Top 10 foodie holidays in the world

And with cooking classes and demonstrations, tastings and market visits, not to mention tempting foodie trips to restaurants and cafes, it’s easy to weave it into your travels. Not sure where to start? Grab a fork and check out our pick of the top foodie holidays in the world.

Italy

Think of the world’s best-loved cuisine and Italian food will feature. From mouthwatering pasta dishes to wood-fired pizza with a wafer-thin crust, Italy is known for its focus on seasonal produce and an ability to transform a handful of ingredients into a delicious dish.

Once you start travelling in Italy, you’ll quickly discover there are countless variations across the country, whether it’s different pasta shapes or specific local dishes to try. In Puglia look out for orecchiette, little ear-shaped pasta, while in Florence, gigli, is designed to look like a lily, the city’s emblem, and Siena is known for its pici pasta, thick homemade spaghetti that’s often served with a simple garlicky tomato sauce, or with breadcrumbs or pecorino cheese.

Pizza in Italy

That’s just the start. In Bologna, there’s Bolognese, in Parma, there’s Parma ham, and in Naples, you’ll find the original thin-crust pizza, while Venice is known for its seafood and cicchetti, small snacks to go with your prosecco.

For a taste of the whole country, our Grand Tour of Italy takes you from Venice in the north, through Tuscany and Rome to southern Italy, stopping at a pasta factory and mozzarella farm, plus wine tastings along the way. Or head to Sicily to try volcanic wine, as well as cooling down with a lemon granita and indulging in some traditional cannoli.

Spain

It’s easy to overlook Spain when you’re thinking of foodie holidays, but from tapas to paella, washed down with a glass of cava or rioja, there’s plenty to tempt. Start your day with churros and chocolate for an indulgent breakfast – when in Spain, do as the Spanish do!

You’ll find plenty of different dishes whether you’re exploring foodie San Sebastian and the coast around Bilbao where you’ll order pintxos rather than tapas, the Catalan influences of Barcelona, or the classic dishes of Andalucia and the south. Granada has been called the home of tapas, and the historic city is a great place to taste a few highlights, including jamon iberico, croquettes, and patatas bravas.

Pintxos in the Basque Country

Meanwhile, Valencia and the nearby village of Albufera is the birthplace of paella, so why not learn how to make the famous Spanish rice dish on foodie trips here? In the same area, you can also visit a tiger nut farm, growing the ingredients to make horchata, a Valencian drink.

Or head further south to Cadiz and Jerez de la Frontera to discover the sherry bodegas, including a tasting at the famous Tio Pepe winery.

Portugal

Beautiful beaches, rickety trams and patterned tiles are usually what spring to mind when thinking of Lisbon and its surrounding coastline, rather than standout cuisine. But actually, Portugal has some true culinary delights in store.

You shouldn’t leave the country without trying a few pasteis de nata, the famous flaky custardy tarts which taste like little mouthfuls of heaven. The best place is always the original, in Lisbon’s Belem district. Antiga Confeitaria de Belém makes 20,000 pasteis de Belem a day to the recipe created long ago by nuns; sprinkle with icing sugar and cinnamon and try to resist eating the whole box in one go.

Pasteis de nata

The country’s long coast and maritime history means you’ll also be spoiled for choice when it comes to fish and seafood. Bacalhau, or salt cod, appears in a string of different dishes, or look out for the rarer percebes, goose barnacles found along the west coast.

Whether you’re in the coast around Cascais or by the long golden beaches of the Algarve, you can expect to find fresh fish galore, with platters of bass, bream, mussels and prawns, not to mention clams in white wine.

Wash it down with a cold glass of Portugal’s famed vinho verde (green wine), a lightly sparkling zesty wine, or vintages from Azeitao which goes perfectly with the area’s cheese. Further north, cruise along the Douro Valley to try some of Portugal’s best wines, as well as its famous port in the cellars of Porto.

Greece

Is there anything quite like sitting by the deep blue waters of the Aegean, eating fresh fish and mezze in a little taverna on a small Greek island? Or tucking into a classic dish like moussaka, kleftiko or souvlaki in the shadow of the Acropolis in Athens?

You can enjoy some of the world’s best settings for your foodie holidays in Greece, as well as a taste of this wonderful Mediterranean cuisine. A great option for vegetarians, indulge in delicious cheeses such as feta, along with Greek salads, melitzanosalata aubergine dip and tzatziki, spinach and cheese spanakopita pastry parcels, plus dolmades, stuffed vine leaves.

Souvlaki in Greece

For those who eat meat, Greece is famous for its meltingly mouth-watering lamb, especially kleftiko, but you’ll also find souvlaki and gyros, roasted meats tucked into pitta with salad and sauces, along with fish and seafood in the islands and the coast.

And wherever you go in Greece, there’ll be some of the world’s best olive oil – you could even try an olive oil tasting in Crete after seeing how it’s traditionally made at an olive oil mill.

Uzbekistan

At the heart of the Silk Road, Uzbekistan is known for its historic cities and spectacular decorated architecture, but the country’s place at the heart of these vital trade routes has left its influence on Uzbek cuisine – and seen its dishes spread far and wide. So while you might not immediately think of this corner of Central Asia for a foodie holiday, the meals you enjoy will be as unforgettable as the sights you’ll see.

Shurpa soup, Uzbekistan

Many will be more familiar than you might expect. Sizzling shashlik are found across the country, spiced skewers of meat served with salad. And while plov might not be a name you know, different variations of this Central Asian rice pilaf are found across Asia and Europe. Today every family has their own closely-guarded recipe, and legend has it that Alexander the Great was one of the first to try the dish, using rice and slow-cooked lamb with vegetables. Early mentions date back to the 10th century in Bukhara, a perfect place to learn to make it at a Bukharian cooking master class.

Expect plenty of warming soups again the cold winters, including shurpa and laghman, noodle soups with meat and vegetables topped with herbs, with Chinese influences in the hand-pulled noodles. Or snack on street food, including dumplings and Samsa, a triangular flaky pastry stuffed with meat, which is said to have inspired the samosa after Central Asian traders imported it to India. Wash it all down with tea, served at every possible opportunity.

India

From the snowy peaks of the Himalayas to the steamy beaches of the south, it’s no surprise you’ll find countless variations in Indian cuisine across its different regions, influenced by weather, religion and culture, local ingredients, and a whole lot more.

Some areas of India have a strong focus on vegetarian cuisine, especially around Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Gujarat, while there are differences between north and south too. In the north, expect richer curries served with bread, biryani rice dishes and snacks like samosas, while in the south you’ll find more rice accompanying your curries as well as dosas, a thin crispy pancake filled with curries or chutneys. In the west, discover Portuguese influences in some dishes in Goa, including spicy vindaloo, or enjoy fish and coconut milk in many dishes around the southern coasts, including Kerala.

Indian thali

Needless to say, that’s only a brief introduction to the incredible variety of food across the subcontinent and you could easily spend your life nibbling, snacking and grazing your way through the country without ever becoming bored. The Golden Triangle and royal Rajasthan is a great place to start, with street food in Delhi and some classic northern Indian dishes to try – you can even take part in a cooking demo in Udaipur to learn how some of your favourites are made.

Vietnam

While you’ll find wonderful food across South East Asia, Vietnam is easily one of the highlights with its mix of fresh ingredients and herbs, including in classic dishes such as pho, but also French influences from colonial rule which live on in favourites such as the baguettes used in banh mi.

But if they’re two of the best-known Vietnamese dishes, that’s really only the start of what you can enjoy on foodie holidays in Vietnam. Discover the royal cuisine of Hue with a bowl of bun bo hue, a deep red noodle soup made by simmering beef bones and lemongrass for hours. Or in Hoi An, cao lau has Chinese and Japanese influences, with barbecued pork and thick udon-style noodles in broth, while around the Mekong delta you’ll find banh xeo, a crispy crepe made using rice flour and coconut milk, filled with pork, prawns and beansprouts, then folded over.

Pho, Vietnamese noodle soup

You can even try your hand at making some of the simpler dishes yourself, from snacks using rice paper and spring rolls, as well as a Vietnamese cooking demonstration at Halong Bay. Add in the chance to help harvest rice, watch a green tea preparation ceremony and enjoy a tasting at a local craft brewery, and you’ll be getting a true taste of this fascinating destination.

FOODIE TIP: It’s easy to combine a stay in Vietnam with time in neighbouring Cambodia, Thailand and Laos to discover the similarities and differences between the food in these South East Asian countries.

Japan

It’s hard to believe that only a generation ago, Japanese food was hard to find in the UK and eating it was very much a luxury option. With take-away sushi in supermarkets and chains offering noodles and katsu curry, Japanese cuisine is a firm favourite. But, of course, nothing compares to eating in Japan itself, whether that’s seeing a chef prepare your sushi in front of you or joining the locals to try a string of yakitori, grilled meat on skewers, where you’ll find some more unusual options such as chicken hearts along with the more familiar options.

Sushi in Japan

Eating out in Japan is often something of an adventure; in many places, there’ll be no menu in English and instead restaurants have little models of the food on display, so you’ll point at what you’d like to try.

Our tour guides can advise on where to eat and the dishes not to miss too. You’ll find more familiar options such as tempura, ramen, noodles and donburi rice dishes, but look out for okonomiyaki too. This savoury pancake using flour, yam, cabbage and eggs originated in Osaka but is now found everywhere – in some restaurants you can try cooking it yourself. Or pick up a few Takoyaki, little grilled balls of batter and chopped octopus, brushed with Takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise.

Peru

When it comes to South and Central America, many people are more likely to have tried Mexican food or the steak and red wine of Argentina than that of Peru. But the country has won a reputation for its cuisine, named the world’s 10th top gastronomic country, with many of the world’s top restaurants in Lima.

It’s partly down to the different influences which make Peruvian cuisine unique for anyone planning foodie holidays, a fusion of indigenous traditions with Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and African styles. If you try nothing else, Peru is renowned for its ceviche, made from raw fish marinated in lime juice and served with coriander, chilli and onion. But do look out for some of the country’s other culinary highlights, including aji de gallina, shredded chicken in a creamy sauce made with ground nuts, cheese and chilli.

Ceviche, Peru

Or try one of the country’s 3,800 varieties of potato, mashed with lime and chilli and layered with shredded fish or chicken in mayo, plus avocado, hardboiled eggs and olives to make causa. You’ll also find a string of Chinese-influenced chifa dishes such as lomo saltado, which uses beef marinated in soy sauce, and stir fried with onion, tomato, chilli and spices, served with rice and chips.

For gourmet Peruvian cuisine in style, board the Titicaca Train for the journey between Puno and Cuzco where the spectacular views through the Andes are matched by the creations served on your plate.

The USA

Like many of the world’s largest countries, trying to sum up American cuisine is a lifelong mission. Although you might associate the USA with burgers – and there’s no question you can find some great ones – there’s everything from giant king crab and fresh salmon in Alaska to shrimp in Louisiana, the melting pots of San Francisco and New York, deep pan pizza in Chicago and barbecue across the South to name just a few.

Jambalaya, USA

If you’re planning foodie holidays in the US, keep the Deep South high on your list, with a mouth-watering mix of dishes that you’ll find nowhere else. New Orleans is a stand-out, with its mix of French colonial, Cajun, Creole and African influences which fuse to make its unique cuisine, from Creole Jambalaya to Cajun Crawfish Étouffée, a delicious spicy crawfish stew, and beignets, sugar-dusted doughnuts.

Elsewhere try fried chicken with sweet iced tea, or grab a bib for some authentic barbecue. Trying to pick the best barbecue in the US is an impossible decision – and hotly contested – so don’t even try. Instead, tuck in to dry-rub ribs in Memphis, Tennessee, or taste the tangy, sweet sauce which Kansas City, Missouri is famous for, while Texas and North Carolina are another two of the best states to get your barbecue fix. Add a soundtrack mixing jazz, blues, country and rock’n’roll, and a shot of Jack Daniels from the distillery and it’s the perfect foodie trip.

Discover our range of fantastic food and drink escorted tours, including wine tasting, cookery demonstrations and more