Which European traveler visited the court of Kublai Khan?

Marco Polo visited the court of Kublai Khan. The Venetian traveller reached Kublai’s summer palace at Shangdu, probably between 1271 and 1275, travelling with his father Niccolò and uncle Maffeo.

Kublai reportedly welcomed the Polos and was impressed by Marco’s abilities. Marco later described serving as an envoy and travelling through parts of the Yuan Empire, although some details of his account remain debated by historians. He is said to have spent roughly 17 years in Kublai’s domains before returning west.

Marco’s travel narrative, later known as The Travels of Marco Polo, helped shape medieval European ideas about China, though it mixes firsthand observation with reports from other people and contains claims that scholars still examine. His visit also helped connect Kublai’s court with the enduring Western image of Xanadu.

William of Rubruck and John of Plano Carpini also visited Mongol courts, but they met earlier rulers—Möngke and Güyük respectively—not Kublai. Ibn Battuta travelled widely in Asia but did not visit Kublai’s court.