Mountain Passes
High alpine roads, switchback passes, and mountain routes through the Alps, Andes, Himalaya, and beyond. 188 curated drives with mapped stops, distance, duration, and route notes — including Blue Ridge Parkway, Icefields Parkway, Sea to Sky Highway.
These 188 routes range from 30 to 7820 km and from 0.08333333333333333 to 30 days, across 81 countries. Top picks: Blue Ridge Parkway, Icefields Parkway, Sea to Sky Highway.
No routes match these filters. Clear a filter or try a broader search.
LegendaryBlue Ridge ParkwayThe most beautiful drive in the eastern United States, 755 km of ridge-top parkway through the Appalachians from Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains, with no commercial traffic, no billboards, and no stoplights. Named overlooks appear every few kilometres above a landscape of unbroken hardwood forest turning gold and crimson each October.EV-friendly
LegendaryIcefields ParkwayOne of the most spectacular mountain drives on Earth. Highway 93 runs from Lake Louise to Jasper through the Canadian Rockies, with glaciers, turquoise lakes, and peaks over 3,000 m at every turn. Banff and shuttle-only Moraine Lake work best as a separate pre-trip extension.EV-friendly
IconicSea to Sky HighwayBC-99 from Vancouver to Whistler is one of the world's great short drives, Howe Sound's fjord on one side, the Coast Mountains on the other, threading through old-growth forest past tumbling waterfalls and into a world-class mountain town.EV-friendly
LegendaryBeartooth HighwayThis iconic alpine drive climbs from Red Lodge, Montana to the Beartooth Plateau and down toward Cooke City, threading past hairpin switchbacks, glacial lakes, and broad tundra views. It is one of the highest paved roads in North America, with nonstop scenery and crisp mountain air.
LegendaryGoing-to-the-Sun RoadThe only road that crosses the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park threads through the most dramatic mountain scenery in the American Rockies, hanging valleys, waterfalls cascading across the road, and grizzly bears roadside.
LegendaryCabot TrailCape Breton's Cabot Trail is one of the most scenic drives in North America, the road climbs over the Cape Breton Highlands, drops to sea-level fishing villages, and traces cliff edges with 300m drops into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.EV-friendlyPermit requiredLoop / circuit
IconicMillion Dollar HighwayColorado’s Million Dollar Highway is the dramatic stretch of US 550 between Silverton and Ouray, threading over Red Mountain Pass through steep alpine scenery, old mining country, and sheer canyon walls. Expect tight curves, dramatic overlooks, and one of the Rockies’ most memorable short drives.
LegendaryMilford Sound DriveFiordland is New Zealand's wildest corner, a frayed landscape of mountains sliced with fjords. The only road into Milford Sound from Te Anau follows Lake Te Anau's inland fjord shores, traverses the Eglinton Valley, passes the Mirror Lakes, climbs to the Divide through the 1.2 km Homer Tunnel, then descends steeply into mountain-rimmed Milford Sound.EV-friendly
IconicSouthern Alps HighwayA four-day SH6 and SH73 crossing from Queenstown to Christchurch, staged through Haast, Fox Glacier and Arthurs Pass so the glacier and alpine walks each have a realistic weather margin.EV-friendly
IconicGreat Alpine RoadVictoria's B500 climbs over the Australian Alps from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale, the highest sealed road in Australia, through snow gum forests, Mount Hotham ski resorts, and the gold-rush valley of Harrietville.EV-friendly
LegendaryUluru & The Red CentreA five-day Red Centre progression from Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa to Watarrka/Kings Canyon and Alice Springs, finishing with a West MacDonnell day loop to Standley Chasm, Ellery Creek and Ormiston Gorge. The mapped points are visitor centres, trailhead car parks and signed day-use access—not the inaccessible centres of the rock formations.
LegendaryThe DolomitesThe Grande Strada delle Dolomiti, the Great Dolomites Road from Bolzano to Cortina d'Ampezzo through the most spectacular mountain scenery in the Alps. Huge cathedrals of rock, the Val di Fassa, the Sella Ronda massif, the Alta Badia, and vertiginous switchbacks between peaks of 3,168m and 3,218m.EV-friendly
LegendaryGrossglockner High Alpine RoadThere's a reason the Grossglockner Road is often cited as the finest drive in the Alps, a 48 km rollercoaster of sheer glacier-encrusted mountains, waterfalls, forested slopes, jewel-coloured lakes, and 4,000 m peaks on almost every distractingly lovely bend. The crown is Grossglockner itself at 3,798 m, Austria's highest peak, and the rapidly retreating Pasterze Glacier below the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe lookout.EV-friendly
LegendaryTrollstigenThe Troll's Path, eleven hairpins on a 10% gradient rising 850m above the Istra valley, with the 180m Stigfossen waterfall cascading alongside the road. Norway's most dramatic single route descends to Geiranger, the country's most celebrated fjord.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
LegendarySwiss Alpine PassesA coherent five-day high-pass figure-eight: Lucerne to Andermatt, west over Susten to Meiringen, east over Grimsel and Furka back to Andermatt, then south over Gotthard and Nufenen to Brig before parking at Täsch for car-free Zermatt. Each road day follows a continuous drivable order without the former Susten-to-Grimsel reversal.EV-friendly
LegendaryRoute des Grandes AlpesA true Alpine spectacular, La Route des Grandes Alpes traverses the French Alps from the shores of Lake Geneva to the French Riviera, ascending and descending 16 mountain passes including some of the highest sealed roads in Europe. The route took almost 30 years to construct and passes through three national parks, Vanoise, Queyras, and Mercantour, with views of Mont Blanc from the opening passes.EV-friendly
IconicGorges du VerdonFrance's answer to the Grand Canyon, a 25 km gash through the limestone hills of Provence where the Verdon River has carved sheer cliffs nearly a kilometre high. The usual route begins in the hilltop town of Moustiers-Ste-Marie, creeps around the gorge rim with roadside viewpoints galore, loops the 23 km Rte des Crêtes with 14 lookouts (keep eyes peeled for eagles and vultures), and ends at Castellane.EV-friendly
LegendaryStelvio PassThe classic one-way east-to-west Stelvio ascent from Prato through Gomagoi, Trafoi and Franzenshöhe to the summit, then down to Bormio.
IconicAlbanian Riviera and Llogara PassA correctly ordered two-day Vlorë-to-Sarandë coast route over the old Llogara road, with one day-one beach and the Porto Palermo–Qeparo–Borsh sequence on day two.
IconicVršič PassA full-day Kranjska Gora-to-Trenta crossing over Vršič, with the Russian Chapel and one carefully gated Soča-source outing.EV-friendly
LegendaryRuta 40: Full Seasonal ExpeditionArgentina's longest highway traces 5,000 km of the jagged Andes from the shores of the South Atlantic at Punta Loyola through Los Glaciares, Bariloche, Mendoza, Salta, and the Bolivian border at La Quiaca, traversing 20 national parks, crossing 18 major rivers, and climbing over 27 mountain passes. One of the most epic drives on the planet.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicAngra dos Reis to Santos: Costa VerdeThe Rio–Santos coastal highway (BR-101) threads between the Serra do Mar mountains and the Atlantic, colonial fishing villages, the world's largest urban forest at Tijuca, islands, and Brazil's most spectacular beaches.EV-friendly
IconicSerra do Rio do RastroSC-438 climbs the Serra Geral escarpment in 18km of relentless hairpins, from the subtropical coastal plain to a cold gaucho plateau at 1400m. Above the clouds, apple orchards, frost-dusted dawns, and the sheer-walled canyons of Aparados da Serra await.EV-friendlyPermit required
IconicAvenue of the VolcanoesThis classic Ecuadorian highland drive follows the spine of the Andes from Quito toward Chimborazo, linking a chain of volcanic peaks, market towns, and broad alpine valleys. Expect dramatic snowcapped summits, fertile farmland, and frequent roadside viewpoints in one of South America’s most iconic mountain corridors.Permit required
LegendaryNamib Desert CircuitThe world's oldest desert, 55 million years, and its most photogenic. Sossusvlei's 300m apricot dunes, the bleached bones of Deadvlei, the sand-swallowed streets of Lüderitz's Kolmanskop ghost town, and Fish River Canyon's billion-year-old gorge.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsLoop / circuit
IconicAcross the High AtlasFrom the rose-red walls of Marrakech over the spine of the Atlas Mountains via the 2,260m Tizi n'Tichka pass, past kasbahs of red pisé, across the hammada plateau to Ouarzazate's film sets, through the Draa Valley's 40 km of palm groves, and into the Sahara at Merzouga's towering Erg Chebbi dunes. The great desert approach.
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
LegendarySani PassA boulder-strewn 4WD track climbing 1332 vertical metres in 9km through the Drakensberg escarpment into the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. At the top: the highest pub in Africa, a blanket of stars, and a Basotho world entirely apart.4WD onlyOff-road sections
LegendaryPamir HighwayThe classic west-to-east Pamir Highway links Dushanbe and Osh through Qalai Khumb, Khorog, the Tajik Wakhan, Murghab, Ak-Baital and Karakul. This eight-day minimum preserves the normal western overnights and a high-plateau buffer.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicKyrgyzstan LoopA classic national circuit through Burana, Kochkor, Song-Kul, Naryn, Tash Rabat, Issyk-Kul's south shore, Karakol and the north shore before returning to Bishkek.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsLoop / circuit
LegendaryG318 Sichuan-Tibet HighwayChina's most legendary road climbs from Chengdu's basin through 14 mountain passes above 4,000 m, across four mighty rivers, and into the thin air of Lhasa, the world's highest capital. Called "the most beautiful road on Earth" by Chinese drivers.Permit required
LegendaryKarakoram Highway: Gilgit to KashgarA measured seven-day crossing of the Karakoram from Gilgit through Hunza and Passu, with Sost used for border staging before Khunjerab, Tashkurgan and Kashgar.SUV onlyPermit required
LegendaryLeh–Manali HighwayThe classic high road from Leh to Manali, slowed to three daylight stages through More Plains, Gata Loops, Sarchu and Jispa before the reliable Atal Tunnel alignment.SUV onlyOff-road sections
IconicSpiti Valley Circuit via Kinnaur and KunzumThe complete ten-day circuit climbs gradually through Kinnaur, Nako and Tabo, gives Kaza and Pin Valley real time, then crosses Kunzum to Chandratal and Manali.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit requiredLoop / circuit
LegendaryHa Giang LoopThe official four-day rhythm: Ha Giang–Yen Minh; Yen Minh–Dong Van via Lung Cu; Dong Van–Meo Vac–Du Gia; and Du Gia–Ha Giang.SUV onlyPermit requiredLoop / circuit
LegendaryMae Hong Son LoopThe full classic clockwise loop through Pai, Pang Mapha, Mae Hong Son, Khun Yuam and Mae Sariang before returning to Chiang Mai.Loop / circuit
IconicHai Van Pass: Da Nang to HueThe complete classic day from Da Nang over Hai Van Gate, through Lang Co and Lap An Lagoon, then onward to Tam Giang or Thuan An and Hue.
IconicBali West and Highlands LoopFive days around Ubud, Kintamani, Lovina, Pemuteran and the west before a measured Tanah Lot–Jimbaran finish. Gilimanuk port is removed as a supposed attraction.Permit requiredLoop / circuit
NotableHummingbird HighwayBelize’s Hummingbird Highway is a lush, low-stress drive from Belmopan to Dangriga, threading through citrus groves, Maya hills, and rainforest-covered valleys. The route is known for roadside fruit stands, mountain views, and easy detours to waterfalls, caves, and small Garifuna communities near the coast.
NotableAbruzzo HighlandsItaly's most underrated region, the SS17 and mountain roads through the Apennine backbone past medieval hill towns, the wolf-and-bear wilderness of Gran Sasso, and a coastline that the Adriatic sun turns an extraordinary turquoise.EV-friendly
IconicAlice Springs to Darwin via Nitmiluk and LitchfieldA true northbound Stuart Highway journey from Alice Springs through Karlu Karlu, Tennant Creek, Mataranka and Katherine, with dedicated Nitmiluk and Litchfield days before Darwin. Uluru and Kings Canyon are separate routes.
NotableAlong the Murray RiverThe Murray, Australia's longest river at 2,500 km, rising in the snow-capped Australian Alps and flowing between Victoria and New South Wales. The road from Albury-Wodonga through the renowned Rutherglen wine region, the horse-drawn-cart port of Echuca, and on to Mildura's citrus and wine country.EV-friendly
IconicAltai and Chuya Trakt Paved LoopA coherent, fully sequenced Altai loop: Biysk to Gorno-Altaysk and Chemal, back through Ust-Sema to Seminsky Pass and Onguday, south past the Chuya classics to Aktash, Kurai and Kosh-Agach, then a two-day return to Biysk. The base plan keeps its best experiences accessible from paved roads and does not advertise remote borderland detours it cannot support.Loop / circuit
IconicArica to Lauca and Putre AltiplanoClimb from the Pacific heat of Arica into Chile’s high Altiplano on one of the country’s most dramatic mountain drives. The route follows the Lluta Valley to Putre, then continues into Lauca National Park for volcano views, bofedales, turquoise lagoons, and herds of vicuñas under thin, brilliant air.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicArizona Old West, Sedona and Grand CanyonA four-day custom sampler from Wickenburg and Prescott through Jerome, Sedona, Flagstaff, and Williams to a dedicated Grand Canyon South Rim day.
IconicArthur's PassThis classic South Island drive runs from Christchurch across the Canterbury Plains to the alpine village of Arthur’s Pass and on to the West Coast. It pairs braided rivers, beech forest, steep mountain walls, and dramatic viaduct engineering with easy roadside access to short walks and viewpoints.
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
LegendaryBariloche Extension to the Route of the Seven LakesThe most beautiful short drive in South America, Ruta Nacional 40 and Ruta Provincial 234 through the Andes foothills between Bariloche and San Martín de los Andes, threading through seven glacier-fed Andean lakes of extraordinary blue-green clarity: Nahuel Huapi, Espejo, Correntoso, Escondido, Villarino, Falkner, and Machónico. The Swiss Alps transplanted to Patagonia.Permit required
IconicBartang Valley Pamir VariantA six-day, roughly 330-kilometre off-road traverse from Rushan through Siponj, Basid, Savnob, Barchadev and Ghudara to the upper plateau and Karakul, with a dedicated contingency day.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicBlue Mountains and North Coast JamaicaThis Jamaican loop links the cool, misty slopes of the Blue Mountains with the lush east and north coasts. Start in Kingston, climb past coffee estates and forest viewpoints, then descend through Port Antonio to Ocho Rios and the island’s resort-lined northern shoreline.4WD onlyOff-road sections
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
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 York via the Old Telegraph TrackA staged Cape York expedition from Cairns to Pajinka that distinguishes the Peninsula Developmental Road and Bypass Road from the optional technical Old Telegraph Track. Every creek obstacle can be declined or bypassed according to current access, water and driver capability.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicCardamom Mountains Community LoopA community- and lodge-led circuit from Phnom Penh to Koh Kong, Tatai, Botum Sakor and Chi Phat, returning through Kampot without implying self-guided wildlife driving.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit requiredLoop / circuit
NotableCatalan Pyrenees: Olot-to-Les Angles TraverseA three-day Olot-to-Les Angles traverse with a dedicated Vall de Núria rail-and-walk day and a separate N-260/Collada de Toses crossing.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
IconicChapada DiamantinaThe highland plateau of Bahia, Brazil's walking and driving heartland. Diamond-rush colonial villages, table-top cerrado mountains, 100m waterfalls into swimming holes, underground lakes glowing with refracted light, and the most extraordinary cerrado scenery in Brazil.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
IconicCircuit of MallorcaA full loop around the Mediterranean's most beautiful island, southwest from Palma through Palmanova to Sóller's mountain village in the Serra de Tramuntana, east through Sa Pobla and the flat grape-growing Manacor plains to the east coast beaches, then back to Palma. Six Endesa EV charging stations make it Spain's smoothest electric island loop.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
IconicClarence DriveThe R44 (Clarence Drive) from Gordon's Bay to Kleinmond, continuing on the R43 to Hermanus, hugs the Kogelberg coastline, mountain cliffs plunging to turquoise sea, fynbos slopes, penguin colonies, and the world's finest shore-based whale watching.EV-friendly
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.
IconicColca Canyon and Arequipa to Lake TiticacaThis classic southern Peru road trip links Arequipa’s volcanic skyline with the terraces of Colca Canyon and the wide-open altiplano around Lake Titicaca. The drive climbs from canyon villages and condor lookouts to puna grasslands, then finishes in the lakeside city of Puno.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit 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.
IconicCordillera Blanca LoopThis high-Andes loop begins in Huaraz and circles Peru’s Cordillera Blanca on paved and rough mountain roads past turquoise glacial lakes, Quechua villages, and dramatic snow peaks. The route reaches classic viewpoints around Llanganuco and Chavín before returning through the Callejón de Huaylas.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit requiredLoop / circuit
IconicDenali HighwayThe Denali Highway runs between Paxson and Cantwell across a vast sweep of tundra, alpine lakes, and glacier-carved ridges with constant views of the Alaska Range. Long gravel stretches and frequent wildlife sightings make it a classic remote drive, best enjoyed slowly in clear summer weather.Off-road sections
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.
NotableDMZ and Gangwon Mountain RouteA five-day eastbound journey that follows one coherent line from Seoul through Paju's controlled DMZ Peace Tour, Chuncheon, Gangneung, Seoraksan and Sokcho, then returns to Seoul for a short, defined Bukhansan foothill walk. The route replaces hidden backtracking with realistic transfers and gives the national park its own day.EV-friendlyPermit required
IconicDurban to the DrakensbergFrom Durban's Indian Ocean beachfront west into the Drakensberg, the Barrier of Spears, through the Zulu heartlands, the Midlands Meander of cheese farms and craft studios, the Cathedral Peak wilderness, and up the legendary Sani Pass to Lesotho, the mountain kingdom in the clouds at 2,874 metres.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsLoop / circuit
IconicEastern Highlands of ZimbabweThis loop through Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands links cool mountain towns, tea estates, and forested passes with some of the country’s most rewarding road scenery. From Mutare to Nyanga, Honde Valley, and Chimanimani, the drive combines sweeping views, waterfalls, hiking stops, and crisp highland air.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicFann Mountains DriveA three-day Penjikent and Sarazm–Seven Lakes out-and-back followed by Ayni and Iskanderkul, without pretending the separate Kulikalon hiking branch is a drive-through stop.SUV onlyOff-road sections
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
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.
IconicGuwahati to Tawang via Nameri and Sela TunnelFive days from the Brahmaputra plain to Tawang, with Nameri, a gradual Dirang night, the all-weather Sela Tunnel, Nuranang Falls, a full monastery day and a permitted frontier excursion or local fallback.SUV onlyPermit required
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
IconicHobart to Cradle MountainFrom Hobart's Georgian sandstone waterfront through the Central Highlands to the jagged dolerite spires of Cradle Mountain, Tasmanian devil encounters, Lake St Clair, and the most untouched wilderness in Australia.EV-friendly
Hidden GemHurghada to Marsa Alam Red Sea CoastThis Red Sea Coast drive runs south from Hurghada to Marsa Alam on Egypt’s desert highway, pairing blue-water views with long, quiet stretches of tawny mountains and open shore. It is a straightforward road trip with resort stops, dive towns, and a strong sense of remoteness.
IconicIraqi Kurdistan Mountain RouteA corrected four-day mountain sequence from Erbil through Shaqlawa, Bekhal, Gali Ali Beg, Rawanduz and the Hamilton Road, then Barzan, Amadiya and Duhok—held behind the current Level 4 warning.
Hidden GemJarabacoa and Constanza Mountain LoopThis highland loop links the Dominican Republic’s two classic mountain towns, climbing from Jarabacoa into the cool Valle Nuevo plateau and down to Constanza’s vegetable fields. Expect steep switchbacks, pine forests, waterfalls, and broad views of the Cordillera Central, with the best driving in the dry season.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsLoop / circuit
IconicKancamagus HighwayNew Hampshire's "Kanc", NH-112 through the White Mountain National Forest, is the quintessential New England foliage drive. No traffic lights, no commercial strip, no stops for 56km of blazing maple canopy, covered bridges, and cold mountain streams.EV-friendly
IconicKancamagus Highway and Franconia NotchNew Hampshire's Kancamagus Highway cuts through the White Mountain National Forest without a single traffic light. In fall, the hardwoods burn crimson and gold, one of the great foliage drives in the world.EV-friendly
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.
IconicKyushu Volcano RouteA seven-day volcanic traverse from Fukuoka to Kagoshima with proper time at Yufuin, Aso, Unzen, Kirishima, and Sakurajima. The route now reaches Unzen Onsen, its steaming hells, Nita Pass, and a real hot-spring experience; the following day is reserved for the ferry-and-motorway transfer to Kirishima. The final stage pairs Kirishima's active landscape with Sakurajima before crossing the bay into Kagoshima.EV-friendly
NotableLake Assal and Goda MountainsThis compact Djibouti road trip leaves the capital for the Gulf of Tadjoura, then climbs into the cool highlands of the Goda Mountains before dropping to the dazzling salt basin of Lake Assal, one of Africa’s lowest points. Expect volcanic scenery, acacia hills, and stark desert contrast.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit requiredLoop / 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
LegendaryLuzon Cordillera RouteAn eight-day highland sequence with Baguio, Atok/Bontoc, two Sagada days, Banaue, Batad, Mayoyao/Kiangan and a complete onward transfer.SUV onlyPermit required
IconicMadagascar Baobab RouteThrough Madagascar's central highlands and western lowlands to the Avenue of the Baobabs, 800-year-old bottle-shaped giants lining a red laterite track near Morondava. Past highland rice terraces, zebu cart markets, sacred forests, and the wide Tsiribihina river country to one of the most otherworldly landscapes on earth.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsLoop / circuit
Hidden GemMalolotja and Ezulwini Eswatini LoopThis compact Eswatini loop links the cool highlands of Malolotja Nature Reserve with the Ezulwini Valley’s rolling hills, craft markets, and royal-adjacent cultural stops. It’s a rewarding mix of mountain scenery, viewpoints, and easy day-trip driving on good paved roads.Loop / circuit
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
IconicMassawa to Asmara EscarpmentThis classic Eritrean ascent leaves the Red Sea heat of Massawa and climbs more than 2,000 meters to the cool plateau of Asmara. The road threads dramatic escarpments, switchbacks, and rock-cut viewpoints, turning a short drive into one of East Africa’s most striking elevation changes.Permit required
IconicMedellín to the Coffee Axis via Jardín and SalaminaDrive the heart of Colombia’s Coffee Axis on a loop between Medellín and Salento, passing green ridgelines, colonial towns, and working fincas. The route is best in the drier months, when mountain roads are easier and views over the Andes and wax palm valleys are clearest.Permit 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
IconicMendoza Wine Region and Uco ValleyA relaxed wine-country loop from Mendoza city through Maipú, Luján de Cuyo, and the wide-open Uco Valley. Drive between olive groves, vineyard estates, and snow-backed Andes views, stopping for Malbec tastings, winery lunches, and sunset light over Tunuyán and Tupungato.Loop / circuit
NotableMozambique EN1 Coastal RouteMozambique’s EN1 is the country’s spine, linking the southern capital to the far north through palm-fringed coast, busy market towns, and long Indian Ocean stretches. This overland drive mixes beach access, a passenger ferry at Inhambane, and everyday Mozambican life, with highlights around Inhambane, Beira, and Nampula before reaching the far north.SUV onlyOff-road sections
IconicNaran, Babusar Pass and Fairy MeadowsA humane six-day sequence through Naran, Lulusar and Babusar to Raikot, followed by the authorized local-jeep approach and a two-night Fairy Meadows stay.SUV onlyOff-road sections
IconicNorth Caucasus Mountain RoadA guide-controlled North Caucasus itinerary from Kislovodsk through Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, an explicitly disclosed Chechnya transit, Dagestan and Derbent; it is not offered as independent self-drive.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
LegendaryNovosibirsk to Kosh-Agach via the Chuya TraktA deliberately paced five-day journey from Novosibirsk to Kosh-Agach along the most celebrated section of R-256. It covers the classic museum, pass, river-confluence, petroglyph, North Chuya and high-steppe experiences without pretending that remote side valleys fit into the paved-road itinerary.
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.
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.
Hidden GemPanama Pan-American HighwayPanama’s Pan-American Highway is the country’s main road spine, running from Panama City across fertile lowlands and rolling cattle country to the border at Paso Canoas. It’s a straightforward long-distance drive with steady traffic near the capital and a more relaxed pace west of the interior highlands.EV-friendly
IconicPicos de EuropaThe Picos de Europa are where the Atlantic meets the Alps, limestone massifs rising 2,600m from a green Asturian coast. The Cares Gorge, Covadonga, and mountain passes through silent medieval villages make this Spain's finest mountain drive.EV-friendly
IconicPokhara to Lo Manthang via JomsomA nine-day, agency-led return journey from Pokhara through Jomsom, Kagbeni, Ghami and Tsarang to the walled capital of Lo Manthang and Chhoser caves.Off-road sectionsPermit required
IconicQinghai Lake Circuit from XiningA genuine clockwise circuit from Xining reaches Qinghai Lake through Riyue Mountain, uses the officially managed Erlangjian and Heimahe viewing areas, follows the west and north shores through Gangcha and Haiyan, and returns to Xining. Chaka Salt Lake is deliberately excluded: it is a separate southwest extension, not part of the 360-km lake loop.Permit requiredLoop / circuit
IconicQuilotoa Road CircuitThe Quilotoa Loop is a high-Andean circuit west of Quito that links market towns, canyon viewpoints, and the brilliant crater lake of Laguna Quilotoa. The route heads out via the back roads through Isinliví, Sigchos, and Chugchilán, then closes the loop back to Latacunga through Zumbahua on the main paved highway. Expect winding paved and gravel roads, big altitude swings, and stop-start driving through Indigenous communities, farmland, and dramatic volcanic scenery.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit requiredLoop / circuit
IconicReunion Island LoopCircle Réunion on its coastal roads for a compact but dramatic island drive, linking volcanic cliffs, black-sand beaches, sugarcane fields, and Creole seaside towns. The loop pairs the palm-lined east coast with the wilder south and the dramatic western lava coast, with mountain access spurs inland.Loop / circuit
IconicRila and Rhodope MountainsA complete seven-day Sofia mountain loop through Rila Monastery, Sapareva Banya, the Seven Lakes, Bansko/Dobarsko, the western Rhodopes, Plovdiv and back to Sofia.EV-friendly
LegendaryRN7 Antananarivo to ToliaraMadagascar’s RN7 is the country’s classic overland journey, linking the highland capital to the southwest coast through rice terraces, red-earth villages, and dramatic sandstone massifs. The route passes Antsirabe, Ambositra, Ranomafana, Fianarantsoa, and Isalo before descending to the dry thorny plains around Toliara.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
NotableRoute 62The longest wine route in the world winds through the Breede River Valley and Little Karoo, past fruit farms, ostrich ranches, and the Swartberg Mountains, connecting Cape winelands to the edge of the great Karoo.EV-friendly
IconicRuta Panorámica Puerto RicoPuerto Rico’s Ruta Panorámica is a mountain-to-coast drive across the island’s interior, linking forested ridges, coffee towns, and panoramic overlooks. The classic road-trip stretch runs from the western highlands near Mayagüez to the eastern side around Maunabo, with switchbacks, cool cloud-forest air, and views that change with every climb.
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
IconicSan Cristóbal, Sumidero and Palenque (Operator-Led)A cautious three-day, operator-led transition from San Cristóbal highland culture to Palenque’s jungle archaeology. Sumidero is handled as a separate first-day outing before the eastbound transfer so it no longer creates an impossible same-day backtrack.
LegendarySan Juan SkywayColorado's Million Dollar Highway, the San Juan Skyway loops through Ouray's "Switzerland of America" canyon town, the 3,358m Red Mountain Pass above collapsed mine workings, Silverton's Victorian mining town, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and Mesa Verde's Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. The most dramatic mountain circuit in the Rocky Mountains.EV-friendlyPermit requiredLoop / circuit
NotableSanriku-Akita Custom Tohoku SamplerA six-day custom regional sampler combining two excellent but distinct Tohoku drives: Matsushima and the Sanriku coast, then the Morioka-Lake Tazawa-Kakunodate inland corridor. Clearly exposed transfer days lead south to Hiraizumi for Chuson-ji and its Konjikido, then west to a separate Yamadera day. The result is a broad one-way Sendai-to-Yamadera journey, not a classic loop.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
IconicSierra Nevada de Santa Marta and TayronaThis Caribbean-road trip links Santa Marta’s laid-back waterfront with the jungle-cloaked foothills of the Sierra Nevada and the palm-fringed coast of Tayrona National Natural Park. Drive through banana country, stop at Minca’s cool mountain cafés, then finish with turquoise bays, white sand, and dramatic granite headlands.Permit required
IconicSkyline DriveSkyline Drive is the classic ridge-top route through Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, tracing 105 miles along the Blue Ridge Mountains. The road links mountain overlooks, short hikes, and forested valleys between Front Royal and Rockfish Gap, with especially vivid color in spring bloom and autumn foliage.EV-friendly
NotableSnaefell Mountain CourseThe world's oldest motorcycle race circuit, since 1911 the TT course has looped from Douglas up through mountain villages to the 621-metre Snaefell summit road and back. Outside TT week you can drive the full circuit at your own pace through stone walls, coastal hedgerows, and moorland; during TT the roads close and 250 riders race at an average of 216 km/h.EV-friendly
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
LegendarySrinagar–Leh–Manali HighwayThe complete 907 km trans-Himalayan drive, broken into Srinagar–Sonamarg, Sonamarg–Kargil, Kargil–Leh, a full Leh rest day, Leh–Sarchu and Sarchu–Manali.SUV onlyOff-road sections
Hidden GemSt Catherine to DahabThis short Sinai drive links the granite monasteries and mountain basins of St Catherine with the Red Sea town of Dahab. The road drops from stark high desert into wide wadis and open coastal plains, with rugged peaks behind and clear water ahead.
LegendarySulawesi Highlands: Tana Toraja to BunakenA 16-day expedition with two real Toraja days, light transit towns, the Pagimana–Gorontalo vehicle ferry, a dedicated guided Tangkoko overnight and two Bunaken/Manado days.SUV onlyPermit required
IconicTanzania Northern Safari CircuitThis classic northern Tanzania circuit links the country’s best-known wildlife country on a practical overland loop from Arusha through Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Mto wa Mbu to the Ngorongoro highlands and the Serengeti, then back via the Ngorongoro highlands and Karatu. Expect dramatic crater rim views, big herds, and long game-drive days.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit requiredLoop / circuit
IconicTasmania West CoastThe wild side of Australia's island state, from Hobart west through Queenstown's moonscape to Strahan, the fishing town once described as "the best little town in the world", then north past the Henty Dunes, Cradle Mountain, and Mt Roland to Launceston. Tasmania's west coast keeps giving long after you think it's done.
NotableTatacoa Desert and San AgustínThis south Huila loop links the rust-red badlands of the Tatacoa Desert with the misty archaeology of San Agustín. Start in Neiva, cross the Magdalena River valley, explore the labyrinth of eroded canyons and starry night skies, then continue south to colonial villages and the monumental stone statues and tombs near San Agustín.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
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.
IconicThe Long Way Round, IrelandIreland's jagged, spectacular edges, this two-week circuit explores the island's coastline from Dublin through Belfast and the Causeway Coast, west to the dramatic cliffs and mountains of Connacht, south through Connemara and Clifden, the Cliffs of Moher, Kerry's Ring, and Cork to the final destination of Ardmore, one of the southeast coast's loveliest seaside villages.EV-friendly
IconicThe Two PassesA four-day loop from Christchurch through the Southern Alps via Lewis Pass and Arthur's Pass, two of New Zealand's great mountain crossings through forests, lakes, rivers, and the West Coast Wilderness Trail. Hanmer Springs thermal pools at the overnight waypoint; Kumara's gold-rush history on the return via State Highway 73.EV-friendly
IconicTop of the World HighwayClimb out of Dawson City onto a high alpine ridge where gravel pavement traces the Yukon–Alaska divide for miles above treeline. The drive delivers vast 360-degree views, gold-rush history, and a dramatic descent to the remote border crossing at Poker Creek and then into Chicken, Alaska.Off-road sections
IconicTrans-Andean HighwayThis classic Andean crossing links Santiago with Mendoza through one of South America’s most dramatic mountain corridors. Expect sweeping switchbacks, high desert valleys, vineyard foothills, and the iconic Cristo Redentor pass area, with changing conditions from coastal Chile to the dry Argentine side.Permit required
IconicTrans-Canada HighwayCanada’s classic coast-to-coast drive follows the Trans-Canada Highway from St. John’s, Newfoundland, across rugged Atlantic coastlines, Quebec’s river valleys, the vast Canadian Shield, the prairie heartland, and the dramatic mountains of British Columbia before ending at Victoria. It’s a true national road trip with huge scenery shifts and long, open stretches.EV-friendly
IconicTurkish Black Sea HighlandsA genuine Black Sea highlands route from Samsun through Akdağ, Perşembe and Bektaş yaylası, then Sümela, Uzungöl, Fırtına/Ayder and Şavşat.SUV only
IconicTyrol & VorarlbergFrom opera-festival Bregenz on Lake Constance east through the Alpine valleys of Vorarlberg and Tyrol to Salzburg, past 50 schnapps distilleries in Stanz, the cheese-making secrets of the Bergkäserei Schoppernau, the monumental abbey at Stift Stams, and the treasures of Innsbruck. Austria's great mountain transect.EV-friendly
NotableUganda Fort Portal to BwindiThis western Uganda drive links Fort Portal’s crater lakes and tea country with Bwindi Impenetrable Forest’s gorilla valleys. The route passes through rolling highlands, busy market towns, and Rift Valley edges before climbing into misty forest via Mbarara and Kisoro toward Bwindi's southern sectors. It is a rewarding, if long, overland approach to one of Africa’s premier wildlife destinations.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicUshuaia and Argentine Tierra del FuegoThis southernmost Argentina itinerary combines Ushuaia, the drivable roads of Tierra del Fuego National Park, and an RN3 out-and-back through Paso Garibaldi, Tolhuin, and Río Grande. Alpine bays, peat bogs, lenga forests, and open steppe provide classic end-of-the-world scenery without inventing a western-island road loop.Permit requiredLoop / circuit
LegendaryWakhan Corridor RouteA correctly ordered Tajik Wakhan journey from Khorog through Ishkashim, Kaahka, Yamchun, Yamg and Vrang to Langar, with no fictional international crossing or westward backtrack.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicWanxianshan & Guoliang Tunnel VisitA realistic two-day Xinxiang–Wanxianshan visit that drives only to the official entrance, then uses the scenic shuttle and walking paths for Guoliang Tunnel, the cliff-gallery viewpoints, Guoliang Village, Tianchi, and the Grand Canyon viewing deck.
IconicWhite Rim RoadThe otherworldly terrain of Canyonlands National Park is intimidating enough from the hard-top, once you leave the tarmac for the White Rim Road, it feels like driving on Mars. A 4WD-only loop around the Island in the Sky mesa, sneaking along sheer cliff walls above two deep river canyons. Built by Cold War uranium miners; no potable water anywhere on the route.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicYosemite to Sequoia and Kings CanyonA six-day parks traverse from Yosemite Valley through Wawona and Mariposa Grove to Grant Grove and the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, then south once to Giant Forest, Moro Rock, and General Sherman.EV-friendly
IconicYukon Golden CircleA compact Yukon circuit crossing into Alaska via the White Pass, Whitehorse through Carcross (and the world's smallest desert), over the White Pass summit to gold-rush Skagway, back via Haines with a ferry crossing of the Lynn Canal. A loop of glacier-fed rivers, Klondike history, and the most dramatic mountain scenery in the northern Rockies.Loop / circuit
NotableAlmaty to Charyn Canyon and Kolsai LakesA three-day eastbound escape with Charyn on day one, Kaindy on day two and Kolsai Lake 1 on day three, based in Saty between the parks.SUV onlyOff-road sections
IconicAparados da SerraThe Serra Geral escarpment splits the Rio Grande do Sul plateau with two of the deepest canyons in South America, Itaimbezinho (720m deep, 5.8km long) and Fortaleza (900m deep). The araucária pine forests above and the Atlantic Forest below create two entirely different worlds within 20km.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
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
IconicGrand Pacific DriveAustralia’s Grand Pacific Drive traces a classic coastal day trip from Sydney’s southern beaches to the Illawarra and Shoalhaven. The route crosses the Sea Cliff Bridge, passes rainforest-fringed headlands and surf towns, and finishes among Kiama’s famous blowholes, lookouts and rolling green coastline.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
LegendarySani Pass and Roof of AfricaClimb from the Himeville area up the legendary Sani Pass into Lesotho, following one of southern Africa’s most dramatic mountain roads. The gravel switchbacks rise to the high plateau and the iconic Sani Mountain Lodge, with sweeping views over the Drakensberg and a true sense of reaching the Roof of Africa.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit requiredLoop / circuit
IconicSanto Antão Island CrossingThis island crossing follows Santo Antão’s dramatic north-to-south mountain roads from the ferry port at Porto Novo up through the cratered highlands to the lush valley country around Ribeira Grande, continuing on to Ponta do Sol and the cliffside village of Fontainhas. Expect plunging views, terraced slopes, and some of Cape Verde’s most memorable switchbacks.
IconicSerra da Leba and Tundavala EscarpmentThis southern Angola road trip links the dramatic switchbacks of Serra da Leba with the high rim views of the Tundavala Escarpment. Starting in Lubango and looping through highland villages and eucalyptus-clad slopes, it delivers some of the country’s most iconic mountain scenery and dramatic roadside viewpoints.
IconicTamanrasset to Assekrem in the HoggarThis short Saharan climb leaves Tamanrasset and heads into the volcanic granite peaks of the Hoggar, ending at the road-access point on the Assekrem plateau. The final visit to Charles de Foucauld’s hermitage is on foot; the drive itself is all about stark hamadas and vast sunrise and sunset views over the central Sahara.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
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
IconicZagorohoria, GreeceInto the slate-and-stone villages of the Zagori in the Pindos Mountains of Epirus, one of Greece's most untouched regions where roads are steep and narrow, stone bridges arch over rushing rivers, and village squares are shaded by centuries-old plane trees. The antidote to the Greek islands.EV-friendly
IconicAustria Cities and Lakes CrossingAn all-Austrian five-day Innsbruck-to-Vienna journey via Kufstein, Salzburg, Hallstatt and Linz; it is a city-and-lakes crossing, not a high-pass Alpine-road route.EV-friendly
NotableBieszczady Wilderness LoopA three-day Lesko loop with a Solina side trip, one chosen Połonina hike and the mountain road through Ustrzyki Górne and Baligród.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
IconicCentral Otago Wine TrailThe world's southernmost wine region hugs valley roads between Queenstown and Wanaka, vineyards fighting for space between rugged schist mountains and the Kawarau River gorge. Central Otago Pinot Noir and Riesling rival anything from Burgundy or Alsace.EV-friendly
IconicCopper Canyon with a Vetted OperatorA cautious, operator-led Copper Canyon itinerary from Chihuahua through Creel and Divisadero to one canyon branch at Batopilas. It is not presented as an ordinary independent road trip.SUV onlyOff-road sections
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.
NotableGreat Western TiersA two-day Great Western Tiers route from Deloraine through Mole Creek and Leven Canyon to Cradle Valley. It deliberately ends at Dove Lake because no public road crosses the national park directly to Lake St Clair.EV-friendly
IconicGuilin, Longji & Li River to YangshuoThe coherent classic sequence starts with Guilin, makes the Dragon's Backbone terraces a northbound overnight and returns to Guilin, then follows the Li River one way through the signature karst landscape to Yangshuo for the Yulong River countryside. It no longer pretends a cruise passenger and their parked car can be in two places at once.EV-friendlyPermit required
NotableIberá Wetlands: Portal Laguna IberáThis gentle Corrientes road trip links the provincial capital with Argentina’s vast Iberá Wetlands, trading city streets for quiet estero country, bird-filled marshes, and ranchland horizons. Base yourself in Colonia Carlos Pellegrini for lagoon boat trips, capybara and caiman sightings, and long sunset drives on sandy access roads.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
LegendaryKaikoura CoastSH1 north of Christchurch is one of the world's great coastal drives, the Seaward Kaikoura Range falls sheer into the Pacific, sperm whales feed in the canyon just offshore, and New Zealand fur seals laze on every rock shelf.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.
IconicLake District Passes TraverseA two-day Keswick-to-Windermere traverse via Borrowdale/Honister, then the demanding Wrynose–Hardknott crossing through Eskdale to Coniston.EV-friendly
IconicLeh to Hunder via Khardung LaThe classic 127 km Leh–Khardung La–Diskit–Hunder crossing, followed by a relaxed Nubra morning rather than an implausible same-day Turtuk detour.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
IconicMadaba, Dead Sea and KarakTwo logical days run Madaba–Mount Nebo–Dead Sea, then either a confirmed Wadi Mujib canyon slot or the all-season signed shore alternative via Lot’s Cave/Museum before Karak. The unverified salt-flat walk is removed.
NotableMindanao Highlands: Davao to BukidnonA two-day highland route that reaches the promised Bukidnon sights, while leading with the material security distinction between Davao City and Bukidnon.SUV only
IconicQuba and Khinalig HighlandsA three-day Baku–Quba–Khinalig return with Quba/Red Settlement and the Khinalig cultural landscape as the core; Shahdag/Laza is a separate optional extension.
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
LegendaryTbilisi, Kazbegi and KakhetiA four-day Georgia route with Tbilisi/Mtskheta, an overnight in Stepantsminda, a return day and a separate Kakheti wine-country day.
IconicTorrey to Escalante via Highway 12Route 12 south from Torrey climbs to a 2,750 m pass through Dixie National Forest pine trees before reaching the narrow spine of The Hogback, a tarred road balanced on a razor ridge with near-vertical drops into canyon on both sides. One of the most dramatic stretches of road in America, ending in the frontier town of Escalante with Cowboy Blues' legendary local trout.
IconicTroodos Mountains and Akamas PeninsulaA five-day paved-road Cyprus route from Limassol and Omodos through Troodos/Kykkos and Paphos to Latchi and the Aphrodite Trail.EV-friendly
IconicWaimea Canyon DriveThe "Grand Canyon of the Pacific", HI-550 climbs from Kauaʻi's red-dirt lowlands to a 1200m lookout above a canyon 16km long and 900m deep, its walls stripped in ochre, violet, and jungle green by five million years of erosion.EV-friendly
NotableWales Mountain CrossingA five-day south-to-north Wales crossing built on the A470, with clearly labelled Aberystwyth/Cadair Idris and Beddgelert excursions and separate mountain days.EV-friendly
IconicZhangjiajie, Furong & FenghuangA six-day western-Hunan route gives Wulingyuan's sandstone forest two proper days, treats Tianmen Mountain as its own reserved excursion, then drives south through Furong's waterfall town and Dehang Canyon to finish at Fenghuang. The schedule preserves the region's headline sights without combining a canyon hike, road transfer, boat, and night walk into one implausible afternoon.EV-friendlyPermit required
NotableCirque de Combe LavalThe D76 through the Vercors Natural Park cuts a ledge into sheer 400m limestone cliffs above the Lyonne valley, a vertiginous corniche through one of France's least-visited mountain regions, ending on the high Vercors plateau with its dark wartime history.EV-friendly
IconicCorsica Island DriveA seven-day Bastia-to-Bonifacio traverse with proper Cap Corse, Corte, Porto/Scandola, Ajaccio and Bavella days.EV-friendly
LegendarySusten–Grimsel–Furka LoopThe most concentrated Alpine pass loop on Earth, three legendary roads in a single circuit. The Susten crosses a granite wilderness, the Grimsel skirts black glacial reservoirs, and the Furka passes the Rhône Glacier, where Bond once drove an Aston Martin.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
IconicAbergwesyn Mountain PassA full-day west-to-east Cambrian Mountains crossing from Tregaron past Llyn Brianne and Soar y Mynydd, over the Devil’s Staircase and Abergwesyn Pass, and into Llanwrtyd Wells. The short mileage is deliberately slow because the road is remote, narrow, exposed, and rich in signed landscape stops.EV-friendly
IconicAbha, Al Soudah and Rijal AlmaaTwo focused mountain days: Abha and Al Soudah first, then the classic descent to Rijal Almaa and return. The plan no longer wastes a day on distant Dhee Ayn.Loop / 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
IconicDublin to the Wicklow MountainsFrom Dublin's Georgian streets into the granite mountains of the Wicklow interior, through Sally Gap's bare moorland, the oak forest of Glenealo Valley, mirror lakes, and stone ruins. The Emerald Isle's most accessible wilderness drive, returning via the coast at Bray.EV-friendly
NotableGlasgow to Fort WilliamThe perfect introduction to the Scottish Highlands, from Glasgow's urban grit north through Loch Lomond's pastoral shoreline, the Trossachs National Park villages of Tarbet and Crianlarich, and along the great loch itself before the landscape shifts into the imposing drama of Glen Coe and Ben Nevis.EV-friendly
NotableMansfield to MarysvilleVictoria's High Country gravel road from Mansfield through Woods Point to Marysville, through remote forest and mountain ranges on unsealed roads that venture into country where 4WD clearance is an advantage. The section between Mansfield and Woods Point feels further from civilisation than its distance from Melbourne suggests.SUV onlyOff-road sections
NotableRoute de TuriniThe most celebrated stage of the Monte Carlo Rally, a sinuous mountain road climbing from the Ligurian coast through chestnut forest to the Col de Turini at 1607m. Every hairpin is banked, every view cinematic.EV-friendly
Hidden GemSuriname Coastal Highway Paramaribo to Nieuw NickerieThis straight, low-key coastal drive follows Suriname’s main westbound highway from Paramaribo to Nieuw Nickerie, crossing wide rivers on road bridges, rice-country plains, and sleepy villages. It is a practical road trip through long stretches of flat, tropical scenery rather than dramatic mountain views.
IconicThe Black SpurVictoria's official 27.9 km Black Spur drive links Healesville and Narbethong on the Maroondah Highway through colossal mountain ash and giant ferns. This day continues roughly 14 km beyond the classic forest section to Marysville for lunch and Steavenson Falls; weekdays avoid the heaviest leisure traffic.EV-friendly
IconicTunnel du Mont-BlancFrance with extras, hop two borders and drive through a mountain on this riveting route between Switzerland and Italy. From Geneva across the French border to Chamonix (with a cable car ride to the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842 m), then through the 11.6 km Tunnel du Mont-Blanc directly beneath Europe's highest peak to Courmayeur and the Roman aqueduct town of Aosta.EV-friendly
IconicFurka PassSomething of a rite of passage for hardcore Alpine cyclists, Switzerland's Furka Pass is enshrined in motoring legend through its starring role in the Aston Martin/Ford Mustang car chase in James Bond's Goldfinger (1964). An Alpine pass and a half, with hairy switchbacks to an otherworldly 2,431 m plateau, the Rhône Glacier visible from the Hotel Belvédère, and deeply fissured blue ice grotto.EV-friendly