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A Moving Feast: The Best Tours for Foodies
Written by Nick Rudd
These are the best tours for foodies – lip-smacking adventures that promise to tantalise your taste buds and expand your culinary horizons.
We’ve cooked up our pick of the world’s best tours for foodies that are guaranteed to send you on a whirlwind romance with the world’s cuisines. From slurping rice noodles in Vietnam to sampling fresh ceviche in Peru, these mouthwatering escapes offer access to authentic culinary traditions and delicious local delicacies.
Vietnam: where street eats meet fancy feasts
Noodle nuts and fanatics rejoice – Vietnam’s fresh flavours and affordable eats are legendary. This 11-day chef-designed foodie tour kicks off in Hanoi’s labyrinthine alleyways, slurping up bowls of bun dau (rice vermicelli with tofu and shrimp paste) and munching on crunchy-soft banh mi that’s packed to the brim with flavour. But hold onto your chopsticks, this tour’s got a twist – you’ll go from street food to some of the country’s best fine dining at not one, but two Michelin-starred dining venues. Traditional Northern Vietnamese cuisine gets a swanky makeover at vintage Hanoi teahouse Tầm Vị, while down south in Ho Chi Minh City’s Anan Saigon, tucked in the buzzing Chợ Cũ market, Chef Peter cranks up street food to gourmet status with fresh local ingredients, a splash of French finesse and an exceptional cocktail list.
India: spice, spice baby
This 10-day chef-designed tour roams from New Delhi to the Taj Mahal, and is packed with the spices and colours of India’s famed Golden Triangle. Let your local food expert be your compass in the maze-like streets of Old Delhi, steering you towards crispy jalebis (sweet, deep-fried snacks) and chaat that’s so delicious it’ll make your taste buds break out into song. After Delhi, you’ll be whisked around the country, getting the inside scoop on aromatic biryanis and fiery masalas from local masters.
The cherry on top? Exclusive dining experiences at some of India’s best, from lunch at the Cafe Lota in Delhi’s National Crafts Museum to high tea at Dzurt Patisserie in Jaipur, you’ll rub shoulders with top chefs who’ll spill the masala chai tea on centuries-old recipes with a modern take. Between meals, you’ll work up an appetite on a Bengal tiger-spotting safari in Ranthambore.
South Australia: from sea to vine, it’s all divine
For gastronomic adventurers, South Australia is a food and wine heaven, and this 4-day gourmet tour is your VIP pass to the region’s rich abundance, guided by locals who know their stuff. In Coffin Bay, an oyster farmer will show you how to shuck molluscs straight from the sea. Then it’s off to Sleaford Bay, where winemakers at Boston Bay Wines share the secrets behind their famous shiraz and rieslings. Sip, swirl and savour as a family-owned vineyard welcomes you into the fold, making you feel like part of their grape-crushing legacy.
Puglia: Italy’s best-kept secret
Attenzione pasta aficionados: this 8-day regional discovery tour offers an insider introduction to Puglia’s regional delicacies, vibrant market culture and storied burrata traditions. In Ostuni, you’ll learn the ropes of making orecchiette pasta with the guidance of skilled instructors – a hands-on masterclass that’ll have you feeling like an honorary local in no time.
Explore ancient olive groves and witness Puglia’s renowned ‘liquid gold’ firsthand. The piece de resistance? Exclusive entry to Puglia’s best restaurants. We’re talking about the land where slow-cooked ragùs simmer for days and seafood practically swims onto your plate. Your guides will introduce you to chefs who’ll share the secrets behind their nonna-approved recipes, allowing you to be inducted into a secret society of flavour.
Morocco: spice, spice and everything nice
Spice up your life on this 12-day tour of Morocco’s aromatic souks, artisan cheesemakers and Berber tea experiences, celebrating every flavour across Morocco. This is more than a foodie tour: it’s a full-fledged introduction to everything that makes Moroccan cuisine so exceptional.
Imagine yourself in Marrakech’s Djemaa el-Fna square, your nose twitching like a rabbit’s as it processes the mouthwatering aromas of grilled meats, fragrant saffron and mint tea.
Roll up your sleeves for cooking classes where you’ll learn to whip up a tagine (traditional stew cooked in an earthenware pot) so good, it’ll become your new dinner party trick. And just when you think you’ve peaked, you’ll find yourself in the blue city of Chefchaouen, discovering mountain cuisines and local goat cheeses that rarely make it onto tourist menus. Throughout your spice-scented journey, you’ll dine in hidden riads (garden courtyards) and on scenic terraces, where each bite transports you deeper into Morocco’s secret culinary heart.
Peru: where ancient meets avant-garde
Gear up for an 8-day adventure to Peru, where your guides are the gatekeepers of cuisines both ancient and cutting-edge. Begin in Lima, South America’s foodie capital, where you’ll take part in a cooking class featuring the finest ingredients, serving up the greatest hits of Peruvian cuisine.
A highlight of the journey is the traditional Pachamanca feast, where meat is marinated in herbs and spices and cooked underground on a bed of hot stones. You’ll taste fruits and vegetables so exotic – like lucuma, chirimoya and aguaymanto – you’ll be in Peruvian paradise with every bite.
The grand finale is a cooking class that’s a deep dive into Peruvian gastronomy, where you’ll become a ceviche master, mix up pisco sours like a pro and learn how to wok-fry the popular lomo de Alpaca. Part history lesson, part cooking show – 100% delicious.
After more inspiration? Check out First Time in Europe? Tick Off the Big Sites with These Europe Tours.
