We spent two days along the Karakoram Highway (中巴友谊路) at the end of September 2018. Our guide Ali was fantastic and was able to give a fascinating insight into life in this part of Xinjiang. Check out our article on Xinjiang click for everything you need to know when planning a trip down the Karakoram Highway.
You have two options for travelling in this region. Private or pubic transport. Unless you have a lot of time then public transport is not really an option. So that leaves private transport as the most realistic option. You can either hire a private driver or go as part of a package tour. Unless you want to be herded on and off a bus, hiring a private driver is probably the best option. Our article on Xinjiang has a plenty of useful information for booking a driver. Do remember that an English speaking guide/driver will cost more money.
This is truly one of the most breathtaking destinations in China. For us the highlight of the trip was the portion between Karakul and Tashkurgan, although to be fair there a stunning views from almost every corner.
6 Comments
Awesome pictures guys, I love seeing all the great places you go!
Thanks fella! Great to hear from you. Hope you are still having an amazing time in Fiji.
Dear Richard and Miranda,
Thanks a lot for those great posts – inspiring and very helpful to organize our trip there.
I’m french and my wife is Chinese. We are heading to Kashgar in a few days, and we’d love to drive the Karakoram Highway on our own. (I have the local driving license)
Did you have a look at the option of renting a car, without driver, too?
Have a nice October holiday
I know Chinese nationals who have done road trips in Xinjiang. However for the Karakoram highway I imagine you will need to get a special permit/pass. Your wife will also need to get pass from the PSB in Kashgar. One of the advantages of having a driver is the tour company can arrange the necessary paperwork. We did look at doing it ourselves but the car hire market is very new in China, as a result the insurance options are not great, meaning any scratch or dent could see you landed with a large bill. This was the reason we hired a driver and didn’t do it ourselves. We’ve driven all over the world, but each time there’s been good insurance options. Maybe this has changed in China now, but certainly when we went the insurance options were pretty poor.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to reply. Will check with the local rental companies and share here if there is any update with the insurance options.
Fingers crossed there have been some improvements. Don’t forget to check the paperwork you will need to enter the Karakoram Highway itself if your self driving. Let us know how you both get on. Good luck and have a great trip!