10 beautiful Highways in India packed with beautiful sights to see in 2021!

KS Bakshi
5 min readJul 7, 2021

The roads are said to be the most beautiful part of traveling because when it comes to counting the moments experienced, the journeys generate more memories than the destination itself. Road trips are mainly expected by those travel enthusiasts who like to live with a backpack. So, if you are a road trip buff who lives to experience the best of the outdoors in India, plan a tour along these beautiful Indian roads.

The roads leading to some of the darkest yet most amazing places in India encompass breathtaking landscapes and lure homeless people on long and endless journeys. Despite all the caution these roads require, they duly return them with some picture-perfect views and breathtaking locations. Nilgiris and ECR in South India, Himalayas in North, Mumbai-Goa in West are the highlights of the best roads in India. Take a look at these 9 most beautiful roads in India.

10 beautiful roads in India

If you are a road trip enthusiast, fasten your seat belts, both literally and figuratively! Because here is our list of the most beautiful roads in India. Check out these 10 highways in India that offer the most panoramic views. Quickly see which roads you have missed!

Rameshwaram Pamban Bridge
Chennai to Pondicherry
Visakhapatnam to Araku Valley
Highway from Mumbai to Pune
Mumbai to Goa
Gangtok to Tsomgo Lake and Nathu-La Pass
Guwahati to Tawang
Shillong to Cherrapunjee
Manali to Leh Highway
Bangalore to Ooty

1. Rameshwaram Pamban Bridge

The Pamban Bridge is in fact a man-made marvel connecting the Indian mainland to the island of Rameswaram. Also known as Madurai Rameshwaram Highway, the Pamban Bridge and Highway allows you to take the most beautiful drive in India. The road is flat and straight and most of the route is surrounded by sea on both sides. Of course you don’t want this to stop!

Highway: NH 49
Bridge length: 2,065 m
Cities Covered: Mandapam, Pamban Island and Rameswaram

2. Chennai to Pondicherry

The Chennai-Pondicherry Highway, popularly known as the East Coast Road, is a route for the most discerning travelers. Running parallel to the expansive Bay of Bengal, the highway will delight any traveler. The journey epitomized by perfect ocean view, cool sea breeze and endless stretch of pine trees is the preferred road to drive from Chennai to Pondicherry. It is arguably one of the best roads in India.

Road: East Coast Road
Road length: 690 km
Cities Covered: Chennai, Pondicherry, Cuddalore

3. Visakhapatnam to Araku Valleyval

If you are in the southwestern coastal region of mainland India, this is the trail that is sure to captivate you. The journey from Visakhapatnam to Araku Valley is impressive in every way and stretches for 114 km along Visakhapatnam Road. Are you ready for this 3 hour trip of a lifetime?

Road: Araku-Visakhapatnam Road
Road length: 114 km
Cities Covered: Araku, Vishakhapatnam

4. Highway from Mumbai to Pune

The Mumbai Pune Expressway leads to the Mumbai Pune Expressway which is arguably the most planned and impressive highway in the Ghats. During the maximum duration of almost 2 hours you will be fascinated by the iconic sights that surround you. Being India’s first six-lane, high-speed controlled-access highway, a road tour here is definitely special and offers multiple points of view. The highway is toll and is perfect for driving 87 km. So if you want to experience a long journey, explore these roads. They are undoubtedly among the best roads in India.

Road: Mumbai-Pune . Highway
Road length: 94.5 km
Cities covered: Kalamboli, Kiwale, Mumbai, Pune

5. Mumbai to Goa

I prefer to call driving on this road 12 hours of wonder. To experience the excitement that one of the most beautiful roads in India has to offer, drive along Asian Highway 47 from Mumbai to Goa. As you drive along this scenic road, enjoy beautiful views and areas rich in biodiversity.

Highway: AH47 and NH 66
Road length: 585 km
Cities Covered: Mumbai, Goa

6. Gangtok to Tsomgo Lake and Nathu-La Pass

The journey from Guwahati to Assam is an exciting journey through one of the most difficult terrains in the Himalayan country. The trip takes the best of an extreme road trip that lasts more than 10 hours and covers approximately 520 km. The challenging journey on this 55 km long road will make your journey even more exciting. From Gangtok to Lake Tsomgo in winter it is a dream landscape walk that would leave you in awe.

Road: Jawaharlal Nehru Road
Road length: 37 km
Cities Covered: Gangtok

7. Guwahati to Tawang

There are road trips that make you happy and remember and that will be etched in your memory forever. In fact, most treks up the mountain are remarkable in their own way. And Guwahati to Tawang is one of those magical journeys. The section has incredible views and many dangerous switchbacks that will get you excited. Even though it is one of the best roads in India, you have to be very careful while driving on this road. All Indians and foreigners must have the Inland Line Permit (ILP) to enter Arunachal Pradesh.

Highway: NH13
Road length: 520 km
Cities covered: Tawang, Guwahati

8. Shillong to Cherrapunjee

One of the most scenic roads in the Northeast, the Shillong — Cherrapunjee Highway is shrouded in clouds and fog for most of a year. And when all calms down, a comforting vision appears that few mortals would dare to forget. The hour and a half drive is a 55km journey of bliss and offers incredible views.

Road: SH5
Road length: 55 km
Cities Covered: Shillong, Cherrapunjee

9. Manali to Leh Highway

I believe there are roads, serene and dazzling paths that enchant us immensely and cannot be described in a few words. The Manali-Leh Highway is one of those roads that would overwhelm you and definitely leave you speechless. The 479km road remains open to the public for 3–4 months a year before heavy snowfall cuts off the road leading to this part of the trans-Himalayan country from the rest of the country. It is undoubtedly one of the best roads in India. The two-day trip is packed with sights and takes 2 days.

Highway: Manali-Leh Highway
Road length: 479 km
Cities covered: Manali, Leh, Lahaul, Spiti

10. Bangalore to Ooty

If you are a nature lover, you will love the highway from Bangalore to Ooty. It is one of the most picturesque roads, famous for its 36 hairpin bends. With green meadows and tall trees surrounding these roads, it is one of the most beautiful roads in India. This route also takes you to the popular Mudumalai National Park, so you can stop here to view the wildlife in its natural habitat.

Highway: NH 75
Highway length: 533 km
Cities Covered: Bangalore, Ooty, Mulbagal, Kolar, Mysuru

--

--

KS Bakshi

Mr. KS Bakshi is one of the Founder Directors of the Oriental Structural Engineers (OSE) with 50 years of experience in civil engineering and infrastructure