Pechino Express

Pechino Express (lit.'Beijing Express') is the Italian TV version of the Dutch-Belgian reality show Peking Express created by Ludo Poppe. It has been broadcast on Rai 2 from 2012 to 2020 and on Sky Uno, Now (live streaming) and TV8 (reruns) since 2022.^[1]

The show features a race between couples made of famous and unknown people, who compete along a route of 10 legs through various countries to reach a specific destination over a multi-day journey. Each competitor is provided with a minimum amount of supplies, contained in a backpack, and one euro per day in local currency with which to cover their basic needs. Couples cannot use the money to pay for transportation or a stay, although they can ask local residents to pay for them. In order to get around, couples have to hitchhike, whilst to find a place to stay for the night, they have to rely on local hospitality.

On the various paths there are small "quests" which the couples must complete in order to advance in the game. Halfway along the route, there is a destination where the couples will find the Red Book of Pechino Express, which they must sign to certify their arrival. Here, the most important challenge of each leg takes place between the first 2, 3 or 4 couples to arrive: the challenge for immunity or the challenge for the advantage. Starting from season 4, this challenge has not been offered in some episodes; in these cases, the couple which receives the immunity or the advantage is the first to reach the Red Book of Pechino Express. If the leg features a challenge for immunity, the couple winning it automatically qualifies for the following leg, doesn't have to complete the leg and usually gets to spend the night in a comfortable place, while if a challenge for advantage is offered, the couple winning it still has to finish the race and risks being eliminated, but starts the second part of the leg with a bonus which can be decisive to be able to win the leg and advance. In both cases, the couple winning the challenge also has to decide which of the remaining couples gets a malus, which can slow down the race and increase the chances of ending last.

At the finish line there is a red mat, onto which the couples have to jump in order to complete the leg. The winning couple of each leg is awarded a medal worth €5,000 to be donated to a charity working in the countries visited throughout the race. During the awards ceremony, the host announces the order of arrival of all the couples and afterwards the winners have to decide which of the last two couples to finish will be eliminated. The chosen couple has to face the verdict of the Black Envelope of Pechino Express, which says if the leg is eliminatory or not. Starting from season 10, the winning couple of each leg also has to choose which of remaining couples starts the following leg with a malus.

In the final episode of the show, the three or four remaining couples compete in a final sprint to reach the finish line. The first part of this final leg decides the two finalist couples, while the second part determines the winning couple. The winners receive a medal worth €10,000 to be donated to a charity working in the countries visited throughout the race.

Visited countries: India - Nepal - China

Season 1 of Pechino Express was presented by Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 13 to November 15, 2012. The subtitle of the season was Avventura in Oriente (Adventure in the East) and the route started in India, Haridwar, and continued through Nepal and China, finishing at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The winners of the season were actors Alessandro Sampaoli and Debora Villa, Gli attori (the actors).^[2]

Route

Contestants^[3]

Visited countries: Vietnam - Cambodia - Laos - Thailand

Season 2 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 8 to November 4, 2013. The subtitle of the season was Obiettivo Bangkok (Goal: Bangkok) and the route started in Vietnam, at the Ba Đình Square in Hanoi, and continued through Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, finishing at the Wat Pho temple complex in Bangkok. The winners of the season were athletes Massimiliano Rosolino and Marco Maddaloni, Gli sportivi (The sportsmen).^[4]

Route

Contestants^[5]

Visited countries: Myanmar - Malaysia - Singapore - Indonesia

Season 3 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 7 to November 3, 2014. The subtitle of the season was Ai confini dell'Asia (At the boundaries of Asia) and the route started in Myanmar, at the royal palace in Mandalay, amd continued through Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, finishing at the Lotus Garden in Ubud, on the island of Bali. The winners of the season were comicians and TV personalities Stefano Corti and Alessandro Onnis, I coinquilini (The flatmates).^[6]

Route

Contestants^[7]

Visited countries: Ecuador - Peru - Brazil

Season 4 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 7 to November 2, 2015. The subtitle of the season was Il nuovo mondo (The new world) and it was the first season in America. The route started in Ecuador, at the Plaza de San Francisco in Quito, and continued through Peru and Brazil, finishing at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The winners of the season were web and TV personality Antonio Andrea Pinna and his personal trainer and friend Roberto Bertolini, Gli antipodi (The antipodes).^[8]

Route

Contestants^[9]

Visited countries: Colombia - Guatemala - Mexico

Season 5 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 12 to November 14, 2016. The subtitle of the season was Le civiltà perdute (The lost civilizations) and the route started in Colombia, at the Caracol Televisión studios in Bogotá, and continued through Guatemala and Mexico, finishing at the archaeological site of Tula. The winners of the season were YouTube duo theShow, consisting of Alessio Stigliano and Alessandro Tenace, I socialisti (The socialists).^[10]

Route

Contestants^[11]

Visited countries: Philippines - Taiwan - Japan

Season 6 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 13 to November 8, 2017. The subtitle of the season was Verso il Sol Levante (Towards the Rising Sun) and the show was back to Asia. The route started in the Philippines, in Padre Burgos, and continued through Taiwan and Japan, finishing at the West Park Bridge in Tokyo.The winners of the season were TV and radio presenter Ema Stokholma and TV personality Valentina Pegorer, Le clubber (The clubbers).^[12] They were the first female couple to win the show.

Route

Contestants^[13]

Visited countries: Morocco - Tanzania - South Africa

Season 7 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 20 to November 22, 2018. The subtitle of the season was Avventura in Africa (Adventure in Africa) and it was the first (and so far only) season in Africa. The route started in Morocco, at the Detroit Palace in Tangier, and continued through Tanzania and South Africa, at the St. John's Church in Cape Town. The winners of the season were TV presenters Patrizia Rossetti and Maria Teresa Ruta, Le signore della TV (The ladies of TV).^[14]

Route

Contestants^[15]

Visited countries: Thailand - China - South Korea

Season 8 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from February 11 to April 14, 2020. The subtitle of the season was Le stagioni dell'Oriente (The seasons of the East) and the show was back to Asia. The route started in Thailand, at the Golden Buddha Beach on the Ko Phra Thong island, and continued through China and South Korea, finishing at the Olympic Park in Seoul. For the first time ever, the race went through countries that had been visited in previous seasons: Thailand in season 2 and China in season 1. The winners of the season were web personalities Nicole Rossi and Jennifer Poni, Le collegiali (The boarders).^[16]

Route

Contestants^[17]

Visited countries: Turkey - Uzbekistan - Jordan - United Arab Emirates

Season 9 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca together with Enzo Miccio and was broadcast for the first time on Sky Uno and Now from March 10 to May 12, 2022. The subtitle of the season was La rotta dei sultani (The route of the sultans) and the route started in Turkey, at the Uçhisar castle, and continued through Uzbekistan, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, finishing at the Grand Hotel in Dubai. The winners of the season were TV presenter Victoria Cabello and her friend Paride Vitale, I pazzeschi (The incredible).^[18]

Route

Contestants^[19]

Visited countries: India - Malaysia - Cambodia

Season 10 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca together with Enzo Miccio and was broadcast on Sky Uno and Now from March 9 to May 11, 2023. The subtitle of the season was La via delle Indie (The route of the Indies) and the route started in India, at the Gateway of India in Mumbai, and continued through Malaysia and Cambodia, finishing at the Thommanon temple in Angkor. For the first time ever, the whole race went through countries that had been visited in different previous seasons: India in season 1, Malaysia in season 3 and Cambodia in season 2. The winners of the season were American restaurateur and TV celebrity Joe Bastianich and restaurateur and TV personality Andrea Belfiore, Gli italoamericani (The Italian Americans).^[20]

Route

Contestants^[21]

Visited countries: Vietnam - Laos - Sri Lanka

Season 11 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca together with Gianluca Fru and was broadcast on Sky Uno and Now from March 7 to May 9, 2024. The subtitle of the season was La rotta del dragone (The route of the dragon) and the route started in Vietnam, at the Thai Vi temple in Tam Cốc, and continued through Laos and Sri Lanka, finishing at the Pidurangala Rock in Sigiriya. The winners of the season were pastry chef and TV personality Damiano Carrara and his brother and fellow pastry chef Massimiliano, I pasticceri (The pastry chefs).^[22]

Route

Contestants^[23]

Visited countries: Philippines - Thailand - Nepal

Season 12 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca together with Gianluca Fru and was broadcast on Sky Uno and Now from March 6 to May 8, 2025. The subtitle of the season was Fino al tetto del mondo (Up to the roof of the world) and the route started in the Philippines, on the Pinagbuyatan Island, and continued through Thailand and Nepal, finishing at the Uma Maheshwor temple in Kirtipur. The winners of the season were retired gymnast Jury Chechi and retired sprint canoer Antonio Rossi, I medagliati (The medalists).^[24]

Route

Contestants^[25]

Visited countries: Indonesia - China - Japan

Season 13 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca together with Lillo in Indonesia, Giulia Salemi in China and Guido Meda in Japan and was broadcast on Sky Uno and Now from March 12 to May 14, 2026. The subtitle of the season was L'Estremo Oriente (The Far East) and the route started in Indonesia, at the Pura Dalem temple in Ubud, on the island of Bali, and continued through China and Japan, finishing at the Ninna-ji temple in Kyoto. The winners of the season were influencer Chanel Totti and her friend Filippo Laurino, I raccomandati (The ones with connections).^[26]

Route

Contestants^[27]

• Peking Express
• Azja Express
• The Amazing Race