The Whanganui River Road is a 79 km unsealed road that follows the river north from the city to Pipiriki, threading through a deeply rural landscape of river gorges, farmland, and small communities. It is one of the most scenic drives in the lower North Island — slow, winding, and entirely unlike the rest of New Zealand's road network.
Along the way are the historic Jerusalem (Hiruhārama) settlement founded by Mother Aubert in the 1880s, where a community of nuns still maintains a small convent, and several Māori marae open to visitors. The drive is best done with a full day available; combined with a canoe or jet boat trip on the river, it gives the most complete picture of the Whanganui region.