Silk Road Expedition 2023 - The Route


I (Marcell) will commence my attempt to walk from Istanbul, Turkey, to Xi’an, China, a distance of 13,000 km (8,100 miles). The route will incorporate various sections of the different overland routes which were collectively part of what’s known as the ancient Silk Road that connected the west with China in the east. 

The How

I will be attempting to walk the route from Istanbul, Turkey to Xi’an, China

  • 13,000 km – 8,100 miles.
  • Adapt at borders where I might not be able to cross by foot – some borders prohibit crossing by foot.
  • Cross the Caspian Sea by ferry from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan.
  • Only Horses, camels and yaks etc. are “permitted” as alternative means of transport i.e. the transport that was available at the time of the Silk Road trade.

The Walking Route

Days Duration: Include anticipated rest days, visiting sites and talking to/interviewing people for the project.

Countries in the following sequence;
=> Caspian Sea ferry (Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan)
  • Kazakhstan: 546 km - 341 miles (28 days)
  • Uzbekistan:  1,313 km - 821 miles (68 days)
  • Tajikistan: 1,119 km - 699 miles (58 days) - inclusion part/all of the Pamir Trail
  • Kyrgyzstan: 209 km - 131 miles (11 days)
  • Uzbekistan:  Train and public transport only - see Additional Visits below
  • Kazakhstan:
    • Train and public transport to Almaty - see Additional Visits below
    • Walk from Almaty: 216 km - 135 miles (11 days)
    • (changes likely as may go further north to enter China via "The Gap") 
  • Kyrgyzstan: 1,390 km - 869 miles (71 days)
  • China: 4,223 km - 2,639 miles (217 days)

Additional Visits

Visiting places along the route which were part of the route but are not part of my walking route. Post visit I will return to the last point where I stopped walking.
  • Iraq: Possibly walking the Zagros Mountain Trail in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, or part of it with the trail developers .
  • Iran: visiting a variety of sites. Entering from Armenia or Azerbaijan.
  • Uzbekistan (NE): entering from Osh, Kyrgyzstan – via a variety of craft centres and Tashkent.
  • Kazakhstan: From Tashkent, Uzbekistan – passing via Shymkent and on to Almaty, a route that was all part of the Silk Road.
    • From Almaty I'll start walking again, heading south to my last point at Osh in Kyrgyzstan and then head east to China.


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Support and Collaborate with my Silk Road Expedition 2023/2024

I'm inviting followers from around the world to join me on the walk (limited number per visit of course) for some days. Any interested persons, organisations and businesses who might be interested in supporting the expedition and/or collaborating in some way, are invited to contact me.