The Imperial Way

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.

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.

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.

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.