A Gastronomic Tour of China

13 days from £9,980 for 2025 per person

• Chengdu
• Xi'an
• Beijing
• Shanghai
• Hangzhou

China is world renowned for its wide and varied cuisine with each province, and often each city, having its own flavour. This itinerary is designed for travellers who would like to witness the classic sites of China in the best hotels on offer, while savouring the diverse culinary specialities the country has to offer.

From the old, twisting 'hutong' neighbourhoods in Beijing and the life-size Terracotta Soldiers of Xi'an to the Giant Pandas in south western Sichuan and the towering skyscrapers (and construction cranes) of Shanghai, China's constant clash of history and hyper-modernity will be visible around every corner. Along the streets at every site, in every restaurant with every bite and among all the stories of the people we'll meet, we'll see just how far-reaching and multi-layered the influence of a history 5,000 years old actually is. You will want to be able to eat 5 meals a day.

Cooking classes with professional chefs can always be organised, who will take you on tours through the food markets to explain everything that is on display. Anything you wish to cook, learn about or experiment with can be organised; from dumpling making classes to preparing spicy boiled chicken feet.

This luxury holiday is purely a suggested itinerary; it can be booked as it is, or alternatively used as a starting point for creating your own ideal tailor-made trip to China.  If you'd like to see similar itineraries, take a look at our Culinary Tour collection.

I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.
Bill Bryson