Marco Polo

Introduction & Top Questions
Travels of the Polo family
Polo’s journey to Asia
Sojourn in China
The return to Venice
Compilation of Il milione
Nature and content of Il milione
Subsequent reputation

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Map tracing the routes of Marco Polo's travels between 1271 and 1295, marked with red arrows and lines extending from Venice through the Middle East and Central Asia to China, and returning by sea via Southeast Asia, India, and the Arabian Peninsula. Key cities and regions visited along the journey, such as Constantinople, Hormuz, Kashgar, Dadu (Beijing), and Quinsay (Hangzhou), are labeled.

Illuminated manuscript detail showing Marco Polo, his uncle, and father kneeling as they present a letter to Kublai Khan, who is seated among courtiers in richly colored robes and crowns.

Map showing the extent of the Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty around the year 1300, with the dynasty's territory shaded in light purple and the larger Mongol Empire outlined. Modern China's boundaries are marked in red, and major cities such as Dadu (Beijing) and Karakorum, as well as the Great Wall, are labeled. The map also indicates surrounding regions like Tibet, Mien, and Dai Viet.

Illuminated manuscript showing Marco Polo departing Venice by ship in 1271, with ornate medieval buildings, bridges, and figures along the city's canals and waterfront.

At a Glance

Marco Polo summary

Quizzes

Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture.

Exploration and Discovery

Related Questions

How did Kublai Khan’s road system assist travelers and messengers?
How did Marco Polo describe Kublai Khan in Il milione?
How did Marco Polo’s family first establish contact with Kublai Khan?
How did the Silk Road help Marco Polo reach China?
How many surviving manuscripts of Marco Polo’s travel account are known?
What did Marco Polo write about silk production in Cambaluc?
When did Marco Polo arrive at the court of Kublai Khan?
When did Marco Polo return to Venice?
When did Marco Polo travel from Venice to Asia?
Where were the Polos robbed after leaving the Mongol lands?
Which deserts and mountain regions did Marco Polo cross on his journey to China?
Which important features of China did Marco Polo fail to mention in his account?
Which modern city was known as Cambaluc or Dadu in Marco Polo’s account?
Which parts of China did Marco Polo visit on Kublai Khan’s missions?
Which pope gave the Polos letters for Kublai Khan in Acre?
Which religious groups did Marco Polo encounter before reaching China?
Which route did Marco Polo follow from Acre toward the Mongol capital?
Who helped Marco Polo write down the story of his travels in prison?
Who were Marco Polo’s father and uncle?
Why did Kublai Khan ask the Polos to bring learned Christians from Europe?
Why did Marco Polo and his family seek permission to leave Kublai Khan’s court?
Why did Marco Polo’s relatives and neighbors reportedly fail to recognize him when he returned to Venice?
Why did Niccolò and Maffeo Polo travel east before Marco Polo joined them?
Why did the Polos stay on Sumatra for five months during their return voyage?
Why do some scholars question whether Marco Polo traveled to China?
Why is Il milione not a complete autobiography of Marco Polo?
Why was Marco Polo imprisoned in Genoa after returning from Asia?
What was Marco Polo’s family like?
What did Marco Polo do?
Why was Marco Polo so influential?
What were Marco Polo’s other accomplishments in Asia?
Who was Francisco Pizarro?
What motivated Francisco Pizarro and other Spanish conquistadors to pursue conquest in the Americas?
What is Francisco Pizarro best known for?
How did Francisco Pizarro die?
What was Alfred Russel Wallace’s early life like?
How was Alfred Russel Wallace influential?

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External Websites

World History Encyclopedia - Marco Polo
LiveScience - Marco Polo: Facts, Biography & Travels
ABC listen - Nightlife - Marco Polo - Finding His Way
Encyclopaedia Iranica - Marco Polo
BBC - The Travels of Marco Polo: The true story of a 14th-Century bestseller

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Marco Polo - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Marco Polo - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Marco Polo

Italian explorer

Written by

Fosco Maraini

Writer. Former Lecturer in Japanese, University of Florence. Author of Where Four Worlds Meet and others.

Fosco MarainiAll

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Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 20, 2026 •History

Marco Polo (born c. 1254, Venice [Italy]—died January 8, 1324, Venice) was a Venetian merchant and adventurer who traveled from Europe to Asia in 1271–95, remaining in China for 17 of those years. His Il milione (“The Million”), known in English as the Travels of Marco Polo, is a classic of travel literature. Polo’s way was paved by the pioneering efforts of his ancestors, especially his father, Niccolò, and his uncle, Maffeo. The family had...

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