Silk Road Travel Guide: Xi'an to Kashgar in 2 Weeks

Days 1-3: Xi'an — Where the Silk Road Begins

Terracotta Warriors, Great Mosque (1,300 years old), Muslim Quarter food alleys. Lamb skewers and persimmon cakes.

Days 4-5: Lanzhou & Xiahe

Labrang Monastery — Tibetan Buddhism's great monastery. Monk debates at dusk. Yak butter tea.

Days 6-7: Zhangye — Rainbow Mountains

Danxia Landform — mountains striped red, orange, yellow like a rainbow cake. Best at sunset.

Days 8-9: Jiayuguan

Jiayuguan Fort — Great Wall's western end. Overhanging Great Wall climbing a cliff at 45 degrees.

Days 10-12: Dunhuang

Mogao Caves: 492 cave temples, 45,000 sq m of murals spanning 1,000 years. Camel ride at Mingsha Sand Dunes at sunset.

Days 13-14: Turpan & Kashgar

Jiaohe ancient city ruins (2,300 years). Kashgar Sunday Bazaar — unchanged for 2,000 years.

Practical Tips

Best: May-June and Sep-Oct. High-speed train Xi'an-Lanzhou-Zhangye. Flights for long hops. Best lamb in China.