Craziest roller coaster in the world

19 Best Roller Coasters Around the World

And the thrills have increased exponentially in the past 100 years. While the criteria for what makes the best coasters — the design, the number of inversions, the speed — may vary from thrill-seeker to thrill-seeker, today there are plenty of instruments of adrenaline to go around (and around and around). They break speed records, hurl passengers with G-force strength, and some are even designed to trick riders.

10 Scariest Roller Coasters for True Adrenaline Junkies

Nothing beats the physical sensation of free falling, cruising through twisted helices and inversions. It’s exhilarating, gripping, and terrifying. You walk away with nausea and aches in places you can’t explain. And you legitimately feel like you’re going to hurl—but, oh, you so want to do it again… and again.

If you love the thrill of banked turns, loops, dips, and steep drops, here are adrenaline-inspiring roller coasters worth trying out on your next travel adventure.

10 Eejanaika, Fuji-Q Highland Park, Japan

The World’s Most Insane Roller Coaster – Eejanaika at Fuji-Q Highland ええじゃないか 富士急ハイランド

Home to six headline-attracting roller coasters, including the record-breaking Takabisha, and one other under construction, Fuji-Q Highland Park is every roller coaster lover’s paradise.

In particular, the 250-foot (76.2-meter) tall 4th Dimension Eejanaika coaster provides intense moments from the very start to finish.

At the start of your ride, the seats rotate, tilting you 90 degrees and flipping you almost upside down before pivoting to a more stable position as you mount the 249-foot (76-meter) lift hill. And that’s about the “slowest” part of the ride. After that, you’re all set for an insane experience.

The seats rotate accordingly with every drop, rise up, and dip down. There will be moments when you’ll be facing down and staring at the ground below and others when you’re looking at the sky. Drops are intensive, and just when it feels like your life is over, you’ll fall flat on the ground. Then your seat rotates again in the nick of time, and you’re facing the sky again.

Moving at ridiculous speeds of 78.3mph (126 km/h), every soar and descent, every twist and turn, make you feel disoriented. If you were in the front seat, you’d soon find yourself at the back and, within seconds, at the front again. What looked like feet were actually hands. You feel weightless, almost like a doll being flipped over and over. People either start laughing in hysteria or crying, and that’s okay, too.

9 Stealth, Thorpe Park, UK

Scary doesn’t begin to describe this coaster—”insane” is more like it. It drove one Youtuber to steal into the park and climb (without any safety harness) to the very top. The thing is 205 feet (62.5 meters) tall. I can’t even begin to think about all the things that could go wrong.

With a top element that dominates the skyline, riders have a wonderful view of their surroundings but only fleeting seconds to appreciate it.

At the station, the ride starts by accelerating from 0 to 82mph (132 km/h) in under two seconds—you’ll be thankful for those over-the-shoulder restraints. It then shoots upwards 205 feet (62.5 meters) and slows down at the peak before plunging fast an insanely steep drop towards the Rumba Rapid.

A mind-blowing adrenaline rush that’s unlikely to slow down even as the car flies over a hill and swiftly comes to a stop. The experience lasts under a minute which feels pretty short but still satisfying. It’s a must-try for adrenaline junkies.

The Americana car-related theme feels old school but works. The big wheel archway and race car-themed trains tell you you’re headed for the race of your life.

8 CANNIBAL Elevator Lift Coaster, Lagoon, Utah

CANNIBAL Elevator Lift Coaster POV – Front On Ride – Lagoon, Utah

The Cannibal coaster experience feels like a drop from heaven and into underworldly darkness. Phenomenal but definitely scary.

The coaster is housed in a sinister-looking tower and bears a jungle theme; you’ll also see a few waterfalls scattered here and there. As you get on the train, you enter a dark-ish section and stop briefly before the train starts rising.

You’re on an elevator lift hill that takes you up 208 feet (63.4 meters). Perhaps the setting is meant to build suspense for what’s coming next. At the top, the train creeps toward an edge and stops again—possibly for a second or two to ponder your fate before dropping into nothingness.

The train tips to a 116-degree angle, then dives down, down, down into the tunnel, transitions into an Immelmann loop, and heads into a dive loop. Riders enjoy overbanked curves, a double barrel roll, downward helix with a rock tunnel in the middle. Thrilling and a ton of fun.

7 Maverick, Cedar Point, Ohio

Standing against mightier foes, including the Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster (oh well, that’s out now), Maverick seems almost out of order, but don’t let that fool you. This baby is powerful and offers riders relentless action that threatens to throw you off its back. It’s purposely violent and feels like it could tear off the tracks, pretty much feeding your adrenaline.

At the start, the train is magnetically propelled up the 105-foot (32-meter) lift hill at a reasonable speed. After tilting at a 95-degree angle, the train drops 100 feet (30.5 meters), swoops around, climbs a hill, and embarks on a twisted horseshoe roll, flipping the train from one direction to the other.

Wild banked turns will leave you all giddy and even thankful for the halfway point halt. But before you can get over that blast, the train launches at 70mph (112.6 km/h) to swoop over a lagoon, snakes between “cliffs,” and maneuvers perilously low-height tracks and smooth, highly banked turns before sending you back to the station.

Wild, gripping, but never rough.

6 Iron Gwazi, Busch Gardens, Tampa

Standing at 206 feet (62.8 meters) tall, Iron Gwazi sports an intimidating wooden structure with steel support columns, and you’re going to see a lot of it as your train takes the 90-degree drop and weaves through the crossovers.

The train leaves the station and takes a sharp drop and unbanked turn before going up the lift hill. Ascension isn’t too fast, allowing you to catch great views of your surroundings and the coaster layout that you’ll be tackling. The real action starts when the train goes down the steep drop. It’s exhilarating and so out of control. It feels like you’re being lifted off your seat.

Moving at 76mph (122 km/h), every twist, overbanked turn, climb, head chopper, inward dive, and crossover are delivered in rapid succession to thrill every coaster enthusiast, even the most jaded ones

5 Wildfire, Kolmarden, Sweden

Wildfire 4K Wooden Roller Coaster POV AWESOME Ultra HD Kolmarden Sweden

Towering 187 feet (57 meters) above the ground, this wooden monstrosity holds its own among its metallic counterpart. Perhaps a little too well.

It offers enthusiasts a hair-raising 160-foot (48.8-meter) drop, a bizarre outward bank tophat that makes for intoxicating sensations, and panoramic views of the vast forest and Swedish coast.

Located within Kolmårdens Djurpark, the coaster is hidden from view thanks to the tree-filled mountainous terrain and takes about 30 minutes to reach (from the entrance). Wildlife exudes a rustic feel, with the station using rustic saws to decorate its walls and ceiling.

Right after dispatch, the train turns into the lift hill, which is perhaps the only time you have to enjoy the views.

At the top, it dips a bit, makes a 270-degree right turn, and bumps up, marking the beginning of two minutes of ecstasy starting with a 161-foot (49-meter) first drop followed by an inverted zero G stall and an Outward Bank Tophat. It’s a speedy journey riddled with twists, turns, head-choppers, inversions, and air-time hills.

4 Thunder Dolphin, Tokyo Dome City, Japan

Thunder Dolphin Roller Coaster POV La Qua Tokyo Japan 60 FPS

Smack in the middle of the city, this iconic coaster offers a thrilling ride with fantastic views of the city buildings and the streets below. Strangely, people are going about their business while you’re having the experience of a lifetime.

A ride on this quirky coaster starts with a swift ascent on the lift hill to reach 262 feet (90 meters)t above the ground. From here, riders stare down at a 218-foot (66.5-meter) drop as the train swiftly plummets to the ground reaching speeds of 81mph (130.4 km/h). It feels like freefalling.

After this, it’s more climbs and turns, flying past the side of the LaQua mall a little too closely before weaving through the roof of the mall. The ride slows down a little before plunging toward the ground through a gigantic hole in the wall on the side of the very building you were flying past.

Before you have a chance to think, “did we just go through a…” you find yourself climbing into the sky. Navigating giant banked turns, you climb up again before descending into the Big O. There’s an overly close shave with a support beam, and (after a series of twists, turns, small hills, and plummets) the train finally comes back to the station.

3 Time Traveler, Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri

Time Traveler Spinning Roller Coaster POV at Silver Dollar City

Imagine yourself all prepped for your ride, but a split second after you leave the station, your coaster car drops vertically 90 feet (27.4 meters). And there’s no telling which direction you’ll face when the drop happens. Depending on how your car rotates, it could be backward, forward, or sideways.

The time traveler coaster literally adds a spin (pun intended) to riding. The coaster cars are mounted on round fins that allow them to rotate freely and onboard magnets that brake the turning and slow the spinning.

You get to experience every element differently. One second, you’re diving headlong into a loop, and the next, you’re looking at the terrified face of the passengers in the next car or something else.

The Time Traveler has an impressive theme. After walking into the entrance plaza, visitors are greeted by a gigantic clock sign with cool patterns in the back. The station is lavishly decorated with unique clocks and multiple rotating clock gears above, and time-traveled inspired coaster cars to pump up that time-traveling feel.

In just under two minutes, you go through three inversions, two launches, and weird sensations at speeds of 50mph (80.5 km/h).

2 Incredible Hulk Coaster, IOA, Universal Orlando

Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster Front Seat POV 4K Universal Orlando Islands of Adventure

While most of us remember the awesome Dragon challenge coaster (no longer in existence) at the Islands of Adventure, MCU lovers (especially the Hulk fans) will enjoy this ride and its themes.

The entrance sports the Incredible Hulk statue holding up a car ride. As you enter the queue, you find yourself in Gen. Thaddeus Ross’s lab as a test subject (to turn you into a Hulk, no doubt). The room and launch platform look very cool with gamma reactors and stuff.

At the start of the ride, riders are dispatched to the gamma rays launch tunnel fitted with cool effects. As they ascend the lift hill, they play a warning message that gamma exposure has been initiated. It definitely gets your adrenaline pumping.

The gamma-ray reactor accelerates the train to 40mph (64.4 km/h), exiting the launch tunnel and careening into a snappy 110-foot (33.5-meter) tall zero-G roll. Moving at a speed of 67mph (107.8 km/h), the train weaves through drops, water cannons shooting water, vertical loops, a cobra roll, two corkscrews, and a tunnel amid roars from the Hulk. It makes for an intense and satisfying experience

1 Nemesis, Alton Towers Resort, England

Nemesis [4K] 2022 Front Seat POV – Alton Towers Resort

Once upon a time, the creature Nemesis—from who knows which dimension—entered the Earth’s realm and dwelt in an underground lair. Away from the light and undisturbed by humans, the creature fell into an age-long sleep. But humans decided to dig up toward the Forbidden Valley.

In anger, Nemesis unleashed an unimaginable terror on the world, and it took a team of brave warriors to pin it down with monstrous steel metal into the twisted roller coaster we see today. Well, that’s as far as the lore and theme go. It’s pretty fun, actually. The inverted coaster twists and turns through raw-looking tentacles while a giant eerie-looking eyeball stares at the passengers.

Nemesis stands differently in that it doesn’t reach for the skies. In fact, it hardly goes higher than ground level, descending down into the rocky crater from whence the creature came.

The train accelerates along a marginal decline before flipping into a corkscrew. And that’s just the beginning. Amid the creature’s iconic roar and cruising at 50mph (80.5 km/h), riders go through one other corkscrew, a humongous loop, and a zero-G roll.

One moment, you’re leaping over the station, and the next, you’re plunging into the pit with near misses that make you think the coaster wants to scrub the rocks, tunnel, and monster with your body. And before you can recollect your thoughts, the 80-secondride comes to a graceful halt. A little short, perhaps, but worth it.

19 Best Roller Coasters Around the World

Do you have the guts to ride the fastest, tallest, loopiest, scariest roller coasters on earth?

Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. She specializes in reporting on travel, culture, and the arts. She is currently based in Brooklyn.

There is no shortage of theme-park thrills in this world, but we have a special fondness for the roller coaster.

Coasters were originally more like slides. Russian aristocracy would board wooden carts and go down a human-made hill. By the early 20th century, engineers were experimenting with roller coaster technology, looking for more ways to provide thrills. At this point, the coasters were capable of going faster, curving, and twisting around hills.

And the thrills have increased exponentially in the past 100 years. While the criteria for what makes the best coasters — the design, the number of inversions, the speed — may vary from thrill-seeker to thrill-seeker, today there are plenty of instruments of adrenaline to go around (and around and around). They break speed records, hurl passengers with G-force strength, and some are even designed to trick riders.

Whether they’re sending us upside down (14 times), zooming us over a course at 150 miles per hour, or making us scream by shuffling the track while we’re on it, today’s roller coasters are thrilling marvels of engineering.

Be it the fastest, the tallest, scariest, or the loopiest, these are the 19 best roller coasters in the world.

Formula Rossa — Ferrari World, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

When it comes to speed, no other coaster in the world can compare with Formula Rossa. Developed to resemble a Ferrari sportscar, this roller coaster is the fastest in the world. It launches riders from zero to 150 miles per hour in five seconds. The track sits on a Ferrari racing course and swerves around 1.5 miles of track. The ride only lasts a minute and a half, but it’s one of the most heart-pounding 90 seconds you can experience on a roller coaster anywhere on the planet.

Kingda Ka — Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey

This is the fastest roller coaster in America and the tallest roller coaster in the world. In fact, given its height and speed, it could just be considered the scariest roller coaster in the world as well. The track reaches heights of 456 feet (over 45 stories) before sending riders hurtling down at 128 miles per hour — a speed reached in just 3.5 seconds. Kingda Ka is one of the most intense rides around, even though the whole experience only lasts about 50 seconds. (But you probably couldn’t take it much longer, to be honest.)

Jersey Devil Coaster — Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey

The second coaster at New Jersey’s Six Flags Great Adventure with a spot on our list is the Jersey Devil Coaster, which debuted in June 2021 as the world’s tallest, fastest, and longest single rail coaster. Sleek trains carry 12 passengers each, sitting low and inline style (one rider per row) with their legs straddling either side of the monorail track. This thrill ride, named for the folkloric creature that has allegedly haunted the local woods for centuries, hits 58 miles an hour with a 130-foot drop. Towering 13 stories high, the coaster takes riders over 3,000 feet of track.

Steel Dragon 2000 — Nagashima Resort, Japan

Honors for the world’s longest roller coaster go to the Steel Dragon 2000 in Japan. It cost more than $52 million to construct its 8,000 feet of track that reaches 318 feet at its peak. The Steel Dragon 2000 shoots passengers 95 miles per hour on a 306-foot descent.

Steel Vengeance — Cedar Point, Ohio

Often considered the roller coaster capital of America, Cedar Point is home to many of the country’s most exciting rides. While a number of the park’s 17 coasters could land a spot on this list thanks to their gravity-defying thrills, we’re highlighting Steel Vengeance, as it’s the longest hybrid (wood and steel) coaster in the world. Riders achieve nearly 30 seconds of airtime — the most on any worldwide coaster — as they invert four times and make their way around the 5,740-foot track that peaks at 200 feet.

T Express — Everland Resort, South Korea

For riders who prefer an old-school (but still extreme!) experience, the T Express in South Korea is the world’s 2nd tallest wooden coaster at 183 feet. The course takes advantage of its location on a hillside, launching riders down a 150-foot drop. The ride reaches a top speed of 65 miles per hour and sends cars down a 77-degree drop. It’s routinely voted one of the best wooden coasters in the world.

Pantheon — Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Virginia

Dubbed the world’s fastest multi-launch coaster, Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg tops out at 73 miles per hour, reaching 180 feet with a 95-degree drop and two inversions. Three of the speed bursts are forward motion while the other is in reverse on this two-minute ride, where riders achieve weightlessness on five hills.

Goliath — Six Flags Great America, Illinois

It’s a subtle distinction. The Goliath may not be the tallest wooden coaster in the world, but it’s got the tallest drop. Although the coaster is only 165 feet tall, passengers aboard Goliath plunge 180 feet through an underground tunnel and come out on the other side. At its fastest, the coaster goes 72 miles per hour and has two inversions, making for a stomach-churning ride.

The Smiler — Alton Towers, United Kingdom

The Smiler will turn your world upside down. It’s got the most inversions of any coaster in the world — a dizzying 14. And passengers are sent up through the loops at 53 miles per hour. But don’t think that quantity cancels out variety. There are several different types of inversions throughout the track, including a heartline roll, dive loop, and corkscrew. We would recommend trying this one out on an empty stomach.

Full Throttle — Six Flags Magic Mountain, California

The terrifying Full Throttle boasts the tallest and fastest vertical loop in the world. Riders go 70 miles per hour up a loop that reaches 160 feet tall. While you’re riding, the coaster feels unpredictable. It lurches around, switching direction several times, including once while you’re in the middle of the loop.

Takabisha — Fuji-Q Highland, Japan

The world’s steepest roller coaster may be one of the most terrifying two-minute experiences in the world. Takabisha starts by plummeting riders into a dark tunnel and it only gets scarier from there. The crowning feature is a mind-bending 121-degree “beyond vertical” drop through several loops and inversions.

The Great Scenic Railway — Luna Park, Australia

Sometimes you just want something classic. The Great Scenic Railway may not have the most heart-pounding track, but it’s the world’s oldest continually operating coaster. It’s been taking passengers around its wooden track since December 1912, so there’s heritage in each car. It’s one of only seven historic coasters in the world that requires a brakeman to stand in the middle of the train.

Fønix — Fårup Sommerland, Denmark

Fønix is the world’s only coaster to feature a “stall loop,” where riders experience 2.5 seconds of weightlessness when the train is in an overhead position by half a loop followed by an inverted “camelback” before entering the second part of the loop. In fact, riders reach zero gravity for more than nine seconds total on this ride, thanks to all of the coaster’s speedy dips, loops, and turns. Fønix, Denmark’s fastest and tallest roller coaster, peaks at 131 feet in the air and reaches 59 miles an hour.

Steel Curtain — Kennywood, Pennsylvania

This Pittsburgh Steelers-themed roller coaster broke records when it opened in 2019. Not only does it have nine inversions and a zero-gravity stall, but it’s got the world’s highest inversion at a record-breaking 197 feet. The Steel Curtain reaches a top speed of 76 miles per hour but has a track so smooth, it claims to be a “family-friendly” ride. The family that screams together.

Yukon Striker — Canada’s Wonderland, Canada

Things may be bigger in Texas but apparently they’re longer, faster, and taller in Canada. The world’s longest, fastest, and tallest dive coaster is located in Canada’s Wonderland. But those records aren’t the most spine-chilling part of the ride. The Yukon Striker leaves riders hanging over a 90-degree drop for a full three seconds, dangling 245 feet over an underwater tunnel. Whoever said that Canadians are among the friendliest people on the planet needs to consider the menacing factors of this coaster.

The Gravity Max — Lihpao Land Discovery World, Taiwan

This ride is another contender for the scariest roller coaster in the world. The stomach-dropping coaster travels to the end of its horizontal track before tilting at a 90-degree angle and dropping down into a pitch-black tunnel, reaching 3.5 Gs. Nicknamed the “Cliffhanger,” it’s the one of the world’s only tilting roller coasters and not for the faint of heart.

Time Traveler — Silver Dollar City, Missouri

Visitors travel back in time at Silver Dollar City, an 1880s-themed amusement park in Branson, Missouri. But there’s nothing old-fashioned about Time Traveler, the world’s fastest, steepest, and tallest spinning coaster. Riders on rotating cars are fully inverted three times, and the coaster accelerates to 50 miles per hour, launching twice on the two-minute ride that peaks 100 feet in the air.

Tower of Terror — Gold Reef City, South Africa

This South African coaster set a niche record: the most G-forces of any coaster in the world. At 6.3 Gs, the Tower of Terror is so powerful it could make some people pass out. The gravitational force is twice as much as an astronaut would experience in a normal rocket launch. The most memorable moment of this ride is a 49-foot drop into a former functional mine shaft.

Do-Dodonpa — Fuji-Q Highland, Japan

This is not a ride for people who are susceptible to bouts of motion sickness. Once you’re on board, the train shoots off on the fastest acceleration in the world, going from zero to 112 miles per hour in 1.56 seconds. From there, it’s a nonstop 55 seconds of loops, swerves, curves, and a zero-gravity zone.

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