Top The Silk Road Tours & Vacations 2024/2025 [reviews &...

The Silk Road Tours & Travel Packages 2024/2025

16 The Silk Road trips. Compare tour itineraries from 18 tour companies. 55 reviews. 4.7/5 avg rating.

Small Group The Silk Road Tours

See all 10 The Silk Road trips
See all 16 The Silk Road trips

Top The Silk Road Attractions & Experiences

Top The Silk Road Experiences

    • Hanging out in Xi’an with the vast terra cotta army, one of the most remarkable and memorable sights in the world.
    • Meeting and mingling with people in remote western China who look and dress differently than the great majority of their fellow countrymen.
    • Experiencing highlights of far-flung cities and towns along the route, many of which once served as caravan stops.   
    • Venturing beyond China to legendary Silk Road cities such as Tashkent , Samarkand and Bukhara and central Asian countries such as Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

The Silk Road Tours & Travel Guide

The Silk Road Attractions & Landmarks Guide

The Silk Road in China

The three main fabled Silk Road routes first gained importance during the early Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), as traders began the westward journey from the ancient Chinese capital of  Chang'an (present day Xi'an).  

The Silk Road then lasted as a major trading thoroughfare for some 1,600 years, until the collapse of the Yuan Dynasty that had been established by Kublai Khan in the 14th century.

While the name was derived from the lucrative trade in Chinese silk which was highly prized by people in the west, many other goods flowed in both directions.  From China came tea, porcelain, lacquer ware, jade, bronze objects and iron.  The camel caravans returning from the West carried fruit and seeds, glass bottles, gold, ivory, and carpets and other woven items.

Culturally, the Silk Road spread Buddhism to western China and centuries later helped spread Islam throughout central Asia.

Today’s Travelers

Travelers who follow the legendary route through China today are introduced to parts of the country that are far different from the attractions of major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, and from people who for the most part share the same ethnic background.   

While about 93 percent of Chinese belong to the Han ethnic group, most of the rest are members of 56 separate minorities. The western region of China through which the Silk Road passes (Xinjiang Province) is home to 13 of them, and introductions to their lifestyles can be a high point of a visit there.

The path of the Silk Road leads to and through small oasis towns and villages and crosses rolling grasslands and sparsely inhabited sun-baked deserts punctuated by high mountains.  Today’s travelers find themselves in a world of onion-domed mosques, bazaars, embroidered caps and languages far different from Mandarin or Cantonese.

The Uyghur (pronounced wee-grr) minority group is the largest in western China.  It consists of mostly Sunni Muslim Turkic-speaking people.

Xi’an

Xi’an (formerly Chang’an) was the capital of China for nearly 1,200 years, and is the burial place of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC).  His mausoleum, which took 38 years to complete, is home to a virtual army of more than 7,000 terra cotta warriors, along with horses, chariots and weapons, which were buried to accompany the emperor and guard him in the next life.

Arranged in battle formations much as the imperial guard would be during the ruler's lifetime, this vast underground army represents one of the most significant archeological finds of modern times.

In 2014, the Chang’an-Tianshan corridor of the Silk Road was designated as a World Heritage Site.

Other Attractions in Xi’an

The collections at the Provincial History Museum are as beautiful as they are intriguing.  Fragments of silk from the Han Dynasty serve as reminders of how the trade route got its name.  Gold, silver and bronze artifacts represent items that were carried back to China from the west.

Of special interest are black-faced figures that demonstrate early contact with the African continent.

More Sights along China’s Silk Road

The Mogao Caves near Dunhuang, which were dug into limestone cliffs over a period of 1,000 years beginning in 366 AD, contain one of the most outstanding collections of Buddhist art in the world.  

Despite its location in a stretch of barren terrain, Turpan (also known as Turfan) is known for an underground irrigation system built 20 centuries ago that provided water for growing grain, cotton, grapes and Hami melons, which still are prized for their fragrance and flavor.

In Kashgar, tucked into the extreme western end of China, colorful bazaars serve as reminders of its past as a transportation and trading center.  As they have for many centuries, weekly markets still teem with people selling and buying everything from sheep and donkeys to barbequed meat and steamed dumplings.

Beyond China

The Silk Road actually developed into many routes, including northern routes that passed through several of the “Stans” – most notably Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan -- and some southern routes that passed through Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, the Caucuses, and Arabia.

The major northern route includes the legendary Uzbek cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent. Deserts, caves replete with Buddhist art, ancient villages and streets, mosques and madrasahs mark the route.

Adventurous travelers may continue through Iran into Turkey, which leads to Europe and the western end of the route.   

The Silk Road Reviews & Ratings

4.7/5  Excellent
55  Reviews
See all The Silk Road tour reviews
Excellent
58
Great
20
Average
3
Disappointing
1
Terrible
0
A

Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

A long and varied road

This amazing trip was like several holidays rolled into one. From the surreal weirdness of Ashghabat and Darvaza, through ancient archaeological sites to the stunn...

A

Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Amazing, Extensive, Exhausting Trip

If you want to see classic Silk Road architecture then go to Uzbekistan. If you want to see amazing mountain scenery then go to Kyrgyzstan. If you want to see both o...

A

Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

The must see's of the Five Stans

This is my 17th trip with Exodus and this has been one of the best so far, if not the best. There is so much to see, though there is quite a lot of travelling to e...

A

Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

The 5 Stans

A great trip covering a wide range of experiences - from Turkmenistan [Ashgabat with its somewhat bizarre architecture (the Wedding Palace being a particularly goo...

A

Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Fantastic trips

This is a really fascinating, busy, exhausting and quite unique trip across 5 countries in just over 3 weeks. Go with an open mind and you will enjoy the most ama...

Write a Review

Traveling to The Silk Road, an FAQ

1. Does Travelstride have all the tour operators?

Travelstride has the widest selection of tours and tour companies. All the largest companies are on the site and most smaller local operators though we are adding new operators daily. Unlike other websites and agencies, we show you all the options, regardless of whether or not we are paid by the company.

2. How does the Member Savings program save me money?

Travelstride membership is absolutely free. You receive special benefits including saving up to $700 on select tours with top tour operators. The main requirement is to write a review after your trip to access the savings.

3. Can I trust the tour operator and trip reviews on Travelstride?

Yes. Travelstride has both expert reviews, written by Travelstride staff and local experts as well as traveler reviews written by people like you who have used the company and traveled to that destination.

4. What does ‘Stride Preferred’ mean?

Stride Preferred and Stride Premier are status categories to help you sort quickly through known and reliable travel companies. Since there are thousands of tour operators around the globe, Preferred or Premier badges are awarded to companies that Travelstride has determined meet the highest standards of professionalism, customer satisfaction, and quality.
Sign in to reveal savings up to $700 per person!