It is not mustahabb to come back via a different route for any prayer other than the Eid prayer

Praise be to Allah.

Al-Bukhaari (986) narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: On the day of Eid, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would vary his route, i.e., he would go via one route and come back via a different route.  

This hadeeth indicates that it is mustahabb to come back via a different route from Eid prayer. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (16/222): 

It is prescribed for the one who goes out to the Eid prayer to go via one route and to come back via another route, following the example of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This Sunnah does not apply to any other prayer, Jumu’ah or otherwise, rather it applies only to Eid. Some scholars said that this is prescribed for Jumu’ah prayer too, but the basic principle is that with regard to every action for which there was a reason at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) but he did not do it, taking that as an act of worship is a form of bid’ah (innovation).