Do you love driving and yearn for adventure? If so, these photos will throw you for a loop. Tides, rivers, snow, waves and cliffs are just a few of the features that make for some of the most dramatic and adrenaline-pumping ― and sometimes truly treacherous ― road trips in the world.
Many of the world’s most harrowing roads are integral arteries connecting remote places to civilization. These passageways reward travelers with stunning views, but they come with extreme danger, like precarious cliff drop-offs with no railings to stop a vehicle from slipping off the edge. It’s advised to avoid driving them unless you’ve done your research and found a route that’s both legal and safe.
Other roads pictured below are generally very safe, as long as you’re paying attention ― but their height, views, and hairpin turns still make for a heart-pounding ride.
In our opinion, these photos alone are adventure enough in some cases. Check out some most dangerous and dramatic roads in the world:
Bolivia
AIZAR RALDES/AFP/Getty Images
A car navigates "Death Road," a 12-foot-wide path with a 2,000-foot drop off the side of a cliff. As crime is a concern in Bolivia's Yungas Region, travelers should contact the U.S. Embassy before visiting.
India
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A vehicle passes through the snow-cleared Srinagar-Leh highway. This mountain road is only open for about six months each year because of dangerous snow and rainstorms.
U.S.A.
Steve Whiston - Fallen Log Photography via Getty Images
A truck makes its way along a dirt road on the edge of cliff in Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
France
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Le Passage du Gois is a natural passage leading to the island of Noirmoutier. Most of the time, the road is underwater: It opens for just a few hours each day when the tide falls low enough to let cars through.
Switzerland
Travel Ink via Getty Images
Furka Pass is a high mountain road in the Swiss Alps whose sharp hairpin bends lead toincredible views.
U.S.A.
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The Kahekili Highway winds along Maui's stunning North Shore. It's a narrow, twisting andnotoriously white-knuckle drive for travelers.
Iceland
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A car attempts a water crossing on Route 88 in the Iceland highlands. The remote dirt roadrequires at a 4x4 vehicle.
U.S.A.
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Snow blows across the remote and primitive James Dalton Highway near Finger Mountain, Alaska.
Russia
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Also known as the Road of Bones, the Kolyma State Highway passes through some of the coldest places on Earth.
China
Oleksiy Maksymenko via Getty Images
A serpentine road makes its way through Tianmen Mountain National Park, whereharrowing cliffside drop-offs are standard fare.
France
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A narrow road weaves through Gorges du Nan, a precarious region on the edge of the Vercors Massif mountain range.
Turkey
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Ice and falling rocks are regular sights on the Rize-Ispir Road, in one of Turkey's most remote mountain ranges.
Norway
AFP via Getty Images
The twisting, turning bridges on this incredible route look as if they're defying gravity.
U.S.A.
Alan Copson via Getty Images
Between Silverton and Ouray, Colorado, the Million Dollar Highway climbs three high mountain passes. "Forget standard driving safety measures like guardrails and shoulders,there aren't any on this stretch," reports Dangerous Roads.
Morocco
Thomas Dressler via Getty Images
The most direct route from Marrakech to Taroudannt comes with some drawbacks: This pass road cuts through craggy cliffs in the heart of the High Atlas Mountains.
India
Moritz Petersen via Getty Images
The road to Rohtang Pass gives travelers no option to pull over as they wait their turn.
New Zealand
scottnz via Getty Images
To cross Skippers Bridge, travelers must drive a one-lane road that hangs nearly 300 feet over the river below on its original wire ropes.
U.S.A.
Photo by Patrick McManus via Getty Images
Hart's Pass is the highest maintained road in the state of Washington. At more than 6,000 feet in altitude, it hugs a narrow cliff wall.
