Promoting Peace, People-to-People Connectivity, Cultural Exchange, Green Tech, and Trade across Europe and Asia — led by Jeffrey Sachs and Patrick Zhong. We go together, and further.
Watch the filmProfessors Jeffrey Sachs and Patrick Zhong will embark on a journey from Vatican City and Rome to Hong Kong — inspired by the enduring belief that dialogue, understanding, and human encounter remain among the strongest foundations for peace.
Retracing the routes of Marco Polo, the Drive carries forward a mission of friendship and peaceful coexistence at a time when conflict, mistrust, and division continue to shape much of the world.
A world-renowned economist, bestselling author, and global leader in sustainable development, recognized for bold and effective strategies to address humanity's greatest challenges — from climate change to economic justice.
A prominent figure in global finance and investment, renowned for a deep understanding of the intersection between politics and economic trends, and for backing innovators who become global leaders in their fields.
Rome is far more than a geographical starting point for this 15,000-kilometer expedition; it serves as the spiritual totem of the entire Marco Polo Drive.
Explore Rome
In Istanbul, the world ceases to merely look at one another across a divide; here, it flows together, interweaving into a dynamic whole. The Bosphorus Strait splits the European and Asian landmasses, allowing two continents, two prevailing sea breezes, and two distinct civilisations to converge and collide within the embrace of a single city. Once the pumping heart of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, the city's soaring minarets, ancient domes, and the restless currents of the strait unite to form a resonant echo of a thousand years.
Explore Istanbul
Tbilisi, the beating heart of Georgia, rests as the warmest and most deeply soulful sanctuary in all the Caucasus. Nestled deep within the embrace of the Kura Valley, it was born from the warmth of subterranean thermal springs, its character perpetually sculpted by ancient trade routes, wandering caravans, and the violent collisions of rival empires.
Explore Tbilisi
At the midpoint of the continent, the road reaches its most luminous chapter. Beneath the soaring tiled domes of Registan and Shah-i-Zinda, Samarkand remains what it has been for a thousand years — the crossroads where East and West have always met and traded.
Explore Samarkand
At the western threshold of China, the road arrives where Marco Polo himself once passed. In the painted grottoes of Mogao, a thousand years of pilgrims, merchants and travellers are preserved on the cave walls — proof that this road has always carried more than goods.
Explore Dunhuang
After 15,000 kilometres, the Drive arrives where the continent dissolves into the South China Sea. Beneath the neon of a city that never forgot how to connect the world, the journey closes — a modern harbour answering the ancient call of the road.
Explore Hong Kong