Trip tips for traveling the Silk Route

For more than 1,500 years, the Silk Road has connected Asia to the Mediterranean as a trading route for various goods from spices to horses. Given the hardships travelers face along the way, it’s no surprise that traveling the Silk Road (or “Silk Route”) can seem daunting.
Huge distances, high altitude, and remote stretches can put off many sightseers. This is why these handy tips for trekking the twists and turns of the ancient route are your saving grace. Those who dare travel along the Silk Route are gifted with a treasure hunt filled with hidden gems, such as tours to bejeweled Uzbekistan, ornate Kashgar, and the picturesque Tien Shan mountains.

Planning your Silk Road tour

If you plan on exploring this part of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, follow these simple planning tips and get in touch with our local experts, to help you arrange all the finer details for your Silk Road tours.

Top Silk Road countries

The most popular countries to visit on a Silk Route road tour are China and the ‘stans in Central Asia: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. These countries show the best of the Silk Road and often feature stays in lakeside yurt camps, visits to small villages, and unique cultural experiences that borrow from one another.

Best time to book a Silk Road trip

Taking a Silk Route tour means you are in for a treat no matter what time of the year you visit. The route is primarily in the northern hemisphere, meaning that the colder seasons are toward the beginning and end of the year, with summer being in the middle. Here are the best activities to indulge in during these seasons.

• Spring (March – May): Spring is a fantastic time to visit Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan’s hillside, as the flowers are in full bloom and birds are migrating. It is also an excellent time for cultural integration. Many countries have festivals around this time, like the Peony Festival in Luoyang and the Navroz festival.
• Summer (June – August): The Silk Route can get incredibly hot in summer, with some areas reaching highs of 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). Take this time to go mountaineering, horseback riding, and hiking in slightly cooler places like Turkey, the Tian Shan, and the Caucasus mountains.
• Fall (September – November): During this time, temperatures are milder, and landscapes are painted in fall colors, so it is also incredible for outdoor explorations and cultural sites. The area has incredibly scenic landscapes like the rainbow mountains of Zhangye National Geopark, the blue Karakul Lake in Tajikistan, and the majestic Maijishan Grottoes in China.
• Winter (December – February): Winter is popular for visitors who want fewer crowds and scenery sprinkled with white snow. If you can bear the sometimes frigid temperatures in some areas (with drops down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or -15 Celsius), you can enjoy winter sports like skiing, ice skating, and eagle hunting.

Top Silk Road cities and destinations to visit

The Silk Road is a fun border-crossing adventure that spans multiple continents, which could make for some long journeys. If you’re short on time, consider visiting these cities on the Silk Road to make the most of your itinerary.

Cities in Central Asia

A well-known fact about Central Asia is that many of the Silk Road routes ran through it, making it one of the major hubs during that time. It also means that many Central Asian countries are popular sightseeing destinations on a Silk Route tour.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

If you visit Uzbekistan, make sure to stop at Samarkand, one of the most important crossroads on the Silk Route. The UNESCO-listed city, founded in the fifth century, is a melting pot of cultures. You can see Persian, Turkic, and Islamic influences throughout the city in their vibrant bazaars, beautiful architecture, and food.

You’ll probably recognize the iconic blue-tiled Shah-i-Zinda, a necropolis and mausoleum. The intricate craftsmanship, which took over 1,000 years to complete, tells a story of the people and the time.

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Bukhara is slightly younger than Samarkand, but it still played an equally vital role in the trade routes of the time. The city sits on the Zarafshan River delta, helping it become one of the most prosperous cities. See the oldest surviving Islamic structure in Central Asia at the Samanid Mausoleum, which is a vital shopping stop for merchants.

Travel back in time by visiting the Lyabi Hauz Plaza, surrounded by bustling tea houses, or take a silk weaving workshop, learning ancient techniques. The city has also been invaded more than once through some tough times. The Ark Citadel and Po-i-Kalyan complex are good places to learn more about the city’s resilience.

Kashgar, China

Kashgar, in the Xinjiang region of China, has for over 2,000 years served as a pivotal hub linking China to Central Asia, helping transport spices, silk, textiles, and livestock. As a result, the region also has many Persian and Turkic influences.

You can see this in the mud-bricked Kashgar Old City and Id Kah Mosque, which preserves buildings built during this era. The Sunday Bazaar is also an excellent museum of foods, spices, and textiles of ancient times. The Abakh Khoja Mausoleum, while built in the 17th century, showcases Persian motifs that were still prevalent after the route was closed off.

Merv, Turkmenistan

Merv was one of the largest cities and best preserved sites on the Silk Road, with a population of almost half a million at the time. The major hub was known for its textiles, which included Merv cotton, silk, turbans, and gowns.

Erk Kala is the oldest part of the city, founded in the sixth century, and was a key component of the Silk Road. Not too far away is Sultan Kala, an ancient fortress that once stood as a sign of power and defense.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek is Kyrgyzstan‘s capital city and is a more modern base for the trade route. Visit the State History Museum for an educational look at the city’s history on the Silk Road, or visit the Osh Bazaar, to sample food, art, and drinks for a more hands-on approach.

The best way to get a fully immersive experience is to stay in a traditional yurt camp with tents covered in felt and adorned with intricate patterns. Typically, these are out in a field, meaning you have space to enjoy traditional activities like horse riding, bird watching, and hiking nearby.

Other parts of Asia

In other parts of Asia, you’ll find more interesting and essential hubs pertinent to the Silk Road’s success.

Xi’an, China

Xi’an was the starting point of the Silk Route in the east and served as the capital of the Han and Tang dynasties. Trade caravans drove here transporting silk, porcelain, spices, and jade.

Xi’an is most well-known for its Terracotta Army and the Ancient City Walls built to protect it, but it also has a few attractions for anyone traveling the Silk Route. The Shaanxi History Museum holds preserved artifacts displaying the city’s role in the ancient trade route, explaining how it was essential in the route’s history and legacy.

Bursa, Turkey

Bursa, at the foot of Mount Uludağ in Turkey, was a pivotal hub during the Ottoman Empire’s rule from the 14th to the 16th centuries. The city was renowned for its high-quality silk production, which it supplied to royal courts. Other Turkish cities specialized in woven carpets, leather goods, and precious stones.

Learn how to weave these high-quality silks for yourself at a silk workshop detailing the ancient techniques, or buy them from the Old Silk Market (Koza Han). For a cultural exploration, visit the Muradiye Complex to see Ottoman tombs or the UNESCO-listed Ottoman-era village of Cumalıkızık for a real feel of the time.

Zhangye, China

Historically known as Ganzhou, Zhangye served as a trade link between the East and West. The city is in the middle of the Gansu Corridor and thus controlled access to the Tarim Basin. This constant movement saw many cultural and religious exchanges marking the introduction of Buddhism in China.

While cultural sites like the Giant Buddha Temple and Hexi Corridor museums show the influence of the area, the natural landscape often steals the show. Zhangye National Geopark’s rainbow mountains are a sight to behold, with a scenic array of colors you cannot miss while here.

Tips for Silk Road travel

So, how do you start to plan the perfect trip? Here are some top tips for traveling the Silk Road to get you started.

Read around the subject

Peter Hopkirk, Colin Thubron, and Robert Byron have all written classics about this region. Some of the memoirs are pretty fascinating, particularly Reginald Teague-Jones’ The Spy Who Disappeared and FM Bailey’s Mission to Tashkent.

Reading these travel books helps you understand how all the historical and cultural strands come together in Central Asia, as well as giving you guidance to identify the sights most relevant to your interests.

Pivot to the Kashgar market

A handy tip for traveling the Silk Road is to visit the Kashgar Bazaar. The everyday market is amazing to experience any day of the week, but try to see it on a Sunday if possible. On this day, the bazaar is bigger and more varied, with livestock and plenty of opportunities for incredible photography.

You’ll probably want to experience it, so use this as a fixed point around which to design the rest of the trip. Count backwards to calculate when you should start your journey in Beijing/Xi’an, and forward to see when you’ll finish in Tashkent.

The best things on the Silk Route are free

Once you’ve gotten yourself to your yurt camp in the mountains, take some time to explore on foot and enjoy the company of your hosts. In Samarkand, try walking from the Registan to the Shah-i-Zinda and then through the old town, up the hill to the Russian district.

In Bukhara, go to Kalon Square at about 4.30pm to get the best light (and very few tourists). Walk from the square south and slightly to the east, through the old white-washed houses, to the Labi Hauz. When you drive from Samarkand to Tashkent, try to stop in Urgut and get a free glimpse of what a real Central Asian market looks like.

Don’t forget about the mountains

Many travelers along the Silk Route will opt to spend more time in Samarkand, Bukhara, Kashgar, Turpan, and Khiva than in the countryside. However, the scenery is a crucial backdrop and totally unmissable.

The most common feedback we receive is regret that more time wasn’t spent in Kyrgyzstan, for example. It is painful to watch a truly stunning country pass by the window of your car, so stay longer and stretch your legs among these lush grasslands.

Eat local

When it comes to foodie tips for the Silk Route, you’ll want to take advantage of meals served along the streets or in locals’ homes. Most hotels will do reasonable food, but restaurants can be very hit and miss in Central Asia.

It’s easier to find great street food in Kashgar. Try a fantastic shashlik (barbecued lamb) with warm Uyghur bread. It’s simple, filling, and very tasty. The region’s hand-pulled noodles served with eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes are also a wonderfully filling meal worth a taste.

FAQs about the Silk Route

Still have a few questions about the Silk Route’s fascinating history? Find the answers below.

What was the Silk Road?

The Silk Road was an extensive trade route network that connected Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East from the second century to the 15th century. Key items traded between these continents included spices, horses, precious metals, silk, and other luxury goods. To delve deeper into the Silk Road’s rich past, explore its history here.

How long was the Silk Road?

The Silk Road was approximately 4,600 miles (7,403km) long and stretched from modern-day Xi’an, China, to modern-day Antakya, Turkey. It wasn’t solely one ‘route’ but a network of trails, and brave travelers crossed deserts, mountains, lakes, and varied regions between East Asia and the Mediterranean.

How long did it take to travel the Silk Road?

In ancient times, a round-trip journey on land would have taken about two years to complete. A trip by sea would have been slightly shorter if there were no complications, at around six months or a year per single trip. Thankfully, with modern technology, you can complete the route today by car in only two to three months.

What countries did the Silk Road go through?

The Silk Route passed through about 40 countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and some parts of Africa. These included China, India, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Morocco, Turkey, Russia, and Greece.

Why was the Silk Road dangerous?

The dangers of the Silk Road were multifaceted. Harsh and varied areas saw travelers treading through scorching deserts, frigid mountains, and severe climates. Because of the constant exchange of goods and movement between people, there was also the threat of sickness, epidemics, and diseases spreading more rapidly. Finally, thieves and other criminals often lurked along these remote stretches, while cultural and linguistic barriers occasionally escalated into conflicts.

Make it happen

Contact our local experts in Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan to plan a trip along the Silk Road. We have local experts in both countries, who can arrange your entire journey with great panache, and one entirely personalized to suit you and your loved ones.