Two possible itineraries on the Silk Road [closed]

I would like to travel (part of) the silk road this summer (related question). As southern Turkey, Syria, Iraq and possibly Iran (due to the recent strains in relations with Saudi Arabia) are not safe territory, I was thinking of the following two possible routes by either car, bus, or train:

Starting from Samarkand, travel east either passing through Tajikistan or passing north of it to get to Kyrgyztan and then to China (Ürümqi and then east for a while, or take an internal flight to get to the east coast of China).
Starting from Pakistan (but I think the situation there is not very safe, at least according to gov.uk, so maybe departing from Lahore?) go a bit east into India (New Delhi?), then north through Tibet, maybe again 'till Ürümqi, and then as above.

I am trying to understand which of the two possibilities is safer (any raccomendation or resource is welcome), but also which one is more interesting. Any advice and/or personal experience in the areas mentioned above would be great.

Edit: I have double nationality: Swiss and French.

Pictures about "Two possible itineraries on the Silk Road [closed]"

Two possible itineraries on the Silk Road [closed] - Woman in Black and White Polka Dot Long Sleeve Shirt Sitting on Ground With Dried Leaves

Two possible itineraries on the Silk Road [closed] - Person in Brown Leather Boots Standing on Gray Concrete Floor

Two possible itineraries on the Silk Road [closed] - Woman in Orange Jacket Wearing Black Sunglasses

What was one of the major reasons the Silk Road was closed?

Established when the Han Dynasty in China officially opened trade with the West in 130 B.C., the Silk Road routes remained in use until 1453 A.D., when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with China and closed them.

What are 2 ideas that were spread on the Silk Road?

Curative herbs, ideas of astronomy, and even religion also moved along the Silk Road network. Arabs traveled to India and China, Chinese to Central Asia, India, and Iran. Buddhism itself was carried along these roads from India through Central Asia to Tibet, China, and Japan.

What were two problems with the Silk Road?

There were a few difficulties of traveling on the Silk Road. First, the geography of the route was sometimes difficult. Animals could slip of cliffs, and mountain passages were very narrow and dangerous to pass through.

What were some stops on the Silk Road?

Cities grew up along the Silk Roads as essential hubs of trade and exchange, here merchants and travellers came to stop and rest their animals and begin the process of trading their goods....Cities along the Silk Roads.TitleCountryBaku (Bak\u0131)AzerbaijanBalkhAfghanistanBamIranBamiyanAfghanistan16 more rows

The Silk Road: Connecting the ancient world through trade - Shannon Harris Castelo

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: olia danilevich, Nguyen Hung, Nicolette Leonie Villavicencio, Pavel Danilyuk