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According to online booking platform Booking.com, 61% of travellers say they “book a destination for its great food and drink”. With tourism recovering post-pandemic, there may never have been a better time to indulge in a luxury food tour.
Curated by experts in the field these high-end culinary tours offer the best of the best when it comes to gastro-tourism, taking you deep into the food cultures of destinations and communities around the world. If you’re in the market for a life-changing gastronomic travel experience, take a look at this list of the world’s best luxury food tours.
League of Travelers
Photo by Kamila Maciejewska on Unsplash
This luxury culinary tour operator is the work of Roads & Kingdoms working alongside Anthony Bourdain’s estate and chef José Andrés. Inspired by the late Bourdain’s curiosity and his belief that you can truly understand a culture through its food, these high-end food tours, hosted by local experts, aim to get to the culinary heart of places like Georgia, Italy, Japan, Spain and Thailand. An early tour heads to Asturias (pictured), the rugged Spanish homeland of Andrés, with 5% of all proceeds going to the chef’s World Central Kitchen organisation.
The Presidential
We’re big fans of this elegant train ride through Portugal’s Douro Valley. Starting and ending at Porto’s São Bento station, there really is no better way to spend a day than sauntering through the valley by rail, stopping off for Port tastings along the way, whilst also having your appetite serviced by the resident top chef on board – the likes of Henrique Sá Pessoa and José Avillez. Sadly, autumn 2022 will be the last outing for The Presidential, so called because the train, which was built in 1890, has hosted presidents, kings and queens, and even the Pope during its lifetime. So, get in there quick for the experience of a lifetime.
Paragon by Modern Adventure
This series of experiences from travel company Modern Adventure uses “travel as a force for good” by directly supporting non-profits and charities. Each small group tour is hosted by a ‘luminary’ from the industry, serious names like Jorge Vallejo from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants top 10 restaurant Quintonil in Mexico City, and Kyle Connaughton from three-Michelin-starred Single Thread in Healdsburg, California who will be kicking things off with a trip to Japan. Each luminary chooses a good cause, which in Japanophile Connaughton’s case means donations to The Culinary Institute of America in Napa to help students who want to study in Japan.
Le Blanq
A long bike ride is one way to burn off/work up an appetite for a massive meal and Le Blanq riffs on this for its luxury tours that combine cycling and fine eating. Its ‘joyrides’ take in stunning locations around the world and enlist the services of two-wheel champions like Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish MBE, and chefs like Niklas Ekstedt, Alain Passard, and Kobus van der Merwe (Ashley Palmer-Watts is Culinary Director) to dangle the proverbial carrot of a fantastic meal as a reward for your efforts. You don’t have to be an overly avid cyclist to join in either, just in possession of excellent taste and the willingness to give it a go.
Casa Maria Luigia
Any visitor to Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore’s Emilian hideaway may feel content to simply stay put on the grounds, soaking up the atmosphere and indulging in the greatest hits dishes of their nearby Osteria Francescana restaurant that are served up nightly. But it seems a shame to waste the opportunity and not partake in one of Casa Maria Luigia’s organised tours. They include a guided stroll around Bologna’s UNESCO city centre followed by a pasta making course, and of course, visits to local vinegar- and cheese-makers. You can also enjoy a private concert at late Moderna native Pavarotti’s house or for the petrolheads, whip a Ferrari round a track or take a classic car for a spin in the Emilian countryside.
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