Peking Express is a Dutch–Flemish reality game show that follows a series of couples as they hitchhike to or from Beijing (only in the first three seasons; the following seasons are set elsewhere around the world). The series, first broadcast on 14 March 2004, ran until 2008, and was revived in 2012 (as a sole Dutch production), and again in 2017. In the Netherlands, it was screened by Net5 and in Belgium by VT4 during its original 2000s run before moving to Q2 in 2017. The game show concept has also been sold to a number of countries around the world since 2005.
General theme The theme of the show is to demonstrate how various couples deal with the challenges and pitfalls of attempting a long-distance hitchhike to a strange city, together with all the difficulties presented by trying to communicate in a language they don't understand. Tension was added by including couples who had broken up "in real life", but were willing to work together for the sake of winning the race.
In somewhat similar fashion to The Amazing Race, couples that come in last at various checkpoints along the way are eliminated from further competition. In the second series, each of the couples was given €1 per person/per day as their stipend along the route.
Theme music The music used during the opening sequence is "Summon the Worms" from Brian Tyler's soundtrack to the 2003 miniseries Frank Herbert's Children of Dune.
Winning couples in the international versions
Africa
Moroccan seasons Dakar Fès ExpressSeasonWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2011Hind & Abd el HakimDakar to FezSenegalMauritaniaWestern SaharaMorocco2012Samid Ghilan & Younès LazrakSulawesi to ManadoIndonesia
America
Colombian seasons Asia ExpressSeasonWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2016Jairo & EliseoHai Duong to BangkokVietnamLaosCambodiaThailand
Mexican season Abandonados AsiaSeasonWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2016 Gabriel Hernesto Villareal & Guillermo VillarealHai Duong to BangkokVietnamCambodiaLaosThailand2024 Mafer García & Amor CarlinChiang Rai to Kuala LumpurThailandMalaysia
Asia
Israeli seasons פקין אקספרס - מסלול הדרקוןPeking Express - The Dragon TrackSeasonHostWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2024 Ram Strauss & Tal ErosSiem Reap to BangkokCambodiaLaosThailand
Europe
Belgium/Netherlands seasons Peking ExpressSeasonWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2004Rani & HansMoscow to BeijingRussiaMongoliaChina2005Karla & SophieBeijing to MumbaiChinaNepalIndia2006Yves & WendyMekong Delta to LhasaVietnamCambodiaLaosChina2006VIPChimène van Oosterhout & Bart VeldkampGangotri to KochiIndia2007Pascal & MirandaRio de Janeiro to LimaBrazilBoliviaPeru2008Mark & MarlindeMexico City to CaracasMexicoNicaraguaVenezuela2012Annebet & QuintinSeoul to ManilaSouth KoreaPhilippines2017Brecht & CedricHạ Long to AngkorVietnamLaosCambodia Croatian seasons
In this version, there are only celebrity couples. Asia ExpressSeasonSeason's subtitleHostingWinning coupleRouteVisited countriesMain hostCo-host2026Zmajeva ruta
The Dragons' RouteAntonija BlaćeAnte TravizijaUpcoming Siem Reap to BangkokCambodia Laos
Thailand
Czech seasons Asia ExpressSeasonWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2026Vavřinec Hradilek & Tomáš SlavíkAngkor to BangkokCambodiaLaosThailand
Denmark/Sweden/Norway seasons Peking ExpressSeasonWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2007Tyra & StefanMoscow to BeijingRussiaMongoliaChina
French seasons Pékin ExpressSeasonSeason's subtitleHostWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2006La Route du TranssibérienThe Transsiberian Route Stéphane RotenbergFathi & MédiParis to BeijingFranceRussiaMongoliaChina2007La Route de l'HimalayaThe Himalayan RouteNadine & SylvieBeijing to MumbaiChinaNepalIndia2008La Route des IncasThe Incas' RouteGérard & CédricRio de Janeiro to LimaBrazilBoliviaPeru2009La Route des DragonsThe Dragons' RouteAlbert & LaurenceHa Long bay to BaliVietnamCambodiaLaosThailandIndonesia2010La Route du bout du mondeThe Edge of the World's RouteCécilia & MathieuEquator/Amazon rainforest to UshuaiaEcuadorChileArgentina2010VIPDuos de chocShock duosTaïg Khris & Chloé (season 5)Bhatwari to PondicheryIndia2011La Route des grands fauvesThe Big Cats' RouteJean-Pierre & FrançoisCairo to Cape TownEgyptKenyaTanzaniaLesothoSouth Africa2012All-StarsLe Passager mystèreThe Mystery PassengerLudovic & Samuel (season 7)Seoul to SydneySouth KoreaPhilippinesAustralia2013Le Coffre mauditThe Cursed ChestLinda & SalimHavana to MiamiCubaMexicoUnited States2014All-StarsÀ la découverte des mondes inconnusDiscovering the Unknown WorldsCaroline (season 4) & SabrinaMan Lawae to ColomboMyanmarIndiaBhutanSri Lanka2018La Course infernaleThe Infernal RaceChristina & DidierKuching to TokyoMalaysiaPhilippinesJapan2019La Route des 50 volcansThe 50 Volcanoes' RouteLaeticia & Aurélielake Atitlan to BogotáGuatemalaCosta RicaColombia2020All-StarsRetour sur la Route MythiqueReturn on the Mythical RouteJulie & Denis (season 9)Moscow to BeijingRussiaChina2021Sur les pistes de la Terre Rouge (episodes 1-3)On the Red Soil's Tracks La route des 3 continents (episodes 4-10)The 3 Continents' RouteChristophe & ClaireEntebbe to IstanbulDue to the COVID-19 pandemic, the route was changed after 6 months of shooting put on hold. Original plans were to travel through Ethiopia and United Arab Emirates finishing in Dubai, but it was possible to shoot only the 3 first episodes in Uganda.UgandaGreeceTurkey2022Sur les terres de l'Aigle RoyalOn the Royal Eagle's LandsLucas & NicolasSon-Kul to DubaiKyrgyzstanUzbekistanJordanUnited Arab Emirates2022VIPDuos de chocShock duosInès Reg & AnaïsNegombo to ColomboSri Lanka2023Le choix secretThe secret choiceXavier & CélineLake Titicaca to Rio de JaneiroBoliviaParaguayBrazil2024Sur les traces du tigre d'orIn the footsteps of the golden tigerRomain & LauraBali to HanoiIndonesiaMalaysiaVietnam2024All-StarsL'épopée des MaharadjasThe epic of MaharadjasJean-Claude & AxelAgra to New DelhiIndia2025La route des tribus légendairesThe legendary tribes' routeCécile & MarionArusha to JohannesburgTanzaniaMozambiqueLesothoSouth Africa2025La route des glacesThe ice routeNathalie & CharlotteShymkent to AstanaKazakhstan2026Au royaume des dragonsIn the kingdoms of dragonsAnna & AnthonyKathmandu to BangkokNepalChinaThailand2027La Route de l'EauThe water routeTBATBATBA
German seasons Peking ExpressSeasonWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2005Anja & MarcMoscow to BeijingRussiaMongoliaChinaStar Race2012Jimi & NinoBolinao to ManilaPhilippines
Greek seasons In this version, there are only celebrity couples. Asia ExpressSeasonWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2022Konstantinos Vassalos & FipsterAngkor to BangkokCambodiaLaosThailand
Hungarian seasons In this version, there are mainly Hungarian VIP couples. Ázsia ExpresszSeasonSeason's subtitleHostWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2017A sárkány útjaÖrdög NóraAmbrus Attila & Berki KrisztiánHa long bay to BangkokVietnamCambodiaLaosThailand2019Horváth Gréta & Meggyes DávidNegombo to Chiang MaiSri LankaIndiaThailand2022Halastyák Fanni & Szlépka ArmandWadi rum to TashkentJordanTurkeyGeorgiaUzbekistan2023Felfedezzük Amerikát!Kucsera Gábor & Tóth DávidMineral De Pozos to Antigua GuatemalaMexicoGuatemala2024Béres Anett & Sáfrány EmeseLucena to TaipeiPhilippinesTaiwan2025Bódi Hunor & Bódi MegyerPenang to BaliMalaysiaIndonesia2026Felfedezzük Amerikát!TBDLake Titicaca to Rio De JaneiroBoliviaBrazil
Italian seasons In this version, there are mainly VIP couples. Pechino ExpressSeasonSeason's subtitleHostingWinning coupleRouteVisited countriesMain hostCo-host2012Avventura in Oriente(Adventure in the East)Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia –Alessandro Sampaoli & Debora Villa (Gli attori)Haridwar to BeijingIndiaNepalChina2013Obiettivo Bangkok(Goal: Bangkok) Costantino della GherardescaMassimiliano Rosolino & Marco Maddaloni (Gli sportivi)Hanoi to BangkokVietnamCambodiaLaosThailand2014Ai confini dell'Asia(At the boundaries of Asia)Stefano Corti & Alessandro Onnis (I coinquilini)Mandalay to BaliMyanmarMalaysiaSingaporeIndonesia2015Il nuovo mondo(The new world) Antonio Andrea Pinna & Roberto Bertolini (Gli antipodi)Quito to Rio de JaneiroEcuadorPeruBrazil2016Le civiltà perdute(The lost civilizations) Alessio Stigliano & Alessandro Tenace (I socialisti)Bogotá to Mexico CityColombiaGuatemalaMexico2017Verso il Sol Levante(Towards the Rising Sun) Ema Stokholma & Valentina Pegorer (Le clubber) Pagbilao to TokyoPhilippinesTaiwanJapan2018Avventura in Africa(Adventure in Africa)Patrizia Rossetti & Maria Teresa Ruta (Le signore della TV)Tangier to Cape TownMoroccoTanzaniaSouth Africa2020Le stagioni dell'Oriente(The seasons of the East)Nicole Rossi & Jennifer Poni (Le collegiali)Ko Phra Thong to SeoulThailandChinaSouth Korea2022La rotta dei Sultani(The sultans route)Enzo MiccioVictoria Cabello & Paride Vitale (I pazzeschi)Uçhisar to DubaiTurkeyUzbekistanJordanUnited Arab Emirates2023La via delle Indie(The Indies route)Joe Bastianich & Andrea Belfiore (Gli italoamericani)Mumbai to AngkorIndiaMalaysiaCambodia2024La rotta del Dragone(The route of the Dragon)Gianluca Colucci "Fru"Damiano Carrara & Massimiliano Carrara (I pasticceri)Tam Cốc to SigiriyaVietnamLaosSri Lanka2025Fino al tetto del mondo(To the roof of the world)Jury Chechi & Antonio Rossi (I Medagliati)El Nido to KathmanduPhilippinesThailandNepal2026L'estremo Oriente(The Far East) Guido Meda, Giulia Salemi and LilloChanel Totti & Filippo Laurino (I raccomandati)Bali to KyotoIndonesiaChinaJapan2027TBA TBDTBDTBAChileArgentinaBrazil
Polish seasons In this version, there are only celebrity couples. Azja ExpressSeasonWinning coupleRouteVisited countries2016Michał Żurawski & Ludwik BorkowskiHai Duong to BangkokVietnamLaosCambodiaThailand2017Antoni Pawlicki & Paweł ŁawrynowiczSigiriya to MumbaiSri LankaIndiaAmeryka Express2018Aleksandra Domańska & Dawid DomańskiSan Antonio de Ibarra to CuscoEcuadorPeru2020Karolina Pisarek & Marta Gajewska-KomorowskaAntigua Guatemala to CartagenaGuatemalaColombiaAzja Express2023Angelika Trochonowicz & Luka TrochonowiczIstanbul to TashkentTurkeyGeorgiaUzbekistan2024Jan Błachowicz & Józef Gąsienica-GładczanManila to TaipeiPhilippinesTaiwanAfryka Express2025Edyta Zając & Michał MikołajczakKilimanjaro to NairobiTanzaniaKenyaAzja Express2026TBDBali to SingaporeIndonesiaMalaysiaSingapore
Romanian seasons In this version, there are only celebrity couples. Asia Express România Season Season's subtitle Hosting Winning couple Route Visited countries Main host Co-host 2018 Drumul dragonului (The Dragon Road) Gina Pistol Marius Damian Raluka & Ana Baniciu Hạ Long to Bangkok VietnamLaosCambodiaThailand 2019 Drumul elefantului (The Elephant Road) Liviu Vârciu & Andrei Ștefănescu CRBL & Ionuț "Oase" Dongo Negombo to Mumbai Sri LankaIndia 2020 Drumul comorilor (The Treasure Road) Ionuț "Oase" Dongo & Marius Damian Sorin Bontea & Răzvan Fodor Lucena to Taipei PhilippinesTaiwan 2021 Drumul împăraților (The Emperors Road) Irina Fodor Mihai Petre & Elwira Duda Edirne to Jerusalem TurkeyGeorgiaJordanIsrael America Express România 2023Drumul aurului (The Golden Road) Cătălin Bordea & Nelu Cortea Querétaro to Cartagena MexicoGuatemalaColombia Drumul soarelui (The Sun Road)Marius Damian Laura Giurcanu & Sânziana Negru Medellín to Buenos Aires ColombiaEcuadorArgentina Asia Express România 2024 Drumul zeilor (The Gods Road) Nicolai Tand & Sorin Brotnei Chiang Rai to Bali ThailandMalaysiaIndonesia 2025 Drumul eroilor (The Heroes Road) Gabriel Tamaș & Dan Alexa Atulayan Island to Seoul PhilippinesVietnamSouth Korea 2026 Drumul mătăsii (The Silk Road) TBD Bukhara to Shanghai UzbekistanChina
Spanish seasons