In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · China
Khotan
Spend 1–2 days in Khotan: one night, see the market, jade factory and museum; fly in from Urumqi or Kashgar and take a local bus or taxi.
Khotan is a small Silk Road town in Xinjiang with a bustling market, jade workshops and a modest museum. One night covers the main sights; a second day lets you add a desert vista or camel trek.
- Country
- China
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, dusty)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥80–120 CNY excl. bed · Mid ¥150–250 CNY excl. bed · High ¥300 CNY+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Taxi from airport (per person) | ¥20–30 |
| Bus 101 city ride | ¥1 |
| Khotan Museum entry | ¥10 |
| Jade factory visit | Free |
| Desert platform access | Free |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HTU · Khotan Airport
- Taxi ¥20‑30 per person or bus #9; flights from Urumqi and Kashgar.
Typical fares
- Urumqi → Khotan (flight)
- ≈ ¥1,200–1,800, 2 h (check airlines)
- Khotan Airport → city (taxi)
- ¥20–30 per person
- Bus 101 city loop
- ¥1 per ride
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Local bus 101 (¥1) to market and bazaar; taxis for farther sites (hundreds ¥). Ask hotel for Uyghur place names.
See and do
Known for
- Jade carving
- Silk weaving
- Khotan Market
- Melikawat ruins
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kashgar | Bus from Khotan Bus Station, about 7 h; tickets ¥260–¥310 | ≈ 8 h total |
| Yarkand | Bus from Khotan Bus Station, about 6 h; tickets ¥200–¥250 | ≈ 7 h total |
| Taklamakan Desert camel trek | Taxi to desert platform (≈ 30 km (19 mi), ¥150–¥200), then camel operatorTaxi to desert platform (≈ 19 mi (30 km), ¥150–¥200), then camel operator | Full‑day (≈ 10 h) including travel |
Sleep
- Traffic Hotel
- Dorm ¥30 per bed, private double ¥140‑160; accepts foreigners.
- Happy Hotel
- Double ¥120; basic facilities, near main bus station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| How much? | 多少钱？duō shǎo qián? |
| I don't speak Chinese | 我不会说中文wǒ bù huì shuō zhōng wén |
| Where is the market? | 市场在哪里？shì chǎng zài nǎ li? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxi fares are negotiated; confirm price before boarding.
- Some travel agencies have closed; verify tour availability.
- Winter nights can be very cold; bring warm layers.
Khotan is generally safe for day visitors; keep valuables concealed, avoid night walks in isolated desert areas, and respect local customs.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Khotan yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Jade carving
- Silk weaving
- Khotan Market
- Melikawat ruins
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Khotan, revision 5079237 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5079237
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/khotan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.