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14 countries, 30,000 km, zero U-turns: The world’s longest road trip takes 2 months to finish

If you’re the kind of person who packs snacks for a 30-minute drive, brace yourself — because this road trip spans 14 countries, two continents and more time zones than your phone can handle. The Pan-American Highway gives you the experience of the world’s longest and most bucket-list-worthy road trip ever.

Nearly 30,000 kilometres long, the Pan-American Highway runs all the way from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska to Ushuaia in Argentina, making Google Maps sweat just trying to calculate the route.

Pan-American Highway

And here’s the kicker: if you drove this beast non-stop (which you shouldn’t), it would still take over two months. That’s 60+ days of driving, refuelling, snacking, squabbling over playlists and resisting the urge to make a U-turn.

Wait… it’s one highway?
Sort of. The Pan-American Highway isn’t a single ribbon of road — it’s more like a patchwork of highways and byways that stitch together North America, Central America and South America into one giant asphalt adventure.

It starts way up north in Alaska, glides down through Canada, the United States and zooms into Mexico and Central America. From there, it carves through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama before hitting the Darién Gap.

Ah yes, the infamous Darién Gap!

This 160-kilometre chunk between Panama and Colombia is a mix of jungle, swamp and “you’re-not-driving-through-here” terrain. No roads. No shortcuts. No cheating. You’ll need a boat, a plane or Indiana Jones to help you cross.

On this wild ride, you’ll cruise through icy Alaskan highways, deserted Peruvian roads, mountain passes in Chile and rainforests in Costa Rica. One minute you’re freezing in the Rockies, the next you’re sipping juice on a Colombian beach.

Expect to pass volcanoes, Mayan ruins, cactus-covered deserts, Andean peaks and every possible form of weather. This road doesn’t just connect cities — it connects cultures, chaos and churros (a popular fried-dough snack in Latin America).

Not just a pretty road

Originally dreamed up in the 1920s, the Pan-American Highway was meant to unite the Americas. It’s now a trade route, a migration path, and a content goldmine for overlanders and travel vloggers. From pickup trucks to motorcycles to souped-up vans with fairy lights, everyone wants a piece of this mega-highway.

Driving the Pan-American Highway is an adventure of a lifetime. Two months of non-stop views, roadside stories and learning how to ask “Where’s the nearest bathroom?” in 10 languages.