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Traveling the Silk Road – is it safe?

There are some things to watch out for, but in general, it is not less safe than anywhere else in the world except Japan, Norway and Switzerland. Most travelers comment on the friendliness and hospitality of the people they meet. It really is exceptional, and goes for every country we discuss.

There are of course areas to be avoided by all except the most risk-tolerant (Afghanistan comes to mind). And you should make certain precautions to make sure you don’t put yourself in harm’s way, as everywhere else. But otherwise, you should be fine, barring bad luck.

Disclaimer: this is just our opinion – we hold no responsibility for anything that might happen to you. Travelers should make up their own mind.

For detailed country-specific advice, the best English-language source online is the UK’s Foreign Travel Advice website. Here we stick to a quick general overview of the big threats: traffic, police, terrorism, crime & scams, and natural disasters.

Conflict areas

We currently have forum threads up on

For Afghanistan, there is a thread about safety in Afghanistan in general, and separate topics on the situation in

Landmines in Tajikistan

Landmines are still a part of the landscape of Tajikistan after the Tajik civil war. Travelers doing the standard Pamir Highway itinerary should not be worried, but hikers in the Pamirs and along the Afghan border should inform themselves.

More details in our guide to trekking in Tajikistan.

Inter-ethnic conflict

With depressing regularity, inter-ethnic conflict arises in Central Asia. Any small dispute can quickly grow into an ethnic conflict as people back their own group and split along ethnic lines. And if the authorities aren’t capable of reacting quickly and effectively, a conflict can quickly escalate into something horrifying.

These conflicts usually take the form of villagers from the majority ethnic group taking on a minority that has done well for itself economically. Clashes over scarce resources (water, land) happen often in border areas, particularly in the Ferghana Valley, where it is not always clear who owns what.

The chance that you would get caught up in such an event is tiny, but it could cause disruptions to your travel plans if borders are closed.

Protests

Protests against government happen. Governments in the region don’t like them and will repress them by any means necessary. The big exception here is Kyrgyzstan, where mass protests have overthrown governments in 2005, 2010 and 2020.

Like with the border or ethnic conflicts mentioned above, it is very unlikely you would get caught up in any of this unless you would really like to, but it could mean that borders close temporarily.

Traffic

Yes, traffic can be quite dangerous in certain places. It is, by far, the biggest threat to your life in the Silk Road region, and tourists die every year in traffic accidents. Drunk driving is declining because young men are following the rules of Islam more strictly. But it is still common. Accept that drivers may break any and every rule in existence. Drivers may not have insurance cover, and sons of the elite can kill and maim with impunity.

Cyclists are especially vulnerable to dangerous drivers, and foreign cyclists get hit by cars, sometimes with lethal consequences.

Wikipedia has a list of traffic-related deaths per country. Iran and Kazakhstan rank highest in the region with 24.1 and 21.9 deaths per 100.000 inhabitants respectively. Uzbekistan has 11.3, Turkey has 9.6.

To compare: New Zealand scores 7.4, Germany 4.3, Norway 2.9. So keep it in mind when you hit the road, and take extra care if you have to venture out at night.

Police

Police, especially in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, might want to get some money from you for no reason. Should this happen, smiling and acting like you have no idea what they are talking about works wonders. Reports and questions on police interactions are collected in the dealing with the police forum thread.

Don’t give them your passport, have a copy on you and say you left the original in your accommodation. The worst that could happen (barring extreme cases) is that you lose some money to these scammers. They are unlikely to beat a foreigner.

Same goes for police in Xinjiang: they will not lock up, beat or rape foreigners and are usually even courteous to tourists.

After years of isolation due to covid, the police in Tajikistan is paranoid about foreigners, but they are fearful of the tourist police. A tourist police division has been tasked with helping travelers in Tajikistan. You can reach Saidov Umedzhon at +992 911 00 5555 or on Instagram. He speaks English. You can also print this image and show it to any policeman stopping you. It works like garlic on vampires.

While the days of being robbed or extorted by the street police in central Dushanbe have ended for many, your experience as Chinese, Afghan, Iranian, Indian or Pakistani may still be less than enjoyable.

Crime and scams

Countries on the Silk Road have not developed enough of a tourist industry to have dedicated tourist scammers (outside of the police), with Georgia as the exception. Normal precautions should be heeded. Keep your money close, don’t hang out in shady districts after dark, be aware of whose company you keep. A torch comes in handy as cities and villages are often badly lit at night.

Beware of a few overly helpful locals that speak English in Dushanbe. The vast majority of people truly do want to help you or just practice their English, but some are running a variety of scams.

Theft does happen, though nothing like in European tourist hotspots.

Bazaars are perhaps where you are most likely to get scammed, even if the great majority of sellers is extremely happy to see a foreigner (and not just because you have a lot of money). Some people working here are clever tricksters: messing with the scale weights, counting money double, every trick in the book. Keep your eyes peeled and you will start enjoying catching them.

We keep a list of scams in the region.

Not a white heterosexual man?

These are conservative, patriarchal societies with little respect for women and a lot of young, frustrated men milling around. As a woman, you need to be more vigilant than as a man.

We have an article with tips for single female travelers (written by single female travelers). We also have articles about racism and sinophobia, travel as LGBT and as a Muslim.

Natural disasters

Earthquakes happen across the region. Not much you can do should it happen when you are around besides crawling under a sturdy desk. Landslides, mudslides, avalanches and overflowing rivers are a serious issue in the mountainous regions of Central Asia, one that is getting worse each year due to global warming, melting glaciers at unprecedented speed.

Once again, not much you can do about it but be aware of the issue, plan for emergencies, and seek advice from authorities and people in the area once you are there.

Food and water

A lot of travelers get sick from eating or drinking something contaminated in the Pamir. Take extra care of your hygiene there. Uzbekistan is another place where you might be running to the toilet from a change of diet.

Water in cities is considered safe to drink by locals, but you might want to filter it. Outside of the cities, use your own sound judgement.

In Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, people might invite you for a barbecued marmot (it’s not common, but it might happen). This is generally fine, but be aware that marmots carry fleas that in turn carry the bubonic plague and, while treatable nowadays, this is sometimes lethal.

More tips in the health section.

Dangerous animals

Scorpions, black widow spiders and venomous snakes all live in desert areas throughout the Silk Road region. Take care, but do not cancel your plans because of it – so far, we have not heard of a tourist getting bitten.

Wolves are numerous across Central Asia, but you are unlikely to meet them if you are an average hiker. Bears live in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan: especially in the Altai mountains, it makes sense to inform yourself with locals. In Kyrgyzstan, there is no need to take special precautions.

Pollution

Amongst the numerous environmental issues Central Asia refuses to face, the one for travelers we’d like to highlight is air pollution, especially in Kazakhstan. Ask any oncologist and they will tell you cities like Almaty, Astana and Oskemen are simply lethal. Bishkek is also really bad.

Travelers with sensitive lungs should plan accordingly.

Terrorism

We know Caravanistan readers are a clever bunch: independent-minded, well-read, critical thinkers ready to explore and see with their own eyes. So we don’t have to tell you about the inherent bias of mass media in your home country, the fear-mongering, us-vs-them-rhetoric, and how those media’s incessant focus on certain issues (while ignoring others) gives news consumers a skewed image of reality. Especially when it comes to Caravanistan’s area of interest: majority-Muslim, autocratic countries inside the sphere of influence of both Russia and China.

At Caravanistan, we read books, watch movies and listen to music. We don’t watch the news a lot, and we keep the bias of the publisher in mind when we do. And we don’t take advice from people who have never been there.

Nevertheless, Islamic terrorism in Central Asia is an issue. Quoting topical expert Edward Lemon: “According to my data 142 people died in terrorist attacks in Central Asia between 2009 and 2018.”

That’s not little. However, let’s keep in mind the second part of that quote: “In that same period, 11 583 people died in Kyrgyzstan in traffic accidents.”

Having said that, in July 2018, 4 foreign cyclists died in Tajikistan from a terrorist attack. That’s a fact.

In addition, a number of terrorist attacks in recent years have been perpetrated by Uzbek and Kyrgyz citizens in Istanbul, Stockholm, St-Petersburg, Boston and New York.

A monument for the murdered cyclists in the Danghara attack.

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