Old city of Kashgar on the Silk Road

Silk Road Guide

China

Explore the Middle Kingdom

Plan my trip Start with the essentials
Enter the guide

Silk Road Guide

Orient your journey

  1. 01

    Entry and exit formalities

    Visas, borders and documents.

    Open chapter
  2. 02

    When to go and weather

    Seasons, weather windows and road conditions.

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  3. 03

    Getting around

    Roads, passes, distance and travel time.

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Explore the country on the ground.

Find places that shape your route, and somewhere to pause along the way.

Find your way into the landscape.

Explore different ways to spend time here. Open an activity guide for local context and ideas to discuss when planning your trip.

a road in the middle of a desert with mountains in the background

Drive

Epic Journeys: Driving China’s Diverse Landscapes

Photo: Jeffrey W on Unsplash

Aerial photo above Xinjiang, China

Flight

Skyward Bound: Exploring China from Above

Photo: 福考 温 on Unsplash

Artisan weaving a vibrant Uyghur handmade carpet

Handicraft

Masterful Creations: Delving into China’s Handicraft Heritage

Photo: Periwinkle Luffa, BlueMelon

Serene hot springs in Turpan, visitors relaxing and enjoying the therapeutic waters

Health and Wellness

Holistic Harmony: Embracing Health and Wellness in China

Photo: Periwinkle Luffa, BlueMelon

brown and gray mountains under blue sky during daytime

Hiking

Trailblazing China: Adventures on Foot

Photo: Siyuan on Unsplash

View of Kashgar's ancient bazaar

Historical Sites

Time Travels: Uncovering China’s Historical Sites

Photo: Periwinkle Luffa, BlueMelon

Show 5 more activities
K2 Mountain

Mountaineering

Summit Dreams: Conquering China’s High Peaks

Photo: Unsplash+

Young nomads, Xinjiang, China

Nomadic Lifestyle

Steppe Life: Experiencing China’s Nomadic Traditions

Photo: Yu Gui on Unsplash

Lush alpine flora of Xinjiang's Tianshan Mountains

Observing Flora

Botanical Wonders: China’s Floral Diversity

Photo: Periwinkle Luffa, BlueMelon

Adventurers ski touring across the extensive mountainous terrains of Muztag Ata peak

Ski Touring

Xinjiang's Untouched Slopes: A Ski Touring Paradise

Photo: Periwinkle Luffa, BlueMelon

Wild camels in Xinjiang

Wildlife Watching

Nature’s Bounty: Wildlife Watching Across China

Photo: Periwinkle Luffa, BlueMelon

Silk Road Guide

Read the land

Use the authored regions to build a first spatial picture, then open each region for local detail.

Regional field key

  1. 01 TibetTibet resists spiritual shorthand. Lhasa, Barkhor circuits, Potala walls, Jokhang pilgrims, Yarlung Tsangpo valleys, Shigatse roads and high passes ask for patience, permits, acclimatization…
  2. 02 XinjiangXinjiang is too large for one travel mood. Tian Shan pastures, Tarim oases, Turpan vineyards, Kashgar streets, Hotan craft, Urumqi rail links, desert highways and border approaches make move…
  3. 03 QinghaiQinghai is the plateau before the plateau becomes a headline. Xining, Qinghai Lake, Amdo towns, Kumbum Monastery, salt basins, Golmud and Sanjiangyuan turn altitude into water, rail logistic…
  4. 04 SichuanSichuan is a province of hinges: Chengdu’s basin life, teahouses and kitchens on one side; Aba, Ganzi, Kangding, Min and Dadu valleys, panda reserves and high roads on the other. Travel here…
  5. 05 GansuGansu reads as a long corridor with people at work. Lanzhou handles Yellow River traffic; Zhangye fields, Jiayuguan gates, Dunhuang markets and Mogao cave tickets show how a dry passage stil…
  6. 06 YunnanYunnan is southwest China in layers: Kunming streets, Dali courtyards, Lijiang lanes, Shaxi markets, Pu’er tea hills, rice terraces, Mekong, Salween and Jinsha gorges, and border roads towar…
  7. 07 Inner MongoliaInner Mongolia stretches across north China with grassland, coal towns, dairy markets, border memory, desert edges and long east-west transfers. The region makes sense through herder calenda…
  8. 08 Hong KongHong Kong is MTR transfers, tram bells, wet-market mornings, harbour ferries, temple courtyards, hiking steps, island piers and New Territories villages. Its scale is small, yet every slope,…
  9. 09 GuangdongGuangdong is the south in motion: Pearl River channels, Cantonese markets, factory towns, ferry piers, Shenzhen speed and Guangzhou memory. The province makes sense through meals, workshops,…
  10. 10 Beijing
  11. 11 Shanghai
  12. 12 ShaanxiShaanxi begins with Xi’an but spreads through the Wei River plain, Muslim Quarter lanes, tomb roads, Huashan routes, loess villages and train stations. Early state power still lives inside m…

Silk Road Guide

Explore the guide

01 PlanTiming, first decisions and the shape of the journey.
02 RouteArrivals, transport and movement across the country.
03 Stay & eatHow accommodation and food work on the road.
04 PracticalBorders, money, health and everyday travel realities.
05 UnderstandCulture, history and context for traveling with care.

China

Dispatches from the country

Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar with a bright, sunny sky
Article

When to Go to Xinjiang

XinjiangUseful Information

Xinjiang should not be planned as a single weather zone. It is an enormous travel system of oasis cities, desert basins, mountain corridors, borderlands and high routes. The calendar can say summer; Turpan can say furnac

Read article
Lhasa
News

China reopens its borders with Kyrgyzstan

Yulong Snow MountainNews · Border Crossings

China reopens Torugart and Irkeshtam border crossings

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