CN · Xinjiang · 39.47°N 75.99°E

kashgar

Courtyard lanes, copper workshops and lamb-filled pastries at China's western edge.

Best time
April–May and September–October are comfortable for walking. Summer afternoons are very hot, winter is cold, and spring can be dusty.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly with one or two stops, usually via Chengdu or Urumqi, about 10 hours in the air. The airport is about 20 minutes from town. Malaysians can visit mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days.
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CN · Xinjiangkashgar39.47°N 75.99°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Courtyard lanes, copper workshops and lamb-filled pastries at China's western edge.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingKashgarCN, Xinjiang
KLkashgar
≈ 4,800 km from KL, as the crow flies
10:00 is still early morning here.

Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0

1 / 5

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

An ancient Silk Road oasis near the borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, more Central Asian than Chinese in feel. Much of the old town has been rebuilt, but the bakeries, workshops and everyday life in the lanes still make it worth the long trip.

Makan

  1. SamsaLamb and onion pastries baked on the inside wall of a clay oven.Map ↗
  2. PoloRice with lamb and carrots, the standard lunch.Map ↗
  3. Naan and teaFresh bread from the oven and a pot of tea, between walks.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Old townRebuilt lanes of courtyard houses, bakeries and craft shops.Map ↗
  2. Id Kah MosqueChina's largest mosque, with a yellow-tiled gate facing the main square.Map ↗
  3. Handicraft streetCopperware, wooden cradles and musical instruments made in tiny workshops.Map ↗
  4. Abakh Khoja MausoleumA tiled 17th-century tomb complex, linked in legend to the Fragrant Concubine.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Uyghur restaurants, which is most of them, are halal.
  • Expect security checks and police checkpoints everywhere, so keep your passport on you.
  • Agree on Beijing time or Xinjiang time (two hours behind) for any pickup.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.