Kashgar is the best base in western China for exploring the surrounding landscape and Silk Road sites. The Karakoram Highway south offers some of the most dramatic mountain scenery on earth within a few hours of the city. The Southern Silk Road to the east, toward Yarkand and Hotan, passes through oasis towns with their own histories and handicraft traditions.
Destinations
Day Trips from Kashgar
01
Karakul Lake
High Pamir Plateau lake on the Karakoram Highway, ringed by snow peaks south of Kashgar
02
Tashkorgan
Pamir mountain town on the Karakoram Highway, named for its ancient stone fortress.
03
Yarkand
Old Silk Road city in southern Xinjiang, with Uyghur lanes and Yarkand Khanate tombs.
04
Khunjerab Pass
High Karakoram border pass where the paved highway crosses from Xinjiang into Pakistan among glaciers.