Aerial view of Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia

Self-drive holidays

Free-spirited travellers wanting to reclaim a sense of spontaneity on their travels should look no further than a self-drive holiday with Steppes.

Designed to give you the freedom to dictate your own pace, these holidays combine classic self-drive destinations such as South Africa, USA, Namibia and Australia with countries like Morocco, Malaysia and Argentina, where self-drive may not be the first option that springs to mind.

If you share the view that travel is as much about the journey itself as it is the destination then these holidays are for you. Put yourself back in the driving seat and take the road less travelled on a Steppes self-drive holiday. What these holidays share is a philosophy that puts the traveller firmly in control and encourages a sense of adventure and self-exploration.

Aerial Shot of Knysna, Garden Route, South Africa
Garden Route, South Africa

South Africa's Garden Route

Spanning from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, the Garden Route is an incredibly scenic part of South Africa, so-called because of its abundant vegetation. Pretty seaside towns, beautiful beaches, the semi-desert Karoo and lush Tsisitakama Forest all form an area which boasts a dizzying array of things to do and see. The Whale Route runs from Cape Town to Hermanus, a small fishing town which boasts some of the best land-based whale watching in the world from July to November. Further north you will find the coastal towns of Knysna, on the shores of a peaceful estuary, and Plettenberg Bay, a vibrant holiday town with great restaurants and fabulous sandy beaches.

Garden route Self-drive Holidays

Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA

USA's Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park

Begin in Yellowstone National Park, famous for the steaming thermal pools, bubbling mud volcanoes, and of course, Old Faithful Geyser that has been shooting a majestic plume of steam and water in the air since before records began. Explore the National Park for a full day with a local guide who can interpret the wildlife and geothermal features as well as take you from the crowds and show the hidden secrets.

Continue to Grand Teton National Park, far less visited than its neighbour, and home to the mighty snow-capped Teton mountain range and wildlife such as moose, elk, beaver and black bears.

USA Self-Drive holidays

12 Apostles, Apollo Bay, Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia
The 12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road

Australia's Great Ocean Road

Victoria, Australia, is home to one of the country’s most spectacular coastal drives, the Great Ocean Road. This beautiful route hugs the contours of the states rugged south coast passing the Twelve Apostles. Further inland some of the richest pastoral lands in Australia provides the setting for regal old homesteads giving the area a feel of the English countryside. On from here, the Grampian National Park offers fabulous bushwalking trails, great viewpoints and a multitude of wildlife and seasonal flowers.

Great Ocean Road Self-Drive holidays

Carretera Austral, Cerro Castillo, Patagonia, Chile
Carretera Austral, Cerro Castillo, Patagonia, Chile

Chile's Carretera Austral

The Carretera Austral traverses south from the Chilean lake district for 1,240km. From tree-shrouded valleys to rocky, snow-capped mountains; from emerald rivers to turquoise, glacial-fed streams. Crystal clear lakes reflect the surrounding mountains, amplifying the magnificence of the scenery. It’s an adventure driving down the Carretera without a car in sight, just the tell-tale sign of dust in the distance to let you know that humanity is still out there.

Carretera Austral Self-drive holidays

Need some Inspiration?
Spark some ideas with these Self-Drive itineraries.

Our experts have created and curated these tailor-made holiday ideas to get you started. Get in touch and find out how they can create a truly memorable holiday specifically for you.

Experiences

Tell us what you love doing and we’ll curate a journey that’s perfect for you.

12 Apostles, Apollo Bay, Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia
Self-Drive

Drive the Great Ocean Rd

Spend a week driving one of the country’s most spectacular coastal routes, hugging the rugged south coast past the Twelve Apostles.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Black Sea Coast Road, Turkey
Self-Drive

Coast Self-Drive Adventure

Self-drive the winding, scenic coastal route between Amasra and Sinop with stunning views at every turn.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Famous bridge on the garden route, Garden Route, South Africa
Self-Drive

Self-Drive the Garden Route

Self-drive along the scenic coastline of South Africa’s Garden Route, with its breath-taking scenery.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Icefields Parkway, Banff, Canadian Rockies, Alberta, Canada
Self-Drive

Drive the Canadian Rockies

Self-drive the spectacular Icefields Parkway.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Route 66 in the USA
Self-Drive

Drive Route 66

Hit the road and travel along the iconic Route 66, travelling across the original London Bridge in Lake Havasu City and the historic Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge in Missouri.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Winding Tuscan road, Village, Tuscany, Italy
Self-Drive

Self Drive through Tuscany

Explore the incredibly beautiful landscapes that have inspired many Renaissance artists.

Meet our experts

A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.

Clare Higginson

It was my passion for languages that first encouraged me to leave the UK behind and grab my rucksack. Since then, it’s been a mixture of intriguing cultures, jaw-dropping landscapes and the wonder of seeing animals in their natural habitat that sees me continuously extending my travel wish list.

Talk with our experts
  • 01285 880 980

Illona Cross

Born in a small South African town, I have always followed my passion for nature and discovery. After studying Nature Conservation in Pretoria, I was one of the first women to complete a very tough cadetship in the Natal Parks Board. It was here where I cut my teeth in African wildlife management.

Talk with our experts
  • 01285 880 980

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