Notable
Notable scenic drives — strong character routes that locals know well and that reward travellers willing to step beyond the most-photographed roads. 146 curated drives with mapped stops, distance, duration, and route notes — including Great River Road: Ten-State Highlights, Japan's Shortened Golden Route by Car, Cuba Central Highway.
These 146 routes range from 40 to 4800 km and from 0.5 to 17 days, across 73 countries. Top picks: Great River Road: Ten-State Highlights, Japan's Shortened Golden Route by Car, Cuba Central Highway.
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NotableGreat River Road: Ten-State HighlightsA fourteen-day highlights journey along the roughly 3,000-mile Great River Road system, touching all ten Mississippi River states from Lake Itasca to New Orleans. It prioritizes major river landscapes and cultural cities rather than pretending every signed alternate can fit one linear drive.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
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.
NotableRuta de las FloresThe classic Ruta de las Flores links five flower-and-coffee towns in western El Salvador: Nahuizalco, Salcoatitán, Juayúa, Apaneca, and Concepción de Ataco. Two days leave room for artisan markets and murals on the main route plus a separate guided waterfall outing from Juayúa.
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.
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
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
NotableAlentejo & Algarve BeachesPortugal's southern Atlantic coast, from the long, uncrowded beaches of the Alentejo costa vicentina through the wild Sagres peninsula to the Algarve. This isn't the Mediterranean; it's the Atlantic with surfable waves, maritime history, pine and rosemary dunes, and beaches so remote that access tracks are unmarked. The drive takes in the finest beaches in Portugal's least developed coastline.EV-friendly
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
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
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
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.
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.
NotableCaprivi Strip and Zambezi RegionThis northern Namibia road trip follows the lush Zambezi Region from Rundu east to Katima Mulilo, with detours to river lodges, floodplain viewpoints and wildlife-rich parks. Expect easygoing distances, changing landscapes, frequent birdlife and a strong sense of remoteness along the Kavango and Zambezi rivers.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
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
NotableCaves RoadA short but extraordinary drive through the limestone karst of Western Australia's Margaret River region, above ground, the world's largest karri forests and a hundred world-class wineries; below, four show caves of stalactites and crystal formations accessible on guided tours along a single winding road.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
NotableChapada dos GuimaraesA classic self-drive from Cuiabá into the sandstone tablelands of Chapada dos Guimarães, where the road climbs from Mato Grosso’s heat into escarpments, waterfalls, and wide cerrado views. Base yourself in the park area and explore the rim, caves, and lookouts along short paved drives.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
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
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.
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.
NotableCosta do Sol: Búzios and Cabo FrioA relaxed coastal loop through Rio de Janeiro’s Costa do Sol, this drive links the relaxed beaches of Cabo Frio with the granite coves and viewpoints of Búzios. It’s best as a short two-day road trip with time for beach stops, seafood lunches, and sunset along the shore.Permit required
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
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
NotableDominican Republic North Coast and Samana LoopA seven-day loop from Santo Domingo to Samaná and Las Terrenas, west along the classic north coast through Cabrera, Río San Juan, Cabarete, and Puerto Plata, then back through Santiago.Loop / circuit
NotableEast CapeA two-day northbound SH35 drive from Gisborne through Tolaga Bay, Ruatoria and Te Araroa to East Cape and Opotiki, sequenced without backtracking and with recovery-work contingency.
NotableGerman Avenue Road: Wittenberg–Duderstadt SectionA five-day official-section drive from Wittenberg through Dessau, Köthen, Staßfurt, the Harz edge, Goslar and Northeim to Duderstadt.EV-friendly
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
NotableGreat East RoadDrive the Great East Road from Lusaka through the Luangwa Valley to South Luangwa National Park, one of Africa's finest wildlife sanctuaries and the birthplace of the walking safari.SUV onlyOff-road sections
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.
NotableGuyana Interior RoadDrive deep into Guyana’s interior from Georgetown to Lethem, crossing the country’s evolving savanna-and-forest spine on the paved-to-gravel Linden–Lethem corridor. Expect river ferries, mining settlements, wide-open Rupununi landscapes, and a true frontier feel with long stretches far from reliable services.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
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.
NotableHainan Island LoopA balanced six-day clockwise circuit from Haikou through Wenchang, Boao, Wanning, Lingshui, and Sanya, followed by Jianfengling rainforest and the quieter west coast through Baimajing and Danzhou. The pacing preserves the classic east-coast highlights, gives the rainforest its own overnight, and returns to Haikou without an unnecessary cross-island Baoting detour.EV-friendlyPermit requiredLoop / circuit
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.
NotableKakheti Wine Country CircuitA paced three-day eastbound circuit through Kakheti: Bodbe and Sighnaghi first, Tsinandali and Telavi second, then Alaverdi, Gremi, and Kvareli before a daylight return to Tbilisi. Each drive day has at most one planned cellar or tasting-led meal, always with a non-tasting driver.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
NotableKalahari Desert DriveCross the world's largest sand system from Gaborone west to the Central Kalahari, red dunes, black-maned lions, meerkats at sunrise, and skies so dark the Milky Way casts shadows on the sand.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
NotableKangerlussuaq to the Ice CapTravel east from Kangerlussuaq on the rough inland road, encountering Russell Glacier before the Point 660 ice-sheet edge. A single combined guided outing fills the half day.4WD onlyOff-road sections
NotableKazakhstan Steppe HighwayA direct three-day crossing from Almaty to Astana via Lake Balkhash and Karaganda, with the longest road leg placed first and no southbound sightseeing detour.
NotableKelowna and West Kelowna Wine DayA compact Kelowna and West Kelowna wine day across the William R. Bennett Bridge, not a full Okanagan Valley tour to Penticton and Osoyoos.EV-friendly
NotableKenting and the Hengchun PeninsulaAn efficient two-day Hengchun Peninsula circuit: old-town and west-coast highlights through Houbihu and Maobitou on Day 1, then the classic eastbound sequence from Kenting and Sail Rock to Eluanbi and Longpan on Day 2 before returning to the night market.EV-friendly
NotableKenya Great Rift ValleyThis north-south Rift Valley drive links Nairobi with Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate, Lake Nakuru, and the escarpments around Baringo before ending in Eldoret. It is a classic Kenya road trip of volcanic landscapes, soda lakes, birdlife, and broad valley views, best enjoyed with unhurried stops and early starts.SUV onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
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
NotableKyrgyzstan South LoopA ten-day Osh circuit through Uzgen, Manas, Toktogul, Suusamyr, Song-Kul, Naryn and Kazarman, with the uncertain southern return divided into safe stages.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsLoop / circuit
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
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
NotableMelbourne to SydneyNot the straight Hume Highway but the longer, scenic route, east through Gippsland's green hills, past remote Croajingolong National Park's wild beaches, across the New South Wales border to the Sapphire Coast's calm bays and surf towns, and north to Sydney. The coastal alternative that takes a few days and arrives relaxed.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
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
NotableNadym to Salekhard and LabytnangiA geographically honest two-day tundra drive from Nadym to Salekhard, followed by the real seasonal Ob ferry or officially opened ice-road connection to Labytnangi. The plan prioritizes the Arctic Circle marker, Shemanovsky Museum, Obdorsky Ostrog, and riverfront without inventing a bridge or padding Labytnangi with a generic outskirts drive.SUV onlyOff-road sections
NotableNicaragua Volcano RouteThis volcanic corridor links Nicaragua’s most dramatic landscapes, from the colonial streets of León to the smoking crater of Masaya and the lava fields around Cerro Negro. It finishes on Ometepe’s twin volcano island, pairing black-sand shores, crater viewpoints, and classic Pacific coast driving. The drive is one-way from León to Ometepe; most travelers exit via the Rivas/Managua corridor rather than looping back to León.SUV onlyOff-road sections
NotableNicoya Peninsula Surf CoastThis laid-back road trip crosses by ferry to Paquera, follows the southern Nicoya coast through Curú, Montezuma, Cabuya, and Mal País, then finishes northbound through Santa Teresa at Playa Hermosa.SUV onlyOff-road sections
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
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.
NotableRiviera Nayarit and Sierra Madre CoastThis Riviera Nayarit road trip links Puerto Vallarta with the Pacific beaches and jungle-backed fishing towns of Nayarit, then climbs into the Sierra Madre foothills around Compostela and Jala for a cooler, volcanic-soil inland finish, not the high Sierra Madre Occidental itself. Expect whale-watching bays, surf breaks, cobbled village streets, and a gentler ocean-to-highland shift throughout.Loop / circuit
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
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
NotableSakhalin Southern Excursions and Northbound SpineThree nights based in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk cover the island capital, boat-only Aniva Lighthouse and the operator-led Mys Velikan coast. Four geographically ordered days then drive north through Vzmorye and Tikhaya Bay, Poronaysk, the Smirnykh wartime museum, Tymovskoye and Nogliki without backtracking.4WD onlyOff-road sections
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
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
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
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
NotableSouth West Wine, Coast and Seasonal WhalesA three-day Perth-to-Augusta coast and wine route with a leg-by-leg EV charging plan. Augusta whale watching is offered only from June through September; Cape Leeuwin and the coast remain the year-round finish.EV-friendly
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
NotableTanami TrackOne of Australia's great remote desert crossings, a corrugated dirt road through Warlpiri and Kukatja country from Alice Springs to Halls Creek. Red spinifex plains, a 900m meteorite crater, and near-complete solitude.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
NotableTanzania Southern Circuit: Ruaha and Nyerere (Flight-Linked)A flight-linked southern Tanzania safari: drive from Dar es Salaam through Mikumi and Iringa to Ruaha, then fly between the remote camps of Ruaha and Nyerere before returning to Dar. It combines open plains, baobab woodland, river landscapes, game drives and bush camps without pretending the air transfers are road legs.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit requiredLoop / circuit
NotableTaranaki's Surf HighwaySH45 around the western flank of Mount Taranaki, a short coastal drive past dairy farms, surf breaks made famous by boardriders seeking the perfect wave, shipwrecks, and lighthouses. New Plymouth's Len Lye Centre kinetic sculpture and the Tawhiti Museum of settler history frame the journey's beginning and end.EV-friendly
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
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.
NotableThe Golden RingA seven-day Moscow loop through Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov Veliky, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Suzdal and Vladimir.Loop / circuit
NotableThe Great Outdoors, SpainA seven-day Andalusian journey beginning with Granada and the Alhambra, then crossing the Sierra Nevada and Alpujarras before Caminito del Rey, El Torcal, Seville, Doñana, Vejer and Tarifa. Major timed attractions each receive their own usable day rather than being stacked behind transfers.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.
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
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
NotableUruguay CoastTrace Uruguay’s Atlantic shoreline from Colonia del Sacramento to Punta del Este, following a relaxed mix of riverfront towns, dune-backed beaches, fishing ports, and polished resort strips. The drive is mostly flat and well paved, with easy detours for sunset viewpoints, seafood lunches, and long seaside walks.EV-friendly
NotableValle de Guadalupe Wine RouteThis easy Baja wine-country drive links Ensenada to the rolling vineyards of Valle de Guadalupe, where rustic tasting rooms, farm-to-table restaurants, and boutique lodges sit among olive groves and dusty ranch roads. The route is short, scenic, and best enjoyed slowly over a long weekend.
NotableVanishing Point-Inspired Legal Road TripThe Vanishing Point drive, west from Denver across Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. The 1971 cult film sent Kowalski west on I-70 in a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum. The real route skips the interstate and traces the movie's huge horizons: the Utah desert, ghost towns, the Sierra Nevada, and San Francisco Bay.
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.
NotableWaiheke Island CircuitTwo days divide Waiheke into a reliable western Oneroa-Onetangi coast day and a slower eastern Stony Batter-Man O War day, with vehicle-ferry planning and sober transport for any tasting.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
NotableWillamette ValleyPinot Noir is the grape that put Oregon on the wine map when Eyrie Vineyards beat the French at the 1979 Wine Olympics. The 180km Willamette basin runs between the coast and the Cascades, I-5 and 99W threading past vineyards, hop yards, winding rivers, and bubbling hot springs from Portland to Eugene.EV-friendly
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
NotableYakutsk to Lena PillarsA correct two-day R-004 approach from Yakutsk to Batamay, followed by a booked boat crossing to the Labyda visitor area and the Lena Pillars eco-trail. Day 1 reaches the river base; Day 2 gives the UNESCO landscape, landing, briefing, trail, and viewpoint real time before the return.SUV onlyPermit required
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
NotableAtlantic Sahara Coast and Banc d'ArguinThis Atlantic coast drive follows Mauritania’s desert edge from Nouadhibou to the Banc d’Arguin region, where dunes, tidal flats, and empty beaches meet the sea. Expect a stark, wind-shaped landscape, fishing villages, and exceptional birdlife in one of West Africa’s most distinctive coastal parks.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit requiredLoop / circuit
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
NotableWaterfall WayWaterfall Way is one of northern New South Wales’ most rewarding short road trips, climbing from the coastal plains at Coffs Harbour into the cool New England tablelands near Armidale. The drive strings together rainforest, escarpment lookouts, and a run of dramatic waterfalls in national parks along a well-sealed, easy route.EV-friendly
NotableWhite Desert and Bahariya OasisThis desert road trip begins in Cairo and runs west to Bahariya Oasis, then into Egypt’s surreal White Desert, where chalk towers, mushroom rocks, and wind-carved plains glow gold at sunset. It combines a sealed highway approach with short, guided desert sections and overnight camping under clear Sahara skies.4WD onlyOff-road sectionsPermit required
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
NotableBaku to Shaki via LahijA one-way three-day westbound route from Baku through Shamakhi and Lahij to Gabala and Shaki, with a full final Shaki block.
NotableBangladesh River and Tea Country LoopA six-day Dhaka–Sylhet–Sreemangal loop with a transfer-only northbound day, a season-aware wetland or river outing, two proper tea-country days and a direct daylight return.Loop / circuit
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
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
NotableBohemian Paradise to South Bohemia Road TripA point-to-point three-day Czech route from Turnov/Hrubá Skála through Jičín and Třeboň to České Budějovice and Český Krumlov.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.
NotableDanube Bend and Balaton LoopA complete five-day Budapest loop through the Danube Bend, Esztergom, Balatonfüred/Tihany, Badacsony, Szigliget and Keszthely.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
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
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
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
NotableLake Ohrid Cross-Border LoopA complete three-day clockwise Lake Ohrid circuit from Ohrid through Saint Naum and Pogradec, returning via Lin and Struga.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
NotableLinha Verde, Coconut CoastBA-099 traces Brazil's most beautiful coastal highway from Salvador north through the "Estrada do Coco" and "Linha Verde", past sea turtle reserves, endless coconut-palm beaches, coral reefs at Praia do Forte, and the dune world of Mangue Seco immortalised in Jorge Amado's novel Tieta.EV-friendly
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
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
NotableSydney to Nelson BayNorth from Australia's largest city into the Port Stephens region, through dramatic dunes, palm-flanked waters, and the quiet coastal communities of Shoal Bay and Anna Bay before Nelson Bay's whale watching and waterfront promenade. The escape that Sydney doesn't talk about.EV-friendly
NotableTrincomalee to Arugam Bay: East CoastThree southbound days: Trincomalee and its Nilaveli marine outing, a direct transfer to Batticaloa, then the lagoon coast to Arugam Bay for the route’s surf finish.
NotableTrinidad North Coast RoadA focused daylight drive from Port of Spain to Maracas Bay, Las Cuevas, and Blanchisseuse along Trinidad’s classic North Coast Road. Toco lies on a separate northeastern corridor and is not part of this route.
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
NotableZeeland Delta Works: Renesse to VlissingenA north-to-south point-to-point route from Renesse and Brouwersdam over the Eastern Scheldt barrier to Veere, then across Walcheren to Vlissingen.EV-friendly
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
NotableCoral Coast Road, FijiAlong Viti Levu's southern flank on Queens Road, from Korotogo east to Pacific Harbour, tracing a coral reef that protects beautiful beaches facing an iridescent Coral Sea. Past Sigatoka's sand dunes, Sovi Bay's swimming beaches, and the traditional-style Vatukarasa village. Traffic drives on the left, in theory.
NotableEmilia-Romagna Food and Art CircuitA four-day Parma, Reggio, Modena and Bologna food route followed by a labeled Ferrara/Ravenna art detour.EV-friendlyLoop / circuit
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
NotableVale dos Vinhedos: Bento Gonçalves Wine DayThis relaxed loop through Serra Gaúcha links Bento Gonçalves, Garibaldi, and the vineyard-lined Vale dos Vinhedos, Brazil’s best-known wine district. Expect paved country roads, hillside estates, cellar doors, Italian-Brazilian food, and sweeping views of neatly planted vines and rolling green valleys.
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
NotableCockle Creek, TasmaniaA two-day Huon Valley journey: book Hastings Caves first, then continue through Southport and Recherche Bay to the unsealed southern road end at Cockle Creek. Cygnet is only an optional pre-route loop.
NotableCosta Esmeralda: Santo Antônio de Lisboa to BombinhasThis short Atlantic-coast drive links Florianópolis to Bombinhas through Santa Catarina’s Costa Esmeralda, with beach towns, offshore islands, and turquoise bays along the way. The route is paved and straightforward, best enjoyed as a leisurely summer escape with stops for swimming, seafood, and viewpoints.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
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
NotableLivradois-Forez, FranceThrough the Livradois-Forez Regional Park from Vichy's thermal waters south to the volcanic towers of Le Puy-en-Velay, via time-trapped Thiers (knife-making capital of France), creamy Ambert (birthplace of Fourme d'Ambert cheese), and the enigmatic abbey church of La Chaise-Dieu. Deeply provincial, deeply French.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
NotableMullerthal Little SwitzerlandA focused one-day Echternach–Mullerthal–Larochette circuit using a short named Schiessentümpel approach and one sandstone segment.EV-friendly
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
NotableThe CévennesA two-day classic corridor beginning at Florac, crossing the limestone causses and the gorges of the Tarn and Jonte, and ending at Millau and its landmark viaduct. The distant Saint-Jean-du-Gard approach is deliberately excluded from this paced version.EV-friendly
NotableAndalusian Flamenco Cities: Seville to GranadaA four-day curated route pairing verified flamenco experiences with Seville, Carmona, Córdoba and Granada.EV-friendly
NotableBelgian Ardennes RouteA realistic three-day Namur loop through Dinant, Han/Durbuy, La Roche, Bastogne and Bouillon.EV-friendly
NotableJahra and Western Kuwait Signed-Road DriveThe former border-directed Al Salmi route is retired. Its safer replacement is a limited-sightseeing, full-day signed-pavement drive from Kuwait City through Jahra onto western Route 70, reversing well before the frontier.Loop / circuit
NotableJahra Reserve and Mutlaa Signed-Road LoopA deliberately conservative Kuwait day loop to a prebooked Jahra Reserve visit and signed public roads south of Mutlaa. Undefined frontier viewpoints, off-road ridge driving and the Boubyan detour have been removed.EV-friendlyPermit 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
NotableRiga to Cape Kolka Coastal RouteA two-day Riga-to-Cape Kolka paved-coast route via Jūrmala, Ķemeri, Engure/Mērsrags and an official Slītere trail.EV-friendly
NotableSabah Highway 500: Kota Kinabalu to TambunanA clearly locatable Crocker Range crossing from Kota Kinabalu through Penampang to Tambunan, built around one realistic principal nature stop.
NotableSalento Coast, PugliaA two-day Adriatic-to-Ionian Salento coast run from Otranto through Castro and Leuca to Gallipoli.EV-friendly
NotableMoldova's Monastery RouteOrheiul Vechi above the Răut, followed by the cliff and wooded-valley monasteries of the Dniester/Rezina corridor.