KHG
Kashgar
China's westernmost city, where the Silk Road still breathes through a living Uyghur old town and the road south climbs to the Pamir.
Kashgar is the westernmost city in China, a Silk Road crossroads where the lanes of a living Uyghur old town twist between mud-brick houses, and the Pamir Plateau rises a few hours to the south. This guide covers the best time to visit Kashgar, how to reach the old town from Kashgar Laining Airport (KHG), getting around with no metro, and the border-pass trip out to the Karakoram Highway and Muztagh Ata.
Getting around (no metro)
No subway — and the old town is pedestrian-only anyway. Walk the lanes; taxis start at ¥8 and buses link the airport and train station. For the Pamir Plateau / Tashkurgan (塔县) you'll need a charter car (~¥800–1000/car) or a shared ride (~¥200/person/day), as public transport doesn't reach the high passes.
Airport
Kashgar Laining Int'l (KHG), a 4E airport ~10 km north of the old town. Taxi ¥20–30 (~20 min); airport bus line 2 is ¥2 and runs straight to the old town. 2024 throughput was nearly 4.5 million passengers.
Rail
Kashgar is where the Southern Xinjiang Railway and the Kashgar–Hotan Railway meet. The 'Kashgar Express' (Z6516/6518) is an all-sleeper, overnight train to Ürümqi — 1,453 km in about 11.5 hours. There is no high-speed rail yet: Ürümqi is reached by regular/sleeper train only.
Population
~800,000 (2024, Kashgar city); the wider Kashgar Prefecture ~4.63 million. It is the most populous county-level city in Xinjiang.
Best season
May–June and Sept–Oct (ripe fruit, mild, green Pamir meadows). July–Aug is hot but fruit peaks; winter is cold and very quiet.
Must-see
Kashgar Old Town (5A, free, the world's largest raw-earth dwellings, 96 maze lanes), Id Kah Mosque, Xiangfei Garden (Apak Hoja Mausoleum), the Sunday Grand Bazaar, century-old teahouses, and the Pamir Plateau (白沙湖, 喀拉库勒湖, Muztagh Ata, 石头城 & 金草滩, 盘龙古道).
Currency / plug
RMB (¥); plug Type A/C/I, 220V.
Suggested itinerary
Arrive in Kashgar, settle into the old town
Fly into Kashgar Laining (KHG), 10 km north of town — taxi ¥20–30 or the ¥2 airport bus to the old town. Drop your bag inside the walls and walk out at dusk: the lanes glow ochre, the smell of baking naan is everywhere, and the first plate of spicy lamb skewers is mandatory. Stay in a guesthouse inside the old town if you want the lanes to yourself at 7 a.m.
The old town, lane by lane
Be at the East Gate for the 10:30 opening ceremony (folk music, dancing), then lose yourself in the lanes. Walk Id Kah Mosque (¥45; closed 14:00–16:00, spectacular on Friday), the rainbow alleys and painted lanes of the west district, and a century-old teahouse for salty milk tea and a live rawap performance. Tip: the lanes are a maze and your map app will lie — follow the floor tiles (hexagon = main street, square = dead end) to find your way back.
Xiangfei Garden, the bazaar, and the teahouse again
Morning at Xiangfei Garden (Apak Hoja Mausoleum, ¥30–40) — blue-tiled domes and a daily folk-wedding show. Then the Grand Bazaar (中西亚国际贸易市场), Central Asia's biggest market: dried fruit, carpets, knives, and hats — bargain by halving the first price. Save energy for the Han Bazaar night market (汗巴扎) after dark: roast buns,缸子肉, pigeon soup, pomegranate juice.
Head south: the Karakoram Highway to the Pamir
This is the day to use your border pass (see tips). Charter or share a car and drive the G314 — the Karakoram Highway — south. First stop 白沙湖 (White Sand Lake), then 喀拉库勒湖 (Karakul Lake) with Muztagh Ata (the 'Father of Ice Mountains', ~7,500 m) reflected in the water. Stay the night in Tashkurgan (塔县, ~3,100 m).
Tashkurgan: stone city, golden meadow, the winding road
At dawn walk the 石头城 (Stone City) ruins above 金草滩 (Golden Grassland) — a 2,000-year-old Silk Road fortress with snow peaks behind it. If the weather holds, drive the 盘龙古道 (Panlong Ancient Road), 600+ switchbacks that drop you from the plateau in one unforgettable descent. Return to Kashgar by evening; go slow and hydrate at altitude.
A slow day: kitchens, crafts, and the old city wall
No Pamir today. Sleep in, then hunt the back lanes for a real breakfast (naan dipped in 缸子肉 broth), watch coppersmiths and hat-makers on 职人街, and climb the city wall for the sunset over the rooftops. Kashgar rewards lingering far more than ticking boxes — this is the day to do nothing on purpose.
Souvenirs and the way out
Last morning for the right stuff: paper-shell walnuts, almonds, dried apricots, and a hand-made 英吉沙小刀 (check airline rules before flying with a knife). Then taxi to KHG or the train station for the overnight to Ürümqi. You'll leave having walked a city that feels like nowhere else in China — and that's the point.
Local tips
- Best time to visit Kashgar is May–June and September–October: fruit is ripe, the weather is mild, and the Pamir meadows are green. Skip July–August if you hate heat; winter is cold but wonderfully empty.
- Tashkurgan (塔县) on the Pamir is a border area — you MUST get a border pass (边防证) first. Get it free at the Kashgar government service hall with your ID; bring it everywhere south of the city. Pamir elevations run 3,000–4,100 m, so move slowly and carry oxygen.
- The old town is pedestrian-only and the lanes are a maze your map app won't solve. Read the floor tiles: hexagon tiles lead to the main street, square tiles mean a dead end or someone's courtyard. Wear comfortable shoes — luggage wheels get stuck in the narrow lanes.
- Id Kah Mosque is closed 14:00–16:00 and Friday prayers are a big event; dress modestly (no shorts/skirts) and don't photograph worshippers during prayer. The same courtesy applies at any mosque.
- Gaotai Residential Area (高台民居) has periodic closures for restoration — check on the day and don't build your whole plan around it.
- Tourist traps are rare but real: the 'handmade ice cream' at the old-town entrance is overpriced; the good stuff (¥10) is deep in the lanes. At the bazaar, halve the first price and walk away if they won't meet you.
- Cash still matters — some old teahouses and stalls take cash only, so carry small bills for the night market. And tap to pay with Alipay/WeChat linked to an international card works in most shops.
- Southern Xinjiang is dry with fierce UV. SPF50+, a brimmed hat, sunglasses, lip balm and a face mask are not optional; drink more water than feels normal or your lips will crack by day two.
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