Any suggestion if one had a week to travel west from Xian - a combination of plane/train/bus. Would like to reach Kashgar but realise it is a long long way.....
1
zhet
A week is not much time for this trip! You can check here for flight times and here for train times to see if this will work. Maybe you can fly from Xi'an to Urumqi, then take a bus to Turpan and stay two days. Then by train to Kashgar if there's time, or back to Urumqi and fly to Kashgar and stay there four days. Then fly from Kashgar to Urumqi to eastern China, if it's possible in one day, that is. I'm not sure.
2
ellyse
Unless you fly both ways Urumqi -- Kashgar and Kashgar -- Urumqi, I don't think there's enough time. Depends on how many places you want to see. If it's ONLY Urumqi and Kashgar then it's doable!
Cheers!
3
zgtong
Fly to Ürumqi. Go to Tianchi Lake and stay overnight. Then go to Turpan and stay one day, then train to Dunhuang. Spend one-two days there, then train to Jiayuguan. One day there, then train back to Xi'an. Skip Kashgar.
That's what I would do.
4
ellyse
#4, just curious, would Xinjiang be doable in about 7-10 days if you only go for the "highlights", and fly extensively?
Cheers!
5
jehane
How long would people suggest is a good amount of time for such a trip? ie Xi'an to Kashgar by road, flying back to Xi'an (or other city).
6
zgtong
#5: I wouldn't try to do it in 7 days. 10 days will work, but only if you limit yourself to a few places. But yes, possible.
#6: I spent more than a month traveling from the Pakistani border to Xi'an, and I didn't even see everything there is to see. Depends on how much of each place you want to see, and how many places you want to go to.
Pro tip
Lonely Planet
trusted partner
trusted partner