A Practical Guide to Retracing the Silk Road

Traveling along the ancient Silk Road across Xinjiang, Gansu, and Qinghai is one of the most rewarding journeys in China. But between the romantic imagination and the real experience, visitors often struggle with planning, distances, weather, ticketing, and transportation.

This guide focuses on practical advice—not a day-to-day itinerary.
If you need a structured route, you may also check:
👉 Retracing the Silk Road 10-Day Classic Journey
https://www.xizanglvyou.org/tour/retracing-the-silk-road

1. Best Season to Travel the Silk Road — The Experience Changes Completely by Month

✔ Best time: May to October

• Comfortable weather

• Best scenery for Tianchi Lake, Qinghai Lake & Chaka Salt Lake

• Rich colors in Zhangye Danxia

✔ Two peak periods

• June–August: freshest fruits, coolest time in Xinjiang

• September–October: golden autumn colors, great for photography

✘ Avoid November–March

• Harsh winds

• Some scenic spots may partially close

• Salt lakes may freeze

Erlang Mountain

2. Transportation: How to Avoid Wasting Half Your Trip on the Road

Distances on the Silk Road can be long. Choosing the right transport is the difference between an enjoyable vacation and a tiring one.

Here’s the most efficient combination:

Urumqi → Turpan: Highway + Private Car

• 2 hours by highway

• Turpan’s attractions are far apart → private car or day tour saves hours

Turpan → Dunhuang: High-Speed Train (≈ 3.5 hours)

• Comfortable and efficient

• Tickets sell out fast in summer → book early

Dunhuang → Jiayuguan → Zhangye: By car

• Attractions lie along the same corridor

• Flexible and time-saving

Zhangye → Xining: High-Speed Train (1.5–2 hours)

Highly recommended. Avoids long driving hours and saves a whole travel day.

👉 The route isn’t complicated—the transportation logic is the real key.

Flaming Mountains

3. Foreign Traveler Friendliness: Payment, Passport, Entry & Language

The Silk Road region is extremely friendly to foreign visitors, but there are three important things to know:

1) Mobile payment is now easy

Foreign travelers can directly use:

• Alipay

• WeChat Pay

with just:

• Passport

• International credit card

2) Passport checks required at some attractions

Always bring the physical passport. Important sites include:

• Mogao Caves

• Jiayuguan Fortress

• Zhangye Danxia

3) English availability varies

• Urumqi, Dunhuang, Xining: Good English at hotels and major sites

• Turpan, Chaka town: Limited English → prepare your hotel info in Chinese

• Menus at restaurants include pictures → easy to order

Mogao Caves

4. What’s Actually Worth Doing? The Highlight Experiences You Should Not Miss

Instead of listing attractions, here are the experiences travelers shouldn’t skip.

Tianchi Lake (Heavenly Lake): Best for scenery + easy walking

• Visit earlier in the morning for better reflections

• No strenuous hiking required

• One of the most photogenic high-mountain lakes in Xinjiang

Turpan: The striking contrast between desert heat & ancient oasis civilization

• Jiaohe Ancient City: One of the world’s largest adobe ancient cities

• Karez irrigation system: Fascinating engineering that created life in the desert

• Tuyoq Village: Timeless mud-brick village perfect for photography

Important: Temperatures reach 40°C+ in summer → avoid noon visits.

Mogao Caves: Must book in advance

• Peak season tickets sell out weeks ahead

• “Classic caves + digital center” is still excellent if standard tickets are full

• Guides offer rich historical context

Mingsha Sand Dunes & Crescent Lake: Best at sunset

• Softer light

• Sand is cooler

• Best time for camel rides and photography

Zhangye Danxia: Enter 2 hours before sunset

• Colors become dramatically richer

• Top moment for photography

Chaka Salt Lake: The famous ‘Mirror of the Sky’

To get good mirror shots:

• Clear skies

• Low wind

• Shallow water

Wear dark clothes for better reflections.

Chaka Salt Lake

5. How to Structure a 10-Day Trip Without Feeling Rushed

Here’s the rhythm that keeps the trip relaxing:

• Don’t change hotels every night

• 1 night in Turpan

• 2 nights in Dunhuang

• 1 night in Zhangye

• 2 nights in Xining

• Use high-speed trains for long stretches

This gives travelers enough time to enjoy each location without fatigue.

6. Packing List (Especially Helpful for International Visitors)

• Passport (physical copy)

• Hat or sun cap

• Light jacket (Dunhuang can get cool at night)

• Sunglasses + sunscreen

• Comfortable shoes

• Portable charger

• Some cash (small vendors may not take cards)