journey

Marco Polo's Travels

Venice to Xanadu and back, 1271–1295

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Twenty-four years on the road: overland through Persia and the Pamir to Kublai Khan's court, seventeen years in his service, and home by sea around Asia — the journey behind Il Milione.

How this is made →
44events
19routes
1 January 1271 – 31 December 1299span
Explorationcategory
OverlandBy sea

What is on the map

  • 44 Journey

Chronology

  1. The Polos sail from Venicedeparture▸
  2. Acre, where the legate Tedaldo receives themcity▸
  3. Jerusalem: oil from the lamp of the Holy Sepulchrecity▸
  4. Tedaldo Visconti is elected Pope Gregory Xencounter▸
  5. Landfall at Ayas in Lesser Armeniaport▸
  6. Erzurum, in Greater Armeniacity▸
  7. Mount Ararat, where the Ark is said to restcity▸
  8. Tabriz, the great market of Persiacity▸
  9. Saveh and the tombs of the three Magicity▸
  10. Yazd, and the silk they call yasdicity▸
  11. Kerman: turquoise, steel and falconscity▸
  12. Hormuz — the ships are judged unfit for the seaport▸
  13. Back inland, across the desert of Lutcrossing▸
  14. Balkh, a noble city laid waste by the Mongolscity▸
  15. Badakhshan: a year halted by illnesshalt▸
  16. Up the Wakhan corridorcrossing▸
  17. The Pamir: twelve days where fire burns palecrossing▸
  18. Kashgar, where the roads meetcity▸
  19. Yarkandcity▸
  20. Khotan, and its rivers of jadecity▸
  21. Lop: thirty days of desert aheadcrossing▸
  22. Shazhou, at the desert's far edgecity▸
  23. Ganzhou, called Campichucity▸
  24. Shangdu: audience with Kublai Khanaudience▸
  25. Khanbaliq, the Khan's winter capitalcity▸
  26. Mission to Yunnan, the province of Carajanmission▸
  27. The kingdom of Mien: Pagan and its gilded towersmission▸
  28. Yangzhou, where Marco claims three years of officemission▸
  29. Quinsai — 'beyond dispute the finest city in the world'city▸
  30. Zaitun, the greatest port in the worldport▸
  31. Leave at last: escorting the princess Kököchin to Persiadeparture▸
  32. Champaport▸
  33. Five months in Sumatra, waiting for the monsoonhalt▸
  34. The Nicobar and Andaman islandsport▸
  35. Seilan, and the king's rubycity▸
  36. The Malabar coast and the pearl fisheriescity▸
  37. Hormuz again — of six hundred, eighteen survivearrival▸
  38. Arghun is dead: Kököchin weds his son Ghazanencounter▸
  39. Robbed of much of their wealth at Trebizondcity▸
  40. Constantinoplecity▸
  41. Venice, after twenty-four yearsarrival▸
  42. Taken prisoner by the Genoeseencounter▸
  43. Il Milione, dictated in prison to Rustichello da Pisabook▸
  44. Released, he goes home to Venicearrival▸

Routes and campaigns

  • Venice to Acre
  • Acre to Jerusalem
  • Acre to Ayas
  • Through Armenia to Tabriz
  • Down Persia to the Gulf
  • Turned back: north to Balkh
  • Balkh to Badakhshan
  • Over the Pamir to Kashgar
  • The southern rim of the Taklamakan
  • Across the Gobi to Shangdu
  • Shangdu to Khanbaliq
  • Mission south-west to Yunnan
  • Into the kingdom of Mien
  • Back to the Khan
  • Down the Grand Canal to the southern ports
  • Fourteen ships for Persia
  • Across the Indian Ocean
  • Overland to the Black Sea
  • Home through the Aegean

Background reading: the parent article.

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