Pack Up And Drive! Top 6 Road Trips In India Featured In Bollywood Movies

It is a fact universally acknowledged that a movie with picturesque locations, awesome road trips, inspires you to travel.  Be it travelling to faraway lands for soul searching, taking an adventurous train journey throughout the country or going on a cruise with your family and even going on road trips in India with your friends and family, Bollywood has covered many modes of travelling and provided us with countless ideas to travel through and explore the many hidden aspects of our country through its movies.

There are so many spectacular places in our country that most of the filmmakers choose to shoot movies and highlight them rather than opting for some far away foreign land. They capture the beauty, the essence, the culture of our country in their camera lenses and magnificently display them on the larger than life 70mm screen. This of course encourages us to travel and to spend some quality time with ourselves or our loved ones and create many memories.

We bring you a list of some of the best Bollywood movies that have crafted a beautiful story involving road trips taken in India that you must also undertake at least one in your lifetime.

1. Dil Chahta Hai

Dil Chahta Hai is a cult coming of age movie that has always been very close to the hearts of its viewers, especially the millennials. It actually started the trend of epic road trips from Mumbai to Goa! Mumbai to Goa is amongst the most iconic road trips in India that you must take with your friends at least once in your lifetime. Visit the iconic locations shown in the movie and also explore many beautiful places along the beautiful NH 66. There are many dhabas, waterfalls, hills, mountains, forts and even national parks along the way to provide you with ample of opportunities for sightseeing, apart from the beaches, churches and flea markets located in Goa! And yes, don’t forget to recreate the iconic scene from Dil Chahta Hai at Chapora Fort with your buddies on your Goa holiday.
Driving distance – Approx. 600 km
Duration – 10 to 12 hours (Depending upon several factors like weather and traffic conditions)
Best route – NH 66
Alternate route – NH 4
Locations along the route – Karnala Fort and Bird Sanctuary, Pen, Kolad, Tamhini Waterfalls, Dapoli, Murud, Ganpatipule, Chiplun, Sawantwadi etc. when on NH 66 and Pune, Satara, Kolhapur, Belgaum when on NH4.

Also Read: International travel destinations made popular by Bollywood Movies

2. Jab We Met

Who can forget the adventurous journey of Geet and Aditya from the movie Jab We Met? The journey begins in a train but later takes you on the roads through some of the most picturesque locations of our country. A long journey that spans from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab and then to the hill stations of Manali and Shimla through various modes of transportation like a car, a bus and even a bicycle, is surely amongst the best road trips in India to go on with your partner. Either visit the famous Ratlam ki galiyan and enjoy the sev-oury chats, or visit the historic Bathinda Quila Fort and dive in the Punjabi culture in Bathinda. Don’t forget to book our Himachal Pradesh tour packages before driving off to enjoy the best of Manali and Shimla which were featured in the movie!
Driving distance – Ratlam to Bhatinda is 930 km and Manali to Shimla is 250 km (total – 1,180 km)
Duration – Ratlam to Bhatinda is approx. 16 – 17 hours and Manali to Shimla is 7 – 8 hours (total- 24 to 25 hours)
Best route – Ratlam to Bhatinda NH 52, Manali to Shimla NH03 and NH205
Alternate routes – ForManali to Shimla NH05 and NH 305 also NH03 and SH 13
Locations along the route –  Many forts and havelis of Rajasthan which you can see on the way to Bhatinda from Ratlam and Naggar Castle, Kasauli, sunset points, snow clad mountains and hills, etc. on the way from Manali to Shimla.

Also Read: Lights, Camera And London! List Of Top Bollywood Movies Shot In London

3. Highway

This pretty unique story of a girl and her abductor on a Highway – instilled a thirst for road trips amongst many. The Highway movie takes you through the many highways of Rajasthan all the way up to Kashmir highlighting how road trips in India look like while travelling in a truck! You would be mesmerized by the vastness of Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan, or may feel at peace at Ajmer Dargah, or you will be amazed by the canal networks across the rural Punjab, even pass through the national capital of Delhi and be ready to enjoy the chilling Kaza Valley and monasteries of Spiti before reaching our very own paradise on earth- Kashmir. Just be free, go with the flow and enjoy this ambitious road trip with yourself or friends while enjoying the pretty views as “Patakha Guddi” blasts in the background.
Driving distance – Approx. 1,100 km
Duration – 24 hours
Best route – NH 3
Alternate route – None
Locations along the route – Sambar Lake, Ferozepur, Aru Valley, Lahaul, Spiti, Pahalgam, Kinnaur and many canals or quaint little villages along the way.

Also Read: Around The World With Top Shooting Locations Of Bollywood Movies

4. Piku

Piku is a cute movie of how we Desi families travel on the road. A road trip from Delhi to Kolkata in this movie showcases how road trips in India are when taken by the families. Traveling with family can invoke many emotions, be it happy or sad, but it surely creates memories of playing antakshari or eating at roadside eateries along the way. If you are leaving from the historical capital of India- Delhi, you can literally follow the movie and go on a short Varanasi trip, then move onto the charming city of Kolkata where time has come to a standstill. You will be traveling a lot through the countryside, and would surely end up knowing a little bit more about India.
Driving distance – Approx. 1,600 km
Best route – NH 19
Duration – 25 hours
Alternate route – None
Locations along the route – Take a detour along the highway to witness the many historical monuments of Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Allahabad, Patna, Kolkata, etc.

Also Read: A Look At Bollywood Park In Film City Mumbai

5. Karwaan

A light hearted movie starring Irrfan Khan that starts with a tragedy, and which surely teaches us a lot about life. This movie made us realise just how underrated and underappreciated Southern India is when it comes to scenic road trips in India. A road trip through South India is one of the most natural and beautiful experiences that you could take with your friends, family, soulmate or simply solo. Let it be tea, coffee and spice plantations, waterfalls along the hilly terrain, national parks and even the hill stations, a road trip through South of India , especially from Bangalore to Ooty is something you would definitely remember all your life.
Driving distance – Approx. 300 km
Duration – 6 – 7 hours
Best route – NH 948
Alternate route – NH 150 A
Locations along the route – Beautiful lush green hills and many plantations all along the way, Kerala backwaters and beach with a slight detour, Lakes of Thrissur, Nilgiris and many other sites that you will come across during your Ooty tour.

Also Read: Honeymoon Destinations Of Our Famous Bollywood Celebrities

6. 3 Idiots

2 idiots, Raju and Farhan embark on an epic road trip to Ladakh from Delhi along with a “chatur” companion to find their 3^rd idiot, Rancho. On the way they crash a funeral in Shimla and take a detour to Manali to crash a wedding where they run away with the bride! Beginning from the plains of Delhi, and travelling all the way up to the highest motorable road in the world, this trip is definitely going to shoot up your adrenaline levels, and provide you with some of the world’s most breath-taking and spellbinding views. Starting from Delhi, having stopovers at Shimla and Manali, then continuing onwards to Ladakh, is a dream road trip for many of the Bullet owners, it is indeed a good way to enjoy your Ladakh holidays and get away from the daily hustle and bustle of life.
Driving distance – Approx. 1,023 km
Duration – 24 hours
Best route – NH1 (Delhi to Leh via Manali)
Alternate Route – Srinagar – Leh Highway (Delhi to Leh via Srinagar)
Locations along the route – Delhi, Manali, Rohtang Pass, Jispa, Shimla, Baralacha La, Leh, Pangong Tso, Nubra valley, Leh Palace etc.

Also Read: 6 Bollywood Movies Shot in Dubai

Truly, there is something really magical about going on a road trip. Be it with your friends or family and even with your partner, road trips are a perfect excuse to bond and reconnect with your close ones. We also get a chance to come face to face with people in different parts of the country, and experience the different languages, lifestyles, cultures, and the beauty of our country that is hidden away from the rest of the world.

Feeling inspired to plan your next road trip? Looking for a comfortable, convenient and dependable rental car service? Then head to Akbarcab.com and find the best in class vehicles available at your service. For everything else, from visa, to flight tickets, and tour packages to accommodations visit Akbartravels.com.

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