Imagine-a packed bag, your favorite vehicle, your favorite travel partner, and a long road ahead of you; sounds heavenly, right? Road trips are always fun, be it solo or with your family. Trying to figure out the right direction but still taking the wrong turn, being lost in an unknown place, and the process of discovering new things gives you thrill and wonders at the same time. It allows you to spend time with yourself in solitude or with your family.

Two-wheeler and four-wheelers have their own benefits and consequences. Two-wheelers are great for solo or duo travelers, it provides you with much more freedom and empowers you to feel the gush of wind in your hair and caress through off roads.

On the other hand, cars are safer, provide better weather protection, and are comfortable for more than two people, but they are an expensive option. Whichever option you choose, ensure you can handle the vehicle, invest in all the safety gear and check your ride before you gear on the road.

The article provide details of the 7 best road trips in India including the best road trip from Mumbai, the best road trip in India by bike, best road trip to take as a solo traveller and best road trips to take from North to South India.

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Mumbai to Goa Road trip

Mumbai to Goa is hands down the best road trip from Mumbai, encircling the Marine, Western Ghats, and the Sunshine. You will go from experiencing diverse sceneries of landscapes to grooving to the rock music in the state of laidback beaches.

The best thing about this road trip is it can be covered in 12-13 hours, encompassing a distance of 556 Kms. Several routes can be taken for Mumbai to Goa Road trip. NH 17, the Mumbai Goa highway route, was taken by Akash, Sameer, and Sid from Dil Chahta hai; is smooth like butter and takes 10 hours. The sans potholes and Chapora Fort will be the highlight of your trip.

NH 4 is another smoother route via Pune, Kolhapur, and Belgaum, packed with four-laned highways dropping you to Goa in around 10 hours, only it has multiple toll booths, which means paying numerous times. Along the way, you can visit Shaniwardwada, Shivneri Fort, Panhala Fort, Belgaum Fort, Kaas Plateau, and Mahalakshmi Temple. This route is ideal for family trips.

NH 66 is the route for adventure seekers, paving through paddy fields and slim curves at high altitudes and fewer toll booths. It is for people who can steer their vehicles skilfully through treacherous terrains. It covers 577 km in 12 hours. The popular break pullers are Sawatsada waterfall, Guhagar Beach and Pandavaas caves in Chiplun, the Karnala Bird Sanctuary and Karnala Fort, Bhira Dam in Kolad, and Tamhini Ghat waterfalls.

It is the best road trip from Mumbai, and the best time to embark on this journey is after the monsoon, between September and March. December to January in Goa is usually the busiest but still the best time to visit Goa, as it lights up with the celebration of New Year and Christmas. It is also the best road trip in India by bike, a road trip of 5 days.

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Mysuru–Gokarna road trip

The road stretches for 456km from Mysuru to Gokarna and can be covered in approximately 9-10 hours. Gokarna, a small town located by the Arabian Sea in the southwestern part of Karnataka, is an abode for pilgrimages, with a Mahabaleshwar temple and temple tank. It is an alternate version of Goa but much more peaceful and less commercialized. It is known for its virgin and calm beaches like Om Beach, Kudle, and Paradise beach.

There are multiple routes for Mysuru to Gokarna route. NH 275 with NH 66 is the fastest route but has numerous tolls along the way. Another route includes NH 69, which encompasses 457 km in 10 hours. NH 373 with NH 69 covers the distance of 468 km in 10 hours. The best time to take the journey of Mysuru-Gokarna is in June-August and between October and March. The best offbeat road trip totals up for 6 days.

Kolkata to Yuksom: Best road trip in the East

Yuksom, a small yet historically significant hamlet in the West Sikkim, is also the first capital of Sikkim. The “Third Eye of Sikkim” is famous not just for its rich landscape of beguiling mountains and forests but also for its religious importance as it holds the amusing history of Buddhism and monasteries. Yuksom lying 731 Km away from Kolkata, can be reached in 19 hours and gaining the title of best road trip in September.

The best route to Yuksom is via NH 12, which runs entirely in West Bengal. The other best way is taking NH 19 from Kolkata, then shifting route to NH 34, through which you will enter Sikkim straight after crossing Siliguri. Yuksom has a good transport connection with the major areas of Sikkim and West Bengal, and the best route to reach Yuksom is of the Jorethang Road; it is in better condition comparatively with other roads.

The best time to take the road trip is between March to June and September to October, as the summer season offers the best of Yuksom, allowing you to plan sightseeing and outdoor visits. It is the best road trip in September.

Chennai to Puducherry: weekend road trip

Chennai and Puducherry lie at a distance of 160 Km from each other, around 4 hours away becoming the best bike trip in South India. It is the perfect quick weekend escape, a peaceful old French town with calm colors, heritage, and scenic beaches is a one-stop destination to loosen up and relax in the cool breeze. Not just the destination but even the journey is full of breath-taking stopovers.

The most popular route is East Coast Road (ECR), the attractive passage that rolls along the coastline of the Bay of Bengal. The shortest and fastest route covering the distance of 150 KM in 3 hours has exceptional sight of the sea on the one hand and the reflection of the sun laced with coconut trees on the other.

Along the way, you can pull over to enjoy Madras Crocodile Park, Shore Temple, Pancha Rathas in Mahabalipuram, Cholamandal Artists’ Village, Kovalam Beach, and Alamparai Fort.

Another route is NH 32, which stretches for 165 km taking almost 3 to 3.5 hours to cover. On this route, you can stop to visit Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Muthalamman Temple, and the Palak river viewpoint in Kanchipuram.

The best time to embark on this journey is between October and February, as the climate is cool and pleasant. The idyllic sea town is best during this time to explore Auroville, Serenity Beach, Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple, and French Quarter. It comes under the best bike trip in South India.

Ahmedabad to Kutch- Road trip in the west

Ahmedabad-Kutch Road trip will take you from luxurious and vibrant festivities of glorious Gujrat to the scrubland and vast land with a patch of green, sand, and salt in about 9-10 hours, covering the distance of 400 km. It is an ideal road trip with the family to witness the full moon nights and the famous Kutch festivities stealing the label of best road trips in India by car.

The best route for this road trip is NH 947 via Dhrangadhra and Viramgam. In Dhrangadhra, you can encounter numerous temples like the Radhakrishna temple and also Falku Dam. The second route is NH 27 via Gandhinagar, Mehsana, and Bhuj.

In Bhuj, you can visit the Prag Mahal, known for its Italian Gothic Architecture and the Swaminarayan temple. It is always advised to start your journey early before the roads are jammed with traffic. The trip takes total of 5 days.

It is the best road trip in India in December. Between the months of November to February, the temperature drops, working in favor of bikers. The climate is amiable and relaxed. The land of white deserts adorns itself with color and craft bazaar flaunting its authentic handmade crafts as the legendary Rann Utsav begins.

Delhi- Agra- Jaipur, the Golden Triangle

The classic road trip, the Golden Triangle, should be a must for every road trip enthusiast as it weaves the diverse cities of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur into one thread via Yamuna Expressway and NH 8. It is the best place for a solo bike trip. Though the entire route stretches for 449 km, covered in 7 hours is extended for 3-4 days ticking off all the historical and archaeological sites at every stop.

Delhi to Agra via Mathura on Yamuna expressway takes 4 hours to cover 215 km. The first leg of your trip allows you to witness Jama Masjid, Red Fort, the Old Delhi, and Qutub Minar. Agra, the city of love, you visit the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, the historical and architectural jewels of the country.

Now, you are off to the second leg of the journey to the Pink City Jaipur, lying 240 km away via Bikaner and Agra Road, taking 2-3 hours to reach. Along the way, you will visit Fatehpur Sikri. Jaipur is embellished with Havelis and forts, desserts, and bazaars filled with indigenous jewelry and textiles. The highlight of this trip will be City Palace, Hawa Mahal, and Amer Fort.

The 3 days road trip from Delhi is the best road trip in India and best place for solo bike trip. You take in the blend of 3 different cultures and traditions as you pave your way from Delhi to Jaipur. The best time to make this road trip is between October to mid-April, as January and February can be freezing, and in May and June, you melt with the scorching heat of 45°C.

Delhi to Lansdowne: most travelled road trip in North

Lansdowne is nestled in luxurious valleys of the Garhwal Himalayas, encircling hills, and thick pine and oak forest. In this short road trip from Delhi, you go from the hustle-bustle of an urban city to a tranquil small cantonment town. It is about 280 km away from each other and takes almost 6-7 hours to reach. On your way to Lansdowne, you pass through villages, towns, plains, and hills.

You can take NH 534, a longer but the best route to Lansdowne. The distance in this route is 277 km and takes approximately 7 hours. The best stopovers on this route are in Meerut, the Augurnath temple, Draupadi ki Rasoi; Khatauli, the best place to have a meal while enjoying the locally preserved natural habitat; in Bijnor, packed with numerous parks and a massive dam of the Ganges, the Bijnor Barrage and in Kotdwar, the Kalagarh Tiger Reserve and you begin the official mountain road as plain transforms into Garhwal mountains.

The alternate route is via Dehradun Road and NH 7, which is shorter but is usually jam-packed, taking a longer time. It stretches for 272 km, taking more than 7 hours to complete and the entire trip taking total of 3 days.

There is no particular best time for this short road trip from Delhi; it depends majorly on the traveler’s convenience and many other factors. The weather in Lansdown is pleasant all around the year.

The long and tricky roads, the music playing in the background, and the wind blowing in your face while you munch on your favorite snack, are the best escape from the daily busy life. The brief interactions with locals, the brief stops on the dhabas, and the brief exposure to the real rural India are all the reasons you need to set your vehicle on the road right away. Take yourself or your family on a much-needed break, as it is not the destination but the journey that makes the trip beautiful.