Ever since the Romans paved those early pathways, the call of the road has beckoned many a traveler’s soul. Its a metaphor for life, with its many twists and turns, bumps and bottlenecks, detours and lane changes. The best scenic road trips are not so much about the destination but the journey en route. Check out these incredible mountain, desert, salt and sand roads, where the road itself is as cool as the scenery around it. Here are 15 of the most stunning, daunting or unusual road trips around the world, plus some inspiring road quotes to fuel your wanderlust. Where will the road take you this year?
1. Chapman’s Peak Drive, South Africa
Chapman’s Peak Drive near Cape Town is a 9km route that winds down from Hout Bay and meanders to Noordhoek. This cliff-hugging road is considered one of the most breathtaking drives in South Africa, if not the world.
All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.
Earl Nightengale
2. Karakoram Highway, Pakistan
This engineering marvel is the highest paved international road in the world. It links China and Pakistan, through the spectacular Khunjerab Pass (at 4,693m) in the Karakoram mountain range. The fabled route is a feather in the cap of extreme cyclists as well as adventurous road trippers.
There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way and not starting.
Buddah
3. Atlanterhavsvegen Road, Norway
Norway’s Atlantic Ocean Road traverses an archipelago of tiny islands in the Norwegian Sea to connect Averøy with the mainland at Eide. There are eight bridges along the windswept 8km route, elegantly snaking their way from one islet to the next like a sea serpent.
If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.
Lewis Carroll
4. Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina
You’ll be hard-pressed to keep your eyes on the road as you drive through the mountains of Patagonia. It’s no wonder the dramatic peaks, valleys and glaciers of the region have been declared a World Heritage site.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by.
Robert Frost
5. Tuscany, Italy
For a more bucolic drive, you can’t beat the Tuscan countryside. The area around Monticchiello is renowned for its windy roads lined with stately cypress trees, meandering though lush fields, olive groves, grape vines and picture-perfect villages.
All roads lead to Rome.
Old proverb
6. Stuart Highway, Australia
This legendary desert road takes you on a fair dinkum trip straight up the center of the Australian outback, from Port Augusta through Alice Springs and up to Darwin. Feast your eyes on endless red dust, spinifex grasses, the occasional lonely road house and plenty of kangaroos.
Life is one big road with lots of signs.
Bob Marley
7. Tianmen Mountain, China
If you’re prone to car sickness, you may want to skip these hairpin twists up Tianmen Mountain in China’s Northwestern Hunan province. But if your stomach can handle it, the views along the 11km route up to 1,300m in 99 scenic switchbacks make one of the world’s most spectacular road trips.
The long and winding road…
The Beatles
8. Valley of Fire, Nevada
A trip through Valley of Fire is as cool as the name sounds. Well, it can be pretty hot, too. Daytime summer temperatures can soar to 120°F, but the red sandstone formations and 3,000 year-old Indian petroglyphs along the way are well worth driving through the inferno. The road is 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas via Interstate 15 and on exit 75.
On the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again.
Willie Nelson
9. Amalfi Coast, Italy
Another Italian road for the bucket list is the corniche drive along the romantic Amalfi coast. The Mediterranean cliffside views through terraced towns like Amalfi, Positano, and Ravello are phenomenal. The treacherous Italian drivers speeding through this challenging stretch, not so much.
No yesterdays on the road.
William Least Heat Moon
10. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
For a unique driving experience, head to this area in southwest Bolivia where the road is naturally paved in salt. The Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flats, with over 4,000 square miles of snow white crystals as far as the eye can see. When it rains, it transforms into an enormous mirror that is a photographer’s dream.
It’s a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
Seneca
11. Hairpin Road, Montenegro
When in Montenegro, you must take the scenic route from Kotor up Mt Lovcen to the old Royal Capital of Cetinje. The many death-defying hairpin turns parallel an old Balkan mule track that has been used as a supply line for centuries.
Still around a corner there may wait a new road or secret gate.
J. R. R. Tolkien
12. Irohazaka, Japan
Speaking of hairpin turns, this road near Nikko in central Honshu boasts 48 of them – one for each hirigana syllable in the Japanese “alphabet” (and labeled as such). Every season presents a stunning new vista up to Kegon Waterfall and Lake Chuzenji, but it shows off particularly well in its autumn splendor.
Everyday is a winding road.
Sheryl Crow
13. Guoliang Tunnel Road, China
What were the overly-ambitious visionaries who decided to tunnel a road on a sheer cliff face smoking? The resulting feat of engineering has produced extraordinary drive through Huixian county in Central China’s Henan province, with the road itself being the main attraction.
A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.
Jean de la Fontaine
14. 7 Mile Bridge, Florida
Guess how long this bridge in the Florida Keys is? It’s part of the Overseas Highway, a spectacular stretch of road that seems to endlessly hover over the ocean, making it one of the ultimate road trips in North America. You probably wouldn’t want to drive it during a hurricane, though.
We’re on the road to nowhere.
Talking Heads
15. Fraser Island, Australia
The world’s largest sandbar island is also one of the most thrilling to drive. The tracks to the various lakes and rain forest attractions are covered in sand, and the main highway is simply a 75 mile stretch of surfside beach. Don’t get too lax here, though, as regular road rules apply. This is strictly four wheel drive territory and not for novice drivers.
Life is a highway. I want to ride it all night long.
Tom Cochrane
For some more inspiring road trips, check out our suggestions in North America.