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Travel China - the Silk Road

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In brief+

Weekly budget
£unconfirmed
Flight budget
£unconfirmed
Flight duration
 
Time difference
Summer/Winter
Visa
Yes
Vaccinations
No
Currency
Renmimbi Yuan
Language(s)
Chinese

Overview

China - the Silk Road

The royal commercial route between the east and west, the Silk Road crosses the whole of northern China. Dotted with gorgeous Buddhist sites, towns in ruins, and oases, the mythical Silk Road takes you across deserts and mountains to meet warm and welcoming people, Uyghurs, Tajiks, and Uzbeks; proud of their ancestral traditions and customs that are still as strong as ever. On the route, Kashgar, a market city of Islamic China, Lanzhou, capital of the province, Xi'an, the imperial city, or Baoji, the generous city, are all stops you must not miss.

pros

  •  The Uyghurs, Tajiks, and Uzbeks are particularly welcoming and keep alive their religious, musical and gastronomic customs.
  •  The eternal fascination of the Silk Road, dotted with gorgeous Buddhist sites, towns in ruins, and oases bordering the Taklamakan desert, against a backdrop of the Tian Shan or Kunlun mountains.

cons

  •  It is difficult to get a place on the trains and planes, which are often full.
  •  Crossing the whole of the Silk Road would take several weeks' patience and a good sense of organisation to make reservations a long time in advance.
  •  Non-smokers will suffer from the incessant smoke in the buses and trains.
  •  As everywhere in China, the language is an obstacle that is difficult to surmount. In this region, the different transcriptions of place names do not facilitate the task.

map China - the Silk Road

map China - the Silk Road

Country Guide

China China, All you need to know!

Our Editorial team's advice

Apart from backpackers, who have the time to organise their trip on a daily basis, it is best to call on a specialised tour operator to discover the Silk Road. Although expensive, this service will avoid any bother with reservations and exhausting transport.
You should avoid the unbearable summer temperatures around the Taklamakan desert. Among the two Silk roads connecting Dunhuang to Kashgar, we definitely prefer the northern road, which is longer and richer in sites, but more touristic. Do not stop in Urümqi, as it is a modern town of no particular interest. As it is quite demanding, this trip requires you to be in a good physical condition.

What should you take in your suitcase?
As long as you avoid clothes that are too provocative, the Chinese are not very formal at all regarding clothing. You would do better to think practical and light: T-shirts and anoraks can be bought there at low cost. In winter, a thick sweater, warm undergarment, trousers and a thick parka are compulsory. Cotton clothes are the most comfortable in rainy season, as the heat is intense, and do not forget to take something waterproof and shoes that do not have a problem with water! Regarding medication, the change in food habits can cause stomach problems ( such as heartburn) so take some pills along, particularly if you are also going to travel through the country. A precaution: photocopies of your passport and identity photos will be very useful to you should you lose your personal documents.

Reasons to go

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  • Lanzhou -10°C | -2°C 4 day weather forecast -2°C -2°C -1°C -3°C
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