Route

Here is a basic description of our route (by country and major cities).  Below is a breakdown of where we have spent every day on the trip, and how far we cycled on each day. See the link at the bottom for a simple world map with our route marked on it.

  • UK (London-Dover)
  • France (Calais-Lille-Thionville)
  • Germany (Saarbrucken-Stuttgart-Ulm, then along the Danube)
  • Austria (Passau-Vienna, still along the Danube)
  • Hungary (Komarom-Budapest-Szeged)
  • Serbia (Subotica-Belgrade-Bulgarian border near Bor)
  • Bulgaria (Belogradcik-Pleven-Veliko Tarnovo-Sozopol-Malko Tarnovo)
  • Turkey (Istanbul-Samsun-Erzurum-Iranian border at Dogubayezerit)
  • Iran (Tabriz-Tehran-Turkmenistan border at Bajgiran [side trip to Esfahan and Yazd by bus and train])
  • Turkmenistan (Ashgabat-Mary-Turkmenabat)
  • Uzbekistan (Bukhara-Samarqand)
  • Tajikistan (Penjikent-Dushanbe-Khorog-Murgab-Karakol)
  • Kyrgyzstan (Sari Tash)
  • China (Kashgar – flight to Beijing then train to Xi’an-Chengdu-Lijiang-Kunming-Hekou)
  • Vietnam (Hanoi-Haiphong-Nam Dinh)
  • Laos (Luang Prabang then either Vientiane and down through Thailand to Bangkok, or continue south through Laos via Savannakhet to Cambodia and then West to Bangkok). TBD.
  • Thailand (Bangkok-Surat Thani-Songkha)
  • Malaysia (Penang-Malacca-KL)
  • Singapor
  • Australia (Sydney-time permitting perhaps a spin along the great ocean road…we’ll see).

‘Captain’s log’; breakdown of our journey by day

Country Month Date Destination Daily distance
UK March 28 Canterbury 110
France 29 St Omer 90
30 Lille 70
31 Valenciennes 70
April 1 Hirson 70
2 Charleville de Mezieres 70
3 Charleville de Mezieres 0
4 Thionville 150
5 Saarbrucken 80
6 Niederbronn les bains 90
Germany 7 Bad Herrenalb 80
8 Stuttgart 80
9 Stuttgart 0
10 Ulm 116
11 Donauworth 89
12 Ingolstadt 78
13 Regensburg 93
Austria 14 Passau 130
15 Passau 0
16 Aschbach 65
17 Mauthausen 55
18 Ybbs 65
19 Durnstein 60
20 Tulln 60
21 Vienna 50
22 Vienna 0
Slovakia 23 Bratislava 90
Hungary 24 Kandrom (sp?) 120
25 Budapest 130
26 Budapest 0
27 Budapest 0
28 Kiskoros 110
Serbia 29 Sentar 113
30 Belgrade 155
May 1 Belgrade 0
2 Belgrade 0
3 Petrovac 120
4 Bor 125
Bulgaria 5 Belogradcik 120
6 Belogradcik 0
7 Borovan 120
8 Pleven 90
9 Pleven 0
10 Veliko Tarnovo 110
11 Veliko Tarnovo 0
12 Elena 50
13 Vodenichane 115
14 Sozopol 130
15 Sozopol 0
16 Sozopol 0
17 Sozopol 0
18 Malko Tarnovo 105
Turkey 19 Ahmetby 100
20 Istanbul 60
21 Istanbul 0
22 Istanbul 0
23 Istanbul 0
24 Istanbul 0
25 Istanbul 0
26 Istanbul 0
27 Istanbul 0
28 Istanbul 0
29 Istanbul 0
30 Istanbul 0
31 Sile 85
June 1 Agra 45
2 Kocaali 130
3 Akcakoca 40
4 Akcakoca 0
5 Devrek 120
6 Karabuk 96
7 Safranbolu 10
8 Kastamonu 83
9 Taskopru 50
10 Duragon 115
11 Havza 89
12 Samsun 85
13 Samsun 0
14 Unye 80
15 Unye 0
16 Ordu 90
17 Tirebolu 99
18 Tirebolu 0
19 Trabzon 85
20 Trabzon 0
21 Trabzon 0
22 Zigana 60
23 Gumushane 35
24 Bayburt 70
25 Askale 100
26 Erzurum 35
27 Erzurum 0
28 Erzurum 0
29 Erzurum 0
30 Horasan 90
July 1 Agri 100
2 Diyadin 60
3 Dogubayerzit 50
4 Dogubayerzit 0
Iran 5 Maku 60
6 Ev Oghli 120
7 Marand 60
8 Tabriz 60
9 Tabriz 0
10 Tabriz 0
11 Bostanabad 70
12 Miyaneh 100
13 Zanjan 140
14 Abhar 90
15 Tehran 0
16 Tehran 0
17 Tehran 0
18 Tehran 0
19 Tehran 0
20 Tehran 0
21 Esfahan 0
22 Esfahan 0
23 Yazd 0
24 Tehran 0
25 Tehran 0
26 Tehran 0
27 Tehran 0
28 Tehran 0
29 Tehran 0
30 Tehran 0
31 Tehran 0
August 1 Tehran 0
2 Bajgiran 0
Turkmenistan 3 Ashgabat 50
4 Desert camping 50
5 Bayramili (sp? Near Mary) 50
6 20km after Uchaji 110
7 Turkemenabat 50
Uzbekistan 8 Qarakol 90
9 Bukhara 60
10 Ghijduvan 35
11 Aqtash 120
12 Samarqand 110
13 Samarqand 0
14 Samarqand 0
15 Tashkent 0
16 Tashkent 0
17 Samarqand 0
18 Samarqand 0
19 Samarqand 0
Tajikistan 20 Near Tajikistan border 50
21 Urmetah 90
22 Rabat 80
23 Dushanbe 100
24 Dushanbe 0
25 Dushanbe 0
26 Kalai-i-khum 0
27 Poshkarv 60
28 Voznavd 100
29 Khorog 100
30 Khorog 0
31 Khorog 0
September 1 Camp 45km from Khorog 45
2 Near Pish 45
3 Jelandy 40
4 Jelandy 0
5 Koi-Tezek 40
6 Bulunkul 40
7 Alichur 40
8 After Marmazair 75
9 Murgab 20
10 Murgab 0
11 Halfway to Ak-Baital 50
12 After Ak-Baital 50
13 Karakol 30
14 Karakol 0
15 Bor Dobo 60
Kyrgyzstan 16 Ishketam pass 110
China 17 Near Ulugchat 30
18 Wuqia 130
19 Kashgar 80
20 Kashgar 0
21 Kashgar 0
22 Kashgar 0
23 Beijing 0
24 Beijing 0
25 Beijing 0
26 Beijing 0
27 Beijing 0
28 Xi’an 0
29 Xi’an 0
30 Xi’an 0
October 1 Mujianghakou 120
2 Foping 110
3 Chenggu 120
4 Mian Xian 80
5 Huangbayi 110
6 Taigong 145
7 Lanzhong 100
8 Lanzhong 0
9 Yanting 130
10 Zhongjiang 110
11 Chengdu 100
12 Chengdu 0
13 Pengshan 80
14 Leshan 105
15 Leshan 0
16 Ebian 120
17 Hongxi 120
18 Meigu 50
19 Zhaojue 80
20 Xichang 100
21 Near Miyi 137
22 Panzhihua 110
23 Yongren 105
24 Bailu 120
25 Kunming 167
26 Lijiang 0
27 Lijiang 0
28 Lijiang 0
29 Lijiang 0
30 Kunming 0
31 Lunan 100
November 1 Pengpu 110
2 Xinxian 130
Vietnam 3 Lao Cai 138
4 Sapa 0
5 Sapa 0
6 Hanoi 10
7 Hanoi 0
8 Halong bay 0
9 Halong bay 0
10 Hanoi 0
11 Muang Khen 110
12 Quan Hoa 90
13 Nameo 110
Laos 14 Sam Neua 90
15 Sam Neua 0
16 Phou Lao 95
17 Vieng Thong 70
18 Pakmeng 35
19 Luang Prabang 120
20 Luang Prabang 0
21 Vang Vieng 30
22 Vang Vieng 0
23 Vientiane 0
24 Vientiane 0
25 Paksan 163
26 Viang Kham 90
27 Viang Kham 0
28 Thakhek 110
29 Savannhaket 120
30 120km south of Savannhaket 120
December 1 Pakse 126
2 Don Det 155
3 Don Det 0
4 Don Det 0
Cambodia 5 Stung Treng 65
6 Tbeng Meanchey 130
7 Koh Ker 70
8 Siem Reap 120
9 Siem Reap 0
10 Siem Reap 0
11 Siem Reap 0
12 Siem Reap 0
13 Siem Reap 0
14 Siem Reap 0
Thailand 15 Bangkok 10
16 Bangkok 30
17 Bangkok 0
18 Chumphon 0
19 Ranong 120
20 Kapoe 50
21 Takua Pa 100
22 Thai Muang 100
23 Patong 75
24 Rawai 20
25 Rawai 0
26 Rawai 0
27 Rawai 0
28 Rawai 0
29 Phuket town 70
30 Klong Prom 55
31 Yan Ta Kao 110
January 1 Khuan Klang (sp? near Malay border) 110
Malaysia 2 Alor Setar 110
3 Butterworth 100
4 Terung 120
5 Teluk Intan 130
6 Sungai Buloh 155
7 Kuala Lumpur 20
8 Kuala Lumpur 0
9 Kuala Lumpur 0
10 Kuala Lumpur 0
11 Near Port Dickson 110
12 Near Port Dickson 0
13 Muar 110
14 Simpang Renmmeng 100
Singapore 15 Singapore 110

<

Country Month Date Destination Daily distance
UK March 28 Canterbury 110
France 29 St Omer 90
30 Lille 70
31 Valenciennes 70
April 1 Hirson 70
2 Charleville de Mezieres 70
3 Charleville de Mezieres 0
4 Thionville 150
5 Saarbrucken 80
6 Niederbronn les bains 90
Germany 7 Bad Herrenalb 80
8 Stuttgart 80
9 Stuttgart 0
10 Ulm 116
11 Donauworth 89
12 Ingolstadt 78
13 Regensburg 93
Austria 14 Passau 130
15 Passau 0
16 Aschbach 65
17 Mauthausen 55
18 Ybbs 65
19 Durnstein 60
20 Tulln 60
21 Vienna 50
22 Vienna 0
Slovakia 23 Bratislava 90
Hungary 24 Kandrom (sp?) 120
25 Budapest 130
26 Budapest 0
27 Budapest 0
28 Kiskoros 110
Serbia 29 Sentar 113
30 Belgrade 155
May 1 Belgrade 0
2 Belgrade 0
3 Petrovac 120
4 Bor 125
Bulgaria 5 Belogradcik 120
6 Belogradcik 0
7 Borovan 120
8 Pleven 90
9 Pleven 0
10 Veliko Tarnovo 110
11 Veliko Tarnovo 0
12 Elena 50
13 Vodenichane 115
14 Sozopol 130
15 Sozopol 0
16 Sozopol 0
17 Sozopol 0
18 Malko Tarnovo 105
Turkey 19 Ahmetby 100
20 Istanbul 60
21 Istanbul 0
22 Istanbul 0
23 Istanbul 0
24 Istanbul 0
25 Istanbul 0
26 Istanbul 0
27 Istanbul 0
28 Istanbul 0
29 Istanbul 0
30 Istanbul 0
31 Sile 85
June 1 Agra 45
2 Kocaali 130
3 Akcakoca 40
4 Akcakoca 0
5 Devrek 120
6 Karabuk 96
7 Safranbolu 10
8 Kastamonu 83
9 Taskopru 50
10 Duragon 115
11 Havza 89
12 Samsun 85
13 Samsun 0
14 Unye 80
15 Unye 0
16 Ordu 90
17 Tirebolu 99
18 Tirebolu 0
19 Trabzon 85
20 Trabzon 0
21 Trabzon 0
22 Zigana 60
23 Gumushane 35
24 Bayburt 70
25 Askale 100
26 Erzurum 35
27 Erzurum 0
28 Erzurum 0
29 Erzurum 0
30 Horasan 90
July 1 Agri 100
2 Diyadin 60
3 Dogubayerzit 50
4 Dogubayerzit 0
Iran 5 Maku 60
6 Ev Oghli 120
7 Marand 60
8 Tabriz 60
9 Tabriz 0
10 Tabriz 0
11 Bostanabad 70
12 Miyaneh 100
13 Zanjan 140
14 Abhar 90
15 Tehran 0
16 Tehran 0
17 Tehran 0
18 Tehran 0
19 Tehran 0
20 Tehran 0
21 Esfahan 0
22 Esfahan 0
23 Yazd 0
24 Tehran 0
25 Tehran 0
26 Tehran 0
27 Tehran 0
28 Tehran 0
29 Tehran 0
30 Tehran 0
31 Tehran 0
August 1 Tehran 0
2 Bajgiran 0
Turkmenistan 3 Ashgabat 50
4 Desert camping 50
5 Bayramili (sp? Near Mary) 50
6 20km after Uchaji 110
7 Turkemenabat 50
Uzbekistan 8 Qarakol 90
9 Bukhara 60
10 Ghijduvan 35
11 Aqtash 120
12 Samarqand 110
13 Samarqand 0
14 Samarqand 0
15 Tashkent 0
16 Tashkent 0
17 Samarqand 0
18 Samarqand 0
19 Samarqand 0
Tajikistan 20 Near Tajikistan border 50
21 Urmetah 90
22 Rabat 80
23 Dushanbe 100
24 Dushanbe 0
25 Dushanbe 0
26 Kalai-i-khum 0
27 Poshkarv 60
28 Voznavd 100
29 Khorog 100
30 Khorog 0
31 Khorog 0
September 1 Camp 45km from Khorog 45
2 Near Pish 45
3 Jelandy 40
4 Jelandy 0
5 Koi-Tezek 40
6 Bulunkul 40
7 Alichur 40
8 After Marmazair 75
9 Murgab 20
10 Murgab 0
11 Halfway to Ak-Baital 50
12 After Ak-Baital 50
13 Karakol 30
14 Karakol 0
15 Bor Dobo 60
Kyrgyzstan 16 Ishketam pass 110
China 17 Near Ulugchat 30
18 Wuqia 130
19 Kashgar 80
20 Kashgar 0
21 Kashgar 0
22 Kashgar 0
23 Beijing 0
24 Beijing 0
25 Beijing 0
26 Beijing 0
27 Beijing 0
28 Xi’an 0
29 Xi’an 0
30 Xi’an 0
October 1 Mujianghakou 120
2 Foping 110
3 Chenggu 120
4 Mian Xian 80
5 Huangbayi 110
6 Taigong 145
7 Lanzhong 100
8 Lanzhong 0
9 Yanting 130
10 Zhongjiang 110
11 Chengdu 100
12 Chengdu 0
13 Pengshan 80
14 Leshan 105
15 Leshan 0
16 Ebian 120
17 Hongxi 120
18 Meigu 50
19 Zhaojue 80
20 Xichang 100
21 Near Miyi 137
22 Panzhihua 110
23 Yongren 105
24 Bailu 120
25 Kunming 167
26 Lijiang 0
27 Lijiang 0
28 Lijiang 0
29 Lijiang 0
30 Kunming 0
31 Lunan 100
November 1 Pengpu 110
2 Xinxian 130
Vietnam 3 Lao Cai 138
4 Sapa 0
5 Sapa 0
6 Hanoi 10
7 Hanoi 0
8 Halong bay 0
9 Halong bay 0
10 Hanoi 0
11 Muang Khen 110
12 Quan Hoa 90
13 Nameo 110
Laos 14 Sam Neua 90
15 Sam Neua 0
16 Phou Lao 95
17 Vieng Thong 70
18 Pakmeng 35
19 Luang Prabang 120
20 Luang Prabang 0
21 Vang Vieng 30
22 Vang Vieng 0
23 Vientiane 0
24 Vientiane 0
25 Paksan 163
26 Viang Kham 90
27 Viang Kham 0
28 Thakhek 110
29 Savannhaket 120
30 120km south of Savannhaket 120
December 1 Pakse 126
2 Don Det 155
3 Don Det 0
4 Don Det 0
Cambodia 5 Stung Treng 65
6 Tbeng Meanchey 130
7 Koh Ker 70
8 Siem Reap 120
9 Siem Reap 0
10 Siem Reap 0
11 Siem Reap 0
12 Siem Reap 0
13 Siem Reap 0
14 Siem Reap 0
Thailand 15 Bangkok 10
16 Bangkok 30
17 Bangkok 0
18 Chumphon 0
19 Ranong 120
20 Kapoe 50
21 Takua Pa 100
22 Thai Muang 100
23 Patong 75
24 Rawai 20
25 Rawai 0
26 Rawai 0
27 Rawai 0
28 Rawai 0
29 Phuket town 70
30 Klong Prom 55
31 Yan Ta Kao 110
January 1 Khuan Klang (sp? near Malay border) 110
Malaysia 2 Alor Setar 110
3 Butterworth 100
4 Terung 120
5 Teluk Intan 130
6 Sungai Buloh 155
7 Kuala Lumpur 20
8 Kuala Lumpur 0
9 Kuala Lumpur 0
10 Kuala Lumpur 0
11 Near Port Dickson 110
12 Near Port Dickson 0
13 Muar 110
14 Simpang Renmmeng 100
Singapore 15 Singapore 110

Route Map

Responses

  1. Pete,
    Well done to you both, what a ride!
    Regards,
    Eric

    By: ehardie@laingorourke.com on February 24, 2011
    at 10:03 am

    Reply

  2. Hello!

    I am currently on a similar cycling tour as yours and find your site really useful, especially with regards to visa info. Thanks!

    Bex

    By: Rebecca Holliday on January 11, 2011
    at 9:35 am

    Reply

  3. Hi Pete and Christine,
    Finally got around to checking out the blog after we met Pete in Karakul hunting for somewhere to spend his Tajik currency. You were heading on up to the pass into Krgyyzstan while we were heading back to Murghab then on to Zorkul and the Wakhan.
    Good to see that you made it safely over to Kashgar and hope you enjoyed Angkor Wat – amazing place.
    Email when you are back in London – we are making a Tajikistan calendar and are keen to pick up additional photos.
    Best Wishes & stay safe.

    By: Jackie and Tony Nelson on January 6, 2011
    at 4:44 pm

    Reply

    • Hi Jackie and Tony

      We are now back in the UK and have moved up to Scotland. We are more than happy to support the calendar, is it your plan to sell these to support your ongoing projects – if this is the case let us know and we will put a link on our site for you and we would also be interested in buying some ourselves. Our best pics of the region are on the website – let me know which you would like and I can email you full quality versions (I think they get compressed when they are loaded on here). The best of luck with your work, we have experienced how tough it is in the Pamirs (we were unable to find any food when you met us and relied on a donated Snickers bar each until we got to the border – the hardest day of the trip for me!). We know some other cyclists who cycled through the Pamirs also – if you are interested we can put you in touch to see if they also have any good photos.

      Best regards

      Peter

      By: londontosydneybybike on March 21, 2011
      at 12:25 pm

      Reply

  4. Hi, you may not remember me , I spoke to you in the Karakorum Cafe in Kashgar. I have just read your report from the Pamir Highway. Two years back I travelled the road following the Panj River/Afghan border and it brought back a lot of memories. We didn’t wash for four days and I vividly remember a long drop with six holes, no partitions of course! However, the people were delightful, virtually kidnapped and taken into homes and served tea. Good luck with the rest of the trip.

    By: Kath Mitchell on November 18, 2010
    at 3:10 pm

    Reply

  5. Hi
    I’m leaving on the 8th April and planing to ride much of your route. Look out for a grey bearded man wheezing his way through the Stan’s.
    Wish you the best of luck with your trip and may the wind be behind you all the way!
    Regards
    Ivan

    By: Ivan on March 26, 2010
    at 4:50 pm

    Reply

  6. omg… how many kms is that?! Would be interesting to see how many kms in each stage… Don’t blame you for flying over Pakistan – go safe. hx

    By: Hazel on February 1, 2010
    at 1:50 am

    Reply


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