Europe gets most of the road trip press — the Amalfi Coast, the Route des Grandes Alpes, the North Coast 500. And they deserve it. But some of the world's most extraordinary driving lies beyond European borders, on roads that most travellers never think to explore by car. Here are seven that deserve to be on every serious road tripper's list.
1. The Icefields Parkway, Canada 🇨🇦
232 km, Banff to Jasper, Alberta
Canada's Highway 93 North — the Icefields Parkway — is commonly cited as the most scenic road in North America, and the claim is hard to dispute. The road runs between two UNESCO World Heritage National Parks (Banff and Jasper) past glaciers that are visible from the road, through turquoise glacial lakes of impossible colour, and alongside mountains that seem too dramatic to be real.
Allow two to three days rather than the four hours the distance would suggest. The Columbia Icefield Skywalk, Athabasca Glacier, Peyto Lake and Bow Lake each deserve an hour. Hire from Calgary Airport. Bears and elk regularly cross the road — drive slowly and at speed limits.
2. The Carretera Austral, Chile/Argentina 🇨🇱
1,240 km, Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins
The Carretera Austral is Patagonia's great road — mostly gravel, often remote, and passing through landscapes of hanging glaciers, emerald fjords and empty forests that feel genuinely untouched by modernity. The road was built by Pinochet's army from 1976 onwards and even today some sections require river ferry crossings with no bridge alternative.
Allow 10–14 days minimum. A high-clearance 4WD is essential. The Queulat Hanging Glacier, the marble caves of Puerto Río Tranquilo and the Reserva Nacional Cerro Castillo are highlights. Hire from Puerto Montt.
3. The Hai Van Pass, Vietnam 🇻🇳
21 km, Da Nang to Hue
Vietnam's most famous mountain road is only 21 km long, but packs in ocean panoramas, jungle hillsides, French colonial watchtowers and the dramatic moment the climate changes from central to northern Vietnam. The old pass road was bypassed by a tunnel in 2005 — don't take the tunnel. The original road is still open and one of Southeast Asia's finest short drives.
Best driven from Da Nang early morning. The light on the bay below is extraordinary at sunrise. Continue north to Hue (45 km beyond the pass) for the Imperial Citadel and tombs.
4. The Skeleton Coast, Namibia 🇳🇦
500+ km, Swakopmund north to the Skeleton Coast Park
Namibia has some of Africa's best self-drive roads — well-maintained gravel highways, almost no traffic, and some of the world's most extraordinary desert landscapes. The Skeleton Coast drive north from Swakopmund passes shipwrecked vessels half-buried in dunes, Cape fur seal colonies numbering in the thousands, and the eerie silence of the oldest desert on earth.
A 4WD is essential. The Skeleton Coast National Park (northern section) requires permits obtained in advance. Hire from Windhoek or Swakopmund. The coastal road south from Swakopmund through Walvis Bay to Lüderitz is equally remarkable.
5. The Ring Road, Iceland 🇮🇸
1,332 km, full circuit from Reykjavik
Iceland's Route 1 circles the entire island, connecting waterfalls, glaciers, black beaches, geothermal fields and fishing villages in a single continuous loop. It's achievable in 7 days at pace or 14 days if you want to truly explore the side roads (which you should). No road trip in the world delivers this density of extraordinary natural spectacle per kilometre.
The Westfjords and the Eastfjords are side trips that most Ring Road visitors skip and shouldn't. Hire from Keflavík Airport. A 4WD is not required for the Ring Road in summer, but strongly recommended for anything else.
6. The Pacific Coast Highway, USA 🇺🇸
655 km, San Francisco to Los Angeles on Highway 1
California's Highway 1 is the world's most famous coastal road — Big Sur's cliff-hanging single lane, the sea-stack beaches of Pfeiffer, the elephant seal colony at San Simeon and the perfect beach towns of Morro Bay and Santa Barbara. Allow four to five days to do it justice rather than the technical minimum of two.
The road regularly closes due to landslides or bridge damage (check dot.ca.gov before going). Hire from San Francisco. Note that Bixby Bridge and Big Sur are extremely popular — arrive early or accept the selfie crowds.
7. The Milford Road, New Zealand 🇳🇿
119 km, Te Anau to Milford Sound
The final approach to Milford Sound — through the Homer Tunnel and down the sheer-sided Cleddau Valley — is arguably the most dramatic road arrival in the world. The journey from Te Anau through Fiordland National Park is itself extraordinary, passing mirror lakes, alpine meadows and some of the highest annual rainfall on earth (which feeds the hundreds of waterfalls visible from the road when it rains).
Start early from Queenstown to reach Milford before the tour coaches arrive. The sound at 7am, with mist on the water and no other people, is among the world's great travel experiences.