Gastronomic Tour of China with Fuchsia Dunlop

Transfer outside of the city for a hike along the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, snaking through an auburn spectrum of fall shades • Enjoy a refreshing seasonal lunch at a local countryside restaurant • In the evening, enjoy a savory traditional Mongolian hotpot dinner.

Gaze across Tiananmen Square and take in the full weight of its historical and cultural significance • Enter the Forbidden City, where emperors ruled, concubines fluttered their fans, and eunuchs schemed for five hundred years • Rest your legs with a lunch at a local restaurant bordering Houhai Lake • Head back and spend some time relaxing before your succulent Peking duck feast at one of Beijing’s most celebrated restaurants.

Channel your energy into a private taiji Lesson with a master at the Temple of Heaven, alongside line dancers and kite fliers • For lunch, sample a bowl of traditional wheat-based noodles at one of our favorite local eateries • Transfer to the airport for your flight to Xi’an • Upon arriving in Xi’an we will pick you up and transfer you to downtown • Enjoy an optional dinner with Fuchsia, who will be on the hunt for a fresh serving of lamb stew served with warm dipping bread.

Let the savory aroma wafting from the countless food stalls of Xi’an Muslim Quarter envelop you as you sample Halal skewers, roast mutton and persimmon cakes on your way to Xi’an’s Great Mosque • Enjoy a lunch of local Shaanxi specialties • Catch a close-up general’s view of the unflinching, eternally-stationed Terracotta Warriors Army • Tear through bite-sized pieces of heaven during a delicious snack dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, transfer to the train station for your ride to Chengdu • Upon arrival in Chengdu, grab a late lunch at one of Chengdu’s most famous and longestablished snack joints • After lunch, spend the afternoon sampling tea at a local teahouse, watching local mahjong matches and discovering local delicacies as you explore the city on foot • For an experience that can’t be replicated anywhere else, head to a Sichuan hot spot for dinner.

In the morning, stop by the Giant Panda Breeding Center for a glimpse of that iconic black and white • For lunch enjoy an array of authentic Sichuan cuisine, Fuchsia’s first love • Spend a relaxing afternoon admiring Wenshu Monastery’s tea houses, intricate relief carvings and Buddhist relics • In the evening, enjoy a magnificent banquet private kitchen.

Drop by a wholesale spice ingredient market to browse the local wares while Fuchsia points out her favorite add-ins for substance and zest • Head to the Sichuan Culinary Museum for lunch, then roll up your sleeves for a Sichuan cooking lesson • Fly to Hangzhou in late afternoon • Enjoy dinner on your own before retiring for the evening.

Set out by boat across West Lake, in full view of the countless gardens and pagodas peppering the lakeside • Enjoy lunch of classic Hangzhou dishes • Head to Longjing village to walk in the tea plantations followed by a cup of tea in the tea garden • Enjoy dinner at one of Hangzhou’s most reputable restaurants.

In the morning, make your way through the old street and traditional Chinese pharmacy • Followed by lunch with tasty local food • Transfer to the train station for your high-speed train to Shanghai • The rest of the day at your own leisure.

Take a walk down the elegant tree-lined streets of the Former French Concession, awash in oldworld residential charm • Enjoy a lunch of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) at a restaurant of Fuchsia’s special pick • Nestled in Shanghai’s old town next to the city’s famed Yu Garden, the Yuyuan Bazaar is a souvenir hunter’s paradise. Tucked amid Ming Dynasty-era buildings, this winding maze of alleyways is filled with an eclectic collection of shops and food stalls hawking local snacks • Ride the world’s fastest elevator to the world’s highest observation deck in China’s tallest building Shanghai Tower and feel yourself blown away by awe-inspiring views of one of the planet’s largest cities • If time permits, take a stroll along the Bund, rising majestically across the river from Shanghai’s electric skyline with a patchwork of sublime art deco and neoclassical buildings • For dinner, enjoy plate after plate of delicious Shanghainese cuisine.

Spend your free day exploring, relaxing, or shopping at your own pace • At 6pm, meet in your hotel lobby to transfer to a grand colonial mansion, where your delectable farewell dinner awaits.

We’ll arrange separate transfers to the airport based on your flight schedules • Check in for your departing flight and take off when the time comes, bringing your culinary adventure to a close.