7 of the world’s scariest roads

By Lauren Ferrone
Published: Friday, April 20, 2018

If you thought Britannia Roundabout was bad, here are seven of the world’s scariest roads that’ll turn your knuckles white as you grip onto the steering wheel for dear life.

1. Tianmen Mountain Rd

Location: China

Some say this snake-like path (pictured top) is as sacred as the Great Wall of China. Word has it, the road’s 99 sharp bends symbolise what the Chinese believe are the nine palaces in heaven.

At the summit is Tianmen Cave, or ‘Heaven’s Door’, which is a 30m hole in the cliff face. But, getting there isn’t an easy feat. To reach the cave, you need to take a mini bus up through the 99 bends until you get out and walk precisely 999 steep and narrow steps up to the cave.

2. Los Caracoles Pass

Location: Between Chile and Argentina

Sharp turns and nothing between your car and the edge of a massive cliff. Add snow, which Los Caracoles Pass is covered in almost all year, and there’s no wonder this road is a scary route for locals and tourists alike.

Difficult to navigate is an understatement. The Chilean side of the road, in particular, has been dubbed as one of the most winding routes in the world. The path climbs to an elevation of 3175m and has no roadside safety barriers.

Traffic crawls at a snail’s pace as slow-moving heavy vehicles make their way up the slopey surface. If you can get passed the hundreds of metres drop below, the road is maintained regularly and surprisingly doesn’t have a bad road toll.

Los Caracoles Pass.

3. The Road to the Himalayas

Location: India-Tibet

As breathtaking as this part of the world is, the roads that lead up to the Himalayan mountain range are a 3528m-high, one-lane, crumbling dirt disasters.

These unpaved slippery and narrow roads feel like you’re weaving your way out of a scary maze you don’t know if you’ll ever find your way out. Tragically, you can even see a number of flipped cars and buses strewn across the bottom sides of cliffs.

Road to the Himalayas.

4. Karakoram Hwy

Location: China

At 4693m high, Karakoram Hwy probably isn’t the best route if you suffer with altitude sickness. It’s reportedly the highest border-crossing in the world – and one of the most dangerous.

Avalanches, heavy snowfalls and landslides can occur anytime and can sometimes block some sections of the road. Despite its bad conditions, Karakoram Hwy took 27 years to build and is often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Karakoram Hwy.

5. The Atlantic Ocean Rd

Location: Norway

Fancy taking the underwater route? The Atlantic Ocean Rd curves, dips and arches over waves of the Norwegian Sea. In fact, it’s pretty unlikely not to see water splattered all over the pavement.

As scary as it is to navigate your way up and down this road, most motorists would probably agree it feels like a roller coaster ride but one with stunning views. The road’s actually been declared a cultural Heritage Site and has become one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions.

The Atlantic Ocean Rd.

6. South Yungas Rd

Location: Bolivia

Known as the ‘Road of Death’, you know this Bolivian road is going to make our list as one of the world’s scariest. South Yungas Rd is more like a gravel dirt track than a road. The 69-kilometre stretch winds its way through a jungle of mountains up to 4650m high.

The 1000m drop over the edge of the cliff adds to the fear factor, as dozens of vehicles are known to go off the road each year. And the road’s even got its own rules. While the rest of Bolivia drives on the right side, vehicles drive on the left on South Yungas Rd as motorists often have a better view of the edge of the road.

South Yungas Rd.

7. Skippers Canyon Rd

Location: New Zealand

Not only is this road scary with a number of narrow twists and turns, you actually need a permit to drive on it. Adding to the fear factor, there are no guardrails and when the weather’s hot and dry, the road can even crumble to dust. When it’s wet out, the road’s soft rock turns into slippery greasy mud.

Skippers Canyon’s bad reputation has long been known, as conditions were so bad that cars were actually banned from driving on it in the 1900s. Today, there are generally only 4×4 vehicles winding up and down this mountain road. Skippers Canyon’s infamous bends have been made it on the big-screen, featuring in the first Lord of the Rings and Mission Impossible 6.

Skippers Canyon Road.

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