Historic Road Trips
Routes shaped by old highways, castles, missions, ruins, music trails, pilgrimage roads, and cultural landmarks. 141 curated drives with mapped stops, distance, duration, and route notes — including Route 66, Natchez Trace Parkway, Gibb River Road.
These 141 routes range from 40 to 4610 km and from 1 to 21 days, across 65 countries. Top picks: Route 66, Natchez Trace Parkway, Gibb River Road.
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LegendaryRoute 66The Mother Road. From Chicago to Santa Monica, Route 66 is America's original road trip, neon diners, desert motels, and wide-open sky that defined a nation on wheels.EV-friendly
IconicNatchez Trace ParkwayThe oldest road in America, a 715 km National Parkway following a 10,000-year-old trail used by Native Americans, French traders, and flatboatmen walking home from New Orleans, now a billboard-free parkway of cathedral forest, Civil War earthworks, and ancient mounds.EV-friendly
LegendaryGibb River RoadThe Kimberley's legendary outback dirt road connects Derby to Kununurra through ancient boab tree forests, Aboriginal rock art sites, spectacular gorges, and remote cattle stations, Australia at its most raw and untouched.4WD onlyOff-road sections
IconicPacific Coast Highway, New ZealandNew Zealand's Pacific coast from Whakatane to Napier, through Māori culture, East Cape's remote headlands, Gisborne's chardonnay vineyards, Hawke's Bay's Art Deco cities, and the easternmost point of the North Island. Off the beaten track until the final destination: Napier's extraordinary Art Deco streetscape.EV-friendly
IconicThe Romantic RoadA four-day Würzburg-to-Füssen journey with the classic towns in order and Neuschwanstein on a separate reserved final day.EV-friendly
LegendaryTransfăgărășan: Poenari to SibiuA two-day northbound crossing from Curtea de Argeș via timed Poenari Castle, Vidraru Dam and Bâlea Lake to Sibiu.EV-friendly
IconicCappadocia Valleys LoopA four-day Cappadocia loop that groups the northern valleys, a short Ihlara section and the quieter Soğanlı–Mustafapaşa corridor without rushing.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
LegendaryCarretera AustralChile's Ruta 7 is one of the world's great adventure roads, unpaved, remote, cut through Patagonian fjords and ancient rainforest. Glaciers, hanging valleys, thermal pools, and almost nobody ahead of you.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicCaminho dos Diamantes, Estrada RealThe Royal Road built in the 1700s to carry gold and diamonds from the Minas interior to the coast. This stretch, the Caminho dos Diamantes, connects UNESCO Ouro Preto through the colonial hill towns of Tiradentes and São João del-Rei to the diamond capital of Diamantina, birthplace of President JK.EV-friendlySUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicPanorama RouteMpumalanga's Panorama Route strings together the most dramatic escarpment scenery in Southern Africa, canyon viewpoints, gold-rush villages, ancient potholes, and waterfalls spilling off the edge of the highveld.EV-friendly
IconicUzbekistan's Silk RoadThe classic Tashkent–Samarkand–Shakhrisabz–Bukhara–Khiva progression, weighted toward Uzbekistan's three great historic cities rather than giving every stop equal time.
LegendaryShimanami KaidōSix islands linked by six bridges across the Seto Inland Sea, Japan's most celebrated drive arcs from Onomichi in Hiroshima to Imabari in Ehime, past lemon groves, castle ruins, and views so perfect they feel composed rather than found.EV-friendly
NotableJapan's Shortened Golden Route by CarA deliberately shortened ten-day first-timer route from Tokyo to Osaka by car between cities. It preserves two Tokyo days, a real Hakone day, a south-side Fuji and Nagoya transfer, three balanced Kyoto days, one full Nara day, and two Osaka days. It does not claim to be the complete two-week rail Golden Route or include Hiroshima and Miyajima.EV-friendly
IconicBhutan Lateral Road: Paro to TrashigangA nine-day guided eastbound traverse with separate time for Paro and Tiger’s Nest, nights in Trongsa and Mongar, a real Bumthang day, and an unrushed finish in Trashigang.SUV onlyPermit required
NotableCuba Central HighwayLa Carretera Central runs across the spine of Cuba through colonial cities, tobacco country, and vintage American cars from Havana to Santiago, a rolling time capsule of music, rum, and revolutionary history.
LegendaryJordan’s King’s HighwayThe classic King’s Highway sequence runs Amman–Madaba–Karak–Dana–Shobak–Petra. This five-day plan protects a full Petra day and treats Wadi Rum and Aqaba as a clearly marked southern extension.
NotableA Venetian SojournPink palaces, teal canals, golden domes, the Veneto is unlike anywhere else. From Venice's lagoon by vaporetto to Murano's glass furnaces, then on to the Brenta Riviera's Palladian villas, Vicenza's architectural masterpieces, and Asolo's hundred hilltop vistas.EV-friendly
NotableAral Sea Route: South to NorthA conditional 1,800-plus-kilometre expedition tracing the real corridor through Kungrad, Daut-Ata/Tazhen, Beyneu and Shalkar before Aralsk and a guided Small Aral excursion.4WD onlyOff-road sections
IconicAthens to AntiquityAn eight-day Athens-to-Thessaloniki archaeology journey via Corinth, the Argolid, Delphi, Meteora and Aigai, with each major site given a workable visit block.EV-friendly
Hidden GemB9 Road, MauritiusSkirting the Indian Ocean-facing Mauritius shoreline from Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO World Heritage monolith with a poignant memorial to escaped slaves, east past Macondé Rock's viewpoint, Saint Martin, Bel Ombre, and the island's finest beaches at St Félix and Riambel to Souillac, finishing at Gris Gris. Le Morne sits a few km south of the B9's official western start at Grande Riviere Noire, so this drive begins just south of the true road terminus.
IconicBadlands & Black Hills LoopSouth Dakota's astonishing concentration of American myth, the razor-ridged Badlands spires and buttes rising from the Great Plains, the ancient Lakota sacred Black Hills, Crazy Horse's unfinished mountain monument, and Mount Rushmore's four presidential faces carved into granite. Bison herds, prairie dogs, and the ghosts of the frontier frame the most symbolically loaded landscape in the American West.Loop / circuit
IconicBahrain Heritage LoopTwo unhurried days separate Manama, Qal’at al-Bahrain, Muharraq and the Pearling Path from the southern drive to Riffa, the Tree of Life and Bahrain International Circuit.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
IconicBaltic Capitals and CoastA nine-day Tallinn-to-Vilnius coast variant with a Kolka overnight, Riga’s Art Nouveau district, the Hill of Crosses, a real Kaunas day and Trakai from Vilnius.EV-friendly
IconicBeirut, Byblos, North Lebanon and BaalbekA repaired five-day classic sequence—Beirut; Jeita and Byblos; Tripoli; Bcharre, Qadisha and the Cedars; then conditional Baalbek—held behind a current Level 4 do-not-travel warning.
NotableBelize Coast and Maya Ruins LoopThis loop begins in Belize City and follows the coast and inland highways through the country’s most rewarding mix of Caribbean shoreline, ancient Maya sites, and laid-back towns. Expect easy driving, jungle views, and stops at Altun Ha, Dangriga, Hopkins, and the impressive stone temples of Xunantunich before returning north.Loop / circuit
NotableBoston–Newport–Hartford–New Haven–New YorkThe east coast's most storied corridor, from Boston's Freedom Trail and Samuel Adams breweries, zig-zagging through Newport's Gilded Age ocean mansions and Hartford's Mark Twain House to the architectural immensity of New York City. Tesla Superchargers every 100 km make this the original electric road trip route in America.EV-friendly
NotableBrescia-to-Rome Heritage DriveA transparent Brescia-to-Rome heritage drive through Cremona, Mantua, Modena, Bologna, the Apennines, Florence and Siena.EV-friendly
Hidden GemCairo to Luxor Nile ValleyThis classic Nile Valley drive follows Egypt’s main southbound corridor from Cairo to Luxor, passing fertile river plains, roadside markets, and ancient temple towns. It’s the most practical overland link between two of Egypt’s greatest archaeological hubs, with desert scenery framing the route.SUV only
NotableCajun Country DriveFrom New Orleans' jazz balconies to the cypress bayous and accordion halls of Acadiana, 274 km through the beating heart of French Louisiana, where Creole cooking, zydeco music, and Mardi Gras traditions survive in a culture unlike anywhere else in America.
IconicCambodia Temple RouteFour days protect Sambor Prei Kuk, return to the National Road 6 corridor through Kampong Thom, and split the Angkor small circuit across two real temple days instead of compressing it into one sunrise-to-sunset marathon.Permit required
NotableCannonball-Inspired Cross-Country Road TripA legal sightseeing route inspired by the historic New York-to-Redondo Beach idea, with disclosed detours for cities, Route 66 landmarks, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, and the Mojave. It is not a speed record attempt.
IconicCape Cod Route 6A and Outer CapeRoute 6A, the Old King's Highway, traces the Bay side of Cape Cod through 300 years of sea-captain architecture, cranberry bogs, saltmarsh, and shingled villages. The Cape narrows to a sandy hook at Provincetown, where the Pilgrims first landed in 1620.EV-friendly
IconicCentral Cross-Island Highway Access AlternativesThe historic Central Cross-Island Highway cannot currently be presented as a routine through-drive. This repaired itinerary offers two honest modules: a two-day western high-country trip from Taichung to Lishan and Wuling Farm via Puli, Highway 14A, and Dayuling, returning by the same verified public roads; and a separate one-day Hualien-side visit to the open Taroko Visitor Center and Qingshui Cliff coast. There is no drive between the modules and no recreational gorge transit.EV-friendly
NotableChachapoyas and Kuelap Northern PeruThis northern Peru loop links the colonial highland town of Chachapoyas with the hilltop fortress of Kuelap, then continues through cloud-forest viewpoints and small Andean villages. Expect steep switchbacks, dramatic scenery, and one of Peru’s most distinctive pre-Inca archaeological landscapes.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicChapada dos VeadeirosA UNESCO cerrado highland 250km north of Brasília, the ancient quartz-crystal plateau that generates one of the highest concentrations of natural crystal in the world. Waterfalls, cerrado canyons, the New Age capital of Alto Paraíso, and the clearest night skies in Central Brazil.EV-friendlySUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicChâteaux of the LoireThe Loire Valley is the garden of France, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of Renaissance royal châteaux, troglodyte wine cellars cut into chalk cliffs, and river islands of white-sand beaches linking Chinon's medieval fortress to Chambord's Renaissance fantasy.EV-friendly
NotableChe Guevara Biographical Route to ChileIn January 1952, Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Alberto Granado left Buenos Aires on a 1947 Norton 500 named La Ponderosa II, riding the lower part of Argentina to San Carlos de Bariloche before struggling through Chile to Santiago. Though the motorcycle was eventually abandoned, retracing the route from Che's birthplace in Rosario reveals the grazing country, Andean crossings, and political awakening that made the man.Permit required
LegendaryClassic Rajasthan: Delhi to UdaipurTwelve days along Rajasthan’s classic fort-and-palace arc, balancing full Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur days with one purposeful Pushkar night and one transfer-only desert-to-Ranakpur stage.
NotableClassic Tequila and Agave LandscapeKeep the classic agave landscape focused on Guadalajara/Tlaquepaque, El Arenal, Tequila, and Amatitán. Guachimontones at Teuchitlán is the coherent optional third-day cultural extension; distant San Juan de los Lagos is a separate pilgrimage trip.
IconicColombia Caribbean CoastThis coast-to-coast drive follows Colombia’s Caribbean shoreline from Cartagena through Barranquilla and Santa Marta to the gateway of Tayrona and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Expect colonial cities, mangrove lagoons, beach towns, and long stretches of warm coastal highway with lively regional food and music.Permit required
Hidden GemCopan to the Caribbean CoastThis cross-country drive links the Maya ruins of Copán with Honduras’s Caribbean shore, tracing a varied inland-to-coast corridor through green highlands, lakeside scenery, and lowland plantations. It’s a practical road trip for travelers who want archaeology, mountain vistas, and a final stretch to the beach or port towns.
NotableCosta do Descobrimento Porto Seguro to CaraivaThis short Bahia coast drive links Porto Seguro with the rustic river village of Caraíva through the historic beaches of the Costa do Descobrimento. Expect coconut-lined shoreline, village stops, and a final stretch where the paved road gives way to sand, mud, and a simple boat crossing.
NotableD-Day BeachesA paced three-day east-to-west D-Day route from Pegasus Bridge and Juno through Arromanches and Longues-sur-Mer, then Bayeux, Omaha and Pointe du Hoc, finishing with Utah Beach and Sainte-Mère-Église. It limits each day to one major museum and the defining outdoor sites.EV-friendly
IconicDili–Balibo–Ermera LoopA complete three-day western loop: Dili to Balibo along the Liquiçá–Maubara coast, inland through Maliana and Ermera, then back to Dili.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsLoop / circuit
NotableDinosaur Diamond Prehistoric HighwayA loop through the greatest concentration of dinosaur fossils on Earth, the Dinosaur National Monument's quarry wall (1,500 bones embedded in exposed sandstone), the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, Arches National Park's red-rock arches, and the Book Cliffs' 160-million-year-old Morrison Formation strata. Where the Jurassic Period meets the American canyon country.
IconicEstrada da Graciosa Self-Drive LoopThe historic colonial road carved through the Serra do Mar Atlantic Forest in 1872, PR-410 descends 900m from the Paraná plateau to the coast through dense rainforest, roadside waterfalls, and the colonial riverside town of Morretes, the home of barreado.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
Hidden GemFredericksburg to Petersburg Civil War RouteA three-day Fredericksburg-to-Petersburg Civil War route. It samples major 1862–64 sites but does not claim to reproduce every battle of the Overland Campaign in exact sequence.
LegendaryG219 Kashgar–Lhatse Managed ExpeditionA transparent 19-day managed journey: a clearly separated three-day Pamir acclimatization loop returns to Kashgar, then the classic G219 sequence runs through Yecheng, operator-set high-road stages, Bangong Tso, Shiquanhe, Zanda's earth forest and Guge–Tholing heritage, Mount Kailash viewpoints, Lake Manasarovar, Saga, Lhatse, and a final Sakya Monastery extension. It removes the hidden Karakul detour, filler airport stops, generic remote restaurants, and any implied Kailash kora.4WD onlyPermit required
IconicGerman Alpine RoadA seven-day west-to-east drive on the classic Deutsche Alpenstraße from Lindau to Berchtesgaden, with the major castles and lakes paced separately.EV-friendly
Hidden GemGhana Cape Coast Heritage RouteThis coastal heritage drive links Ghana’s most important slave-trade memorials with lively fishing towns and Atlantic scenery. Start in Accra, follow the shoreline through Elmina and Cape Coast, and finish at Kakum National Park for rainforest canopy views and a powerful historical contrast.
NotableGippsland & Wilsons PromontoryFrom Melbourne's fringe to the southernmost tip of mainland Australia, Victoria's south-east corner delivers ancient rainforest, Tidal River wallabies, the mirror stillness of the Gippsland Lakes, and Squeaky Beach's white silica sand.EV-friendly
IconicGuatemala HighlandsThis highland circuit links Guatemala City with Antigua, Lake Atitlán, and the colonial-and-indigenous heartland around Quetzaltenango. Expect volcanic scenery, market towns, cool mountain air, and long stretches of winding pavement that reward slow travel with lake views, textile villages, and dramatic Pacific-facing ridges.
NotableGuatemala to TikalThe classic two-day road trip from Guatemala City to Tikal follows CA-9 and CA-13 through El Rancho, the Río Dulce corridor, Poptún, and Flores before entering the Petén jungle.
NotableHaida Gwaii AdventureThis focused Graham Island drive begins at Skidegate Landing, prioritizes the Haida Heritage Centre, then follows Highway 16 through Tlell and Port Clements to Masset before taking Tow Hill Road to Naikoon Provincial Park’s road-accessible trailhead.
IconicHexi CorridorFollow the classic Hexi Corridor west from the Yellow River at Lanzhou to Zhangye's Giant Buddha, rainbow hills, and Mati Temple, then Jiayuguan's frontier fortress and the oasis of Dunhuang. The final two days pair the Singing Sand Dunes with one correctly sequenced, advance-reserved Mogao visit; distant Yumenguan belongs to a separate extra day west of Dunhuang and is not included in this efficient eight-day line.Permit required
NotableHighway 1, FloridaUS-1 traces Florida's Atlantic spine from the Georgia border to Miami Beach, through the Golden Isles, historic St Augustine, Kennedy Space Center, the Space Coast, and Miami's art deco shore. Not to be confused with the Keys Overseas Highway; this is Florida's forgotten Atlantic coast road through lighthouse towns, rocket launch pads, and Art Deco glamour.EV-friendly
NotableHighway 61 Blues TrailThe "Blues Highway" runs from Memphis to New Orleans along the Mississippi River through the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues, juke joints, catfish shacks, antebellum plantations, and the music that changed the world.
IconicHistoric Columbia River HighwayThis classic Oregon drive follows the restored Historic Columbia River Highway through the Columbia River Gorge, linking waterfalls, stone bridges, and bluff-top viewpoints. Starting near Troutdale and finishing in the Hood River area, it blends early 20th-century engineering with constant river-and-cliff scenery, best enjoyed at a leisurely pace.EV-friendly
IconicHo Chi Minh RoadA deliberately paced north-to-south journey from Hanoi through Ninh Binh, Phong Nha, the western historical corridor and Central Highlands to Ho Chi Minh City. Two intermediate western overnights replace the unsafe Khe Sanh–Kon Tum leap, and the final city receives a protected full day.Permit required
IconicIran Classic Cultural RouteA repaired ten-day classic cultural sequence from Tehran through Kashan, Isfahan and Yazd to Persepolis and Shiraz, with the missing landmark visits restored and every day subordinate to the Level 4 warning.Permit required
IconicJerusalem to Acre via Dead Sea, Negev and GalileeA seven-day one-way route from Jerusalem to Acre that gives the Old City, Dead Sea, Masada, Negev and Eilat proper time, inserts a northbound transit night, then finishes with Galilee, Nazareth and Bahá’í heritage at Akko/Bahji.
IconicKarelian White NightsThe Finnish-Russian lakeland where 60,000 lakes, ancient pine forests, and wooden Orthodox chapels create Europe's most pristine wilderness drive, from St. Petersburg along the shore of Lake Ladoga to Sortavala's granite skerries and the island monastery of Valaam.
IconicKerman, Mahan and Kaluts EdgeA safer-content three-day Kerman loop: Kerman heritage, Mahan and Rayen, then the paved Shahdad road and signed western edge of the Kaluts before returning to Kerman.Permit requiredLoop / circuit
NotableKlondike HighwayClimbing out of Skagway over the White Pass where pack animals collapsed in their thousands during the Gold Rush, the Klondike Highway follows the prospectors' footsteps through steely lakes and abandoned roadhouses to Dawson City, a boomtown frozen in 1898.
NotableKuwait Bay Heritage CircuitA coherent west-to-east city day: Sadu House and one museum, Souq Al Mubarakeya, the Grand Mosque, Kuwait Towers and a waterfront finish. Extra museums and parks are optional rather than mandatory.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
IconicLas Vegas Grand CircleAn eleven-day Las Vegas loop through Valley of Fire, Zion, Bryce, Page, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Route 66, Hoover Dam, and Red Rock Canyon.Permit required
IconicLycian CoastA six-day Antalya-to-Fethiye coast journey that separates the ancient cities, a licensed Kekova boat day, Patara and the Fethiye/Ölüdeniz finish.EV-friendly
NotableMakgadikgadi PansThe remnant of an ancient mega-lake larger than Switzerland, two vast salt pans at the Kalahari's heart. In the dry season: meerkats and brown hyena. In January: roughly 20,000-30,000 zebra on the world's second-largest migration.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
NotableMantiqueira to Itatiaia: One-Way Mountain RouteThis mountain loop follows the Serra da Mantiqueira between Campos do Jordão and Itatiaia, linking cool pine-covered highlands, small historic towns, and sweeping escarpment views. The drive is best in the dry season, when clear days reveal the peaks, valleys, and parkland landscapes that define this part of southeastern Brazil.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
NotableMediterranean MeanderFrom the Costa Daurada to the Costa del Sol, from Catalan pride in Sitges to Andalucian passion in Almería, from the Roman ruins of Tarragona to the Modernisme buildings of Barcelona, proving that not all of southern Spain's Mediterranean coast is tourist clichés. Follow the A7 northeast from Málaga through four regions, two languages, the buzzing urban centres of Barcelona, Valencia, and Málaga.EV-friendly
IconicMexico's Colonial HeartlandThe silver cities of the Bajío, a UNESCO-saturated circuit through Querétaro, San Miguel de Allende, and Guanajuato where 16th-century grandeur, painted alleyways, and cantina culture reach their Mexican peak.
IconicMinoan Crete: Heraklion to ZakrosA one-way archaeology-led Crete route connecting the Heraklion museum, Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Zakros, while retaining a correctly planned Samaria day.EV-friendly
NotableModern Art MeanderThe French Riviera and its hinterland produced more Modern Art masterworks per square kilometre than anywhere on earth, from Matisse's cut-outs in Nice and Chagall's biblical message to Renoir's olive grove studio, Picasso's antibes castle, and Cézanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire, ending with Van Gogh in St-Rémy.EV-friendly
NotableNormandy & BrittanyFrance's northwest corner carries the biggest scars of WWII alongside the most intact medieval coastline in the country, spartan watchtowers and solemn cemeteries haunt the idyllic pine-backed shores of Normandy, while Brittany's rocky coastline of dramatic tides and purple-pink twilight feels like it predates the nation's union. Mont St-Michel rises from the bay at the hinge between the two.EV-friendly
IconicNorthern Tarim Silk Road: Ürümqi to KashgarThe classic northern-Tarim oasis drive links Ürümqi and the Turpan Basin with Korla, the Buddhist and Kucha heritage around Kuqa, an essential Aksu overnight, and two worthwhile days in Kashgar. UNESCO-listed Silk Roads components at Jiaohe, Kizilgaha, Kizil, and Subashi give the route a stronger historical spine than generic desert pull-offs.Permit required
IconicNorthern Thailand Golden Triangle LoopA coherent five-day Chiang Mai–Chiang Dao–Thaton–Chiang Rai–Chiang Saen circuit, avoiding the former attempt to merge two classic northern loops.Loop / circuit
IconicOaxaca to the PacificFrom 2,500-year-old Zapotec temples on cloud-wrapped peaks to mezcal villages in high pine valleys and world-class surf breaks, Oaxaca's mountain-to-coast road is Mexico's most culinarily and culturally intense drive.
IconicOʻahu Windward and North Shore TripThe Ko'olau pali throws a wall of fluted green peaks above Oahu's windward shore. H3 and the Kamehameha Highway trace the coast through taro fields, ancient heiau, sacred valleys, and turquoise bays where Hawaiians surfed a thousand years before tourists arrived.EV-friendly
NotableOld West, ArizonaFrom desert cattle ranches to mile-high mountain towns, this Sonoran Desert drive climbs from the cowboy capital of Wickenburg through a former copper boomtown hanging on a cliff to the red-rock vortexes of Sedona and Flagstaff's ponderosa pines.
IconicPalermo-to-Taormina Archaeology and Baroque CrossingAn eight-day eastbound crossing through Palermo, Agrigento, Piazza Armerina, Ragusa, Syracuse, Etna and Taormina, with Scala dei Turchi clearly separated and access-gated.EV-friendly
Hidden GemParaguay Jesuit Missions RouteTrace Paraguay’s Jesuit past on a compact loop through the southeast, linking the best-preserved mission towns and rural church ruins. From Asunción to San Ignacio Guazú, Santa Rosa, Jesús de Tavarangue, and Trinidad, the drive blends paved countryside roads, red earth scenery, and remarkably intact colonial religious heritage.Permit required
Hidden GemPilgrim and Colonial MassachusettsA thematic four-day connection from Provincetown through Plymouth to separate Boston and Salem days, linking Pilgrim, Revolutionary, maritime, and witch-trial history rather than claiming a single historic trail.EV-friendly
NotableRota das Missões: Brazilian Seven PeoplesThe Jesuit missions route of western Rio Grande do Sul, a UNESCO World Heritage trail through the ruins of seven 17th-century reductions where Guaraní communities and Jesuit priests built the most advanced utopian society in the Americas, before the Portuguese destroyed it in 1756.EV-friendlyPermit required
IconicSacred Valley and Cusco RegionThis highland loop links Cusco with the Sacred Valley’s most iconic Inca sites, weaving through terraced slopes, river gorges, and market towns beneath snowcapped Andes peaks. It combines easy day drives with rewarding stops at Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Maras for a vivid cultural road trip.Permit requiredLoop / circuit
NotableSanriku Coast: Hachinohe to HiraizumiA reverse journey down the official northern Sanriku corridor, from Hachinohe's fishing coast through Kitayamazaki, Jodogahama, Kamaishi, Rikuzentakata, and Kesennuma before finishing at Hiraizumi's World Heritage temples.EV-friendly
NotableScotland, Highlands & HistoryA separatist sentiment and an assertion of independence has long been the hallmark of Scotland vis-à-vis its southern neighbours, this highland drive from the Wallace Monument at Stirling (where the Scots earned their first decisive victory over England in 1297) through Glencoe's massacre landscape and Jacobite country to Culloden, site of Scotland's last battle, and Inverness.EV-friendly
NotableShikoku Pilgrimage Road TripDrive the canonical Shikoku Henro in clockwise jun-uchi order from Temple 1 Ryozenji to Temple 88 Okuboji. The 12-day plan visits every numbered temple in sequence through Tokushima, Kochi, Ehime, and Kagawa, with the long Muroto, Ashizuri, and southern Ehime transfers given their own realistic stages. It is an intensive pilgrimage rather than a general sightseeing loop: the temples, worship routine, coastal roads, and mountain approaches are the experience.EV-friendly
NotableSierra Gorda de QueretaroA true five-mission Sierra Gorda circuit covering Jalpan, Concá, Tancoyol, Landa, and Tilaco, with separate days for Pinal de Amoles viewpoints and the remote Sótano del Barro excursion.Loop / circuit
NotableSouth Korea South Coast: Busan to MokpoA coherent westbound journey along South Korea's southern shore, linking Busan's temples and beaches with Tongyeong's island views, Namhae's terraced coast, Hadong's tea country, Yeosu's waterfront, and Mokpo's mountain-and-archipelago panorama.EV-friendly
IconicSouthern Calchaquí Valleys: Salta to TucumánThrough the high-altitude Andes of northwestern Argentina, the world's highest vineyards at Cafayate, the sculpted red rock canyons of Quebrada de Cafayate, pre-Inca ruins at Quilmes, and the colonial splendour of Salta.SUV onlyOff-road sections
Hidden GemSouthwest Virginia Coalfields and Music RouteA contiguous three-day cultural traverse grouping Bristol and the Carter Fold, Big Stone Gap and Wise, then Breaks Interstate Park and Grundy. It is not Virginia's shorter named Lonesome Pine wildlife loop.
IconicSri Lanka Grand Route: Colombo to TrincomaleeA linear two-week traverse from Colombo through Galle, Ella, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Dambulla, Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa to Trincomalee, with no coast-to-hills backtracking.
NotableTamil Nadu Temple Route: Chennai to MaduraiA seven-day temple progression through Kanchipuram, Mahabalipuram, Chidambaram, Thanjavur, Srirangam, Rameswaram and Madurai, with every major transfer identified.EV-friendly
NotableThe American SouthA coherent northbound history route from Charleston through major Civil Rights sites and Virginia battlefields to Washington, Antietam, and Gettysburg. Jamestown, Charlottesville, Monticello, and Shenandoah are excluded rather than hidden as impossible detours.
Hidden GemThe Crooked RoadVirginia's Heritage Music Trail threads through the Blue Ridge hollows where American roots music was born, fiddle tunes, bluegrass flatpicking, gospel harmonies, and old-time mountain ballads played in courthouses, country stores, and dance halls along 531 km of winding Appalachian road.
NotableThe Golden RingA seven-day Moscow loop through Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov Veliky, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Suzdal and Vladimir.Loop / circuit
IconicThermal Hot SpotsThrough the North Island's geothermal heart, spectacular geysers, steaming hot pools, Māori culture, and Tolkien's Middle-earth at Hobbiton. From Hamilton through Matamata's Shire to Rotorua's boiling mud and Hell's Gate, and south to Lake Taupo, a caldera formed after one of history's greatest ever volcanic eruptions.EV-friendly
NotableTunis to Douz: Medinas to SaharaTunisia's extraordinary cultural drive, Sidi Bou Said's Andalusian whitewash, the medinas of Tunis and Kairouan (the fourth holiest city in Islam), the Roman amphitheatre at El Djem, the troglodyte houses of Matmata (Hotel Sidi Driss, the Star Wars Lars homestead interior), and the Saharan dunes of Douz. North Africa's most accessible and diverse drive.
IconicTürkiye Grand TourA realistic seventeen-day Istanbul-to-Antalya grand tour with protected transfer days and overnights in Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale, Selçuk and Bodrum.
NotableTurkmenistan Silk RoadAn eight-day operator-led line from Ashgabat and Nisa through Mary, Ancient Merv and Turkmenabat to Dashoguz, with a separate day for Kunya-Urgench.Permit required
IconicVal d'OrciaThe World Heritage-listed landscapes of Val d'Orcia have featured in Gladiator, The English Patient, and countless Renaissance paintings. Patchwork hills of cypress and wheat, walled medieval cities, Brunello di Montalcino paired with chestnuts and truffles, and the fortress of Radicofani at the end.EV-friendly
IconicViking TrailTracing one of the most remote corners of Canada, the Viking Trail links 5000-year-old burial grounds, UNESCO fjords, and icebergs drifting past monumental sea stacks, ending at L'Anse aux Meadows, a Norse settlement established five centuries before Columbus.
NotableVolga Heritage RouteAlong Russia's national river, from the golden domes and kremlin heights of Nizhny Novgorod through the Tatar capital of Kazan, past the city that turned the tide of WWII, to the flamingo-fringed delta at Astrakhan where the Volga fans into the Caspian through 500 channels.
NotableXi'an to Pingyao via Yan'an & HukouA focused historical drive from Xi'an through Huangling and Yan'an to the Yellow River at Hukou, then east to the complete UNESCO property of Pingyao Ancient City, Shuanglin Temple, and Zhenguo Temple. The seven-day plan gives the major sites real visiting time without the former Qikou detour or a padded second day of vague old-town wandering.Permit required
IconicYucatan Peninsula LoopA circular odyssey through the greatest concentration of living Maya culture, cenotes, Caribbean sea cliffs, fortified colonial ports, and jungle pyramids in a single loop from Mérida.Loop / circuit
IconicYunnan Tea Horse Road HighlightsA focused drive through the classic northwest-Yunnan corridor: enter through Kunming, continue to Dali and Erhai Lake, overnight in the genuine caravan stop of Shaxi, explore Naxi Lijiang, then follow the Jinsha River past Tiger Leaping Gorge to the Tibetan cultural landscape of Shangri-La.Permit required
Hidden GemZanzibar Island LoopThis relaxed island loop traces Zanzibar’s best road-accessible highlights, from Stone Town’s coral-stone lanes to spice farms, northern beaches, and the quieter east coast. It blends Swahili history, dhow harbors, and palm-fringed villages into an easy coastal circuit with frequent photo stops.Permit requiredLoop / circuit
IconicZhangye Danxia to DunhuangA properly paced five-day Hexi Corridor journey from Zhangye's Danxia landforms and Giant Buddha Temple through Jiayuguan Fortress to Dunhuang's Mingsha oasis, reserved Mogao Caves, and a full west-desert day at Yumenguan, Hecang, and the Han Great Wall.
Hidden GemBeatles TourThe world's most famous band grew up in the suburbs of Liverpool, a self-guided loop from the Beatles Story at Albert Dock through Penny Lane, Strawberry Field, Paul McCartney's childhood home, John Lennon's Aunt Mimi's house, the Cavern Club, and the NEMS record shop site where Brian Epstein first heard them play. Liverpudlians tell the story with fierce pride.EV-friendly
LegendaryGeiranger–TrollstigenNorwegian National Tourist Route 63, one of the world's greatest drives and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Steep inclines averaging 9%, slam-on-the-brakes-and-grab-the-camera hairpin bends, and views of Geirangerfjord's sheer 1,400 m walls make for terrific slow touring. The Trollstigen (Troll's Path) bombards you with mountains named Kongen (the King) and Dronnigen (the Queen), waterfalls spilling down sheer cliff faces, and fjords of the bluest blue.EV-friendly
LegendaryNorth Yungas Road Guided Cycling DayBolivia’s North Yungas Road drops from the high Andes near La Paz into the humid Yungas valleys on a dramatic, tightly winding descent. Expect cliffside curves, changing weather, and sweeping mountain-to-jungle scenery on a historic route once notorious for its extreme exposure.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
NotableRota RomânticaThe RS-235 through the Serra Gaúcha follows the valleys settled by German and Italian immigrants in the 1820s, half-timbered architecture, sausage and Gemütlichkeit in Gramado, the Parque do Caracol waterfall, and the Vale dos Vinhedos where Brazil's best Merlot and Moscato are made.EV-friendly
NotableTarga Florio Grande Circuit-inspired Madonie LoopA two-day Palermo–Cefalù–Madonie–Palermo adaptation inspired by the historic Grande circuit, with its actual modern loop distance disclosed.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
Hidden GemWooden Churches Route, PolandThrough southern Małopolska's UNESCO-listed wooden churches, shaped like dainty wizard's hats, these all-wooden medieval churches survived centuries of wars, Tatar raids, and two world wars. The route east of Kraków visits Lipnica Murowana, Binarowa, Sekowa, and the largest Gothic-style wooden church in Europe at Haczów.EV-friendly
NotableAlnwick to LindisfarneNorthumberland's panoramic coast road from Alnwick north along the A1 to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, through one of Britain's finest stretches of undeveloped shoreline past Bamburgh Castle, Seahouses harbour, and the causeway that connects Holy Island only at low tide. Lindisfarne Priory closes November through January.EV-friendly
IconicAlUla to Haql via Tabuk and Wadi Al DisahA coherent four-day point-to-point route: timed AlUla heritage visits, a Tabuk transfer and castle stop, a dedicated Wadi Al Disah day from Tabuk, then a final Red Sea drive to the clearly defined endpoint of Haql.Permit required
NotableBaroque Southeast SicilyA paced three-day sampler of the Val di Noto: Noto and Cava d’Ispica, Modica and Ragusa Ibla, then Scicli’s UNESCO-listed Baroque core.EV-friendly
IconicBasque Coast: Bilbao to UrdaibaiA one-way Basque coastal route from Bilbao through San Sebastián, Getaria and Zumaia to Gernika and Urdaibai, with reservation-controlled sights paced honestly.EV-friendly
NotableBonneville Salt FlatsThe remnant of ancient Lake Bonneville, 200km² of blinding white salt crust where land speed records are broken and the curvature of the Earth is visible to the naked eye. I-80 is one of the straightest, most surreal roads in America.
Hidden GemBusan–Jinju–Suncheon–Gwangju Cultural RouteA three-day westbound cultural route from Busan to Gwangju via Jinju's Nam River fortress, Hadong's historic tea landscape, and both halves of Suncheon's garden-and-wetland experience, using a realistic sequence and the full routed distance.EV-friendly
NotableDebed Canyon and Northern MonasteriesA two-day Armenian Debed Canyon route from Vanadzor through Odzun, Haghpat and Sanahin to Akhtala, stopping before the Georgian border.
NotableDirect Sucre to Potosí and TupizaThis classic Bolivian road trip links the whitewashed colonial capital of Sucre with the silver-city grandeur of Potosí and the red-rock desert landscapes around Tupiza. Expect steep Andean scenery, mining history, and long stretches of high-altitude highway with dramatic light and changing weather.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
NotableGobustan and Absheron PeninsulaA two-day Baku-based circuit: Gobustan rock art and the official mud-volcano complex, then Ateshgah, Yanar Dag and the Baku waterfront.EV-friendly
Hidden GemGuča Festival DriveSerbia is one of the most exciting places to hear live music in the world, the drive from Belgrade to Guča for the Dragačevo Trumpet Assembly is a pilgrimage to the planet's greatest brass band festival: several days of free music, folk dancing, and a final battle-of-the-bands jury that chooses the finest blowers from across the Balkans.EV-friendly
IconicKathmandu to Pokhara via Manakamana and BandipurA four-day classic linking Kathmandu heritage to Manakamana, hilltop Bandipur and Pokhara, with no impossible Mugling-to-Sarangkot sunrise jump.
IconicKhao Yai and Isan Heritage LoopFour days pair Khao Yai, Korat and Phimai correctly, overnight in Buriram, then devote the final heritage morning to Phanom Rung and Muang Tam before Bangkok.Permit requiredLoop / circuit
NotableRoadAtlas Hidden Highway: Shropshire to LlangollenAn original RoadAtlas two-day route linking Ludlow, Stokesay, the Long Mynd, Powis Castle, Pontcysyllte and Llangollen; it is not claimed as a historic named highway.EV-friendly
NotableRoman ProvenceProvence preserves the densest concentration of Roman monuments outside Italy, in 205 km from Nîmes to Vaison-la-Romaine, this drive passes a complete Roman amphitheatre, a three-storey aqueduct bridge older than the Colosseum, a perfectly preserved triumphal arch, and an entire excavated Roman town still visible under a medieval village.EV-friendly
NotableSeoul to Busan Cultural OverlanderA five-day north-to-south cultural journey with a real Seoul opening day, Suwon's fortress, a full Andong-Hahoe sequence, a dedicated Gyeongju heritage day, and enough time after the final transfer for Busan's hillside, market, and waterfront neighborhoods.EV-friendly
IconicShadow of VesuviusIn the shadow of the volcano that buried two cities in 79 CE, 90 km through Herculaneum's intact Roman houses, Pompeii's extraordinary preserved streets, the crater rim of Vesuvius itself, and Sorrento's clifftop lemon groves with the Amalfi Coast visible across the bay.EV-friendly
IconicYorkshire Moors and DalesA four-day York-to-Richmond route with a defined heritage-rail day, a logical Moors sequence and a separate Ribblehead–Hawes transfer into the Dales.EV-friendly
NotableGerman Castle Road Sampler: Mannheim to BayreuthA transparent Castle Road sampler linking Mannheim/Heidelberg, the Neckar castles, Rothenburg, Ansbach and Bayreuth.EV-friendly
NotableLavaux VineyardsA short but sublime drive along Route 9 above the northern shore of Lake Geneva, through the UNESCO World Heritage Lavaux wine terraces that stagger up from the water in sheer stone-walled tiers that beggar belief. The road links the higgledy-piggledy French-speaking city of Lausanne to Château de Chillon, an extraordinary 13th-century fortress immortalised in Lord Byron's poem.EV-friendly
IconicSardinia Island LoopA genuine clockwise Cagliari loop through Barumini, the Supramonte, La Maddalena, Stintino, Alghero, Bosa and Oristano.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
NotableBran Pass, RomaniaThrough Romania's medieval Transylvania from Brasov to Rucar, past Râșnov's maze-like citadel on a high hill, Bran Castle's Gothic towers (forever linked with Dracula), and along hairpin bends above forlorn country villages to the Bucegi Mountains. Best driven between May and October; the Bran–Rucar stretch can be perilous in winter.EV-friendly
NotableEastern Slovakia Caves and ParksA two-day east-to-central Slovakia route joining Košice, Betliar, the Ochtinská and Dobšinská caves, Slovak Paradise and Banská Bystrica without the false I/59 label.EV-friendly
NotableAndalusian Flamenco Cities: Seville to GranadaA four-day curated route pairing verified flamenco experiences with Seville, Carmona, Córdoba and Granada.EV-friendly
Hidden GemFoz do Iguaçu Highlights DayA compact cross-border day loop from central Foz do Iguaçu to the iconic Triple Frontier, where Brazil meets Argentina and Paraguay beside the Paraná and Iguazu rivers. Expect easy city roads, sunset river views, and a lively mix of frontier landmarks, viewpoints, and local dining.Permit requiredLoop / circuit
NotableLisbon to PortoA four-day northbound route through Óbidos, a short Nazaré stop, reserved Coimbra, Aveiro and a full Porto/Gaia day.EV-friendly
IconicMálaga to Seville via Ronda and JerezA four-day Andalusian route delivering Málaga, Antequera, Ronda, Arcos, Jerez and a full final day in Seville.EV-friendly
NotableMoldova's Monastery RouteOrheiul Vechi above the Răut, followed by the cliff and wooded-valley monasteries of the Dniester/Rezina corridor.