Top Silk Road Travel Tips

Written by Sally Guo Updated Apr. 17, 2021

Silk Road, an ancient trade route, stretches from 4350 miles from Xian to Europe. The route passes through 12 countries and four Chinese provinces, including Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang. There are several different ethnic minorities living along the route, such as Uyghur nationality, Hui nationality. The whole trip covers areas with different lifestyles, languages, customs, and altitudes. Hence, getting to know some FAQs in advance will make your trips more enjoyable and unforgettable, such as the best time to visit Silk Road is from April to October, what to bring, how to get there, and safety.

Weather and the Best Time to Visit Silk Road

The weather of the Silk Road differs in provinces, as the route went through a string of cities, including the famous Xian, Dunhuang, Turpan, and Urumqi. It has four distinctive seasons, with the highest temperature in summer and the lowest temperature in winter. The temperature in Turpan can reach 40℃ (104 ℉) in the summer and -20℃ (-4℉) in January. The temperature difference between day and night gets bigger from southeast to northeast. Humidity and rain capacity are reduced from southeast to northwest, so the weather gets drier in Xinjiang.

The best time to travel the Silk Road is from May to October when the weather is mild, fruits are ripe, and the mysterious land displays the best of its glamor. Summer can be scorching hot and dry, but the scenery is ideal. Spring will be troublesome due to the sands, winds, and dust, while winter will be too chilly.

What to Bring When Travel the Silk Road

Climate and temperature along the Silk Road vary greatly due to different topographies. So a wide range of clothing and basic suppliers are necessary.

As the temperature changes a lot between day and night and it’s usually windy in desert areas, please bring warm and wind-proof jackets, long pants, thin shirts, sweaters for nights, and scarves. It’s very hot in summer, a T-shirt and shorts are more suitable. In winter from September to October, warm clothes are necessary.
Comfortable warm shoes are a must as you will need to walk for a long time when sightseeing.
Moisturizers, lip creams, and masks are needed to protect your skin from dry and dusty weather.
The sun's ultraviolet radiation is very strong as the altitude gets higher. Carry sunblock, suntan oil, sunglasses, and a sunhat to prevent sunburn.
Bring some basic medicines for diarrhea and heatstroke.

What to Eat

A trip along the Silk Road is also a culinary adventure through a plethora of flavors of tantalizing Chinese Cuisine. Every city has distinctive delicacies, local snacks feature fruits and local drinks like kumiss, frozen yogurt, and tea with milk. You can find these in various night markets, small restaurants, and snack streets. Islamic influence on eating habits and food is huge in Northwest China like Xinjiang.

In Xian, you should try Dumpling Banquet, Liang Pi (Cold Noodles), Yangrou Paomo, Rou Jia Mo (Shaanxi Sandwich), etc. Famous places include Huimin Street (Muslim Street) and Defachang Dumpling Restaurant.

In Gansu, you can not miss the delicious wheat food, like Lanzhou Beef Noodles. Camel Hoof, Niang Po, and Stir-fried Hump with Five Shredding are also visitors’ favorites. Zhengninglu Night Market in Lanzhou specializes in halal foods, packed with more than 100 street stalls offering kebabs, grilled fish, crispy fried pancakes stuffed with beef, etc.

Xinjiang, known as “a land of melons and fruits”, owns famous raisins, Hami melons, grapes, Korla pears as well as peaches, pomegranates, and apricots. Here, mutton, beef, and noodles are widely spread everywhere. Popular foods include Xinjiang Kebabs, Urumqi Dapan Ji, Xinjiang Grilled Fish, Uyghur Pilaf, and Nang.

How to Get the Silk Road

As the tourism industry develops faster and faster, transportation infrastructure on the Silk Road is more and more convenient. You can get there via airline, train or bus.

By Air

By air is the most convenient and comfortable way and there are airports in Xian, Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Urumqi, and Kashgar. Airports, including Xiangyang International Airport ( XIY ), Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport ( LHW ), Jiayuguan Airport ( JGN ), Dunhuang Airport ( DNH ), Urumqi International Airport, and Kashgar Airport, have various flights to major domestic cities, like Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Nanjing, etc. Xian Airport also has international flights to Bangkok, Tokyo, Pansan, HK, Taipei, and more. More flight information and ticket fares can be confirmed by airline agencies when planning a trip.

Duration of partial flight for reference:

Xian to/from Lanzhou: 1 hour
Xian to/from Dunhuang: 1 hour
Lanzhou to/from Jiayuguan: 1.5 hours
Lanzhou to/from Dunhuang: 2 hours
Lanzhou to/from Urumqi: 2.5 hours
Dunhuang to/from Urumqi: 1.5 hours
Urumqi to/from Kashgar: 1.5 hours

By Train

Travel by train is the most popular way because it’s convenient and inexpensive. There are railways on the Silk Road that connect with Beijing, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, and Chengdu. And Silk Road Railway is connected by the Xian-Lanzhou Railway and Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway. Each day, over 31 trains are running about 6 to 8 hours between Xian and Lanzhou, covering 676 kilometers. Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway has stops at infamous sites, including Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Urumqi, Turpan, and Kashgar. Lanzhou-Urumqi railway has over 25 trains running between Xian and Urumqi.

Duration of partial trains for reference:

Xian to/from Lanzhou: 8 hours
Lanzhou to/from Jiayuguan: 8 hours
Lanzhou to/from Dunhuang: 15 hours
Lanzhou to/from Urumqi: 21 hours
Dunhuang to/from Turpan: 8 hours
Urumqi to/from Kashgar: 24 hours
Urumqi to/from Turpan: 2.5 hours

By Bus or Car

The cost of by bus will be economical, but very uncomfortable, unsafe and slow compared with the train. But the three-hour bus from Urumqi to Kashgar is highly recommended for active young travelers. On the bus along the road, you can enjoy the stunning views of the Heavenly Mountains and the unique glimpses of the oasis towns along the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert. You can buy tickets at city bus stations. A car or mini-can is necessary when traveling to some small inaccessible village.

Duration of partial buses for reference:

Urumqi to/from Turpan: 3.5 hours
Turpan to/from Korla: 5 hours
Korla to/from Kuqa: 4 hours
Kuqa to/from Khotan: 12 hours
Khotan to/from Kashgar: 11 hours

Language

There are about 20 different nationalities living along the Silk Road, like the Uigur, Tibetan, and Mongolian. All have their lifestyles and languages with writing, which causes great culture shock.

As tourism developed, some ethnic groups began to learn Mandarin and use Chinese writing. They also integrate the lifestyle of Han people with their own, as well as learn more about Han culture, especially among younger generations.

Most road signs combine local languages and Mandarin.

Jet Lag

Xinjiang Time, also known as Urumqi Time, is two hours behind Beijing Time because of its geographical location. Although Beijing Time is the standard time in China, Xinjiang locals often use Xinjiang time.

So most shops are open when your watch reaches 10:00 AM (thus 8:00 AM for Urumqi)

Safety Issue

Travelers do not have to worry about safety problems as there is great public security in minority areas. Locals are very hospitable and welcoming to tourists.

Please show respect to local culture and religion, and do not say anything about pork.
Always take good care of valuable belongings, especially in crowded public areas like bazaars, and train stations.
Do not bargain with vendors unless you want to buy something.

Some FAQs from our customers

What are the popular tourist sites?

There are lots of tourist sites along the Silk Road, including natural landscapes and historical sites. In Xian, you can visit the Terracotta Army, Daming Palace Site, and Luoyang Longmen Grottoes. In Dunhuang, there are the famous Magao Caves, Yumenguan Pass, and Dunhuang Yadan National Geological Park. The Ancient City of Jiaohe in Turpan, Heavenly Lake in Urumqi, and Boisterous in Xinjiang are all well-known attractions.

How to avoid mountain sickness?

Many places in Xinjiang are over 2000 or 3000 meters above sea level and you can get mountain sickness. Before you go, a thorough physical examination is necessary. If you have problems like anemia or hypertension or suffer from heart problems and other illnesses of the lungs, liver, or kidney, you are advised not to go there. Bring enough water or drinks and fruits, snacks with high caloric content, like chocolate.

What was the main transportation means along the Silk Road? How about the condition?

Xian and Urumqi have international air connections and tourists can get there by air. To other cities, tourists need to take the train and most of the time by land. Xinjiang has a vast desert territory, the Gobi desert, marshy grasslands, valleys, and forests, which makes road travel not so conducive. Some roads in Xinjiang might be bumpy and driving takes relatively long between cities.

What are the dos and don'ts when traveling in Xinjiang?

Xinjiang is an Islamic region where several ethnic groups exist. Tourists should respect their beliefs.

People should not drink wine, ask to eat pork, dogs, donkeys, or mule meat in Muslim restaurants, or even talk about it.

Tourists should not enter Mosques without being properly dressed;

Women or ladies are not allowed to enter some mosques in the south of Xinjiang;

Travelers should not gaze at Uigur or their staff in markets without buying anything.

No talking while a Muslim is praying.

No stepping on the prayer mats inside a mosque or house;

Not to hug or pat the children;

On shall break the Naan bread instead of chewing up the whole.

Popular Silk Road Trips

Want to get to know the history of the Silk Road? Please see our more popular Silk Road experience and cultural trips to explore this ancient wonder:

9-Day Golden Silk Road -- Follow the footprint of Marco Polo, visiting a local family in Turpan, come face to face with the Terracotta Warriors
10-Day Splendid Silk Road Trip: Amazing views at Heavenly Lake, Labrang Monastery in a close distance, and Local cuisine freshly served.

We have developed some special activities along the Silk Road route, including discovering a mysterious place to have a close experience with visiting a local village. Contact us if you want to add these activities to your itinerary.