The Silk Road
The opening three days of the Xi’an → Dunhuang route, showing how ROAM combines places, timing, food and practical decisions.
Days 1–3 · Xi’an
Xi’an is one of China’s great cities in its own right, but it is also where this journey begins to feel like a Silk Road route rather than a standard city break. The old city walls remain intact, the Muslim Quarter carries centuries of Hui culture and food traditions, and the Terracotta Warriors deserve more than a rushed half-day visit.
The key is not trying to see everything. The route is built around the parts that make the city work together: cycling the walls at the right time, exploring the Muslim Quarter on foot, then giving the Terracotta Warriors a properly planned morning.
Exact route strategy: Use the hotel’s bicycles to access the City Wall from the South Gate. The 13 km circuit takes roughly 90 minutes at a comfortable pace. Go around dusk, when the temperature drops and the walls begin to light up. For the Terracotta Warriors, arrive at opening at 7:30 AM before the main tour-bus wave. The scale of the pits is much easier to appreciate without the crowd.
What to Eat
Muslim Quarter · 回民街
Beiyuanmen and Huajue Lane are the classic food streets, but the point is to know what to order once you are there. Start with Rou Jia Mo, the slow-braised meat flatbread often described as Xi’an’s answer to a burger, then look for cold rice noodles and other regional dishes as you walk.
A Better Way to Eat Here
Rather than searching for one famous restaurant, use the street itself: follow the busiest stalls, watch what local customers are ordering, and eat progressively rather than sitting down for one large meal.
What comes next
The Yellow River, Zhongshan Bridge and the riverside promenade, followed by an early-morning look at the city’s beef-noodle culture.
Danxia Landform Geopark timed for golden hour, then Dafo Temple and the old town.
The western end of the Ming Great Wall and the route deeper into Gansu.
The final stage of the route, with the complete day-by-day plan included in the full pack.
Bilingual Address Card
Every stop includes a Chinese address you can show directly to a driver, so getting to the right place does not depend on explaining it yourself.
Near South Gate, Beilin District, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province
The Chinese Digital Kit
Every ROAM Route Pack includes the 19-page Chinese Digital Kit: practical guidance for payments, connectivity, trains, transport and the digital tools that make independent travel in China easier.
Three days in the sample. Twelve nights in the full route.
Xi’an → Lanzhou → Zhangye → Jiayuguan → Dunhuang. Day-by-day planning, hotel recommendations, rail logistics, bilingual address cards and the Chinese Digital Kit included.
Instant digital access · Launch pricing available through 30 September 2026