From Istanbul, Turkey to Yazd, Iran:
- Constantinople (now Istanbul), Turkey
- Bursa, Turkey
- Beypazarı, Turkey
- Antioch, Turkey
- Konya, Turkey
- Adana, Turkey
- Aleppo, Syria
- Damascus, Syria
- Ramadi, Iraq
- Fallujah, Iraq
- Abu Ghraib, Iraq
- Baghdad, Iraq
- Baquba, Iraq
- Kermanshah, Iran
- Hamadan, Iran
- Ray, Iran
- Tehran, Iran
- Hecatompylos (perhaps near Damghan), Iran
- Sabzevar, Iran
- Neyshabur, Iran
- Yazd, Iran
From Yazd, Iran to Turpan, China (See below: northern route along the Taklamakan desert):
- Merv, Turkmenistan
- Urgench, Turkmenistan
- Bukhara, Uzbekistan
- Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- Khujand, Tajikistan
- Istaravshan, Tajikistan
- Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan
- Hazrat-e Turkestan, Kazakhstan
- Ürümqi, China
From Yazd, Iran to Kashi, China:
- Herat, Afghanistan
- Bamyan, Afghanistan
- Kabul, Afghanistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Ahmedabad, India
- Mumbai, India
- Kashi (or Kashgar), China
From Kabul, Afghanistan to Arabian Sea port at Debal, Pakistan
- Kabul, Afghanistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Taxila, Pakistan
- Multan, Pakistan
- Debal (near present day Karachi, Pakistan
- Damascus, Syria
- Muscat
- Aden
The northern route along the Taklamakan Desert from Kashi, China to Anxi, China:
- Li Jien. An ancient, possibly Roman settlement.
- Aksu, China
- Kuqa or Kucha, China
- Korla, China
- Karasahr (Yanqi), China
- Loulan, China
- Turpan (Turfan), China
- Gaochang
- Kumul/Hami, China
The southern route along the Taklamakan desert from Kashi, China to Anxi, China:
From Anxi, China to Xi'an, China:
- Anxi, China
- Yumen, China
- Jiayuguan, China
- Jiuquan (Suzhou), China
- Zhangye (Ganzhou) China
- Wuwei, China
- Lanzhou, China
- Xi'an (ancient name, Chang'an), China
Korea
Japan
- Nara at the sea