Our Travel Specialists know that food forms an essential part of holiday-making, offering up special moments with loved ones shared across a dinner table or perhaps in a bustling local market. Eating brings people together, people who may share little in common other than the sheer enjoyment of tucking into a nourishing dish or a full-bodied glass of red.
Around the globe, there are endless locations that you can visit to indulge in local delicacies lovingly made by a passionate cook. Whether you seek exploding spices, sickly sweet treats or michelin-style concoctions, any luxury holiday with Wayfairer will transport your tongue on a tantalising journey.
Whilst I struggled to narrow our favourite foodie holiday destinations down to only eight, you are sure to find your perfect food tour in the list below. Read on!
Our top 8 favourite places to visit with fantastic food tours:
1. Vietnam
2. Argentina
3. Japan
4. Iceland
5. South Africa
6. India
7. Peru
8. Thailand
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Best for: charismatic markets and tasty street food
Vietnam tours are famous for offering a journey infused with history and culture, as each of the country's popular destinations are defined by intricate, ancient architecture and local hotspots bursting with hubbub. With the help of our expert Travel Specialists, your holiday in Vietnam will be punctuated with sensory explosions found in hidden corners and family-run gems. Vietnam is famous for its street food, found in Hoi An Central Market, Hanoi Night Market, Ben Thanh Market, Dong Ba Market and many more.
One of the most famous dishes originating in Vietnam is the Phở, a fragrant noodle soup brimmed with fresh herbs and topped with succulent meat. During your walks through these captivating street markets in Hue, Ho Chi Minh and Hoi An, you will also come across delicacies like the Bánh Xèo, a sizzling savoury crepe filled with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, and the delicious Cà Phê Trứng, a flavourful coffee topped with creamy egg yolk foam.
Best for: the traditional Asado, wine culture and posh, city cuisine
Known as a country of contrasts, between its tumbling Andean mountainsides and vast, flat salt lands, Argentina is packed with character and colour. The best food in Argentina begins in its energetic capital, Buenos Aires, where you can sink into Argentian culture through its cuisine. Every step along its narrow streets and tree-lined avenues brings a new culinary adventure, sometimes paired with a dazzling tango performance, in some of the best restaurants in South America.
Moving westward, the wine capital of Argentina, Mendoza, pulls you in with gorgeous countryside lodges offering romantic culinary moments surrounded by rolling hillsides. You can tuck into the fruits of the Andes as each sip of red, white and rosé is thoughtfully paired with a succulent dish.
Head to Argentinian Patagonia and be introduced to the culinary heartbeat of the region, the Asado, a tradition which burns on with the unbounding spirit of local people. Often enjoyed around a crackling campfire, this barbecue-style food spotlights slow-cooked beef, pork and chicken along with grilled vegetables and other freshly-prepared ingredients.
Best for: Sushi-making, classy restaurants and Tokyo hotspots
A luxury Japan tour with Wayfairer familiarises you with the country's diversity and a series of landscapes which seem meticulously crafted. Each beautiful location you explore on your trip to Japan seeps with the stories of past lives and a regal history which stretches back almost 40,000 years. Between each captivating tour, from the skyscrapers and neon lights of Tokyo to the evocative memorials of Hiroshima, Japan offers culinary experiences which stir the soul and capture the country's distinct essence.
Experience the artful elegance of sushi in Japan, tasting a range of flavours ranging from bold to subtle. Begin in the high-class culinary hotspots of Tokyo, many of which are right beside your luxury Japan hotel, and watch as impassioned chefs delicately prepare each roll of sushi with deft hands. Stay in a traditional ryokan and tuck into a Kaiseki ryori, a multi-course meal which centralises the needs of the human body and is eaten at floor-level.
Complete your mind-blowing journey with a wander down the best food markets in Japan, perhaps in Osaka or Kyoto, tasting various ramens, yakitori, tempura and perhaps a delicious matcha to wash it all down.
Iceland may not be your first port of call when considering worldwide foodie hotspots, but Wayfairer is keen to represent the underrated culinary sphere found in the land of fire and ice. Many of you will have heard about the country's majestic glaciers, colossal waterfalls and volcanic spectacles. Championing this natural beauty, is the phenomenal range of hotels in Iceland which employ local people with unmatched culinary knowledge.
Driving from gem to gem during your luxury Iceland tour, you encounter dishes like the Plokkfiskur, a hearty fish stew perfect for a cosy evening by a campfire, Langoustine, the delicious blueberry Skyr cake, and some more curious delicacies featuring ingredients like boiled sheep's head or even fermented shark! Fish is most certainly the lifeblood of Icelandic cuisine, along with a range of bread-based treats from Icelandic rye bread to the delicious snudur, a type of cinnamon roll.
Whilst some of the food offered during a trip to Iceland may be too weird and wonderful for some palettes, rest assured that Icelandic cuisine is diverse and inclusive, and many Iceland hotels offer fantastic international fusions and European menus.
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Best for: Delicious wine tastings and coastal culinary hotspots
As you embark on an incredible African safari package organised by our Travel Specialists, you head towards the wild wonders of South Africa, seeking its blend of rugged wildlife parks, lush green winelands and charming coastal towns. Upon your very command, Wayfairer can transform your South Africa tour into a culinary adventure like no other, beginning with the country's infamous wine culture.
Around the rolling hillsides and historic estates in the Cape Winelands, gourmet cuisine paired with a crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc is at your fingertips, paired with a comprehensive tour of the processes which produce the region's most delicious wines. South Africa's complex cultural heritage tells its stories through the country's cuisine, whilst each glass of wine is laced with the passion of a local worker.
In the charismatic street markets and al fresco restaurants of Cape Town, South Africa's cultural melting pot truly comes to life with a range of cuisine championing freshly-caught seafood. Taste dishes which ooze with flavours from Europe and Asia, whilst traditional African recipes are celebrated by the bush gourmet served in Kruger National Park and the modern twists served in Johannesburg.
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Best for: Vegetarian delicacies and food defined by regional diversity
Food is the gateway to the soul of India. Depending on where you are in the country, you uncover a new facade of India's rich tapestry of flavour and its culinary tradition that dates back 5,000 years. Indian cuisine is famous for its robust flavours, from the dominating spice of its savoury dishes to the syrupy sweetness of its desserts. In-between the staple curries and sweets is a myriad of flavours from bold to subtle, prepared by both the charismatic street vendor in Mumbai and Gujarat and the classically-trained chef in your luxury Taj Mahal hotel.
Become submerged into the regal history of Rajasthan as you savour a traditional thali, tucking into dishes like laal maas, a fiery red mutton curry, paired with a freshly-prepared roti. Inhale the mouth-watering aromas which float around the coastal markets in Goa and Tamil Nadu, tasting succulent fish curries and dosa, a classic South Indian breakfast crepe. For vegetarians and vegans, religious customs mean that many Indian regions centre cuisine around vegetables and paneer, a delicious Indian cheese.
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Best for: Diverse cuisine from modern markets to jungle banquets
During a trip to Peru with Wayfairer, you can explore menus embodying the Peruvian blend of indigenous and European influences. Deep-rooted traditions are revealed to you through recipes which sing with exotic flavours from the verdant Amazon to the highlands of Cusco.
Begin in Lima, a city often hailed as the culinary capital of South America, and trail through its bustling markets, where you can nibble on anticuchos—grilled skewers of marinated beef heart, often served with a spicy aji sauce. Enjoy a relaxing evening overlooking the Pacific in one of Lima's revered restaurants, tucking into dishes bursting with the flavours of the ocean.
Embark on a journey to the Andes, where you can enjoy dishes infused with the region's agricultural tradition, like picarones, a type of doughnut made from sweet potatoes and squash. Further east, where the lowland Amazon rumbles, cuisine reflects the bounty of the jungle. Try tacacho con cecina, a dish that manifests the innovative use of jungle ingredients, featuring mashed plantains mixed with pork fat and served with smoked pork.
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Best for: Sizzling woks in street markets and succulent seafood
A culinary tour of Thailand brings a sensory adventure to perfectly accommodate your journeys around the country's ancient landmarks, captivating landscapes and spirited urban strips. Thailand's treasure trove of flavour and tradition begins in the country's legendary food markets, found all over the country, but most iconic in Bangkok. In the famous street food market of Khao San Road, you can taste dishes like Pad Thai or khao kha moo, a succulent braised pork leg served over rice with pickled mustard greens.
The culinary odyssey of Thailand continues into the northern regions, where a cooler climate and years of cultural exchange makes way for a slightly different style of cuisine, known as 'Lanna'. You can taste dishes like Khao Soi, a warming and creamy noodle soup, in the markets of Chiang Mai and Lamphun.
Striding southward, the azure waters of the Andaman Sea proposes a paradise of seafood to those residing in the luxury coastal resorts in Phuket. Meanwhile, the island oasis of Ko Samui brings similar delights of steamed fish curry and tropical fruit desserts like khao niao mamuang, made from ripe mango and sweet sticky rice.
Sink into bliss on a private boat lunch with a loved one on the Gulf of Thailand
If you are keen to venture on an extravagant or relaxed luxury food tour with Wayfairer Travel, make sure to Enquire Today and get paired with the perfect Travel Specialist for you!