The Silk Road history spans two thousand years of trade between East and West — and much of it still stands. This guide traces the origin of the ancient silk roads, maps the main routes, and shows which cities you can still walk through on a trip today.
Origins of the Silk Road
How the network began and what actually moved along it.
The main routes
Northern and southern branches across Central Asia.
Cities that survive
Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Kazakhstan’s Otrar — see the Registan, Samarkand.
How to travel the Silk Road today
Routes, timing and seasons — see Central Asia itinerary.