Itinerary · 14 days · balanced
Silk Road — Xi'an to Kashgar, 14 days
The full Hexi Corridor route from Xi'an west through Lanzhou, Dunhuang and the Taklamakan edge to Turpan and Kashgar — the historical Silk Road across northwest China.
This is a longer version of the Silk Road corridor than most itineraries attempt. Moving from Xi'an (the Tang dynasty eastern terminus) to Kashgar in China's far west takes the traveller through strikingly different landscapes: the Wei River valley, the Yellow River at Lanzhou, the Hexi Corridor desert, the Tarim Basin, and finally the Uighur city of Kashgar on the Kyrgyzstan border. HSR covers Xi'an to Dunhuang; the Kashgar section requires a domestic flight from Urumqi or an overnight train from Turpan.
Day by day
Day 1 · xian
Arrival Xi'an, City Wall, Muslim Quarter
Arrive Xi'an. Settle in inside the City Wall. Evening at the Muslim Quarter food street — this is the Hui Muslim community, part of the same cultural continuum that runs west to Kashgar.
Attractions: xian-city-wall
Stay in: Inside the City Wall, near South Gate.
Day 2 · xian
Terracotta Army, Shaanxi History Museum
Full morning at the Terracotta Army (the eastern end of the Silk Road era). Afternoon: Shaanxi History Museum for Tang dynasty gold and silver treasures.
Attractions: terracotta-army, shaanxi-history-museum
Day 3 · xian
Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Famen Temple
Morning Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Day trip west to Famen Temple — Tang Buddhist reliquary whose contents include objects brought from the west along the Silk Road.
Attractions: small-wild-goose-pagoda, famen-temple
Day 4 · lanzhou
HSR to Lanzhou, Yellow River
Morning HSR (3h). Afternoon on the Yellow River promenade and across Zhongshan Bridge (1909 iron bridge, the first permanent crossing). Hand-pulled beef noodles for dinner — lanzhou lamian, the definitive Gansu dish.
Stay in: Lanzhou city centre.
HSR Xi'an → Lanzhou, 3h, ¥240.
Day 5 · lanzhou
Bingling Temple Grottoes
Full day by bus and boat to Bingling Temple (Buddhist caves carved from 420 CE, Tang dynasty paintings). The boat journey through the Liujiaxia Reservoir canyon is part of the appeal.
Day 6 · zhangye
HSR to Zhangye, Danxia hills
Morning HSR (3h). Afternoon at the Danxia National Geological Park — sunset among the rainbow sandstone hills.
Attractions: zhangye-danxia
Stay in: Zhangye city.
HSR Lanzhou → Zhangye, 3h, ¥130.
Day 7 · jiayuguan
HSR to Jiayuguan, the western Wall fortress
Morning HSR (90 min). Full afternoon at Jiayuguan Fort — the westernmost Ming garrison point. The desert beyond the gate is where China ended and the unknown began.
Attractions: jiayuguan-pass
Stay in: Jiayuguan city.
HSR Zhangye → Jiayuguan, 90 min, ¥80.
Day 8 · dunhuang
Train to Dunhuang, Crescent Lake
Train via Liuyuan junction to Dunhuang (2h). Afternoon at Crescent Lake and Mingsha dunes — camel rides at sunset.
Attractions: crescent-lake-mingsha
Stay in: Dunhuang city.
Train via Liuyuan, approx 2h.
Day 9 · dunhuang
Mogao Caves
Full morning at the Mogao Cave complex — 492 caves of Buddhist art from the 4th to 14th centuries. Book months in advance; tickets are strictly limited. The digital display centre at the site is genuinely excellent.
Attractions: mogao-caves
Day 10 · dunhuang
Yumen Pass, Yangguan Fort
Full-day 4WD excursion to the Han dynasty frontier passes in the desert west of Dunhuang. The landscape here — flat gravel desert, ruined watchtowers — is as close to the Silk Road as it looked to traders two millennia ago.
Day 11 · turpan
Fly to Urumqi, train to Turpan
Morning flight Dunhuang → Urumqi (2h). Train Urumqi → Turpan North (40 min). Afternoon: Emin Minaret and the ruins of Jiaohe Ancient City (a pre-Tang city eroded into the plateau).
Stay in: Turpan city — guesthouses with courtyards are common.
Flight DNH → URC 2h then HSR URC → Turpan North 40 min.
Day 12 · turpan
Flaming Mountains, Grape Valley
Morning at the Flaming Mountains — the red sandstone ridge that turns scarlet in summer heat. Grape Valley vineyards (Turpan is China's hottest city and its premier grape-growing region). Afternoon: Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves (some frescoes damaged but the site and canyon setting remain striking).
Day 13 · kashgar
Fly to Kashgar, Old City
Morning flight URC → KHG (90 min). Arrive Kashgar — the westernmost Silk Road city still in China, predominantly Uighur in culture and character. Afternoon in the Kashgar Old City — tile-fronted buildings, covered bazaars, mosques. Id Kah Mosque square in the late afternoon.
Stay in: Kashgar Old City area — guesthouses near the main mosque.
Flight Turpan → Urumqi → Kashgar, approx 2h total.
Day 14 · kashgar
Sunday Market, depart
Sunday Livestock Market (held most weeks, not only Sunday despite the name) — one of Central Asia's largest livestock trading gatherings. Artisan Bazaar for silk, dried fruit and metalwork. Fly KHG → Urumqi → onward connection.
Flight KHG → URC then onward to Beijing, Xi'an or international connection.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥3500 |
| Mid-range | ¥8000 |
| Comfortable | ¥18000 |
Per person total 14 days including domestic flights (approx ¥2,500) and HSR (approx ¥1,000). Mogao Caves tickets ¥238 standard. International flights excluded.
Attractions covered
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