The Imperial Way — AXKEY
The Imperial Way
China

The Imperial Way

A Private Jet Odyssey Through China
When to Go
April — June, Sept — Nov
How Long
15 Days, 14 Nights
Price
On Request
Journey
Private Jet
pp excl. flights · based on 2 ppl sharing

Beyond the Familiar

From imperial capitals to ancient mountain routes and the final echoes of the Silk Road, discover a China that reveals itself far beyond the familiar.

Private Jet Journey · Beijing · Shanghai · Yunnan · Xi’an

Designed around comfort and time, this journey connects China’s most remarkable landscapes and historical sites by private jet — allowing the journey itself to remain effortless while every destination becomes an experience.

Journey Highlights
Highlights

A journey built around rare moments.

Spend the night beneath the stars on the Great Wall, far from the crowds, before setting out on a private trek through its ancient watchtowers.

Journey to Xi’an to encounter the legendary Terracotta Army, then venture deep into the mountains of Yunnan on a private caravan expedition along the ancient Tea Horse Road.

From imperial history to remote mountain landscapes, the journey unfolds at a different pace — combining adventure, culture and the freedom of private jet travel across China.

Shanghai
Shanghai

Where East meets West

Shanghai reveals another face of China — a city where European architecture and ancient Chinese traditions exist side by side.

Explore its historic quarters and observe the contrasts that define the city, before leaving the modern skyline behind for an escape along its ancient canals.

Here, life slows down. Traditional homes line the waterways, boats glide quietly between the old streets, and another side of China begins to emerge.

The experience continues around an imperial-inspired banquet, offering a glimpse into the grandeur, rituals and flavours of China’s past.

Shanghai becomes a journey through contrasts — modern and ancient, East and West, movement and stillness.

Private Jet
The Journey

Without the distance.

Between each chapter, travel by private jet — transforming the vast distances of China into effortless transitions.

From imperial capitals to remote mountain landscapes, private aviation allows more time to be spent where it matters: experiencing the destination.

Yunnan
Yunnan

Into the mountains

Beyond the cities, the journey enters the mountains of Yunnan.

Between Lijiang and Shangri-La, extraordinary landscapes unfold along ancient routes once travelled by traders, pilgrims and caravans.

Here, you leave the roads behind and experience the mountains on horseback, travelling as an expedition through the highlands of Yunnan — following an ancient route towards Tibet.

The air becomes clearer. The landscape grows wilder. Villages appear between the mountains, while the horizon opens towards endless peaks.

As night falls, the mountains become completely still.

Under an immense sky filled with stars, you experience a China far removed from the familiar — raw, remote and deeply timeless.

Xi'an
Xi’an

Where history remains.

From the mountains of Yunnan, the journey returns to the plains of history in Xi’an, once the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and one of the great crossroads of the ancient world.

Here, the journey becomes a reflection on time.

Among ancient statues, monuments and inscriptions, you encounter traces of those who came before — names, faces and stories preserved in stone across the centuries.

The Terracotta Warriors stand as a reminder of an emperor’s ambition to carry his world beyond his lifetime, while the ancient walls and monuments of Xi’an reveal a city shaped by generations of travellers, scholars and empires.

You then discover another legacy of the Silk Road: the ancient Islamic heritage of Xi’an, where centuries of cultural exchange between China and the wider Islamic world remain woven into the city.

What remains is the story.

Beijing
Beijing

The Great Wall

Begin your journey in the capital, among the places that have shaped China’s history. Wander through the gates of the Forbidden City and discover the grandeur of the Summer Palace, before leaving the city behind for a very different encounter with China.

The journey continues on foot, along a remote and less-travelled section of the Great Wall.

Far from the crowds, trek across the ancient ramparts before spending the night upon the Wall itself. As darkness falls, the mountains become silent and the sky fills with stars.

At first light, watch the sunrise from the ancient stone watchtowers, with the mountains stretching endlessly into the distance.

A night on the Wall. A sunrise you will remember long after the journey ends.

The journey

Shanghai Yunnan Xi’an Beijing

Four landscapes. Four perspectives. One journey through China.

When to go

April — June Spring
September — November Autumn

The journey is best experienced during the spring and autumn months, when temperatures are comfortable and the landscapes are at their most atmospheric.

Where you stay

A collection of places
to call your own.

Four Seasons Beijing
Beijing
Four Seasons Beijing
Amanyangyun
Shanghai
Amanyangyun
Banyan Tree Lijiang
Yunnan
Banyan Tree Lijiang
Caravane Expedition
Yunnan
Caravane Expedition
The Ritz-Carlton
Xi’an
The Ritz-Carlton
Private Watchtower Camp
Great Wall
Private Watchtower Camp
Begin Your Odyssey
Begin Your Odyssey

Some journeys are planned.
Others are written.

Enquire Now