallels the interstate; the trick is finding the surviving sections where the motels and gas stations look frozen in 1955.
Route 1 circumnavigates the entire island, connecting Reykjavík to every major natural attraction in the country. The south coast delivers black sand beaches, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, and the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon with floating icebergs.
The east has dramatic fjords. The north has Mývatn’s volcanic landscape and Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall. The west has the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Geothermal pools appear at regular intervals for roadside soaks.
Summer gives midnight sun; winter gives northern lights but limited daylight. A 4WD is useful for highland detours but not strictly necessary on Route 1.
Torquay to Allansford along the southern Victorian coast, built by returned soldiers after World War I as a memorial. The Twelve Apostles - limestone sea stacks eroding out of 20-million-year-old cliffs - are the headline.
The road passes through temperate rainforest in the Otway Ranges, surf towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay, and koala colonies in the eucalyptus. Get to the Apostles early - the tour buses arrive by mid-morning. London Arch and the Grotto nearby are less crowded and equally photogenic.
Mossel Bay to Storms River along South Africa’s southern coast. The N2 passes through Wilderness (lakes and lagoons), Knysna (a tidal lagoon framed by sandstone headlands), Plettenberg Bay (dolphins, whales in season), and Tsitsikamma National Park (suspension bridges over river gorges).
Detour inland on the Route 62 through the Little Karoo for ostrich farms, wine estates, and the Cango Caves. One of Africa’s most accessible road trips - the roads are excellent and the towns have good accommodation at every price point.
The SS163 from Sorrento to Salerno, carved into cliffs 300 metres above the Tyrrhenian Sea. Positano’s pastel houses cascade down to the water. Amalfi has its cathedral and paper mills. Ravello sits above everything with gardens and concert venues overlooking the coast.
The road is narrow - barely two lanes in places - and the SITA buses take up most of it. July and August are gridlocked; go in May, June, or September. Alternatively, take the ferry between towns and skip the driving stress.
A loop from Inverness around the northern tip of Scotland. The west coast has single-track roads through empty glens, white sand beaches that could pass for Caribbean if the water weren’t 12°C, and ruined castles on headlands.
The north coast has Durness, Smoo Cave, and the most remote feeling in mainland Britain. The east has Dunrobin Castle and whisky country. Stock up on supplies - petrol stations and shops are sparse in the northwest. Spring and autumn avoid the campervan convoys of summer.
Argentina’s longest road runs the entire length of the country along the Andes, from Cabo Vírgenes in Tierra del Fuego to La Quiaca on the Bolivian border. The Patagonian section is the iconic stretch - windswept steppe, guanaco herds, and the granite spires of El Chaltén building on the horizon.
The Perito Moreno Glacier near El Calafate is the reward at the midpoint. Further north, the road climbs through Mendoza wine country and the high desert of the Puna. Fuel stations are infrequent in the south; carry a jerrycan and don’t pass a station without filling up.
DN7C across the Făgăraș Mountains in the Southern Carpathians, built in the 1970s by Ceaușescu as a military road. The result is 90 kilometres of switchbacks, tunnels, and viaducts climbing to Bâlea Lake at 2,042 metres.
The northern approach from the Argeș Valley is the more dramatic side - tight hairpins stacked above each other with views into the valley below. Top Gear called it the best road in the world. Open June to October; the road surface is good but summer weekend traffic is not.
State Highway 94 from Te Anau to Milford Sound through Fiordland National Park. The road passes Mirror Lakes (still water reflecting the Earl Mountains), the Avenue of the Disappearing Mountain, and the Homer Tunnel - a 1.2 km bore through solid rock that opens into the Cleddau Valley with waterfalls on every side.
The approach to Milford Sound itself, with Mitre Peak appearing between the valley walls, is one of the great reveals in world driving. Allow a full day including the cruise at the end. Subject to avalanche closures in winter.
North America#
The United States was built for road trips - literally. The interstate highway system, the motel industry, and the diner culture all exist because Americans decided that driving across the country was a reasonable thing to do on holiday. Canada’s contribution is less sprawling but arguably more scenic, with mountain passes and coastal routes that compress extraordinary landscapes into manageable distances.
Rental cars are cheap by global standards, fuel is (relatively) affordable, and the infrastructure - gas stations, rest stops, roadside attractions - is unmatched. The main challenge is scale: distances that look manageable on a map can swallow days of driving.
Pacific Coast Highway
Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles, threading along cliffs above the Pacific. Big Sur is the star section: Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls, and curves that require your full attention. Drive north to south to keep the ocean on your side of the car.
Location: California, USA Distance: 990 km Time: 3 - 5 days
Route 66
3,940 kilometres of neon signs, diners, and Americana. The surviving stretches through Arizona and New Mexico - Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, Cadillac Ranch - are worth the detour. Much of the original road parallels the interstate; the trick is finding the sections where the motels look frozen in 1955.
Location: Chicago to Santa Monica, USA Distance: 3,940 km Time: 2 - 3 weeks
Icefields Parkway
230 kilometres between Banff and Jasper through the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Glaciers, turquoise lakes, and wildlife at every pullout. The Columbia Icefield is accessible from the road. September for golden larches and bearable crowds.
Location: Alberta, Canada Distance: 230 km Time: 1 day (+ stops)
Sea to Sky Highway
Vancouver to Whistler, hugging the coast of Howe Sound before climbing into the Coast Mountains. Shannon Falls, the Stawamus Chief, and the town of Squamish are worth stops. The drive itself takes 90 minutes; the stops add hours.
Location: British Columbia, Canada Distance: 120 km Time: Half day
Blue Ridge Parkway
755 kilometres along the spine of the Appalachians. No commercial traffic, no billboards - just mountain views, wildflower meadows, and fall foliage that peaks in mid-October. Speed limit is 45 mph, which feels exactly right.
Location: Virginia to North Carolina, USA Distance: 755 km Time: 3 - 5 days
Cabot Trail
298 kilometres around the northern tip of Cape Breton Island. Coastal cliffs, Celtic-influenced fishing villages, and whale watching from the road. Often overlooked in favour of the Rockies, and that’s part of the appeal.
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Distance: 298 km Time: 2 - 3 days
Europe#
European road trips tend to be shorter and denser than their American counterparts. You cross borders, change languages, and shift cuisines within a single day’s driving. The roads are narrower, the fuel is more expensive, and the scenery per kilometre is hard to beat.
The Alps provide the best mountain driving on earth - switchbacks engineered to terrify and delight in equal measure. The Mediterranean coast delivers cliff roads above blue water. And the Nordic countries offer empty roads through landscapes so vast they feel North American.
Amalfi Coast
50 kilometres of hairpin turns between Sorrento and Salerno, with Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello clinging to cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea. The road is narrow - barely two lanes - and the SITA buses take up most of it. Go in shoulder season; July and August are gridlocked.
Location: Southern Italy Distance: 50 km Time: 1 day
North Coast 500
A loop from Inverness around the northern tip of Scotland. Single-track roads through empty glens, white sand beaches, ruined castles on headlands, and whisky distilleries. Stock up on supplies - petrol stations are sparse in the northwest. Spring and autumn avoid the campervan convoys.
Location: Scottish Highlands Distance: 830 km Time: 5 - 7 days
Transfăgărășan Highway
Switchbacks across the Carpathians, built by Ceaușescu as a military road. The northern approach from the Argeș Valley is the dramatic side - tight hairpins stacked above each other climbing to Bâlea Lake at 2,042 metres. Top Gear called it the best road in the world. Open June to October.
Location: Romania Distance: 90 km Time: 1 day
Ring of Kerry
179 kilometres around the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry. Lakes, mountains, stone circles, and pubs with live music. Tour buses go counterclockwise; drive clockwise to avoid them. Killarney National Park is on the route and worth a full day.
Location: Ireland Distance: 179 km Time: 1 - 2 days
Trollstigen
Eleven hairpin bends climbing a mountain wall in western Norway, with waterfalls dropping alongside the road. Combine with the Atlantic Road (8 bridges hopping between islands) and Geiranger Fjord for one of Europe’s most scenic driving loops. Open May to October.
Location: Norway Distance: 106 km (loop) Time: 1 day
Grossglockner High Alpine Road
48 kilometres across Austria’s highest mountain, topping out at 2,504 metres. Thirty-six switchbacks, glacier views, and marmots on the alpine meadows. Toll road, open May to October. One of the best-engineered mountain roads in the Alps.
Location: Austria Distance: 48 km Time: Half day
Oceania#
Australia and New Zealand are road trip countries by necessity - the distances between towns demand a car, and the public transport outside major cities ranges from limited to nonexistent. The upside is that both countries are set up for self-drive travel: well-maintained roads, campervans for hire, and freedom camping that’s legal in many areas.
Great Ocean Road
Torquay to Allansford along the southern coast. The Twelve Apostles - limestone sea stacks eroding out of 20-million-year-old cliffs - are the headline, but the road passes through temperate rainforest in the Otway Ranges, surf towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay, and koala colonies. Get to the Apostles early; tour buses arrive by mid-morning.
Location: Victoria, Australia Distance: 243 km Time: 2 - 3 days
Milford Road
Te Anau to Milford Sound through Fiordland. Mirror Lakes, the Homer Tunnel (1.2 km through solid rock), and the approach to the Sound with Mitre Peak appearing between the valley walls. Allow a full day including the cruise. Subject to avalanche closures in winter.
Location: South Island, New Zealand Distance: 119 km Time: Full day
Stuart Highway
Adelaide to Darwin, straight through the Red Centre. Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Alice Springs, and the outback in between. Long, flat, and hypnotic. Carry extra water and fuel - the distances between stops are not theoretical.
Location: Australia Distance: 2,834 km Time: 5 - 7 days
South Island Loop
No single official route, but the loop from Christchurch down the west coast (glaciers, rainforest, Milford Sound) and back via Queenstown and the east coast covers the best of the South Island. Campervans are the classic way to do it.
Location: New Zealand Distance: ~2,000 km Time: 10 - 14 days
Africa & Middle East#
African road trips require more planning than their Western counterparts - road conditions vary wildly, 4WD is often necessary, and the infrastructure between towns can be sparse. But the landscapes are enormous and the rewards for self-driving are proportional. You see things that organised tours skip, and the sense of freedom is unmatched.
Garden Route
Mossel Bay to Storms River along the southern coast. Wilderness (lakes and lagoons), Knysna (tidal lagoon framed by sandstone headlands), Plettenberg Bay (dolphins, whales in season), and Tsitsikamma National Park. Detour inland on Route 62 for ostrich farms and wine estates.
Location: South Africa Distance: 300 km Time: 3 - 5 days
Chapman’s Peak Drive
Only 9 kilometres, but arguably the most dramatic coastal road in Africa. 114 curves carved into the cliff face between Hout Bay and Noordhoek. Combine with a Cape Peninsula loop including Cape Point and Simon’s Town penguins.
Location: Cape Town, South Africa Distance: 9 km Time: 30 minutes (+ stops)
Iceland Ring Road
Glaciers, volcanoes, waterfalls, black sand beaches, and geothermal pools - all connected by a single road. The south coast is the most dramatic section. A 4WD is useful for highland detours but not strictly necessary on Route 1.
Location: Around Iceland Distance: 1,322 km Time: 7 - 10 days
Oman Coastal Road
Dramatic wadis, turquoise fjords, and almost no other tourists. The road infrastructure is excellent and Oman is one of the safest countries in the Middle East. Ras al Jinz has a turtle nesting beach.
Location: Muscat to Ras al Jinz Distance: ~350 km Time: 2 - 3 days
South America#
South American road trips operate at a different scale. The distances are vast, the elevation changes dramatic, and the road quality unpredictable. But the landscapes - Andean passes, Patagonian steppe, Atacama Desert - are the kind that make you pull over and stand outside the car in silence.
Ruta 40
Argentina’s longest road runs along the Andes from Cabo Vírgenes in the south to La Quiaca on the Bolivian border. The Patagonian section is the iconic stretch - windswept steppe, guanaco herds, and the granite spires of El Chaltén building on the horizon. The Perito Moreno Glacier near El Calafate is the midpoint reward. Fuel stations are infrequent; carry a jerrycan.
Location: Argentina Distance: 5,200 km Time: 2 - 4 weeks
Carretera Austral
1,240 kilometres through Chilean Patagonia on a road that’s still partly unpaved. Hanging glaciers, emerald lakes, temperate rainforest, and a frontier atmosphere. Ferries connect some sections. The remoteness is the point.
Location: Chile Distance: 1,240 km Time: 1 - 2 weeks
Death Road
More famous for mountain biking now than driving. The old road from La Paz to Coroico drops 3,600 metres in 64 kilometres on a single-lane gravel track with no guardrails. The new road handles most traffic; the old road is kept open for the adventurous.
Location: Yungas Road, Bolivia Distance: 64 km Time: Half day
Salar de Uyuni
Not a road trip in the traditional sense - you drive across the world’s largest salt flat. In the wet season a thin layer of water turns it into the planet’s biggest mirror. In the dry season it’s a blinding white expanse. 4WD and a guide are essential.
Location: Bolivia Distance: ~200 km (crossing) Time: 1 - 3 days
Asia#
Asian road trips tend toward the extreme - high altitude, challenging road conditions, and bureaucratic hurdles that require patience and paperwork. The payoff is landscapes that no other continent can match: Himalayan passes above 5,000 metres, jungle roads through dense canopy, and coastlines that shift from tropical to temperate within a single day’s driving.
Karakoram Highway
1,300 kilometres from Abbottabad to Kashgar along the ancient Silk Road, crossing the Khunjerab Pass at 4,693 metres. The highest paved international road in the world. Landslides, checkpoints, and scenery that justifies every inconvenience. Permit requirements change frequently.
Location: Pakistan/China Distance: 1,300 km Time: 1 - 2 weeks
Leh-Manali Highway
490 kilometres through Ladakh, crossing multiple passes above 4,000 metres. Unpaved in sections, open only June to October, and one of the most popular motorcycle trips in the world. Acclimatise in Leh before driving - altitude sickness at the wheel is not theoretical.
Location: India Distance: 490 km Time: 2 days
Ho Chi Minh Road
The inland alternative to Highway 1, running through the central highlands from Hanoi toward Ho Chi Minh City. Less traffic, more scenery, and access to Phong Nha caves and ethnic minority villages. Motorbike is the classic way; car works too.
Location: Vietnam Distance: ~1,600 km Time: 1 - 2 weeks
Mae Hong Son Loop
600 kilometres of mountain curves through northern Thailand, starting and ending in Chiang Mai. 1,864 curves (they counted). Hill tribe villages, hot springs, caves, and some of the best riding roads in Southeast Asia.
Location: Thailand Distance: 600 km Time: 3 - 5 days