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.
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, although they can ask local residents to pay for them.
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 couples to arrive: the challenge for immunity or the challenge for advantage. Starting from the fourth season, this challenge has not been offered in some episodes. 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 in gold tokens 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.
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 in gold tokens to be donated to a charity working in the countries visited throughout the race.
The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, final destination of season 1.
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).
The Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, final destination of season 4.
Season 4 of Pechino Express was presented by Costantino della Gherardesca and was broadcast on Rai 2 from September 7, 2015 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 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).
The archaeological complex of Tula, final destination of season 5.
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). They were the first female couple to win the show.
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).
The Seoul Olympic Park, final destination of season 8.
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. 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).
The Thommanon temple in Angkor, final destination of season 10.
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. 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).
The Sigiriya Rock, final destination of season 11.
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)
The Uma Maheshwor temple in Kirtipur, final destination of season 12.
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, 2025 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 on the Pinagbuyatan Island, near the island of El Nido, Philippines, and finished at the Uma Maheshwor temple in Kirtipur, near Kathmandu, Nepal, going across the Philippines, Thailand and Nepal. The winners of the season were retired gymnast Jury Chechi and retired sprint canoer Antonio Rossi, I medagliati (The medalists)
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