Distances in Xinjiang are vast. Between Urumqi, Kashgar, Yili and Kanas lie hundreds of kilometres of desert, grassland and mountain passes. By train, those long crossings happen at night while you sleep, and your daylight hours are spent where they matter - at the sights, not on the road.
Alpine scenery: the Kanas Lake region, Hemu village, Sayram Lake, the Nalati grasslands and the Ili river valley. Green, mountainous, and at its best in summer. Open to overseas visitors without restriction.
Silk Road country: Kuqa, the ancient kingdom of Kucha, and Kashgar, with the Pamir Plateau and Tashkurgan beyond. The Taklamakan desert, and in autumn the golden poplar (Hu Yang) forests. Tashkurgan and the Pamirs sit in a border management zone, so the permit is arranged by your operator.
Most luxury trains thread the two together in a single panorama - north and south of the Tianshan range - which is exactly why a train works so well here: the landscape changes completely as you cross the mountains overnight. A good itinerary covers both halves, so check any programme against that before you book. Note also that the Duku Highway, the mountain road across the Tianshan that appears in a good many brochures, closes its Bayanbulak section to foreign passports: for foreign-passport travellers, read it as background, not as a highlight.
The longest crossing - an 18-day North-South panorama from Guangzhou to the Pamir and back. The definitive full Xinjiang journey.
View train →A 13-14 day North-South panorama with the Duku Highway in summer, from Urumqi across the Tianshan to Kashgar and the Pamir.
View train →A 7-day South Xinjiang autumn run (golden poplars) and a 17-day North-South panorama, both from Xining toward Kashgar.
View train →A 16-day North-South Xinjiang panorama departing Chengdu, with an 8,000 km western arc and dual boarding.
View train →The 8,000 km western arc from Chengdu or Lanzhou through Kashgar, Kuqa, Yili and Turpan - with a family-friendly panda theme.
View train →A specialist seasonal train for northern Xinjiang and the Yili valley, travelling by private vehicle. Limited departures.
View train →North Xinjiang at its greenest. The Duku Highway opens. Peak season, book early. Note: the Duku Highway is not open to overseas passport holders, who travel a substitute routing (details).
The golden poplar (Hu Yang) season in South Xinjiang - the most photogenic window of the year.
Milder weather and fewer crowds, before the high summer rush.
Tell us how long you have and when you want to travel - we will match the right Xinjiang train.
See DeparturesPlan Your Xinjiang Journey →