Fourteen days is the minimum that lets you stand on the Pamir, walk a Kashgar bazaar, and still watch the larches turn gold in Kanas without living in the driver’s seat.
A two-week loop is the classic I finally saw Xinjiang trip: north for the lakes and grasslands, south for the Silk Road and the Pamir, with the desert highway tying it together. This plan assumes you fly into Urumqi, rent a car, and drive the grand circuit. The distances are long, so the schedule protects rest days.
The shape of the loop
The circuit runs Urumqi to Turpan (about 180 km on the G30), then west via Korla, Kuqa, Aksu and Kashgar along the southern Silk Road (roughly 1,600 km), north to the Pamir on the G314 to Tashkurgan (which needs a border permit), then back north across the Taklamakan Desert Highway (G3012) to Korla, north to Yining on the G218, and finally north to Sayram and Kanas before returning to Urumqi. That is about 3,500 to 4,000 km of driving.
- Urumqi to Turpan (G30, about 180 km)
- Turpan to Kashgar via Korla, Kuqa, Aksu (about 1,600 km)
- Kashgar to Tashkurgan (G314, permit needed)
- Back via Desert Highway to Yining to Sayram to Kanas to Urumqi
Days 1 to 4 — the north start
Day 1 in Urumqi with a run to Heavenly Lake; day 2 to Turpan for the Jiaohe ruins, the karez system and grapes; day 3 Turpan to Korla; day 4 Korla to Kuqa for the Kizil caves and the Grand Canyon. The first leg is gentle and lets you shake down the car and the time-zone shift before the long southern run.
- Day 1: Urumqi plus Heavenly Lake
- Day 2: Turpan (Jiaohe, karez, grapes)
- Day 3: Turpan to Korla
- Day 4: Korla to Kuqa (caves, canyon)
Days 5 to 8 — southern Silk Road and the Pamir
Day 5 Kuqa to Aksu to Kashgar; day 6 the Kashgar Old Town and the Sunday bazaar; day 7 the Kashgar to Pamir drive on the G314 to Karakul Lake and Tashkurgan; day 8 back to Kashgar. The Pamir is the high point of the trip — and the reason to sort the border permit before you reach Kashgar.
- Day 5: Kuqa to Aksu to Kashgar
- Day 6: Kashgar Old Town plus bazaar
- Day 7: Kashgar to Tashkurgan (G314)
- Day 8: Tashkurgan to Kashgar
Days 9 to 11 — the desert crossing
Day 9 Kashgar to Aksu across the G3012; day 10 Aksu to Korla via the Taklamakan Desert Highway; day 11 Korla to Yining across the Ili Valley (about 600 km). The desert highway is the surreal middle of the loop — a straight line through the sand sea, serviced but empty.
- Day 9: Kashgar to Aksu (G3012)
- Day 10: Aksu to Korla via Desert Highway
- Day 11: Korla to Yining (G218, about 600 km)
Days 12 to 14 — Ili and the Altai lakes
Day 12 Yining and Sayram Lake; day 13 north to Kanas and Hemu on the S232; day 14 Kanas back to Urumqi (about 600 km) or a flight. For the deeper northern cut, the Ili Valley itinerary extends this leg, and the Southern Xinjiang itinerary extends the Kashgar end — use them to lengthen any part of the loop.
- Day 12: Yining plus Sayram
- Day 13: Kanas and Hemu (S232)
- Day 14: Kanas to Urumqi (about 600 km) or fly
- Extend with the Ili and Southern itineraries
Altitude on the Pamir
The Pamir leg is the one part of the loop where the body, not the car, is the limit. Tashkurgan sits above 3,000 m, and the G314 climbs past 4,000 m near the high passes. Most travellers are fine, but the standard advice holds: do not rush the first day up, drink more water than feels necessary, skip the heavy lamb at altitude, and watch for a pounding head that does not fade — that is the signal to descend a little. Spend the Kashgar nights at about 1,200 m to acclimatise before the climb, and keep the Pamir stay to one or two nights rather than pushing straight through. The view is worth the caution, not the recklessness.
- Tashkurgan above 3,000 m; passes past 4,000 m
- Drink more water, ease the first day up
- Skip heavy lamb at altitude
- Acclimatise in Kashgar; keep Pamir stay short
| Leg | Route | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| Nights 1 to 4 | Urumqi to Turpan to Korla to Kuqa | 4 |
| Nights 5 to 8 | Kuqa to Kashgar to Pamir to Kashgar | 4 |
| Nights 9 to 11 | Kashgar to Desert Highway to Yining | 3 |
| Nights 12 to 14 | Yining to Sayram to Kanas to Urumqi | 3 |
Practical takeaways
- Sort the Pamir border permit before you reach Kashgar.
- Share the driving — the loop is about 4,000 km; watch night driving fatigue.
- Book September stays early; the larch window sells out.
- Use the Ili and Southern itineraries to lengthen any leg.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is 14 days enough for Xinjiang?
- For the headline north-plus-south-plus-Pamir loop, yes — a full but doable grand circuit with rest built in.
- Do I need the Pamir permit?
- Yes for Tashkurgan; sort the border permit before you reach Kashgar so it is ready on day 7.
- Can I do this in winter?
- The Duku and high passes close, so a winter version skips Kanas and the Pamir — see the winter-road-trip notes.
- How much driving is it?
- About 3,500 to 4,000 km total; share the wheel to avoid night driving fatigue.