There is no better way to get to know a country than to drive its roads in person. Freedom of movement and independence depends only on us, because we built the route ourselves! When traveling, a country opens up with all its pros and cons, and this is also a very valuable experience.

We are used to traveling by car in Russia, because we have our own car. When do you travel abroad? There's nothing complicated. You just need to rent a car from one of the large rental companies, choosing the option that suits you. We did this in the USA, in Thailand and in many other countries. We also rented a motorbike more than once - in Cambodia. Myanmar, Laos and even.

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To rent a car, you should know in advance how many days you will be traveling for. This means you need to create a travel itinerary. It is precisely these routes along the most beautiful roads in the world that I will tell you about.

I’ll start with the most beautiful roads I have personally tested, which we have already driven along ourselves. And then I’ll tell you about those that we hope to conquer in our next travels. And, of course, I will simply list the most interesting roads in the world, which are considered very beautiful according to many travelers.

1. Grand Circle in the southwestern United States

One of the most unforgettable trips in the USA is a trip to the Wild West and through the national parks of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and California. Here you can see the most unimaginable geological wonders: stone bridges and huge monuments standing in the middle of the desert, vast, fabulous, unforgettable hikes among the hoodoos and the lowest and driest place in the States - the Badwater salt marsh in Death Valley.

Utah National Parks + Grand Canyon

• Route 1: from Los Angeles (or from Las Vegas) through national parks and natural attractions of the USA (3500 km / 2 weeks):
  • Monument Valley

• Route 2: from Las Vegas through Utah National Parks - The Mighty 5 (1700 km / 5 days)
  • Zion
  • Bryce Canyon
  • Canyonlands

Helpful advice: if you include some, such as and, in your travel itinerary, then your tour of the USA will be even more grandiose.

Read more:

Zion Park - part of the Grand Circle

2. From Los Angeles to San Francisco on Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean (Pacific Coast Highway)

The most beautiful road in California along the Pacific coast, Route 1, Pacific Highway, Pacific Coast Highway - all this is the dream of any romantic. Take a breeze along the ocean, passing legendary beaches and small California towns. Would you dare? We do!

• Route: — — — — — — —
• Mileage: 1055 km
• When to go: in spring (to catch wild flowers blooming), summer or early autumn.
• Duration of the trip: 3 days
• Attractions: , Bixby Bridge and another beautiful road - on the Pacific coast in Monterey.

More details about the route:

On the beaches of Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway

3. Drive a car around the island of Oahu in Hawaii (O’ahu Scenic Drive)

Oahu is the capital island of the state of Hawaii, where most of the tourists fly. And yet, the island is desperately beautiful and there is a lot to see. The main thing is not to relax too long on the main beach of Waikiki, but rather take a car and go explore the island. Fly.

• Route: from Honolulu to anywhere.
• When to go: good time in high season (December to March), but it is better to go in the off-season: from mid-April to mid-June and from September to mid-December. I went just at the beginning of June and I confirm: there are not very many people, and the weather is excellent!
• Duration of the trip: 4-6 days
• Beautiful roads: Pali Highway (Hwy 61), Kamehameha Highway (Hwy 83), Kalaniana'ole Highway (Hwy 72)
• Attractions:(Diamond Head), Kailua Beach Park, Kualoa Regional Park, Waimea Bay, old Nu'uanu pali cliff road.

Old road to the Nu'uanu pali cliff on the island of Oahu, Hawaii

4. Mae Hong Son Loop in Thailand (Mae Hong Son Loop)

Thailand has long been a mecca for beach holidays. But is it possible to see the real Thailand on the beaches? No. For cultural pleasure, you need to go to the north, where authentic life remains. We lived here for a long time and therefore I talk about it with special love.

Driving a rented car around Northern Thailand

• Route: - Pai - Mae Hong Son - Mae Sariang - Chiang Mai.
• Mileage: 600 km
• When to go: December - February, during the cool season.
• Duration of the trip: from 3 to 5 days
• Beautiful roads: mountain road 1095 from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son (762 turns), highways 107 and 108.
• Attractions: numerous hot springs in the city, Tam Lod cave in Soppong, tea village, temples in, WWII museum in, Tung Bua Thong sunflower field, the highest waterfall in Thailand, national park

Read more:

Authentic Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai city

Viewpoint along Road 1095 along Mae Hong Son Loop

5. Canadian Rockies & Lakes

We have already visited the Rocky Mountains of the United States - we went to the national park and were amazed by the pure beauty of nature in , so now we want to see what is there on the other side of the border. I constantly see Canadian photos with lakes and mountains everywhere. And what beautiful roads there are!

So this part of Canada is a must-visit, and I’ve already prepared. I offer you two options for routes that will take you not only through the mountains, but also through prairies and picturesque valleys with clear lakes.

Moraine Lake in Canada

Route 1 in the Canadian Rockies in the states of British Columbia and Alberta:

• Journey: Calgary – Banff – Lake Louise – Jasper – Edmonton – Elk Island National Park – Calgary
• Mileage: 1200 km
• When to go: summer or early autumn. In autumn, colorful colors appear, but the number of tourists in the parks, on the contrary, decreases
• Duration of the trip: 1 Week
• Attractions: Banff National Park, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake.

Route 2 across Canada's badlands, prairies and lakes from Calgary to Toronto:

• Journey: Calgary – Drumheller – Dinosaur Provincial Park – Head-Smashed-in-Buffalo-Jump – Moose Jaw – Regina – Saskatoon – Winnipeg – Thunder Bay – Algonquin Park – Sault Ste. Marie – Wawa – Toronto
• Mileage: 4500 km
• When to go: also in summer or early autumn
• Duration of the trip: 2 – 3 weeks

If you combine both of these routes, you can generally travel around Canada for 3.5 weeks or even a whole month. By the way, entrance to Canada's national parks is paid and it is more convenient to buy a pass in advance (like) on the Parks Canada website.

6. Australian Outback

Seeing the deserts of Australia has been my long-time dream! As soon as I saw Mount Uluru while flipping through a magazine and reading an article about the wonders of nature, I realized that I wanted to visit Australia primarily for this amazing geological formation, which is located in the very heart of the Southern continent.

Map of beautiful roads in Australia: Alice Springs - Kings Canyon - Uluru

• Route: Alice Springs – King’s Canyon – Uluru – Alice Springs
• Mileage: 1200 km
• When to go: March to May (ideally April) to avoid heat, rain and crowds of tourists.
• Duration of the trip: 5-7 days
• Attractions: Uluru, The Olgas (Kata Tjuta) mountains, beautiful sunsets, kangaroos and dingoes

Great Ocean Road in Australia

7. Great Ocean Road

Another reason to come to Australia is the Great Ocean Road in Victoria from Torquay ( Torquay) to Allansford ( Allansford) along the edge of the Southern Continent. This scenic road, built in 1932, is considered an Australian national treasure.

• Mileage: 243 km.
• When to go: Australian summer or autumn (November to March)
• Duration of the trip: 2-3 days
• Attractions: Port Campbell National Park and its highlights - the Twelve Apostles rocks, Shipwreck Coast, Loch Ard Gorge, The Grotto.

8. Dalton Highway in Alaska

A journey beyond the Arctic Circle through wild Alaska, from south to north. We have already traveled to the very north of Russia, to the Murmansk region and saw the Arctic Ocean. Now I want to make the same journey through Alaska, the largest and most uninhabited state in the USA. Besides, I already managed to visit, and it was very interesting, so I want to resume my adventures in Alaska!

Dorona Dalton Highway is the route from Fairbanks to Deadhorse, but it is more convenient to fly into Anchorage and drive from there.

Road from Anchorage to northern Alaska

• Route: Anchorage - Fairbanks - Deadhorse
• Mileage: 1400 one way
• When to go: in summer, and better in August, during the polar nights. By the way, the northern lights can also be seen starting in August.
• Duration of the trip: 5 days for travel + time for national parks (from 3 to 6 days).
• Attractions: Denali National Park with the highest mountain in the USA, Gateway to the Arctic National Park, Arctic Circle Sign.

Chuisky Trakt. Altai, Russia

Here are some more beautiful roads where you can go on your own by car:

• Chuysky tract- the most beautiful road in Russia in Altai. My friend rode it on a bicycle and says that she has never seen more beautiful expensive ones;
• Atlantic Road in Norway— road along the islands through the sea;
• Road through the Pampas in Argentina— along road 40 from the very north to the south.

And these are roads that you can’t drive your own cars yet, but you need to book a tour:

• Pamir Highway— from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan
• Altiplano of Bolivia- from the largest salt marsh in the world along volcanoes and picturesque lagoons with flamingos.

There are more than 160,000 miles of high-quality highways in the United States. If you are planning a trip to America, you can choose any route, I am sure you will like it. But if you want something more, add one of these legendary routes. Or better yet, several at once.

If you ask me now what trip interests me the most, I will say - a road trip around the USA. From east to west, from one ocean to another, and then back. In a powerful American car, of course. I am interested in the cultures of different countries, but for some reason the American one is closer and more understandable than others. I am sure that very soon this long-term dream will become a reality and my personal reports from American roads will appear on this blog.

1. Route 66

Perhaps the most famous highway in the United States, one of the first American highways, also known as “America's Main Street” or “Mother of Roads”. Route 66 opened in November 1926, but gained particular fame and iconic status after World War II.

Route 66 played an important role in the American migration to the West in the 1930s.

Highway 66 originally began in Chicago and ended in Los Angeles, covering a total of 3,940 kilometers. Over its long history, the highway has undergone multiple reconstructions in different sections, and in 1985 it officially ceased to exist. Some sections of the road have received historical heritage status. It is now a piece of American history and an iconic landmark.

2.Pacific Coast Highway

SR 1 runs along much of the Pacific Coast of California. The length of the road is 883 kilometers. Famous for being along one of the most picturesque coastlines in the world.

The Pacific Coast Highway is the most popular tourist route in the state of California. This route is usually never crowded and there are many viewpoints. From January to April you can watch whales from the road.

One of the most famous destinations along this route is the Big Sur region, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise majestically from the ocean.

3. Extraterrestrial Highway

Nevada State Route 375 is a relatively short and lightly traveled highway that is closely associated with alien myths. It is in the immediate vicinity of this highway that the most secret military base in the world is located - the famous Area 51. The impressive secrecy of the base, the very existence of which the government has only reluctantly admitted, has made it the subject of numerous conspiracy theories, especially about unidentified flying objects.

In 1996, authorities even gave this highway a second official name: Extraterrestrial Highway, which means “Extraterrestrial Highway.” After all, marketing is in the blood of Americans.

4. Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail is a historic road built in the 1830s. The road connected the Missouri River valley with valleys in modern Oregon, and was suitable for wagon travel. This is the oldest of the roads connecting the Great Plains with the western United States. The Oregon Trail played a huge role in the development of the Wild West.

These days, of course, the Oregon Trail is inaccessible to motor vehicles and is a historical landmark.

To visit these places, you need to follow one of the modern parallel routes, for example Intersate 80, which in the West of the country roughly follows the historical Oregon Trail, right down to the same towns.

5. Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace is a 665 km long historical trail in the southeastern United States, connecting the cities of Natchez and Nashville. Over thousands of years, a chain of trails of migrating animals formed here - deer, bison and the following predators - foxes, coyotes, wolves, and then people (the first Indians). European discoverers began to actively use this trail following the Indians.

The modern paved Natchez Trace Parkway spans three states: Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama, most of it along or in close proximity to the historic route.

6. Blue Ridge Parkway

This beautiful route runs along the Blue Ridge mountain range in the eastern United States, and unites two national parks. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a tourist highway known for its beautiful views. Its total length is 755 kilometers.

Construction of the road took about 52 years; the last segment was completed in 1987. The route includes a series of mountain tunnels - one in Virginia and twenty-five in North Carolina. Often, areas near the tunnels are closed for the winter - due to low temperatures and lack of sunlight, ice actively accumulates here. Blue Ridge is especially beautiful in the fall.

7. Going-to-the-Sun Road

The scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road crosses Glacier National Park, located in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. Built in 1932.

The road is closed most of the year. Going-to-the-sun is considered America's toughest road to clear snow. Before the season opens, it takes 10 weeks to clear the road. Despite the use of technology, it is not possible to walk more than 150 meters a day. At Logan Pass, the snow cover reaches 24 meters.

There are many beautiful roads in the world that pass over steep cliffs, hot deserts and river ice, wind through tropical forests and connect small islands in the ocean. We bring to your attention the top 10 most beautiful roads in the world. Traveling along these roads gives you a boost of energy and fills you with optimism.

Immigrant Highway (Brazil)

A true masterpiece of Brazilian road construction originates in the state of Sao Paulo - the Immigrant Highway with 44 viaducts, 7 bridges and 11 tunnels.

The length of the highway is 58.5 km. It offers magnificent views of the Atlantic rainforest and coastal mountain range.

Chuysky tract (Russia)

The Chuysky tract originates in Novosibirsk and stretches to the Mongolian border.

Traveling along the highway, you simultaneously move both in space and time. Particularly picturesque sections of the tract lie in the Altai Republic. The total length of the route is 963 km.

Route de Gentelly (France)

The D2 highway, located in the Alpes-Maritimes of France, is considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world.

On this road there are steep turns, serpentines, majestic stone arches, and picturesque valleys stretch far below.

Road to Heaven (China)

In the Chinese province of Hunan there is a very beautiful but dangerous Road to Heaven, also known as the Big Gate Road.

This is the steepest serpentine road in the world with a length of 11 km. The track has 99 turns and rises 1.3 km above sea level.

Atlantic Road (Norway)

The Atlantic Road in Norway seems to jump from island to island.

This road, located in the Møre og Romsdal region, is 8.5 km long. There are 6 bridges and several tunnels on it. This road is especially impressive in the fall, when storms rage beneath it.

Los Caracoles Pass (Chile-Argentina)

To get from Argentina to Chile, you need to drive through the Los Caracoles pass in the Andes.

The pass is snowy almost the entire year. On it, the traveler will encounter many steep climbs, slopes and turns. Despite the extreme appearance, the road is relatively safe.

Great Circle of the Colorado Plateau (USA)

When traveling around the United States, be sure to visit the Great Circle Road on the Colorado Plateau.

It is located west of the Rocky Mountains in the American Wild West. Passes through the famous Monument Valley and Arches Park.

(Madagascar)

Avenue of the Baobabs (Madagascar)

One of the most visited attractions in Madagascar is the Avenue of the Baobabs, which connects the cities of Morondava and Belonie Tziribiina.

The alley is a dirt road surrounded by majestic baobab trees. The stunning landscape of the area attracts tourists from all over the world.

Winter road to Tuktoyaktuk (Canada)

Second place in our top 10 rightfully belongs to the winter road in Canada. This is one of the most beautiful and unusual roads in the world.

It runs along the bed of the Mackenzie River and connects the remote province of Tuktoyaktuk with civilization. The road opens in November and operates only in winter.

Flower Bulb Road (Holland)

One of the most beautiful roads in the world is located in the Dutch community of Noordostopolder, in the province of Flevoland.

This more than 100 km long road passes through 2,500 acres of blooming tulips. However, you can enjoy tulips here only during their flowering period, from mid-April to the end of May.

Contemplating the most beautiful roads in the world, you understand how diverse and beautiful our world is. Often beautiful places are close to us, but we don’t notice them. To live and breathe deeply, you need to learn to see the greatness of nature and enjoy it through the prism of gray everyday life.

A faithful iron horse and a smooth strip of asphalt under the wheels - what else could an avid travel lover dream of? However, sometimes you can close your eyes even to the absence of the second one, in the case when the beauty of nature spreading on the sides and in front covers all the inconveniences from road irregularities.

You've probably seen more than once selections of the most beautiful roads from around the world and dreamed of driving along them someday. But few people know that there are truly picturesque routes in Russia. Connecting the most remote regions of our country, they run through dense forests, endless steppes and harsh taiga. Try to drive along each of them, and for the rest of your life you will provide yourself with unforgettable impressions of the views of the landscapes surrounding these routes.

1. Highway M-18 “Kola”

The R-21 (M-18) “Kola” route originates in St. Petersburg and stretches to the village of Borisoglebsky on the very border with Norway. The further north the road goes, the more beautiful the landscape around it becomes: the taiga with pine and spruce trees gradually gives way to forest-tundra, and there are many serpentines, passes and lakes of glacial origin. And ahead, the Khibiny Mountains emerge more and more clearly in the haze.

2. Karelia. Road A-135

The A-135 Kem - Kalevala - Lonka road begins in the city of Kem, located on the shores of the White Sea, and ends at the checkpoint on the Russian-Finnish border. Unpaved sections of the road with “blind” turns, unexpected hills behind which oncoming traffic is absolutely invisible and much more can be forgiven for this road just by looking at the opening views of forest thickets and lakes.

3. Kalmykia. Road Volgograd – Elista – Stavropol

Everyone should definitely take a look at this route. In the spring of April-May, the lifeless steppe that stretches along the sides of the highway (to be honest, in some places it is in terrible condition) transforms literally before our eyes and amazes with a riot of colors. A fantastically colored carpet of herbs fills the air with the aroma of countless blooming tulips.

4. Western Caucasus. Route A-147

The federal highway M-27 Dzhubga - Adler is one of the most beautiful roads in our country. The closer you are to the sea, the more picturesque views of mountains, serpentines, vineyards, beaches and other landscapes of the Krasnodar region open up.

5. Georgian Military Road A-161

The “Heavenly Gorge Road,” completed at the end of the 18th century, played a major role in the development of economic ties between Russia and Transcaucasia. It runs through the Main Caucasus Range and connects Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia with the capital and largest city of Georgia - Tbilisi. The road passes through numerous passes and suddenly descends steeply into the gorge of the Aragvi River. Along the entire length of the route there are Georgian cathedrals, fortresses and watchtowers.

6. Kabardino-Balkaria. Route A-158

The A-158 “Baksan – Elbrus” road, if you haven’t been on it yet, will definitely give you a lot of new impressions. The route crosses the Kabardian Valley and passes through the narrow Baksan Gorge. Then, having overcome a climb of almost 2.5 thousand meters, you will find yourself almost at the foot of the famous Elbrus volcano.

7. Northern Urals. Serovsky tract

Rolling through the forested Ural Mountains, paving the way between rivers and swamps, the Serovsky Highway rushes from Yekaterinburg north to the city of Serov. To Nizhny Tagil, the road consists of two separate one-way roads. Sometimes they diverge quite far from each other, separated by forests and mountains, and near Tagil they finally converge into one narrow route.

8. Mountain Altai. Highway M-52

The Chuysky tract is the main transport artery of Altai and at the same time one of the most beautiful roads in Russia. The route runs through the entire Altai Mountains, showing local landscapes in all their splendor. The road winds its way all the way to the border with Mongolia and, gradually, alpine meadows and snow-capped mountain peaks give way to deserted, boundless steppes that will take your breath away.

9. Khakassia. Highway M-54

The section of the M-54 highway from Abakan, the capital of the Republic of Khakassia, to Kyzyl and further to the border with Mongolia is known under the historical name of the Usinsky tract. The road runs through the pristine wild, virtually untouched by man, Sayan Mountains, in places descending into the almost bare steppe. The contrast is amazing!

10. Kamchatka. Road Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Ust-Kamchatsk

The Kamchatka Peninsula is a unique area on the map of Russia. This is a zone of modern volcanism; there are 30 active volcanoes and about 300 extinct ones. Unfortunately, most of the picturesque places in Kamchatka are extremely difficult to get to due to the almost complete absence of roads. The main Kamchatka route, 600 km long from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Ust-Kamchatsk, passes next to Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the highest volcano in Eurasia (4750 m).