Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter at 8pm. The street is packed. Lamb skewers, pomegranate juice, flatbread from a clay oven. The man in the stall next to you is Uyghur. You are already on the Silk Road. You just haven’t left yet. Two days from here by flight, you’ll be standing at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert watching sand dunes turn orange in the late afternoon.
The UNESCO Silk Road was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2014, recognizing its 2,000-year role in cultural exchange. Here is how to travel it. For the longer 3-week version: 3-Week China Itinerary.
The Classic Route
| Destination | Distance from Previous | Days | Why Stop Here |
| Xi’an | Starting point | 2 | Eastern terminus. Terracotta Warriors. Muslim Quarter food. |
| Zhangye (Gansu) | 3h train from Lanzhou | 1 to 2 | Rainbow mountains (Danxia). Some of the most unusual geology in China. |
| Jiayuguan | 1h train from Zhangye | 0.5 to 1 | Western end of the Great Wall. The last gate before the desert. |
| Dunhuang (Gansu) | Fly or train from Jiayuguan | 2 to 3 | Mogao Caves (Buddhist art). Crescent Moon Lake. Singing sand dunes. |
| Turpan (Xinjiang) | Fly or train from Dunhuang | 1 to 2 | Ancient oasis city. Grape valleys. Ruins of Jiaohe. |
| Urumqi (Xinjiang) | 2h train from Turpan | 1 | Transit hub. Heaven Lake day trip. |
| Kashgar (Xinjiang) | Fly from Urumqi 1.5h | 2 to 3 | Central Asian atmosphere. Grand Bazaar. Old city. Sunday animal market. |
The Non-Negotiable Stops
Dunhuang: the heart of the route
Dunhuang sat at the convergence of the northern and southern Silk Road routes for over 1,000 years. The Mogao Caves contain 492 cave temples with Buddhist murals and sculptures spanning the 4th to 14th centuries. These are not reconstructions. You stand in front of paintings made by hands 1,500 years ago.
Book entry tickets at Dunhuang Academy at least 2 to 4 weeks ahead in summer. The Crescent Moon Lake, 6 km south of town, is a spring-fed oasis surrounded by sand dunes that reach 1,700 metres. The contrast is so improbable it looks fake until you are standing in it.
Kashgar: the western city
Kashgar is the most Central Asian city in China. The old town is a surviving labyrinth of mud-brick architecture. The Sunday livestock market on the edge of town has been running for centuries. Sheep, goats, horses, and camels are traded by Uyghur, Kyrgyz, and Tajik herders. The Id Kah Mosque is one of the largest in China. Kashgar is China only in the administrative sense. It feels like a different country.
Zhangye Danxia: the unexpected one
Most people have not heard of Zhangye before the Silk Road. The Zhangye Danxia Geopark is a plateau of striped red, orange, green, and blue sedimentary rock that looks like it was painted. It is 2.5 hours by train from Lanzhou. It should be on the itinerary even if nothing else changes. The best light is 1 hour before sunset.
Practical Notes
- Beyond Xi’an, forget high-speed rail. The western leg requires a mix of flights and slower trains. Plan accordingly.
- Dunhuang Mogao Caves tickets: book at mgk.cn weeks ahead in summer.
- Xinjiang time: officially on Beijing time (UTC+8) but local Xinjiang time is effectively 2 hours behind. Restaurants open at ‘midnight,’ sunset at 10pm Beijing time. Adjust expectations.
- Security checks in Xinjiang are more frequent than elsewhere in China. Allow more time at train stations and public buildings.
- Wifi in Xinjiang is more restricted than in the rest of China. Your VPN may not work as reliably. Download offline maps and content before arriving.
- Cash is more important in Xinjiang. Alipay works but some smaller Uyghur-owned shops prefer cash.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the full 3-week China itinerary: 3-Week China Itinerary. For Xi’an as a base: Xian Travel Guide.