Silk Road Odyssey

• Fourteen days along the Hexi Corridor, from the Terracotta Army to the bazaars of Kashgar
• Mogao Caves entered on a timed slot, with a specialist guide for the painted caves
• Crescent Lake and the Singing Sand Dunes seen at sunset, when the sand changes colour
• Kashgar's Sunday livestock market is the working market, not a staged version
• Two overnight sleeper trains and one internal flight, all booked for you

Day by day

1. Day 1 · Xi'an Arrival in Xi'an

   Arrive in Xi'an and transfer to a hotel inside the Ming city wall. Xi'an was the eastern end of the Silk Road and China's capital for 13 dynasties. An easy evening walk on the city wall or through the Muslim Quarter food street sets the tone for the route ahead.

2. Day 2 · Xi'an The Terracotta Army

   Reach the Terracotta Army, 40 km (25 miles) east of the city, before the 10:00 coach arrivals. Pit 1 holds around 6,000 figures, each with a different face. In the afternoon, the Shaanxi History Museum explains the dynasties you are about to travel through.

3. Day 3 · Xi'an Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque

   Xi'an's Great Mosque blends Chinese architecture with Islamic function, serving the Hui community since 742 AD. Walk the Beiyuanmen food street for yangrou paomo and roujiamo, then visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 to house sutras carried back from India.

4. Day 4 · Zhangye High-speed rail into Gansu

   Board the high-speed train west along the Hexi Corridor, the narrow strip of green between the Qilian mountains and the Gobi. The run to Zhangye takes about seven hours and follows the old caravan road. Arrive in the evening and check into a hotel in the city centre.

5. Day 5 · Zhangye The Rainbow Mountains

   Day trip to the Zhangye Danxia landform, 40 km (25 miles) from the city, where banded sandstone runs in reds, greens and yellows across the ridges. Shuttle buses link four viewing platforms. Late afternoon is the best light, when the bands are at their strongest.

6. Day 6 · Jiayuguan Jiayuguan fort

   Drive or take the short rail hop to Jiayuguan, where the westernmost pass of the Ming Great Wall guards the corridor. The fort's walls enclose an area of about 33,500 sq m, with the wall running out toward the desert. Climb the Overhanging Great Wall for the view.

7. Day 7 · Dunhuang Crescent Lake and the Singing Sand Dunes

   Travel on to Dunhuang, the oasis town at the edge of the Taklamakan. In the late afternoon, walk the Mingsha dunes and find the Crescent Lake that has held its shape below them for around 2,000 years. The dunes hum in the wind; sunset is the time to be up on the ridge.

8. Day 8 · Dunhuang The Mogao Caves

   A morning at the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO site with 735 painted caves cut into the cliff from the 4th century onward. Entry runs on timed tickets with a guide, and the pools of pigment are best seen in the cooler part of the day. The Shazhou night market is worth an evening.

9. Day 9 · Dunhuang Yumen Pass and the western desert

   Head west to Yumen Pass, the Han-dynasty gate that marked the edge of China on the Silk Road, and the nearby Han Great Wall, built of rammed earth. The desert here is silent and empty. Return to Dunhuang for a final night.

10. Day 10 · Kashgar Flight to Kashgar

    Fly west to Kashgar, at the foot of the Pamirs and once the crossroads of the northern and southern Silk Road routes. The afternoon is free for the old town's alleys. Remember the time zone shifts by two hours in Xinjiang, though the official clock stays on Beijing time.

11. Day 11 · Kashgar The old town and Id Kah Mosque

    Walk the narrow lanes of the Kashgar old town, where coppersmiths and hat-makers still work, and visit the Id Kah Mosque, which can hold around 20,000 worshippers. Spend the late afternoon in the Handicraft Bazaar, one of the largest in Central Asia.

12. Day 12 · Kashgar The Sunday livestock market

    The Sunday livestock market at Awyghur Kol is where farmers and herders trade cattle, sheep and horses, the working version rather than a display. Combine it with the Apak Khoja mausoleum, the holiest Muslim site in Xinjiang. The market runs on Sundays, so the itinerary is timed around it.

13. Day 13 · Kashgar Karakul Lake and the Pamirs

    Drive the Karakoram Highway toward the Pamirs, climbing past Opal and Bulungkol to Karakul Lake at 3,600 m (11,811 ft), set beneath Muztagh Ata at 7,546 m (24,757 ft). The lake reflects the peak on still days. Return to Kashgar in the evening.

14. Day 14 · Kashgar Departure

    Transfer to Kashgar airport for the flight back to Beijing or Shanghai and the onward service to the UK. Connections to LHR run through a mainland hub, so most travellers arrive home the following day.

What stands out

Practical

Best months	May–October, when the corridor is warm
Sleeper trains	Two overnight legs, couchettes booked for you
Internal flights	One: Dunhuang to Kashgar
Longest rail leg	Xi'an to Zhangye, about 7h
Key distances	Xi'an–Dunhuang about 1,700 km (1,056 miles) by rail
Group size	2–12 travellers
Trip length	14 days / 13 nights
Altitude	Karakul Lake 3,600 m (11,811 ft); most of the route below 1,500 m

Common questions

How demanding are the sleeper trains?

Two legs run overnight in soft-sleeper couchettes, four berths to a compartment. They are clean and secure, with bedding provided. If you prefer, both can be replaced by daytime trains and a hotel night, at a supplement.

Is the Sunday market always available?

The livestock market runs on Sundays, so we build the Kashgar days around the correct date. It is a working market, so dress plainly, ask before photographing people and expect mud and noise.

Do I need a permit for Xinjiang?

Some sites near the border need a local permit, which your guide arranges in Kashgar. There is no additional paperwork for British travellers beyond the normal entry requirements.

How hot is the desert in summer?

July and August push past 35°C (95°F) at midday along the corridor, so the itinerary keeps the dunes and caves for the cooler morning and evening hours. May, June, September and October are more comfortable throughout.

Where to next

• Xi'an and Shaanxi
• Dunhuang destination guide
• Grand China Odyssey: 15 days
• Practical China guides
• Build a Silk Road trip