Destinations: Shanghai, Xi'an, Beijing
Destinations: Three Gorges Dam, Yichang, Chongqing
From the roar of wok hei in Shanghai to the richness of the hot pot broth in Beijing, this once-in-a-lifetime culinary journey proves that some of China’s most memorable landmarks belong on the plate. This nine-day culinary odyssey designed and hosted by Australian TV personalities Diana Chan and Khanh Ong takes you beyond the tourist trail with insider tips and local favourites that are easily missed, from ultra-crisp Peking duck in Beijing to hands-on dumpling classes in historic Xi’an.
Feast across three of China’s iconic culinary capitals in one seamless journey designed for food lovers. In Beijing, a traditional tea ceremony draws on techniques from the Song Dynasty and whets the appetite for a street food tour through ancient hutongs (narrow alleyways). In Xi’an, journey beyond the city to the Terracotta Warriors before sampling local favourites in the city’s Muslim Quarter, where hungry traders once carried the flavours of the Silk Road. Shanghai has its own surprises: a micro-brewery scene and an exquisite multi-course banquet at Yu Bao Xuan, awarded two MICHELIN stars in 2026.
Food this good demands accommodation to match, and this tour delivers with five-star stays in some of the best names in hospitality – Regent Beijing, Shangri-La Xi’an and the magnificent Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai. Plus you’ll walk the Great Wall and explore the Forbidden City, the immense imperial complex that stands at Beijing’s heart.
Yangtze River cruise extension: Leaving Diana and Khanh behind in Shanghai, you’ll fly to Yichang and board the Vista Aurora for four nights of all-inclusive dining, onboard entertainment and offboard excursions. Float down the Yangtze River, through the Three Gorges of Qutang, Wu and Xiling, before arriving in Chongqing for a night at InterContinental Chongqing Raffles City.
Destinations: Shanghai, Xi'an, Beijing
Destinations: Three Gorges Dam, Yichang, Chongqing
Begin with breakfast before meeting your guide in the hotel lobby for the morning departure. Your first stop is the Forbidden City, the immense imperial complex at the heart of Beijing. Pass through its monumental gates and layered courtyards as your guide brings the stories of China’s emperors, ceremonies and court life into focus.
Signature Highlight: Traditional Chinese tea ceremony
Return to the hotel, then take part in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony at a local teahouse alongside Diana and Khanh. Learn traditional tea-making skills, including Song-style tea whipping and Chinese tea appreciation.
This evening, set out on a hutong food tour. In your small group, wander through Beijing’s historic laneways with a local guide, pausing at neighbourhood eateries and stalls to taste the dishes that make these old quarters such a vivid part of the city’s food story. Popular meals often include zhajiangmian (handmade noodles in soybean paste), pan-fried doornail meat buns and jianbing (savoury egg-filled crepes with a sweet bean sauce).
As the food tour concludes, the rest of the evening is at leisure. Return to the hotel or trace your way back to your favourite stops of the night.
Traditional Chinese tea ceremony with Diana Chan and Khanh Ong
Hutong food tour with Diana Chan and Khanh Ong
After breakfast, travel to Juyongguan, one of the most important passes along the Great Wall. Walk sections of this extraordinary defensive system and take in the rugged mountain landscape surrounding Beijing’s northern approach. Your guide will help place the fortification in the wider story of China’s imperial past, while allowing time to appreciate the scale of the setting.
Drive back to the city and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure. This is a chance to pause at the hotel, explore independently or continue following Beijing’s culinary trail at your own pace before the evening’s signature meal.
Signature Highlight: Classic Beijing hot pot dinner
Gather tonight for a classic Beijing hot pot dinner at Ritan Shabu-shabu, choosing from ingredients cooked at the table in a simmering broth. The meal is designed for sharing, making the preparation part of the experience as conversation builds around the steaming pot. Diana and Khanh will bring their own perspective to this convivial Beijing tradition, sharing their favourite hot pot ingredients and stories from life as a celebrity chef.
Classic Beijing hot pot dinner with Diana Chan and Khanh Ong
Enjoy one more Beijing breakfast before leaving the city behind and transferring to the railway station for your first-class bullet train to Xi’an. Settle into the comfort of your seat and watch the landscape shift from China’s modern capital to one of its great historic cities as you journey through the country.
Signature Highlight: Dumpling-making class and Tang Dynasty dance performance
On arrival, transfer to Shangri-La Xi’an and settle in. Once refreshed, join Diana, Khanh and your fellow travellers for a hands-on dumpling-making class at Tang Dynasty Palace. Learn how to prepare and shape one of China’s most beloved foods, then sit down to enjoy the dumplings you’ve made together. You may find a moment to ask your celebrity hosts for their own dumpling-making tips or discuss how Chinese dumplings differ from their equivalents across Asia.
Your evening continues with a Tang Dynasty dance performance, bringing Xi’an’s imperial past to life through music, movement and elaborate costumes. Step back to the era when the city was known as Chang’an, a flourishing centre of culture and trade, before finishing with a dumpling dinner that brings the evening’s culinary and cultural experiences together.
The group will be abuzz as it returns to the hotel, reflecting on the new cultural perspectives acquired across a packed travel day.
Travel time: Bullet train – approx. five hours
Dumpling-making class and Tang Dynasty dance performance with Diana Chan and Khanh Ong
Start your morning with a generous international buffet at Yi Café, where a world of flavours awaits on the first floor of Shangri-La.
Later, journey beyond the city to the Terracotta Warriors, one of China’s most remarkable archaeological discoveries. Walk among the life-sized figures standing in formation beneath the earth and discover the story of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, whose vast underground army was created to protect him in the afterlife. The scale of the excavated pits is unforgettable – a striking glimpse into the ambition, artistry and power of ancient China.
Signature Highlight: Muslim Quarter street food tour
As evening falls, join Diana, Khanh and your fellow travellers for a small-group food tour through Xi’an’s vibrant Muslim Quarter. Follow the aromas through lively streets and discover the flavours shaped by the city’s Chinese and Muslim heritage.
Taste a generous selection of local favourites, including barbecue skewers, roujiamo, biang biang noodles, persimmon cakes, soup dumplings, porridge and gourd chicken, with local craft beer to complete the trail. Together, the tastings reveal the distinctive flavours created by Xi’an’s Chinese and Muslim culinary influences. Diana and Khanh may provide their personal preferences throughout the tour, as a local guide reveals the best spots to cut the lines without cutting the flavour.
Later, continue exploring the city at your own pace or return to the hotel for a final night in Xi’an.
Muslim Quarter street food tour with Diana Chan and Khanh Ong
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your Economy Class flight to Shanghai. On arrival, gather with your group for a transfer to Pudong Shangri-La. At this palatial stay in the centre of China’s economic heart, check-in and prepare for the final stop of your Signature Series with Diana and Khanh.
The evening is yours to spend at leisure. Relax after the day’s travel, take in views towards the Bund from the hotel or begin exploring one of China’s most energetic cities independently. With Shanghai’s restaurants, bars and neighbourhoods close at hand, there is plenty to discover before tomorrow’s full day of sightseeing.
If you prefer to stay and dine onsite, the Pudong Shangri-La in Shanghai is complete with nine dining options from French cuisine at Jade on 36 to casual Chinese dining at The Grand Boat.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 45 minutes / Flying – approx. 2.5 hours / Driving – approx. 50 minutes
Begin your morning with a buffet breakfast at Yi Café before meeting your fellow travellers for a journey through Fuxing Park and Shanghai’s French Concession. Tree-lined avenues, European-influenced architecture and the rhythms of everyday local life offer a different perspective on the city beyond its skyscrapers. Take in the atmosphere at a leisurely pace as your guide connects the neighbourhood’s distinctive streets with Shanghai’s layered history.
Enjoy lunch at Lost Heaven before continuing to the Bund and Nanjing Road. This leg of the tour pairs Shanghai’s prettiest promenade with its most shoppable street. Along the way, see the contrast between grand riverside buildings, historic shopping streets and the modern skyline that has come to define Shanghai.
Later, take to the water on a one-hour Huangpu River cruise with access to the VIP area, where you can see the views along the Bund and the lights of Shanghai. As the skyline gathers colour and the city begins to sparkle, enjoy a new vantage point over Shanghai’s landmarks and reflect on the many eras represented along the river.
The evening is yours to explore Shanghai’s dining scene. Ask your local guide or hotel concierge for recommendations, enjoy dinner onsite or venture into the surrounding streets. For further relaxation, you may choose to book a traditional treatment at the hotel spa at your own expense.
As your time on tour draws to a close, make the most of one final evening together. Exchange stories, share a few words of culinary wisdom with Diana and Khanh, and raise a glass to the journey you’ve shared – whether you’re heading home or continuing your travels on an optional extension. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy at leisure.
Signature Highlight: Explore China’s evolving micro-brewery scene
Return to Shanghai for an evening that brings the tour’s culinary story to a close. Begin with a visit to Reeb 1987 Craft Brewery, where you’ll get a taste of the city’s modern craft-beer culture and sample a selection of locally brewed beers, accompanied by small bites. This stop offers a relaxed start to your final evening with Diana and Khanh, highlighting Shanghai’s evolving food-and-drink scene before continuing to your farewell dinner.
Signature Highlight: Farewell dinner at two-Michelin-starred Yu Bao Xuan
Finally, gather with Diana, Khanh and your fellow travellers for a farewell dinner at Yu Bao Xuan, home to two Michelin stars. Settle in for a refined multi-course Chinese meal, with seasonal dishes and carefully considered flavours providing a fitting final taste of the country’s culinary traditions. Over dinner, reflect on the regional specialities, memorable meals and shared discoveries that have shaped your journey from Beijing to Xi’an and Shanghai.
This is your last opportunity to chat with Diana and Khanh before they depart in the morning, so toast to a tour well taken and gain any words of wisdom before spending the remainder of the evening at leisure.
Explore China’s evolving micro-brewery scene with Diana Chan and Khanh Ong
Farewell dinner at two Michelin-starred Yu Bao Xuan, with Diana Chan and Khanh Ong
Bid goodbye to your fellow travellers as your once-in-a-lifetime Chinese culinary journey comes to a close. After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) for your onward journey.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 50 minutes
Khanh Ong is a celebrated Australian chef, television personality, and author, known for his vibrant energy and innovative culinary creations. Born into a Vietnamese family, Khanh has skillfully blended his heritage with modern Australian cuisine, making him a standout figure in the culinary world. He first gained national attention as a contestant on MasterChef Australia, where his passion for food and dynamic personality won the hearts of viewers.
Accountant by profession, celebrity chef by vocation, Diana Chan has dazzled Australian audiences since winning MasterChef in 2017. Since her victory, the Malaysian-born television personality has established herself as a successful cook, product creator, menu designer, TV host, restaurateur and content creator along with having her own range of Golden Wok dumplings that are a favourite in all Australian supermarkets.
Stay in the heart of China’s history and modern energy with two nights at Shangri-La Xi’an, where your Deluxe City View Room provides a comfortable base after exploring the Terracotta Warriors and the city’s celebrated food scene.
In Shanghai, settle into a Deluxe Bund View Room at Pudong Shangri-La, ideally placed for discovering the city’s French Concession, the Bund and Huangpu River. With time to relax between food-filled days, these two Shangri-La stays add a polished sense of comfort to your journey across China.
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Pre- & Post-Tour Accommodation Pre- and post-tour accommodation can be booked to extend your stay before or after your tour by contacting our Tours Concierge Team at tours@luxuryescapes.com.
Luxury Escapes uses a range of accommodation partners. For pre- and post-tour accommodation options where we can offer the same hotel as the start and end of your tour, your pre- and post-tour accommodation will be booked independent of your tour. If the hotel for your tour changes, this will be independent of your pre- or post-tour accommodation booking. In this instance, change fees may apply on your pre- or post-tour accommodation. If you choose to change, change fees can be found in your ‘My Escapes’.
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Your tour begins at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and ends at Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), with return airport transfers. The extended tour ends at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG).
Return flights are not included in your package and must be purchased separately. ** If your chosen tour departure date is guaranteed at the time of booking, you may be able to purchase flights immediately. If your tour departure date is not yet guaranteed (still pending minimum numbers), flights should not be booked until you receive an update on the status of your tour.**
Roundtrip airport transfers are included in your tour on the first and last day only.
Important: Please allow for travelling time from international countries. International flights are not included in your package and must be purchased separately. It is your responsibility to make your own travel arrangements and ensure that you arrive at your starting location on your chosen tour start date.
A visa may be required for the destination you are visiting. It is each traveller’s responsibility to ensure they are holding a current visa. Please take the time to visit our preferred vendor website, Visas Direct, to assist you with any visa application requirements and processes. If you require any supporting documentation when applying for your visa, please let us know and we will be more than happy to assist. Click here to visit the website.
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Important Destination Information:
Time zone: GMT+8 (China Standard Time)
Telephone: +86
Currency: Chinese Yuan (CNY)
Accessing money: ATMs are widely available with credit cards widely accepted within the city.
Language: Mandarin, Cantonese, Hunanese
Climate: In the north, the climate is temperate, with summer temperatures around 25°C and very cold winters. In the south, it is subtropical with very hot summers and mild winters.
Dress code: Relaxed but respectful, especially when visiting religious institutions.