Zheng He’s Voyages — Trip Itinerary

A route tracing Zheng He’s Ming dynasty treasure voyages from China through Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and East Africa, highlighting major ports across the Indian Ocean trade network.

A day-by-day written itinerary for this trip. See the same trip as an interactive 3D route.

1. Nanjing, China

   1405-07-11

   organizes the Ming treasure fleet for the first voyage

   1 photo

2. Walk: Nanjing, China → Liujiagang, China

3. Liujiagang, China

   1405-07-20

   departs the lower Yangtze staging port near modern Taicang

   1 photo

4. Ferry: Liujiagang, China → Changle, Fujian, China

5. Changle, Fujian, China

   1405-08-15

   takes on coastal sailors, supplies, and ritual support

   1 photo

6. Ferry: Changle, Fujian, China → Champa, Vietnam

7. Champa, Vietnam

   1405-10-01

   reaches the central Vietnamese coast on the South China Sea route

   1 photo

8. Ferry: Champa, Vietnam → Java, Indonesia

9. Java, Indonesia

   1405-11-15

   enters the Javanese trading world of Southeast Asia

   1 photo

10. Ferry: Java, Indonesia → Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia

11. Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia

    1405-12-10

    secures the approaches to the Strait of Malacca

    1 photo

12. Ferry: Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia → Malacca, Malaysia

13. Malacca, Malaysia

    1406-01-10

    waits at the key monsoon harbor between China and India

    1 photo

14. Ferry: Malacca, Malaysia → Samudera-Pasai, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

15. Samudera-Pasai, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

    1406-02-05

    visits a Muslim port linking Sumatra to the Indian Ocean

    1 photo

16. Ferry: Samudera-Pasai, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia → Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

17. Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

    1406-04-01

    stops at the island crossroads of Indian Ocean religion and trade

    1 photo

18. Ferry: Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka → Kollam, India

19. Kollam, India

    1406-05-01

    reaches a Malabar Coast pepper port

    1 photo

20. Ferry: Kollam, India → Kochi, India

21. Kochi, India

    1406-05-20

    meets rulers and merchants on India's southwest coast

    1 photo

22. Ferry: Kochi, India → Calicut, India

23. Calicut, India

    1406-06-15

    reaches the major western destination of the early voyages

    1 photo

24. Ferry: Calicut, India → Nanjing, China

25. Nanjing, China

    1407-10-02

    returns from the first voyage after reaching Calicut

    1 photo

26. Ferry: Nanjing, China → Maldives, Maldives

27. Maldives, Maldives

    1413-12-01

    crosses island waypoints toward Arabia on later voyages

    1 photo

28. Ferry: Maldives, Maldives → Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Iran

29. Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Iran

    1414-02-15

    reaches the wealthy Gulf entrepot linking India, Persia, and Central Asia

    1 photo

30. Ferry: Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Iran → Muscat, Oman

31. Muscat, Oman

    1414-03-05

    follows the Arabian Sea coast toward the Gulf and Red Sea routes

    1 photo

32. Ferry: Muscat, Oman → Aden, Yemen

33. Aden, Yemen

    1414-04-01

    arrives near the Red Sea entrance and western Indian Ocean exchange

    1 photo

34. Ferry: Aden, Yemen → Jeddah, Arabia, Saudi Arabia

35. Jeddah, Arabia, Saudi Arabia

    1414-05-01

    connects with Red Sea routes toward the holy cities

    1 photo

36. Ferry: Jeddah, Arabia, Saudi Arabia → Nanjing, China

37. Nanjing, China

    1415-08-12

    returns from the fourth voyage after reaching Hormuz and East Africa routes

    1 photo

38. Ferry: Nanjing, China → Mogadishu, Somalia

39. Mogadishu, Somalia

    1417-01-15

    reaches the Swahili Coast's wealthy Islamic trade network

    1 photo

40. Ferry: Mogadishu, Somalia → Barawa, Somalia

41. Barawa, Somalia

    1417-02-10

    visits another East African port tied to Indian Ocean commerce

    1 photo

42. Ferry: Barawa, Somalia → Malindi, Kenya

43. Malindi, Kenya

    1417-03-15

    marks one of the farthest accepted destinations of the treasure fleets

    1 photo

44. Ferry: Malindi, Kenya → Nanjing, China

45. Nanjing, China

    1419-08-08

    returns from the fifth voyage after visits to Arabia and the Swahili Coast

    1 photo