It’s no longer possible to get your kicks on Route 66, or at least not the entire length of what was once known as the Main Street of America. But with preservation efforts having helped re-open long stretches of this historic highway, you can still see much of the fabled route from Los Angeles up to Chicago, and a guided tour is one of the best ways to do it.

Don't miss these Route 66 attractions

  • Motorcycle tours 
  • Joshua Tree National Park
  • Exploring old mining towns
  • The Painted Desert
  • Monument Valley

Open road

At almost 4,000 kilometres long, Route 66 was once the backbone of a highway system which stretched from the American Midwest all the way to the beaches of the West Coast. Self-driving and guided tours are a great way to see the remnants of it, with plenty of must-see Americana situated along the route.

You can either hire a car and rely on your own navigational skills, or better yet join up as part of a guided tour for a glimpse of some genuine American road culture. Starting from Chicago – often in a fleet of classic American convertibles – many Route 66 tours take in stops at major cities like St Louis and Oklahoma City, where you can get a glimpse of the changing landscape between the Midwest and Frontier Country.

Free-wheeling

It may be customary to seek out a classic car for your adventures on the open road – either to drive, or take a back-seat as a passenger – but not every mode of Route 66 transport features four wheels. Motorcycle tours are an increasingly popular way of cruising down the open road, particularly through Texas – America’s self-proclaimed Lone Star state and one of its most exotic.

Though Texas has its charms, few sights are as spectacular as the Grand Canyon, and many Route 66 tours make detours to this unforgettable natural attraction. From there, it’s on to the neon lights of Las Vegas and through the sprawling deserts of Nevada, before pulling into a Los Angeles which marks the end of the road of one of America’s most famous highways.