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Specialty Travel

The 8 best food tours around the world for 2026 travelers

Culinary-focused tour companies offer immersive trips with market visits, cooking classes and local tastings.

Beth Luberecki
TourScoop.com
April 11, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET

For many people, food is a major part of a good vacation. Whether it’s sipping a local wine, trying street food, or shopping at spice markets, many travelers seek out local food and drink to connect with a place on a deeper level. Culinary tours and food tours can take that a step further, helping you go even deeper into a destination's rich food culture.

If you're looking to taste your way through the food scene in a new destination with the help of local experts, there are some very good tour companies offering culinary tours around the world. Some focus primarily on tasting all the deliciousness offered by local producers, growers, and restaurants; other food tours provide the opportunity to dive deeper into history and culture or even try your hand at cooking local cuisine.

No matter which approach you take, it’s impossible to go wrong—or go hungry—on a good culinary tour. Here are my picks for the best culinary tour companies for food-focused tours.

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1. Trafalgar

Trafalgar tours of Italy offer plenty of opportunities to sample the local cuisine.

Global guided vacation company Trafalgar offers food travel tours that “go beyond what’s on your plate.” Offered in locations around the world, these culinary tours allow you to dine with and learn from locals, see where food comes from, and learn how to cook regional dishes. Popular 2026 itineraries include Tastes and Sounds of the South, a 10-day tour on which you can sample everything from Creole cuisine to hot chicken, and Italy Bellissimo, an 11-day trip with stops in Rome, Capri, Venice, and Florence that includes dreamy culinary experiences like farm dinners, olive oil tastings, and strolling through olive groves.

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Food figures prominently in many of Trafalgar’s nearly 300 guided itineraries across 72 countries and six continents, even if many of the tours are more broadly themed. Market visits, information about unique traditions and customs, and a sampling of local cuisine are part of tours like a German Christmas Markets trip and the Paris Explorer tour. Tour descriptions offer day-by-day itineraries and information about accommodations, plus the number of included meals, so you know what you’ll be seeing and tasting. Reviews provide further insight into the experience.

2. EF Go Ahead Tours

EF Go Ahead Tours offers culinary tours in Europe and South America.

EF Go Ahead Tours is a group travel tour company that's part of EF (Education First), which offers experiential learning programs focused on language, travel, cultural exchange, and academics in more than 100 countries and regions. EF Go Ahead Tours leads travelers on a range of immersive, experiential tours of 87 countries on all seven continents. The company offers a variety of food and wine tours throughout Europe and South America, including tours where you can taste and sip your way around places like Spain, Greece, and Tuscany and Umbria.

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Since 2019, EF Go Ahead Tours has partnered with America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) on an exclusive collection of culinary tours to Italy, Spain, and Portugal. These foodie tours dive deeper into the cuisines of each region, with hands-on experiences and a look at the local food culture from sourcing to preparation to table.

EF Go Ahead Tours believes that smaller groups make for better, more immersive travel experiences, and its culinary tours tend to fall between 12 and 22 travelers. Itineraries include a mix of guided tours and group meals with free time for exploring destinations on your own. You get exclusive access to world-famous restaurants and tasting cellars, tips and recipes from local experts, and hands-on experiences like chef-led cooking classes and behind-the-scenes tours. ATK tourgoers also receive free access to America’s Test Kitchen’s recipes and product reviews.

3. Gourmet on Tour

When Gourmet on Tour started offering food holidays more than 20 years ago, culinary tourism wasn’t on the menu for many travelers. Fast-forward to now and company founder Judith von Prockl has visited more than 500 cooking schools and developed hundreds of food experiences around the world. Gourmet on Tour offers residential cooking courses — typically in France and Italy and lasting about a week—that include daily cooking classes as well as demonstrations, gourmet meals, and visits to local markets and producers. Options in 2026 include experiences in France’s Loire Valley and Puglia in Southern Italy. 

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The food tour company also offers small group culinary tours that include cooking courses taking place on select dates or that can be scheduled at any time. Much-loved destinations include Italy, France, Spain, and Morocco, and the trips have become popular with families with teenagers (as well as with other types of travelers). On the Taste of the Med trip, you stay in a villa and learn to cook Italian food with a private chef, plus visit local sights and attractions. The Essential Flavors of Morocco culinary tour includes cooking classes, shopping at souks for spices, and other tasty experiences.

Gourmet on Tour provides insider access, unique accommodations, and connections with chefs and guides. Tripadvisor helps you find the right itineraries for your travel preferences and interests, whether you're a wine lover or novice, want to perfect your cooking skills, or would rather just taste what others prepare.

4. Intrepid Travel

Intrepid's Real Food Adventures explore the cuisines of countries like Morocco.

Intrepid Travel’s focus on immersive experiences, community-based tourism, and responsible travel makes it an ideal company for food-centric travel tours. Intrepid aims to help travelers “get under the skin of the world’s most exciting food cultures” in a truly local way. The company’s Real Food Adventures take you to delicious locations around the world, including Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, where you can taste your way through a region.

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On the 2026 Vietnam Real Food Adventure, for example, you'll visit markets, sample street food, and enjoy all kinds of special meals and experiences. The Balkans Real Food Adventure includes visits to a centuries-old smokehouse, olive mill, and apple farm, while on the Mexico Real Food Adventure, you'll visit Oaxacan markets with a local chef, eat tacos in Mexico City, and enjoy a mescal tasting.

Tour descriptions include an “Is this trip right for you?” section that contains information about vegetarian and vegan options and what to expect when it comes to weather, terrain, and accommodations. Daily itineraries, reviews, and photo galleries further help with the decision-making process. Intrepid also provides answers to commonly asked questions about food tours.

5. Explore Worldwide

Since 1981, Explore Worldwide has been providing tours that combine familiar sights with off-the-beaten-path cultural experiences led by expert local tour leaders. The company offers more than 350 trips in some 100 countries on all seven continents, and tour group sizes average 11 participants. Explore's food and drink-focused tours go all over the world and examine each destination’s culture and history through food.

On these culinary vacations, you'll learn about the traditions and origins of the regional cuisine and often see firsthand how things are grown and harvested. You also get to sample plenty of local delicacies and even sometimes try your hand at cooking them. Tour options in 2026 include food adventures through countries like Vietnam, Greece, and Mexico.

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You can also find recommendations from the company for food tours centered around particular types of cuisine or dietary restrictions, like suggestions for the best vegan trips and the best tours for vegetarians. Culinary tour descriptions on the company’s website offer information on the sights and foods for each itinerary, including the number of included meals, trip pace, day-by-day itineraries, details on local climate and currency, and reviews from past guests. You'll also have time to explore some of the sights at your leisure and make your own food and drink purchases.

6. Backroads

If you want to burn some calories while eating your way around Europe, consider one of the Active Culinary Tours from adventure tour company Backroads. These walking tour food trips combine an on-the-go pace with cooking classes, memorable meals and tastings, and visits to local farms, so you can sip and sample while staying fit.

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With Backroads, the culinary tour options are limited but totally tempting: The Provence Active Culinary Walking & Hiking Tour in France includes scenic hikes past olive trees, cypress groves, and orchards; a picnic lunch at a winery; and a hands-on cooking class. Not to be outdone, the Tuscany Active Culinary Walking & Hiking Tour in Italy features wine sipping, a cooking class led by an engaging Italian chef, and plenty of strolling through the countryside. There's also a women-only version of this tour.

A new offering takes travelers through the Basque Country, with winery visits, a cooking class, and hiking in the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains. There's also a women-only version of this trip. Tour descriptions include a detailed itinerary, info about the local terrain, and reviews from past guests. Travelers have the ability to choose the activity level on most days, with options for shorter or longer walks and hikes at different elevations.

7. Avalon Waterways Culinary Cruises

Avalon Waterways' culinary cruises sail European rivers and sample local cuisine throughout the trip.

A European river cruise already makes for a special way to see the Continent. But Avalon Waterways has culinary cruises that amp it up a notch with samples of regional cuisine, demonstrations, special dinners, and a Master of Wine on board guiding wine and food pairings and tastings. Cruise descriptions include an overview of locations and sights visited during the trip and daily itinerary, details on what’s included, and information about the ship on which you'll travel. Extension options are also available before and after cruises.

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The culinary cruises in France are standouts, providing access to both picturesque sights and views (think cathedrals, charming cities and villages) and amazing French cuisine and wine. Options for 2026 include food cruises that travel through Burgundy and Provence and a 15-day wine lovers cruise on the Rhine and Seine Rivers. Other cruises travel on the Danube exploring countries like Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

8. The International Kitchen

Pizza could be on the menu on the The International Kitchen's Italy tours.

When The International Kitchen was founded in 1994, the original owner had to convince Italian and French chefs to participate in food tours. That’s no longer the case as culinary tourism has gained serious popularity, and the company now offers more than 100 trips to 20 countries aimed at helping travelers explore the culture of a destination through food. The International Kitchen specializes only in culinary tourism, offering both food tours and cooking vacations. As a small, boutique company, it gives you lots of personalized attention. That includes things like arranging extra hotel nights or custom trips. The company bills itself as “a one-stop destination for planning the trip of a lifetime.”

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Tours to Italy, Greece, and Portugal are always popular options. Favorites include a Mediterranean cooking experience on the Amalfi Coast, a food and wine tasting tour in Puglia, and a “cooking odyssey” in the Greek isles. The company also offers excursions in other locations around the world, including Croatia, Peru, Thailand, and Morocco. Its culinary tours are typically three to seven nights in length and include cooking classes, tastings and local producer visits, and plenty of good meals. Tour descriptions online include daily itineraries, reviews, and info about accommodations, and travelers can search tours by categories like “hidden gems” and “good for solos.”

8 best companies for culinary tours in 2026 originally appeared on TourScoop.com. 

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The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.FamilyVacationist.com andTourScoop.com are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. Using theFamilyVacationist travel recommendation methodology, we review and selectfamily vacation ideas,family vacation spots,all-inclusive family resorts, andclassic family vacations for all ages. TourScoop coversguided group tours and tour operators,tour operator reviews,tour itinerary reviews andtravel gear recommendations. If you buy an item through a link in our content, we may earn a commission.

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