Kashgar in southern Xinjiang province is one of the most exotic places to visit in China. If you’re travelling the Silk Road and looking for the best things to do in Kashgar, you’re in the right place. We’ll show you what to do, where to stay, and eat in this stunning Silk Road city.
Kashgar (or Kashi in Chinese) is an oasis city located at the merging point of cultures and countries.
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are all just around the corner and Kashgar has served as a trading post between China, Central Asia and Europe for thousands of years. It is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
From Central Asia’s most exciting bazaar, the juiciest watermelons, relaxing at traditional Uyghur teahouses, shopping for carpets and visiting colourful mosques and shrines, Kashgar has a lot going for it. Add the spectacular Karakoram Highway just down the road and it’s easy to justify coming out all this way to far western China.
Kashgar is a Uyghur city, with Muslim Uyghurs making up the majority of the population. Other groups that live in Kashgar include Tajiks, Kyrgyz, Hui, Uzbeks and Han Chinese. The demographics, language and writing that reminds a little of Arabic make Kasghar feel very Central Asian or even Middle Eastern. It truly is a fascinating place.
Here is our travel guide to the best things to do in Kashgar to help you plan your trip to Xinjiang and the Silk Road.
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Quick Guide to Kashgar
Visited: July
Suggested time: 3 days
Where to stay: Orange Hotel Kashgar Ancient City
Famous for: Sunday Bazaar, Silk Road history, Uyghur culture
Transportation: Best reached by flight (Beijing is a 6-hour flight away). There is no DiDi in Xinjiang, but many regular taxis.
Tip: Taxi drivers don’t speak English, and most can’t read Chinese. Find your destination on a maps app and hand over your phone to the driver to follow the directions.
Unique experience: Tea at the Century Old Teahouse
How Long to Spend in Kashgar?
Most Silk Road Tours to southern Xinjiang only spend one full day in Kashgar, which is not nearly enough to enjoy the city. We stayed in Kashgar for 3 nights which we think is the perfect amount of time, as it allows you to see all the attractions without rushing and gives you enough free time for just wandering around.
When planning your trip to Kashgar, try to be in Kashgar on a Sunday. The Kashgar Livestock Market is held every Sunday and hanging out with the Uyghur, Tajik and Kyrgyz traders is one of the best things to do in Kashgar.
With 2 full days in Kashgar, you can spend a whole day exploring the ancient city with its red ochre-coloured alleys and lanes, eat street food, relax at one of the many teahouses, shop for carpets and visit the Id Kah Mosque.
On the second day, visit the Kashgar Bazaar, see the stunning Afaq Khoja Mausoleum complex and People’s Park. If you’re in Kashgar on a Sunday, you must go to the Sunday Livestock Market – it’s one of the best in Central Asia.
How to Get to Kashgar
The most convenient way to reach Kashgar is by plane. It takes a whopping 6 hours if flying in from Beijing, which is about the same flight duration as a flight from London to New York!
Ask for a window seat on the left of the plane for the best views over the snowcapped mountains and glaciers of the Tian Shan Mountains.
Air China has two direct flights a day from Beijing Capital International Airport and several others with transits in Urumqi or Lanzhou.
For an epic trip to this part of China, you could also put aside at least 46 hours and take a train from Beijing. It must be an incredible journey travelling from Beijing to Kashgar by train.
Taking a train from Shanghai to Kashgar will take at least 56 hours.
After visiting Kashgar, we took an overnight train to Turpan along the edge of the Taklamakan Desert which took 17 hours.
Do I Need a Guide in Kashgar / Xinjiang?
You do not need to join an organized tour to travel in Xinjiang…for now. Some predict that will change soon, and Xinjiang will become like Tibet, where you MUST join a tour and apply for entry permits. But for now, foreign tourists are free to travel in Xinjiang independently.
We put together a tour with 8 of my colleagues with the help of M2 Adventure based in Shanghai, and we had a local Uyghur guide in Kashgar who also took us to Tashkurgan.
Having a local guide will make your trip to Xinjiang A LOT MORE enjoyable. Regulations in Xinjiang are constantly changing when things are normal, and even more so during the time of Covid.
Sadik, our guide, proved to be worth his weight in gold. Not only did he tell us about life in Kashgar and showed us the hidden alleys of the Old Town, but he guided us through getting the required Covid Tests at the hospital (needed before being allowed to board the train to Turpan) and applied for our permits to travel to Tashkurgan.
You can contact Sadik by email on sadikh@163.com, or on Wechat (ID: wxid_zti16ud7s4i122)
Best Things to do in Kashgar
Here are the best things to do in Kashgar. Allow yourself at least two full days to see all the attractions in Kashgar before travelling on towards Tashkurgan and the Karakoram Highway.
1. Admire the Afaq Khoja Mausoleum
Also known as the Tomb of the Fragrant Concubine or the Abakh Khoja Tomb, this splendid complex is the finest example of Islamic architecture in Xinjiang and one of China’s holiest Muslim sights.
The complex consists of the Mazar (mausoleum), a cemetery, a big and small mosque and lovely gardens surrounding them all.
The magnificent Afaq Khoja Mausoleum, with its colourful green, yellow and blue glazed bricks, dome and central Asian look, is the complex’s highlight and well worth a visit. It is the family tomb of Abakh Khoja, the powerful ruler of Kashgar during the 17th century.
Abakh Khoja was also a saint and prophet, second only to Muhammad.
The mausoleum -constructed in 1640, encloses the tombs of five generations of the family. Of the 72 graves inside the mausoleum, the tomb of the Fragrant Concubine is the most well-known among locals.
Abakh Khoja’s granddaughter, Xiang Fei, was born with gorgeous looks and a heavenly scent. When she grew up, she became the favourite concubine of Emperor Qianlong, and she was known all over the Qing Dynasty as the Fragrant Concubine.
After her death, the heartbroken emperor had her body returned by royal caravan all the way back to her hometown, where she was laid to rest in the Afaq Khoja Mazar with her family.
It took 124 men more than three years to return her body to Kashgar from Beijing. Han Chinese refer to the mausoleum as the Xiangfei Tomb (Xiangzhangyuan).
Juma Mosque
Another fine example of Islamic architecture is the Juma Mosque, just next to the Mazar. Here you will see 62 uniquely carved and painted wooden columns, each carved by a different craftsman.
2. Attend a Uyghur Wedding
There is a reenactment of a Ughuyr Wedding held at intervals throughout the day at the Afaq Khoja Mausoleum – and everyone’s invited!
While this is all set up for Chinese tourists, it is a lively and delightful event and gives you an insight into Uyghur culture that you would not otherwise be able to experience.
There is a lot of energetic singing and dancing, and the dance where young women balance cups and saucers on their heads is very entertaining.
After even more singing and dancing, the bride gets unveiled and thrown into a carpet, tossed into the air and then carried off by the wedding party.
3. Shop at the Kashgar Bazaar
Kashgar has been all about buying and selling for thousands of years and continue to be so today. Also known as Kashgar Sunday Bazaar, this sprawling market is held daily, but Sunday still remains the busiest (and best) time to visit.
In the past, the Kashgar Bazaar and Livestock Market were held together in the same location. It was a sprawling market where it’s said you could find anything except chicken milk and cow eggs. The most fantastic market in Central Asia was a one-stop shop for everything from a baby camel to spices and fur hats.
However, the livestock market was moved to the city’s edge in recent years and is only held on Sundays. At the same time, the Kashgar Bazaar remains in its original location near the Old Town and is open for business daily.
With its vibrant colours and exotic smells and sounds, the Kashgar Bazaar is the perfect place to soak up the Silk Road atmosphere while haggling and buying souvenirs.
Dutars (traditional Uyghur musical instruments), Yengisar knives, Uyghur pottery, Kashgar rugs, spices or dried fruits and nuts all make for good souvenirs from Xinjiang to take back with you.
4. Experience the Kashgar Livestock Market
For a slice of undiluted Kashgar culture, don’t miss the Sunday Livestock Market. It’s a wonderful experience to see the Uyghur, Tajik and Kyrgyz farmers show off and trade their animals.
We are happy to say that all the animals we saw at the market were in top condition and well taken care of (How do I know? Well, I grew up on a farm…and one of the sheep told me personally that she was thrilled to be at the market).
The Livestock Market is supposedly best on Sunday morning, but when we arrived there around 17:00, deals were still going on. Unfortunately, there were only fat-tailed sheep and cattle left when we got there. Maybe when you come here in the morning, you can also see camels, yaks, horses and donkeys.
Try to spot when a deal is struck. The buyer will shove a hand full of cash into the seller’s hand. The seller will probably refuse the first offer and push the money back. This will go back and forth, with the buyer adding more money each time. When both parties are happy, they will firmly shake hands to seal the deal.
The food market at the entrance to the market has the freshest meat in town, and stalls sell delicious lamb skewers, samsa, noodles, plov and nang bread. Our vegetarian and vegan friends will want to skip this part and head straight back to town.
5. Get Lost in Kashgar Old City
The ancient city of Kashgar is best explored without a plan or a map. Wandering around following your gut is by far the most rewarding way to see the back alleys of Old Kashgar.
People who have seen the movie The Kiterunner might recognize the alleys and lanes of Old Kashgar. Kashgar had to stand in for Kabul, as shooting the film in Afghanistan was too unsafe.
While most of Kashgar Old City was bulldozed and rebuilt in 2009 in the Chinese government’s attempt to modernize Kashgar, the new Old City remains extremely beautiful. It is still the heartbeat of the Uyghur community.
We found the Old Town near the East Gate to be the least touristy and best for walking around.
Some argue that the houses of Ancient Kashgar were unsafe in the event of an earthquake and lacked proper plumbing. Others see the modernization of the Old City of Kashgar as destroying the culture and heritage of the Uyghur community in the city.
We are not here to pass judgement – what we can say is that the (new) Old City of Kashgar is still magnificent, and the best thing to do is to explore it on your own and make up your own mind about how you feel about it. After all, it’s not so much about the alleys and buildings, but about the community that still lives here that makes the city of Kashgar what it is.
6. See What’s Left of Kashgar Ancient City
While almost the entire Old City of Kashgar has been modernized, a small section still remains…for now. This section has been boarded off and sits like an island between the new/old town and the river.
Our guide told us that this section was meant to stay in its original state, but then plans changed, and it is now slowly being torn down to be modernized.
Take a walk along the barriers for a last glimpse of the original Kashgar Old City.
7. Find Tranquility at Id Kah Mosque
The beautiful, yellow Id Kah Mosque is the largest in China and one of the most prominent landmarks in Kashgar.
Built in 1442, the mosque can hold tens of thousands of worshippers during religious holidays such as Eid. Sadly, as with many other places in Xinjiang, the Id Kah Mosque has been turned into a tourist attraction rather than serving its original purpose.
Walking through the courtyard paths lined with poplars and ponds and prayer halls is relaxing and beautiful, yet it feels like something is missing.
While the mosque is magnificent and the atmosphere quite serene, keep your expectations in check and enjoy it for what it is.
8. Drink Tea at the Century-Old Teahouse
The Hundred Year-old Teahouse has been in the Mamat family since it opened its doors and is one of the most beautiful buildings in the Old City of Kashgar.
Visitors can enjoy tea and Xinjiang snacks and look out over the Old City from the balcony while tapping their feet (or join the dancing) to live Uyghur music throughout the day. The teahouse has an incredible convivial atmosphere.
We ordered the snack set, which came with nut pastries, rock candy, yoghurt and sweet noodles. The tea infused with cardamom and other spices was unlike the tea that we’ve had in the rest of China so far.
9. Shop for a Kashgar Rug
Kashgar is perhaps the best place in China if you’re in the market for a hand-knotted rug with a captivating backstory…
This one time, I haggled for hours with an Uyghur merchant in the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar…
Xinjiang province produces fantastic handwoven rugs, similar to that of Central Asia. In the carpet world, this region is known as East Turkestan, and the carpets have a lot in common with the designs and techniques of Bukhara in Uzbekistan.
Khotan rugs from the town of Khotan farther east in Xinjiang are prized for their spectacular pomegranate motifs. With Khotan being in the Xinjiang hinterland, these Khotan rugs come to Kashgar to get sold.
In addition to the stunning Khotan rugs, you can also buy exquisite carpets from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan in Kashgar.
We were looking for a pomegranate Khotan rug, but because they were too large had to settle for something else. In the end, we walked away with a beautiful tribal Baluch from Afghanistan.
Where to go carpet shopping in Kashgar: The carpet shop next to the Century-Old Tea House in the centre of the Old City has a good selection of antique and new rugs. The father and son team has been in the carpet business for 40 years. They also packed and shipped it for us.
There are also a few carpet shops in the Kashgar Bazaar, but we think that the prices were way too high to start with.
10. Eat Lamb Skewers and Nang
Lovers of mutton and bread will love Kashgar! If you want to live it up here in Xinjiang, it’s very possible to have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The most typical Kasgar food is lamb skewers (yang rou chuan’r) with nang and, as elsewhere in Xinjiang, they’re a match made in heaven. Before our Xinjiang trip, we thought that the best lamb skewers in China came from Xi’an, but we were wrong. Xinjiang is the undeniable champion of the yang rou chuan’r.
Heavily seasoned with cumin and chilli, chunks of lamb and fat are skewered and grilled on charcoal to perfection. The aroma of grilled lamb and the smoke from BBQ fires around the Old City, especially around sunset, is something to look forward to.
These sumptuous sticks of lamb are best enjoyed with nang, a traditional flatbread from Xinjiang.
Still on the lamb theme, kao bao zi is yet another delicious snack packed with mutton! Kao bao zi is something between a dumpling, a samoosa and a baked pie and consists of a crispy dough pocket stuffed with lamb and onions.
You’ll see kao bao zi being baked in clay ovens all around Xinjiang, and they cost about RMB2 each. You should definitely get more than one.
That’s not the end yet. Yet another tasty lamb dish to try in Kashgar is plov. Typical to Central Asia, plov is Xinjiang style pilaf of lamb and rice cooked together. This rich, fatty rice and lamb dish is as good as it sounds and something you must absolutely have when you travel to Kashgar.
Plov is a traditional breakfast meal in Xinjiang, so don’t expect to find it any time after mid-morning.
11. Observe the Morning Rituals at People’s Park
Like any other city in China, Kashgar has a People’s Park. Like the other People’s Parks across China, Kashgar’s is bursting with life early in the mornings.
Come here in the morning, and you’ll see young and old having a good time, whether that involves doing aerobics, ballroom dancing, stretching, flying kites or simply enjoying the morning sun.
12. Greet Chairman Mao
Across from the park, People’s Square in the centre of Kashgar is where you can see an enormous statue of beloved Chairman Mao.
Just like in Lijiang and Chengdu, we stopped to wave at the chairman, snap a picture and then swiftly moved on.
13. Relax at a Kashgar Rooftop Cafe
Kashgar Coffee in the Old City is the best (and most beautiful) cafe in Kashgar. Inside you’ll find three floors, covered in carpets and scattered with cushions and daybeds where you can spend hours drinking tea, coffee or something stronger and perhaps smoke a hookah pipe if that is your thing. They also serve light meals and cake.
While the inside is charming, head up to the rooftop, where you have a sweeping view over the Old Town. This is the absolute best place for a sundowner in Kashgar.
14. Embark on the Karakoram Highway
One of the most epic journeys on Earth starts right here in Kashgar. The Karakoram Highway, or China-Pakistan Friendship Highway as it’s known in China, is often called the 8th Wonder of the World and runs between Kashgar and Islamabad.
Even if you’re not planning on crossing the border into Pakistan, you should still travel along the Chinese side of the Karakoram Highway from Kashgar to Tashkurgan. An overnight trip will take you to the most breathtaking mountain scenery, the surreal White Sand Lake, Lake Karakul and up to the town of Tashkurgan, on the border with Tajikistan.
15. Get a Straight-Razor Shave
Here is something that all men who are visiting Kashgar must do! (Ladies, if you’re reading this, please treat your man and take him to a barber while in Kashgar).
Forego shaving at your hotel, and instead visit a barber in the old city. Many of them are scattered all over the ancient city, and you don’t need any language skills. Simply sit down and let the barber work his magic.
After a vigorous face massage to open up your pores, he’ll get to work with his straight-razor blade. To complete the shave, he’ll let your face rest under a hot towel before splashing you generously with aftershave.
You’ll walk out of the barbershop with a face as smooth as the proverbial baby’s butt and feeling like a brand new man!
Where to Stay in Kashgar
Few hotels in Kashgar allow foreigners, and we had to give the address of our hotel on arrival at Kashgar Airport.
We stayed at the excellent
Rooms are spacious, clean and come with hot showers and cold AC. Guest can enjoy an included buffet breakfast with both western and Xinjiang food on offer. The free washing machines are also a nice touch.
There is an AMAZING foot massage place just two doors down, something that you really should go and experience.
What else is there to do in Kashgar?
Did we miss anything? Any questions about things to do in Kashgar? Let us know in the comments below.