A Foodie’s Paradise: How To Plan Global Culinary Vacations

Embarking on culinary vacations focused on food-centric adventures offers a tantalizing escape into new flavors, cultures, and experiences. Whether you’re traversing the vibrant streets of a bustling metropolis or meandering through quaint countryside towns, planning a culinary exploration beyond your familiar surroundings promises to be a feast for the senses. 

In this blog post, we’re sharing our favorite locations to enjoy a variety of cuisines and experience local culture through cooking classes, unique restaurants, excursions, and other experiences on culinary vacations.

Whether you’re planning a solo adventure, a family vacation, or a romantic getaway, our expert travel advisors are available to help you plan your ideal culinary adventure, both at home in the United States or abroad.

From Street Food to Fine Dining: Recommendations From Our Travel Advisors

Whether you’re craving the spicy street food of South America, delicate pastries of Parisian patisseries, or hearty comfort dishes of Italy’s countryside trattorias, our expert travel advisors are ready with recommendations that promise to satisfy every palate and ignite your wanderlust. 

EPCOT At Disney World

If you aren’t quite ready to embark on an international vacation to experience global cuisine, planning a visit to Disney World’s EPCOT Theme Park can be a wonderful way to start exploring the foods of other countries and cultures.

For our clients who love international cuisine, we often recommend planning a visit to the park during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival (typically held in October), which allows visitors to embark on culinary adventures across 6 continents throughout the park.

Italy

Italy is often a bucket list destination for many of our clients due to the wide variety of experiences available throughout the country. For our travelers who want to focus on the cuisine of Italy, we often recommend centering their trip around Rome.

Spending time in Rome is its own culinary adventure and booking experiences like an authentic Italian cooking class, touring local food markets, and treating yourself to a gelato tasting. Italy is also renowned for its wine, and Rome provides ample opportunities to tour wineries and taste local varietals.

France

While many travelers focus on Paris when they consider vacationing in France, there is much more to the country than its capital city, especially when you want to experience French cuisine. Each region has its own culinary heritage and flavors to enjoy, whether you visit Provence, Alsace, Burgundy, Brittany, Normandy, Lyon, or Paris itself.

Wine tasting, cooking classes, exploring local markets, and attending food festivals and events are all popular activities we recommend. Many French cities also provide guided food tours and culinary walks led by locals who can introduce visitors to hidden culinary gems, historical food markets, and artisans.

Munich, Germany

Munich is famous for its beer and Bavarian culture, which should be a must for every foodie traveler to experience. Bavarian cuisine includes hearty dishes like weißwurst, pretzels, schnitzel, and sauerkraut as well are more historically traditional specialties such as roast pork knuckle (Schweinshaxe) and dumplings (Knödel).

Munich’s world-renowned Viktualienmarkt is a food lover’s paradise, offering a wide array of fresh produce, cheeses, meats, baked goods, and international delicacies. Visitors are welcome to stroll through the market’s stalls, sample regional specialties, and pick up ingredients for their next picnic or cooking adventure.

Peru

Moving out of Europe, Peru has a rich and diverse culinary landscape that every food lover should experience. This South American country is internationally known for its vibrant flavors and innovative culinary techniques thanks to the cultural fusion it experiences.

Peruvian cuisine is a melting pot of indigenous, Spanish, African, Asian, and immigrant influences, which has resulted in a one-of-a-kind fusion of flavors and culinary traditions. Visitors can experience their national dish, ceviche, try a Pisco Sour, and take food tours and cooking classes to explore the delicacies of Peru.

Cruise Vacations Are Ideal For Foodies

One of our favorite ways to experience a variety of international foods and cultures in one vacation is by booking a cruise. Cruise itineraries often include ports of call in diverse destinations, allowing you to sample local and seasonal ingredients sourced from around the world. 

Whether it’s fresh seafood in Alaska, tropical fruits in the Caribbean, or artisanal cheeses in Europe, cruise vacations offer an opportunity to taste the flavors of each region visited. Many cruise lines also offer themed culinary cruises focused on specific cuisines, regions, or celebrity chefs.

Ready To Plan Your Next Vacation?

If you’re ready to plan your next travel experience, click below to get in touch with one of our travel advisors today.

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