Pechino 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.
Season 1 of Pechino Express was presented by Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 13, 2012 to November 15, 2012. The subtitle of the season was Avventura in Oriente (Adventure in the East) and the route started in Haridwar, India, and finished at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China, going across India, Nepal and China. The winners of the season were actors Alessandro Sampaoli and Debora Villa, Gli attori (the actors).
Season 3 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 7, 2014 to November 3, 2014. The subtitle of the season was Ai confini dell'Asia (At the boundaries of Asia) and the route started at the royal palace in Mandalay, Myanmar, and finished at the Lotus Garden in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, going across Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The winners of the season were comicians and tv personalities Stefano Corti and Alessandro Onnis, I coinquilini (The flatmates).
Season 4 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 7, 2015 to November 2, 2014. The subtitle of the season was Il nuovo mondo (The new world) and it was the first season in America. The route started at the Plaza de San Francisco in Quito, Ecuador, and finished at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, going across Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. 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).
Season 5 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 12, 2016 to November 14, 2016. The subtitle of the season was Le civiltà perdute (The lost civilizations) and the route started at the Caracol Televisión studios in Bogotá, Colombia, and finished at the archaeological site of Tula, Mexico, going across Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico. The winners of the season were YouTube duo theShow, consisting of Alessio Stigliano and Alessandro Tenace, I socialisti (The socialists).
Season 6 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 13, 2017 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 Padre Burgos, Philippines, and finished at the West Park Bridge in Tokyo, Japan, going across the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. The winners of the season were tv and radio presenter Ema Stokholma and tv personality Valentina Pegorer, Le clubber (The clubbers).
Season 7 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 20, 2018 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 at the Detroit Palace in Tangier, Morocco, and finished at the St. John's Church in Cape Town, South Africa, going across Morocco, Tanzania and South Africa. The winners of the season were tv presenters Patrizia Rossetti and Maria Teresa Ruta, Le signore della TV (The ladies of TV).
Season 8 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from February 11, 2020 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 at the Golden Buddha Beach on the Ko Phra Thong island, Thailand, and finished at the Olympic Park in Seoul, South Korea, going across Thailand, China and South Korea. The winners of the season were web personalities Nicole Rossi and Jennifer Poni, Le collegiali (The boarders).
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, 2023 to May 11, 2023. The subtitle of the season was La via delle Indie (The route of the Indies) and the route started at the Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, and finished at the Thommanon temple in Angkor, Cambodia, going across India, Malaysia and Cambodia. 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).
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, 2024 to May 9, 2024. The subtitle of the season was La rotta del dragone (The route of the dragon) and the route started at the Thai Vi temple in Tam Cốc, Vietnam, and finished at the Pidurangala Rock in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, going across Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. 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)