Traveling is always best enjoyed when eating. By trying authentic regional foods that you might not find at home, you can learn about the culture and culinary heritage.
Travelers and food enthusiasts will be enthralled by the places on our list of the finest gastronomic destinations in the globe.
On our hunt for real food, we’ve been to several of these foodie hotspots. While for others, we eagerly await learning about their fascinating culinary histories and mouthwatering flavors.
Consider an adventurous culinary journey as you think about your food trips. Take a deep dive into the colorful and entertaining world of new flavors.
So explore these top-rated culinary destinations to find your ideal trip for foodies.
Croatia
Croatia is a nation with a difficult history that is situated at the intersection of Italy, central Europe, and the ancient Ottoman Empire. It also has a diverse culinary scene that makes it one of the best places in the world to eat. Central European cuisine, with a focus on meats, cheeses, noodles, beer, and fruit spirits, predominates in the interior.
Visit Istria, a bilingual Croatian-Italian region that borders Slovenia and Italy, for a vibrant local cuisine scene that makes the most of the area’s top-notch produce. Look for shellfish, olive oil, mushrooms, truffles, and prosciutto, and pair your meal with wine and alcoholic beverages.
Japan
Do you adore gyoza, tempura, ramen, sushi, and ramen? And if you had the option, would you consume it daily?
When it comes to cuisine, ethnic eateries outside of Japan hardly touch the surface. During our brief layover in Tokyo, we rapidly became engrossed in the city’s culinary culture.
We were intrigued by the intriguing meals that had no translations and were keen to learn more about this intriguing culinary location. The city’s most famous dish, sushi, is found amid the gastronomic powerhouse of Tokyo.
Tokyo is a top destination for foodies, with amazing cuisine available at all price points and more than 200 restaurants earning Michelin stars.
Did you know there are hidden restaurants in Tokyo? The elaborate depachika underground halls seen in upscale department shops are where merchants serve various types of food.
Tokyo’s underground food is just as good as its surface food. You may get a taste of the local cuisine by taking a walking food tour in one of Tokyo’s busiest culinary areas.
A traditional tea ceremony, pub crawls and stops at popular izakaya or back-alley restaurants shouldn’t be missed. A culinary trip in Tokyo is one of the best food vacations for food explorers and a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Germany
Germany has a reputation for greasy food with adjacent England that is unjustified. To burn off the copious amounts of flavorful strudels, pretzels, bread, sausages, noodles, potatoes, cakes, and beer, you may want to schedule some walks and bike rides.
Today, however, there are more options than just sauerkraut to lighten things up: vegetarian and vegan dishes are becoming more prevalent on menus throughout the nation. When visiting during asparagus season, you’ll discover special menus at many restaurants devoted to the much-loved vegetable in both its green and white forms.
Locavores will enjoy the nation’s commitment to local food.
Greece
Even Greeks agree that the island of Crete is the best place in Greece for foodies to holiday.
We stayed on the island for five months and were blown away by the best olive oil and honey, local cuisine, and regional wines.
The cuisine of Crete is a culinary treasure derived from long-standing customs. Fresh fish, locally grown vegetables and fruits, and lots of olive oil are all used in the menu, which is solely seasonal.
Foodies will appreciate the ease of preparation and the health benefits of one of the best Mediterranean diets.
Eat like a Cretan and revel in regional cuisine when visiting Crete. Start with some delicious Cretan dakos or kalitsounia cheese pies.
Horta, native to the island’s wild greens, go best with stews made of lamb or seafood like tsigariastó. Gamopilafo, also known as wedding rice in Greek, is one of the most well-known meals in the country.
It is a staple at weddings and family gatherings and should not be missed on your culinary journey to Crete. As part of Cretan or Greek hospitality, tsikoudia or raki is served before and after meals.
On Greece’s largest island, a gastronomic vacation is the ideal setting to sample the Cretan wines. Try intriguing regional selections like the renowned white Vidiano wine or the red Kostifali or Mandilari Thrapsathiri.
This authentic Cretan cooking experience invites you into a local’s house if learning to prepare regional Cretan dishes is on your to-do list. You may take a wine and food walking tour in Chania, which is most known for its Venetian Harbor, and learn about the history while indulging in regional cuisine.
Greece is one of the best places in the world to eat, and Crete is where foodies should go.
Peru
When a nation’s youth list “chef” as one of their top “when I grow up” careers, you know it values food. Peru’s cuisine is based on the high quality of its ingredients, which include a variety of so-called superfoods including quinoa, amaranth, lucuma, and maca as well as an abundance of seafood, meats, and produce.
This results in a vibrant local cuisine scene with regional differences that are just waiting to be discovered by tourists. Add this to its multinational population, which includes indigenous peoples as well as immigrants Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and more.
France
Think of a journey to a historic city with a fascinating past, mouthwatering wine tours in the Rhone Valley, and fine French food. You’re on a trip that will make foodies drool.
All of your travel and eating desires will be satiated by a trip to Lyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a favorite destination for foodies because of the stunning scenery, historical landmarks, vineyards, food markets, and gastronomic excursions.
Lyon, known as the “Gastronomic Capital of the World” since 1935, boasts more than 20 restaurants with Michelin stars.
Claire attended school in Lyon and is well-versed in the area’s food culture. According to her, the cuisine du terroir is full of distinctive dishes that are uncommon in other regions of the nation.
While Paul Bocuse is the most well-known restaurant, there are several authentic restaurants where you may sample the regional cuisine. Known as “Bouchons Lyonnais,” you’ll delight in a delectable regional cuisine that ought to be a part of your culinary holiday, as we did.
Make Lyon your home base if tasting wine from the adjacent Rhone Valley is on your schedule. Discover the well-known wine trails of Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Beaumes-de-Venise, which are tucked away among lavender and olive tree fields.
What can be said about Lyon’s cuisine? a delicious treat.
Eating in Vieux Lyon, the old city, is the finest way to experience regional flavors. You can go on a walking tour of Lyon’s Old Town and sample regional cuisine while learning about the city’s secret attractions. Take a dinner cruise on the Hermès restaurant boat for an unforgettable experience, where you can chow down on regional dishes while admiring Lyon at night.
Switzerland
Switzerland is primarily known for its cheese and chocolate, each of which is a sufficient excuse to travel there. Beyond the traditional fondue, dairy fans will want to travel to the northeastern Appenzeller region to experience the peppery local cheese made from grass-fed raw milk.
On the sweeter side, you can board the Chocolate Train (above), see the Lindt factory, and even have a chocolate spa treatment. Bircher muesli, a pleasant and nutritious breakfast item that can be found on breakfast buffets everywhere, and Züri-Geschnetzeltes, a Zürich-style minced pork dish that is frequently served with rösti, the robust Swiss potato pancakes, are other well-known local foods.
Try some of the many cakes and tortes that are available, as well as seasonal fruit toppings like rhubarb, red currants, raspberries, and plums.
Myanmar
After years of political isolation, this southeast Asian nation bordering China, India, and Thailand is now opening up to the outside world, and foodies are flocking there to sample the local cuisine, which is related to Thai or Vietnamese food but distinguished by local ingredients that Westerners might mistake for Indian or Chinese.
As a bridge connecting China and India, Myanmar is a key location, according to Naomi Duguid, author of the cookbook Burma: Rivers of Flavor. “Compared to Thai or Vietnamese, the flavor base is different. Although the recipes are straightforward and the flavor fairly distinctively its own, you’ll still get the same fiery, sour, salty, and sweet flavor.
Ireland
An unavoidable and welcome result of the fusion of top-notch regional ingredients, traditional national recipes, and a generation of chefs with international training is the recent gastronomic renaissance on the Emerald Isle. Ireland’s culinary specialties include meat and fish, cheese and bread, and potatoes and butter, all of which are prepared using cutting-edge methods and foraged delicacies including elderflowers, wild garlic, mushrooms, and sea veggies.
Spain
Spain is a stunning and culturally diverse nation, and its various regions each have their unique cuisine.
Although food has a significant role in how individuals identify, nowhere is this more true than in Catalonia.
Even by Spanish standards, the gastronomic culture in Catalonia is distinctive. The flavors, which have a long history of influences, capture tastes from the sea to the mountains.
The culinary gem Girona is renowned for its gourmet delights and Michelin Starred restaurants among discerning food travelers. Girona is home to a variety of inventive Catalan restaurants, in addition to fine dining establishments such as Michelin stars.
Enjoy Suquet de peix, a traditional Catalan fish stew. Purchase black rice with squid from Pals, which is produced from locally cultivated rice. And finish the dinner with amazing Empordà wines.
Enjoy lunch and olive oil tastings while sampling some of the best local Empordà wines.
Girona is a delectable region of Spain and a foodie’s paradise, with an abundance of delicious cuisine and customs that are worth exploring. How does the cuisine in Girona and the Costa Brava compare? Download the free e-book we wrote about Catalan cuisine after traveling there.
Please read: TRAVEL DOCUMENTS YOU’LL NEED WHEN TRAVELING
Conclusion
You won’t run out of options for food-focused vacations with so many fantastic culinary locations to choose from. Visiting all of these will ensure your enjoyment that becomes memories to cherish. It’s amazing how much food there is on the globe.
Visit some of your favorites and discover some new meals you’ll adore!
