Short and sweet: 20 incredible trips that take less than eight hours

Duration Six minutes (1.27 kilometres and 369 vertical metres) between Central and The Peak.

The Lowdown Yes, just six extraordinary minutes takes you on this famed funicular, which reopened in 2022 after a year-long $US102 million ($A151 million) overhaul. It travels from the closed-in streets of downtown and then up beyond urban confines to reveal a bedazzlement of skyscrapers and Hong Kong’s ship and ferry-dotted harbour. The steep gradient makes it feel as if passing buildings are tilting. The top station’s tourist nonsense can’t distract from one of the world’s most incredible urban outlooks. Good news: the new generation of trams (actually funicular carriages), thanks to that upgrade, has increased passenger capacity and reduced waiting times.

Make it happen The Peak Tramway operates daily and costs $HK88 ($17) return. See thepeak.com.hk

Les Corniches, France

Duration 33 minutes (or about 30 kilometres) without stopping or between Nice and Menton along the Riviera.

The Lowdown Three parallel coastal roads (or corniches) each have advantages. Corniche Inferieur nudges the sea as it snakes through posh towns such as Cap Ferrat and Monte Carlo. Moyenne Corniche stays above the coast and loops around Monaco’s border, but offers eye-popping views. The highlight is the medieval fortified village of Eze, with perhaps the Riviera’s best outlooks. Lastly, Grande Corniche sees you driving across cliff sides decorated with cactus and pine trees. It interposes spectacular scenery with hairpin terror, a combination brilliantly exploited in Hitchcock and James Bond movies.

Make it happen You’ll need a rental car. Consider driving all three corniches; you can return in 30 minutes via a motorway. See explorenicecotedazur.com

Jadrolinija Ferry, Croatia

Duration 80 minutes, with an extra hour on routes via Hvar (37 nautical miles or 68 kilometres) between mainland Split and Vis island.

The lowdown Any of Croatia’s ferry runs are scenic, but number 602 might be the best. Split, backed by purple mountains, recedes behind you, the ferry scrapes between Solta and Brac islands, and finally Vis looms in a pile of limestone cliffs, olive groves and vineyards. For an added dose of Mediterranean marvels, ferries via Hvar sail into the embrace of a lovely marble old town topped by a Venetian castle.

Make it happen Ferries run daily year-round with the number of departures and times depending on day and season. Tickets from HRK 62 ($13), or HRK 480 for a car and two adults. See croatia.hr

Timbavati Road, South Africa

Duration Two hours (59 kilometres) from Orpen to Olifants in Kruger National Park. Count on longer for wildlife viewing.

The lowdown Of Kruger’s many safari trails, this one passes through a mix of bushland, woodland and veldt which, while not spectacular, is epic for its variety of wildlife. You’ll see impala, waterbuck, kudu and the big cats that like to eat them, as well as troops of baboons and, near the Timbavati River, giraffes and elephants. Leeubron waterhole is great opportunity for wildlife photography.

Make it happen Kruger is one of few places to allow do-it-yourself safaris, so drive your own rental vehicle and stay at campsites or self-catering guesthouses. The park entrance fee is ZAR 460 ($37) a day. See sanparks.org

Icefields Parkway, Canada

Duration Three hours (235 kilometres), but you’d be soulless if you didn’t stop, between Lake Louise and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.

The lowdown You’ve seen it on calendars and jigsaw puzzles. White mountains and glaciers, blue lakes, green (or in autumn orange) forests create outsized scenery that smacks your gob at every turn and takes you past the world’s largest icefield outside the poles. Wildlife is common, so you might spot bears, moose or bighorn sheep. Must-see stops include Herbert Lake, Bow Lake and the more overlooked Mistaya Canyon. Big Bend viewpoint is incredible.

Make it happen Fly to Calgary (182 kilometres from Lake Louise via Banff) and rent a car. Avoid the July-August high season and try for late June or September. See travelalberta.com

Hiram Bingham Train, Peru

Duration 3.5 hours (93 kilometres) plus a 20-minute bus ride to Machu Picchu between Poroy near Cuzco and Machu Picchu station.

The lowdown The most indulgent way to get to Peru’s fabled ruins is to ride and dine on the blue-and-gold Hiram Bingham luxury tourist train, decked out in gleaming brass and wood. The train clanks through the Sacred Valley, with views of Incan ruins and Andes peaks. Closer at hand is the wild Urubamba River, compact villages, herds of llamas and farmers tilling corn fields. Breathtaking.

Make it happen The Hiram Bingham departs daily except for the last Sunday of the month and costs PEN 2000 ($828). You can travel in less style with Peru Rail from PEN 459 ($180). See belmond.com

Li River Cruise, China

Duration 3.5 hours (83 winding kilometres), plus a 40-minute road transfer to piers outside Guilin, between Guilin and Yangshuo in China’s south-west.

The lowdown If it looks as though you’re floating through a Chinese scroll painting, that’s because centuries of Chinese painters and poets have been inspired by the Li River’s extraordinary landscapes. The river winds like a silk ribbon through humped karst mountains surrounded in vivid green skirts of bamboo and rice fields. Temples and pagodas dot the landscape, and passing villages add human interest.

Make it happen Guilin has good flight connections to other Chinese and some Asian cities. Boats leave Guilin between 9am and 9.30am daily and cost from CNY480 ($100). Book well in advance, especially for more luxury vessels. See visitguilin.org

Coastal Classic train, US

Duration Four hours (183 kilometres) between Anchorage and Seward, Alaska

The lowdown The first three minutes when leaving Anchorage is the only ordinary outlook on this train ride that soon has you trundling along a bay across which snow peaks loom. After Girdwood you pass marshes, forest and the Spencer Glacier before the train hauls through a gorge and past waterfalls. An extravagance of mountains rises around every bend. You might spot bears, moose and eagles. An informative commentary on passing sights adds to the experience.

Make it happen The train runs daily between mid-May and late September and costs $US119 ($180), or $US243 for Gold Star class. You can return on the same (very long) day with a seven-hour stopover, or stay in Seward, departure town for Alaskan cruises. See alaskarailroad.com

Arches Scenic Drive, US

Duration Four hours (57 kilometres return) with stops at viewpoints or all day if you hike a trail or two, between entrance and Devil’s Garden in Utah’s Arches National Park.

The lowdown Arches is a small park by American standards but condenses some 200 rock arches, and other strikingly sculptural formations, into an easily accessible, bewitching space. Among highlights is Park Avenue’s skyscraper-like red pillars, and teetering Balanced Rock. The famous Delicate Arch, which glows at sunset, requires a hike. Come back at night for another epic: Arches has some of America’s darkest skies for stargazing.

Make it happen Arches is near Moab, a four-hour drive from Salt Lake City. Open year-round. Advance, timed reservations ($US2) are required between April and October. Vehicle entry is $US30 ($45). See nps.gov/arch

TranzAlpine Train, New Zealand

Duration Under five hours (223 kilometres), one way, coast-to-coast on the South Island between Christchurch and Greymouth across South Island.

The lowdown The farmland of the Canterbury Plain is beautiful, but the scenery ramps up along the Waimakariri River as it and the railway line are funnelled through a gorge. Tunnels and viaducts add a sense of drama. Then the outlooks go into overdrive as this train climbs into the Southern Alps and Arthurs Pass National Park. After that, and passing through the eight-kilometre Otira Tunnel, rainforest and cow-grazed meadows appear as you descend towards coastal Greymouth.

Make it happen Air New Zealand flies direct to Christchurch from Melbourne and Sydney. The TranzAlpine departs Christchurch at 8.15am daily, or 2.05pm from Greymouth for the reverse journey. From $NZ189 ($173). See greatjourneysnz.com

Kalka-Shimla Toy Train, India

Duration Five hours (95.6 kilometres) though times vary depending on the train with its 1419-metre vertical climb.

The lowdown The heady glory of this narrow-gauge, World Heritage ride is produced by a combination of forest that spritzes you with the scent of pine, flowery meadows chuckling with streams, and the approach of high hills and Himalayas. Barely a section of line doesn’t curve, and you chug over hundreds of bridges. The railway has been used since 1903, when it was built to convey the British Raj government to Shimla, their summer capital. You can take regular or more luxe tourist trains.

Make it happen Kalka is four hours from Delhi on the Shatabdi Express. The nearest airport (28 kilometres) is Chandigarh. Several trains depart Kalka daily. From INR 331 ($6). See shimlatourism.co.in

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Japan

Duration Five hours (37 kilometres) with 1975 metres of elevation between Tateyama and Nagano on Honshu, Japan’s main island.

The lowdown A combination of bus, train, cable car and ropeway make this journey through the Hida Mountains a delightfully varied, day-long affair interspersed with hiking, hot-spring bathing, and squinting at views of Japan’s tallest waterfall, 3015-metre Mount Tateyama, and distant Mount Fuji. The most striking section is Yukino-otani road, until early June lined by towering snow walls created by ploughs. In autumn, trees ablaze are an alternative attraction. At Murodo, mountain ranges are reflected in a lake.

Make it happen The route is open from April 15 to November 30. Avoid the busy summer season. A tourist pass covering all transport is JPY 21,000 ($220). See alpen-route.com

Rhine Gorges, Germany

Duration Six hours (67 kilometres) by sightseeing boat, as the water flows between Koblenz and Rudesheim; 70 minutes by car; 80 minutes by train.

The lowdown The Middle Rhine is squeezed between steep vineyards, wooded hills and cliffs, occasionally allowing enough room for a fortified town topped by church spires and pepper-pot towers. Castles splendid in their dilapidation crown the cliff tops at every bend: no wonder the Romantics loved this brooding landscape dense in history and legend. Half-timbered Rudesheim is a great place to end: sparkling wine from surrounding vineyards flows in its taverns.

Make it happen Fly to Frankfurt. The sightseeing boats of several companies operate on the Middle Rhine between April and October. Expect to pay about €55 ($90). You can also travel most of the route by train, car or bicycle. See romantischer-rhein.de

Bergen Railway, Norway

Duration Six and a half hours (430 kilometres) between Oslo and Bergen across the Hardangervidda plateau.

The lowdown This ride showcases some of Norway’s best scenery. Lakes and forests unfurl as you depart Oslo. Then you start crossing mountain-backed highlands where reindeer roam, and climb to the line’s highest station (1222 metres) at Finse. The final section slithers through deep valleys and along the edge of fjords. This public train links Norwegian towns and ski resorts on 21 stops and, if you get off at Myrdal, you can add a bonus ride on Flam Railway along 20 kilometres of stupendous fjord.

Make it happen Trains depart five times daily, or four in winter. Cost varies depending on day, time and class, ranging from NOK 250 ($35) to NOK 1200. See visitbergen.com; raileurope.com

Glacier Express, Switzerland

Duration The pace, perhaps suitably, is glacial at seven hours (291 kilometres) between Zermatt and St Moritz across the Alps.

The lowdown This tourist train crosses nearly 300 bridges, and the line has so many tunnels you pass from dark to light for a slideshow of gushing rivers, gorges and snowy peaks. The most dramatic section is between Andermatt and St Moritz, where the line crosses its highest point (2.033 metres) over the Oberalp Pass, then plunges towards the young Rhine River, frothing in a wild gorge. Castles and waterfalls drape the landscape as you approach St Moritz.

Make it happen The Glacier Express runs between mid-December and late October and costs CHF 191 ($310). Regular train services are much cheaper, but you’ll have to change trains four times. See glacierexpress.ch

Five more action-packed short journeys

Moselle Cycle Path, Germany

This cycleway through Germany’s oldest wine region runs 248 kilometres, but you only need to pedal 10.2 kilometres between Cochem and Beilstein to soak up sumptuous scenery along the swan-paddled Moselle River. Vineyards rise steeply towards castles, and pretty towns sprout gargoyles, weathervanes and geraniums. Sit in a square and reward yourself with a riesling afterwards. See visitmosel.de

Batoka Gorge, Zimbabwe

A terrifying half-day of white-water rafting on the Zambezi River hurls you 24 kilometres downstream over grade IV and V rapids with names such as Oblivion and Jaws of Death. They’re the biggest commercially run rapids in the world, and the scenery can hardly be beaten considering you start just below Victoria Falls. See zimbabwetourism.net

White Ring, Austria

This legendary ski circuit in the Arlberg links the resorts of Lech, Zurs and Zug via seven lifts and 22 kilometres of outstandingly scenic ski runs with 5500 metres of vertical variation. It’s easily navigated by the average skier in half a day – or you can try and beat the pros who can whip around it in 44 minutes. See skiarlberg.at

Puez-odle, Italy

For astonishing mountain landscapes, the Dolomites can hardly be beaten, and the Val Gardena region has arguably its most outstanding scenery. The 17-kilometre Puez-Odle hike is a tough one (ride an initial chairlift, and count on six hours) but takes you into flowery meadows among high peaks that are close to a vision of heaven. See suedtirol.info

Tallulah Gorge, US

This gorge in Georgia supplies kayakers with 2.25 kilometres of adrenaline rush during March, April and November when water released from dams provides a white-water course whose most challenging section can snap kayaks in half. The scenery is epic too. The gorge, one of America’s deepest, is especially magnificent when trees explode orange in autumn. See gastateparks.org