The Silk Road was never one road. It was a shifting network of routes carrying silk east to west and Buddhism, Islam, glass, horses and disease west to east. In China it runs from the Tang capital of Chang'an — modern Xi'an — through the Hexi Corridor, around the Taklamakan desert, and out over the Pamirs.
Most of it is now covered by high-speed rail, which makes what was once a punishing expedition into a comfortable and genuinely extraordinary three weeks.
The route#
| Days | Place | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Xi'an | 3 |
| 4–5 | Zhangye | 2 |
| 6 | Jiayuguan | 1 |
| 7–9 | Dunhuang | 3 |
| 10–11 | Turpan | 2 |
| 12–13 | Urumqi | 2 |
| 14–17 | Kashgar | 4 |
| 18–19 | Karakoram Highway | 2 |
Xi'an — days 1–3#
The eastern terminus. Terracotta Army, the Shaanxi History Museum, the city wall by bicycle, and the Muslim Quarter, whose Hui community descends from Silk Road traders. The Great Mosque, built entirely in Chinese architectural style, is the ideal introduction to what this route is about. Full detail in our Xi'an guide.
Zhangye — days 4–5#
High-speed rail Xi'an → Zhangye, about 6h.
Zhangye Danxia — the rainbow mountains: sandstone and mineral layers folded and eroded into bands of red, orange and yellow. ¥54 plus shuttle. Best in late afternoon light or after rain; midday sun flattens the colour.
Mati Si — cave temples cut into a cliff in the Qilian mountains, with Tibetan and Yugur communities nearby.
Giant Buddha Temple — a 34 m reclining Buddha from 1098, the largest indoor clay reclining Buddha in China.
Jiayuguan — day 6#
Rail Zhangye → Jiayuguan, 1h30.
Jiayuguan Fort (¥110) — the western terminus of the Ming Great Wall, a fortress at the narrowest point of the Hexi Corridor. For centuries this was the edge of China proper; exiles passed through the gate and were considered to have left the civilised world.
Overhanging Great Wall — a restored section climbing a ridge nearby, with desert on all sides.
Dunhuang — days 7–9#
Rail Jiayuguan → Dunhuang, 2h30–4h.
The high point of the route.
Mogao Caves (¥238 in high season). 492 surviving cave temples cut into a cliff between the 4th and 14th centuries, containing the greatest collection of Buddhist wall painting in the world — roughly 45,000 m² of murals. Visits are strictly controlled: timed tickets booked in advance, a compulsory film, then a guided visit to a rotating selection of about eight caves. Book well ahead; the daily quota is limited and English-language tours are fewer.
The caves also held the Library Cave, sealed around 1000 CE and rediscovered in 1900 with 50,000 manuscripts including the Diamond Sutra of 868 — the world's oldest dated printed book, now in the British Library. The circumstances of its dispersal to European and Japanese expeditions are a live subject in China.
Mingsha Shan and Crescent Lake (¥110) — singing sand dunes with a spring-fed lake at their base. Camels, sandboarding, and a genuinely spectacular sunset.
Yumen Guan and Yangguan — the Han dynasty frontier passes, out in the desert, with surviving rammed-earth wall.
Dunhuang night market — apricot juice, lamb skewers, donkey meat noodles.
Turpan — days 10–11#
Rail Dunhuang → Turpan, 4–5h.
In a basin 154 m below sea level, one of the hottest places in China — above 45°C in July, so time this leg for May–June or September.
Jiaohe Ruins — a Han-era city built on a natural plateau between two rivers, abandoned after the Mongol invasion and remarkably intact. Go at sunset. Gaochang Ruins — larger and more eroded. Bezeklik Caves — Buddhist murals, badly damaged by 20th-century removals. Karez — the 2,000-year-old underground irrigation channels. Emin Minaret — an elegant 18th-century mud-brick tower. And the grapes, dried in ventilated brick towers on the hillsides.
Urumqi — days 12–13#
Xinjiang Regional Museum — home to the Tarim mummies, Bronze Age bodies preserved by the desert with startlingly intact hair, clothing and features, some over 3,800 years old. One of the most remarkable museum holdings anywhere.
Heavenly Lake (Tianchi) — an alpine lake below Bogda Peak, two hours away.
Kashgar — days 14–17#
Fly Urumqi → Kashgar (1h45) or take the overnight train (about 22h along the southern Tarim route via Korla, Kuqa and Aksu — the more interesting option if you have the time).
The western end. Id Kah Mosque, the largest in China. The old city, extensively rebuilt from 2009 but still atmospheric in the workshop lanes. The Sunday livestock market on the city's eastern edge — sheep, cattle, camels and horses traded by Uyghur and Kyrgyz farmers, and the most genuine thing on the whole route. The Grand Bazaar for textiles, hats and dried fruit.
Food: charcoal lamb kebabs, laghman hand-pulled noodles, polo pilaf, tandoor-baked nan, samsa. Completely unlike Han Chinese cooking and superb.
The Karakoram Highway — days 18–19#
South towards Pakistan, climbing into the Pamirs. Karakul Lake at 3,600 m beneath the 7,546 m Muztagh Ata, and Tashkurgan, a Tajik town at 3,100 m and the last settlement before the Khunjerab Pass.
Requires a border-area permit obtained in Kashgar, and a hired driver. Subject to closure. One of the great mountain drives in the world.
Practicalities#
- Season: May–June and September–October. July and August exceed 45°C in the basins; winter is severe.
- Time zone: Xinjiang officially uses Beijing time, two hours ahead of solar time, but locally many people use unofficial "Xinjiang time". Always confirm which one an appointment means.
- Distances: Urumqi to Kashgar is 1,500 km. Do not underestimate transit.
- Accommodation: the list of hotels licensed for foreign guests is shorter here. Book through Trip.com or Booking.com and confirm in advance.
- Ramadan affects opening hours and food availability in Uyghur areas.
- Sensitivity: avoid political conversations and photography of security infrastructure. The risk falls on local people, not on you.
Frequently asked questions#
How long does the Silk Road in China take?#
About 18 to 21 days from Xi'an to Kashgar and the Karakoram Highway, covering roughly 4,000 km. Most of the route is now served by high-speed rail, which makes it far faster and more comfortable than it once was.
Are the Mogao Caves worth visiting?#
Yes — they hold the greatest collection of Buddhist wall painting in the world, roughly 45,000 m² across 492 caves spanning a thousand years. Visits are strictly controlled with timed tickets and a guided route through about eight caves, so book well in advance.
What are the Zhangye rainbow mountains?#
The Zhangye Danxia landform: layered sandstone and mineral deposits folded and eroded into bands of red, orange and yellow. Entry is about ¥54 plus a shuttle, and the colours are strongest in late afternoon light or just after rain.
When is the best time for a Silk Road trip in China?#
May to June and September to October. The Turpan basin and Taklamakan exceed 45°C in July and August, and winter across the northwest is severe. Autumn adds clear skies and harvest in the oasis towns.
Do I need a permit to travel the Silk Road in China?#
No permit is needed for the main route, including Kashgar. A border-area permit obtained in Kashgar is required for the Karakoram Highway towards Tashkurgan. Expect frequent identity checks and security screening throughout Xinjiang.