“The way to a traveler’s heart is through his stomach.” Yes, this is a variation on a common cliché about how to find a soulmate. But it speaks directly to the core of some of the world’s top culinary tours.
From neighborhood eat and walk tours, to grazing at food trucks and foraging in farmer’s markets, come along for a sampling of some top gastronomic tours guaranteed to satisfy every foodie!
Lip Smacking Foodie Tours – Las Vegas
It’s no secret that almost everything in Vegas extols its brash personality and over-the-top leanings. One of the best ways to satiate your epicurean wanderlust here is with the city’s culinary insiders on Lip Smacking Foodie Tours.
Tailored specifically for “those craving the ultimate taste of Las Vegas,” the menu of options is outrageously delicious. Among them is the Savory Bites & Neon Lights Tour. On it, knife and fork adventurers visit five of Vegas’ A-List eateries and enjoy over a dozen signature dishes prepared by award-winning chefs, all with the pomp and circumstance of a VIP experience.
The spectacular “finale” on this five-hour tour is a luxury limo ride and champagne toast before boarding a helicopter for a jaw-dropping flight high above the world-famous Strip and downtown in all its neon glitz and glamour. www.vegasfoodietour.com
Vancouver Foodie Tours – Vancouver
The popularity of food truck fare over the past several years has increased exponentially in many cities. Vancouver Foodie Tours offers an exciting take on this cultural phenomenon with their World’s Best Food Truck Tour.
Part history lesson, part international sojourn, this enticing two-hour walking tour includes everything from Hoisin Chicken Wraps, to crispy Fish Tacos, and the gourmet pride of Vancouver, the Japadog—described as “a juicy, saucy, Berkshire pork hot dog topped with seaweed flakes.” Yee ow!
The Guilty Pleasures Gourmet, Gastronomic Gastown, and Granville Island Market Tours round out the company’s other flavorful tour options. www.foodietours.ca
Eat Mexico – México City
Although México City is one of the largest cities in the world with a huge population, you can still enjoy a fantastic, intimate culinary experience with Eat Mexico.
Delve into the city’s vast network of excellent restaurants, taquerías, sidewalk grills and more. Join a group of no more than six foodies, accompanied by local, bilingual guides that not only tempt your taste buds with complex flavors, but also pepper—pardon the pun—the journey with a rich understanding of the people and the culture behind them.
Mezcal and beer drinkers will love the Late-Night Tacos & Mezcal tour, sampling Mexican specialties like Smoked Marlin Chalupas, Esquite (a sautéed corn street specialty), and Tacos al Pastor, as well as visiting a Mexican microbrew pub where they’ll indulge in a private mezcal tasting. www.eatmexico.com
Gourmet Safari – Australia
What better gastronomic tour to take than one created by award-winning chef/restaurateur, author, TV producer and host Maeve O’Meara? Her creation, Gourmet Safari, tantalizes staunch foodies with some of the most authentic food experiences offered down under.
On this tour there is a genuine smorgasbord of appetizers, main meals and more, each celebrating the diverse cultures of Australia. Guests can choose from an indulgent array of themed full-day tours, ranging from French, Lebanese and Italian in Sydney, to fully-immersive, 6-day, lodging-and-meals-included adventures across the continent.
For example, in Tasmania you can enjoy a hands-on experience with a top wine or food producer. On Kangaroo Island, located southwest of Adelaide, foodies can visit a premium lamb producer or forage for samphire, a local sea vegetable used in many island dishes. Gourmet Safari also offers international culinary tours in Greece, Turkey, Vietnam and Sardinia. gourmetsafaris.com.au
Bon Appétit!