The 20 Most Beautiful Roads in the World

 

Do you love “On The Road” travel? Do you like to admire landscapes while traveling on two or four wheels? If the adventurist in you indulges in all the beauties our planet offers, you’ll love driving along the 20 most beautiful roads in the world built between breathtaking views and new peculiarities.

20. Leh-Manali Highway, India

Location: Rohtang Pass
Length: 479 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle

Given the almost 4,000 meters of altitude, it’s recommended to take the road that climbs along the Rohtang Pass, part of the Himalayas, by car or motorbike. Although there is a high risk of landslides, it’s worth taking the Leh-Manali Highway at least once in a lifetime to admire some of the most beautiful glaciers, rivers, and peaks in the world.

19. Highway 1, USA

Location: Big Sur, California
Length: 1,055 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle

A beautiful scenic highway that runs along the Pacific coast of the State of California. The road passes through very important American areas, such as Los Angeles County and San Francisco.

18. Snaefell Mountain Road, United Kingdom

Location: Isle of Man
Length: 60 km
How to travel: motorcycle

It’s a road circuit where the Tourist Trophy and the Manx Grand Prix, two of the oldest motorcycle races, take place. The road has over 200 curves, which is why it’s best to travel by motorcycle.

17. Chapman’s Peak Drive, South Africa

Location: Cape Town
Length: 9 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle, bike

This splendid road overlooks the sea, offering unforgettable views. It has over 114 curves why is why you must drive carefully. But, it’s certainly worth driving it.

16. Guoliang Tunnel Road, China

Location: Guoliang
Length: 1.2 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle

It’s a tunnel excavated along the walls of the Taihang Mountains, in the Henan province of China. This road is considered one of the most dangerous in the entire Republic of China and was built specifically to connect the isolated village of Guoliang to the rest of the world.

15. Strada della Forra, Italy

Location: Tremosine (Lake Garda), Italy
Length: 6 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle, bike

One of the most beautiful Italian roads, Strada della Forra (Road of the Gorge ) is an ancient road that was built about 100 years ago to connect the town of Tremosine, on the upper Garda lake in Brescia, to the coastal road. This road offers impressive views created by the effect of the rocks, which is why it attracts tourists from all over the world. It can get so crowded in peak periods that long queues are formed.

14. Pikes Peak, USA

Location: Pikes Peak, Colorado
Length: 20 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle

This road is known all over the world for the Hill Climb, a car and motorcycle hill climb. The top is located at 4,301 m of altitude and has 156 curves.

13. Overseas Highway, USA

Location: Florida Keys, Florida
Location: 205 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle

It’s a beautiful highway entirely built over the water, formerly serving as a railway line. Completed in 1912, the railway road was destroyed by a hurricane in 1935 and was later converted to a highway.

12. Col de Turini, France

Location: Val Bevera
Length: 24.3 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle, bike

The Turini Pass is a pass of the French Maritime Alps, with an altitude of 1,607 meters, which makes it accessible by bicycle. It’s also one of the most famous stages of the Tour de France.

11. SS 38 dello Stelvio, Italy

Location: Bormio
Length: 225 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle, bike

It’s a splendid mountain road of the Alps that connects the Valtellina, from Bormio with the Val Venosta. Closed in winter, the Stelvio Pass, at 2,758 above sea level, can be reached via SS 38 which offers emblematic views. Many campers also drive it.

10. Trollstigen, Norway

Location: Rauma
Length: 12,2 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle, bike

The mountain road declared “National Tourist Road” has 11 hairpin bends and 1 lane for almost the entire route. Vehicles over 12.4m can’t pass it although many hairpin bends have been extended in recent years.

9. Blue Ridge Parkway, USA

Location: Appalachian Mountains, Virginia – North Carolina
Length: 755 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle

A road known for its scenic beauty running along the Blue Ridge, the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the largest mountain ranges in the Appalachian Mountains. The landscapes and the surrounding area are managed by the National Parks system.

8. Great Ocean Road, Australia

Location: Allansford – Torquay
Length: 240 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle

A road that allows you to admire the unspoiled nature passing through romantic fishing villages, golden beaches, rainforests, national parks. It’s ideal for those who want to combine road travel and surfing.

7. Gorges of Dades, Morocco

Location: Dades Valley
Length: 50 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle, bike

Located about 200 km east of Marrakech, this road reaches the Dades Valley. It allows you to reach the Gorges of Dades, incredible canyons carved into the rock.

6. Taroko Gorge, Taiwan

Location: Taroko National Park
Length: 20 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle, bike

A mountain itinerary composed of incredible rock cutouts, with a narrow and winding road that joins the east coast to the west. The road crosses the Taroko Gorge and requires a lot of driving practice.

5. White Rim Road, USA

Location: Canyonlands National Park
Length: 112 km
How to travel: off-road vehicles, motorcycle, bike

A spectacular road that alternates dirt passages with more challenging ones. It’s accessible by off-road vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles, with a speed limit of 25 km/h. There’s no drinking water available in this area.

4. Atlantic Road, Norway

Location: Kristiansund – Molde
Length: 8 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle

Islets and rocks are connected by several causeways, viaducts, and bridges, creating a unique panorama. This is how the Atlantic Road in Norway looks. It was initially created as a railway road but it turned out to serve as a regular road accessible by cars and motorcycles.

3. Transfăgărășan, Romania

Location: Along the Carpathians, from Pitești to Arpașu de Jos
Length: 90 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle

Romania’s best-known Alpine road, which runs along the Carpathians. Along the way, you can admit fascinating glacial lakes. The Transalpina rises to a height of 2,100 meters.

2. Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road, UAE

Location: Al-Ain
Length: 11,7 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle, bike

A spectacular road to admire the sunsets in the late afternoon and become a real tourist destination of the Arab Emirates. The area covered in asphalt is in stark contrast to the surrounding rocky terrain. Many cyclists ride it to train, so beware!

1. Iroha-Zaka, Japan

Location: Tochigi Prefecture
Length: 8 km
How to travel: car, motorcycle, bike

In the first place among the most beautiful roads in the world, we find Iroha-Zaka, a winding road that offers a breathtaking view among the colorful landscapes of Japan. This route is very important for the Japanese as it was the road that Buddhist pilgrims traveled on their way to Lake Chuzenji.