Travel wisdom often reminds us that the journey matters more than the destination. While picturesque endpoints certainly have their appeal, some travel experiences offer such magnificent scenery, cultural interactions, and sensory delights along the way that arriving almost feels like an afterthought. These routes transform travel time from mere transportation into the most memorable part of the adventure, creating experiences that remain vivid long after the trip concludes.
Here is a list of 20 journeys around the world where the travel experience itself outshines even the most impressive destinations, proving that how you get there can be the true highlight of your adventure.
Pacific Coast Highway, California
Winding along dramatic cliffside curves, this iconic route showcases the meeting of land and sea in spectacular fashion for 650 miles between San Francisco and San Diego. Towering redwoods give way to misty beaches and charming coastal towns where travelers can pause to watch sea lions basking on offshore rocks.
The constantly changing vistas create a cinematic experience that makes drivers reluctant to reach their final destination, instead pulling over repeatedly to absorb scenes that epitomize the California dream.
Bernina Express, Switzerland
Red carriages wind through the Swiss Alps on this remarkable railway journey, crossing 196 bridges and passing through 55 tunnels between Chur and Tirano. Panoramic windows frame glaciers, alpine meadows, and remote villages while the train climbs nearly 7,400 feet before descending into Tirano in northern Italy.
Engineers designed the route to showcase mountain vistas rather than simply provide efficient transportation, creating a four-hour experience that passengers wish would never end.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina and Virginia
Autumn transforms this 469-mile mountain road into a tapestry of red, orange, and gold as it meanders through the Appalachian Highlands without a single traffic light interrupting the journey. Overlooks positioned at strategic intervals showcase layers of mountains disappearing into blue haze while trails lead to hidden waterfalls just steps from parking areas.
The deliberately slow design speed encourages appreciation of cultural heritage sites and natural wonders along what locals proudly call ‘America’s Favorite Drive.’
Milford Road, New Zealand
The approach to Milford Sound delivers such spectacular scenery that many travelers find themselves more impressed by the journey than the famous fjord destination. Alpine passes open to valleys carved by ancient glaciers, while stops at mirror lakes reflect snow-capped peaks in perfect symmetry.
The Homer Tunnel passage through a mountain creates a dramatic transition between landscapes on this route, where changeable weather transforms the same scenery hour by hour.
Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia
Traversing eight time zones across the world’s largest country, this legendary railway creates a moving portrait of changing landscapes and cultures over its week-long journey. Fellow passengers share stories and traditional foods in the communal dining car while endless birch forests and small villages pass outside picture windows.
The rhythm of the rails becomes hypnotic as travelers experience the vastness of Russia in a way impossible through any other mode of transport.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Great Ocean Road, Australia
Constructed by returning soldiers as a memorial to fallen comrades, this coastal route winds past towering limestone stacks rising dramatically from turbulent seas. Koalas watch from eucalyptus trees along rainforest sections, while historic shipwreck sites remind travelers of the dangerous waters that claimed countless vessels.
The constantly changing relationship between road and ocean creates an immersive experience, and drivers frequently abandon their itineraries to explore hidden beaches accessible via unmarked pullouts.
Hana Highway, Hawaii
Tropical splendor unfolds around 620 curves and across 59 bridges on this legendary road traversing the northeastern coast of Maui. Waterfalls cascade just steps from the roadway, while fruit stands offer just-picked mangoes and passion fruit from family farms along the route.
The journey intentionally slows travelers down, transforming what could be a quick trip into a full-day adventure with countless opportunities to connect with local culture and natural beauty.
Inside Passage, Alaska
Massive glacier-carved fjords create a protected waterway where cruise ships and ferries navigate between forested islands and snow-capped coastal mountains. Humpback whales breach beside vessels while eagles soar overhead and harbor seals observe passage from floating ice chunks.
The journey provides access to remote communities unreachable by road, where Native Alaskan cultures maintain traditions deeply connected to these waters—lifelines of both livelihood and transportation.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Overland Track, Tasmania
Six days of walking through varied wilderness landscapes connect Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair along this famous Australian hiking route. Alpine plateaus give way to temperate rainforests and button grass plains where wombats graze at dusk near rustic huts offering overnight shelter.
The physical challenge becomes meditative as days progress, creating a journey-focused experience where the endpoint serves primarily as the conclusion to a transformative process rather than a spectacular destination itself.
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Traversing the world’s largest salt flat creates an otherworldly journey where perspective disappears across an endless white horizon transforming into a mirror-like surface during the rainy season. Local guides navigate this surreal landscape, stopping at cactus-covered islands rising from the ancient dried lakebed.
The journey requires crossing remote highlands where flamingos gather in mineral-colored lagoons and geysers send steam into the thin high-altitude air, creating an expedition atmosphere before ever reaching formal destination points.
Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana
The engineering marvel meets natural splendor at this mountain crossing, which represents the highlight of most Glacier National Park visits. The road hugs cliffside contours while passing cascading waterfalls and crossing the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, where mountain goats often greet visitors.
Completion requires snow removal operations that can last into July, creating a limited seasonal window to experience this journey where each turned corner reveals new perspectives on some of America’s most dramatic mountain scenery.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
The Beartooth Highway, Wyoming and Montana
Charles Kuralt famously called this alpine highway ‘the most beautiful drive in America’ as it climbs nearly 11,000 feet through switchbacks offering increasingly expansive views. Snowfields persist year-round alongside summer wildflower meadows, where the harsh environment creates a compressed growing season of spectacular blooming.
The journey represents destination in its purest form, with most travelers making the route an out-and-back experience rather than merely passing through en route to somewhere else.
The Ghan, Australia
Red earth stretches to the horizon as this legendary train traverses the continent from Adelaide to Darwin through Australia’s dramatic outback heart. The route follows ancient Aboriginal trading paths and the trail blazed by Afghan camel drivers who first connected these distant regions.
Scheduled stops allow passengers to experience the vastness of the outback and connect with indigenous cultural sites along a route where the hypnotic landscape becomes a meditative experience watched from air-conditioned comfort.
Ring Road, Iceland
Circumnavigating this island nation creates a journey past cascading waterfalls, geothermal wonders, and black sand beaches, all showcasing Iceland’s raw and untamed beauty. Icelandic horses graze in fields beside glacial rivers while the midnight sun creates endless photography opportunities during summer months.
The sense of completing a full circuit connects travelers with the entirety of this remarkably diverse landscape, where volcanic forces continue shaping terrain that feels simultaneously ancient and newborn.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Norway’s Coastal Ferry
More working transportation than a cruise ship, this daily ferry service connects remote coastal communities along Norway’s spectacularly convoluted coastline from Bergen to Kirkenes. The vessels navigate narrow fjords where mountains rise directly from the sea while delivering mail and supplies to tiny villages accessible only by water.
Local passengers disembark at wooden docks while travelers continue the multi-day journey, witnessing the changing cultural and geographic landscape of Norway’s maritime communities at a pace impossible to experience by road.
Denali Park Road, Alaska
Wildlife viewing opportunities distinguish this 92-mile journey into the heart of Alaska’s premier national park, where private vehicles can travel only the first 15 miles. Grizzly bears forage on hillsides while caribou herds cross vast valleys beneath North America’s tallest peak when clouds permit its viewing.
The journey intentionally limits access, creating a wilderness experience where nature dictates the timeline and each excursion follows a unique and unpredictable script determined by animal movements and weather conditions.
The Karakoram Highway, Pakistan to China
Ancient Silk Road caravans established this trading route through one of earth’s most dramatic mountain landscapes, now traversed by a highway connecting two civilizations across the roof of the world. The road passes through tribal regions where cultural traditions remain intact despite centuries of traders passing through these same valleys.
The journey reaches its dramatic apex at Khunjerab Pass, one of the highest paved international border crossings at 15,397 feet, where travelers experience breathlessness from both altitude and scenery.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Route 66, United States
Nostalgia and Americana define this historic route connecting Chicago to Santa Monica through the changing landscapes of America’s heartland and southwest. Roadside attractions from a bygone era still welcome travelers while mom-and-pop diners serve regional specialties that tell cultural stories through food. The journey captures changing architectural styles, natural environments, and cultural attitudes across a nation where the road itself became shorthand for freedom and possibility in the American imagination.
The Danube Cycle Path, Europe
Pedaling along Europe’s second-longest river creates a journey through millennia of history and changing cultural landscapes from Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea. The predominantly flat route passes medieval towns and terraced vineyards while castle ruins watch from hillsides above peaceful riverside pathways.
The human-powered pace allows an intimate connection with changing architectural styles, languages, and cuisines along a waterway that has connected European cultures since prehistoric times.
Inca Trail, Peru
Following ancient stone pathways through cloud forests and mountain passes creates a physical journey matched by the intellectual discovery of the engineering marvels created by Inca civilization. Local porters share cultural knowledge while preparing regional foods as travelers connect with a landscape considered sacred for millennia.
The famous sunrise arrival at Machu Picchu actually serves as the denouement to a journey where each day brings archaeological wonders viewed from perspectives impossible for day visitors to experience.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Journey As Destination
These extraordinary routes demonstrate that travel at its best blurs the line between process and destination, creating experiences where movement through landscape becomes the primary purpose rather than merely a necessary step toward arrival.
The most memorable journeys engage all senses while allowing travelers to adjust their pace according to discoveries along the way. When transportation becomes an experience rather than a mere necessity, travelers notice details, engage with local cultures, and create memories that remain vivid long after reaching their nominal destinations.
More from Travel Pug
- Cities Growing so Fast You Won’t Recognize Them in 10 Years
- 13 Destinations Where Tourists Regularly Regret Their Trip
- 20 Obscure WWII Sites Even History Buffs Don’t Know About
- 10 Under-the-Radar Mountain Towns That Are Both Affordable and Beautiful
- Remote Villages in Europe Where You Can Live for Free in Exchange for Work
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.