Top food holidays for gourmands who love to travel
These foodie holidays will satisfy your appetite and your taste for adventure
If you're anything like us, food is an important consideration when deciding where to go on your next trip. Part of discovering a new culture, destination or city is delving into its gastronomic scene, eating like the locals, and learning about the history of the area's cuisine.
Anyone who enjoys cooking will love a foodie holiday where you can learn about the local produce, flavour combinations and spices that make a region's food distinctive. A gourmet getaway that includes cooking lessons or demos, like our culinary cruise of Bordeaux, is a great way to learn new skills and bring a taste of your holiday home with you.
There's always time to discover other aspects of a location on a food holiday, too. You can enjoy long walks along dramatic coastlines, an urban adventure exploring a city's culture, or a boat trip to explore hidden towns and villages. And the best part is you can recoup your energy by relaxing and refuelling with delicious local dishes.
Many of the best foodie holidays include activities with celebrity chefs, like our Venice cruise with Monica Galetti and our Bordeaux cruise with Tom Kerridge.
We’ve rounded up some of our favourite foodie trips so that you can start planning your next foodie holiday now. Wherever you choose to go, you can be sure you won't go hungry...
And if you're after more unique cultural experiences, have a browse of Good Housekeeping's collection of excellent cultural holidays.
Sail the enchanting Venice Lagoon
Italy’s Veneto region has colourful, picturesque islands, ornate architecture, magnificent displays of art and a deeply rooted culinary history. Unlike much of Italy, pasta isn’t central to Venetian cuisine, which relies more on rice and polenta, often accompanied by fish caught off the region’s Adriatic coast.
Modern Veneto has seven provinces, each with its own distinctive culture, character and cuisine. Some staples which are found throughout the region, like risotto, are commonly served as a primo or first course.
How to visit: With canals and waterways separating the region's highlights, a cruise is a wonderful way to explore Venice and beyond. Join us on a floating exploration of the region, and you’ll sail through the Venetian lagoon to visit Torcello, Mazzorbo, Burano, Murano, and Venice.
Exceptional meals are included while on board S.S. Venezia, with the chefs creating excellent dishes using the freshest ingredients, inspired by the cuisine of the Venetian Lagoon.
Feast on Rick Stein’s seafood with a stay in his shepherd’s huts or restaurant with rooms
Lazy beach days and long coastal walks are a big draw of Cornwall’s rugged north coast, where the fishing port of Padstow has become most famous for its association with chef Rick Stein, best-known for his seafood cuisine. Among fabulous beaches in this neck of the woods are Harlyn and Constantine, where you might have a refreshing swim or go surfing.
Cornwall's foodie capital has everything from Michelin-starred dining to fantastic pastries and award-winning ice cream. Meanwhile, fantastic things to do in Padstow besides eating include hiring a bike to follow the Camel Trail along the Camel Estuary almost as far as Bodmin.
How to visit: Staying in one of the six wooden shepherd's huts in the grounds of Stein's Cornish Arms near Padstow, you’ll get a three-course dinner and a picnic hamper to take to the beach, with olives, charcuterie, prawns, salad and more.
Surrounded by woodland, the huts have crisp linens, kitchenettes with coffee machines, underfloor heating and patios. You get to fuel up for your coastal adventures with breakfast at the Cornish Arms on both days, and there’ll be a complimentary bottle of Rick Stein rosé (Château Bauduc) awaiting your arrival, as well as a signed copy of his book Simple Suppers.
Alternatively, stay at St Petroc’s, Stein’s restaurant with rooms in Padstow itself, with a seafood dinner, champagne lunch, cheese and charcuterie in Ruby's Bar, bottle of wine and signed copy of Simple Suppers all included. St Petroc’s has only 10 cosy rooms, all dog-friendly if you want to bring a four-legged friend, and a perfect location for walks on the golden sands of Hawker's Cove, St George's Well Cove and Daymer Bay with its kite- and windsurfing.
Taste your way around pretty Puglia
Italy is loved for the quality of its food and wine, with some of the world’s favourite dishes originating from this Mediterranean haven. It's not just about pizza and pasta either — there's fresh seafood, creamy risotto, and a range of desserts that will woo anyone with a sweet tooth.
Puglia, the region at the heel of Italy’s ‘boot’, stands out even in a country with such a strong culinary heritage for its rich and flavoursome cuisine. Here you’ll find olive farms, historic bakeries, and Masserie — traditional stone farmhouses surrounded by sun-drenched vineyards.
The region has a rich agricultural heritage, producing a lot of the country's durum wheat, and is home to some of Italy’s most famous pastas, with orecchiette, or 'little ears' being the most authentic Puglian pasta of all.
How to visit: Good Housekeeping has an exciting six-day tour that will take you to some of the best spots in Puglia to wine and dine, with trips to famous bakeries, olive groves and Masserie with enchanting vineyards.
You'll enjoy various culinary activities, like dining at excellent local restaurants, taking informative cooking and orecchiette-making classes, and tasting locally produced olive oils. You’re certain to come back feeling inspired by the flavours of Italy.
Short breaks Unwind in the Tuscan hills and tour organic vineyards
For more Italian foodie adventures, head to the sun-kissed Tuscan hills. This delightfully rustic region in the heart of the country is known for its traditional dishes and farm-to-table dining. The area's enviable climate makes for bountiful harvests of fresh fruit and vegetables and flavoursome meat, which locals take great pride in.Tuscans are particularly fond of their meat and cheese. You'll find street food like porchetta and tripe sandwiches and flatbreads with stracchino, ricotta or gorgonzola being sold by vendors on street corners. Of course, this region is also famous for its fine wines, with grand vineyard estates nestled among cypress-studded hills.
How to visit: Join Good Housekeeping on a gourmet tour to discover the fantastic food and wine of Tuscany. You'll be fully immersed in Tuscan life with culture-packed city tours, farm-to-table dining, and several wine tastings, including Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Italy's first DOC wine. A real highlight will be a visit to a typical Tuscan farm where you'll get a hands-on cooking class, learning authentic cooking techniques, so you can take the tastes of Tuscany back to your own kitchen.
Another option for exploring Tuscany is Good Housekeeping's exclusive four-night break at Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel. The estate has over 25 acres of organic vineyards, and you'll tour them and taste the home-produced signature reds. Enjoy a delicious two-course lunch with wine pairings, with ingredients like oil made from olives harvested in the estate's 30 acres of olive groves.
Journey through Portugal’s picturesque Douro Valley
Portugal’s exquisite Douro Valley is a picturesque wine-producing region known for its sweeping, sun-kissed hills and rolling vineyards. Dotting these heavenly hills are centuries-old Quintas, historic Portuguese wine estates, where wine flows and sumptuous local produce is served to hungry guests.
Dishes typical of the Douro Valley region include goat stew, Bacalhau à bras (a dish made with shredded cod and potatoes), and of course, the famous Pasteis de Nata, with their perfectly flaky pastry holding a creamy custard filling.
Many Douro Valley cruises begin and end in Porto, where you can while away the hours wandering winding cobbled streets past blue-tiled houses and cafes where you might stop for a plate of salty sardines with fresh bread and a glass of port.
How to visit: Good Housekeeping's eight-day cruise along the Douro allows you to fully immerse yourself in the valley's wine culture, with stops at various vineyards to sample their vintages. Food and wine tastings are a prominent feature throughout this trip, and you'll return home knowing more about Portugal’s gastronomic heritage.
You'll glide along the Douro on the A-Rosa Alva, a boutique ship specifically designed to travel along the Douro with a sun deck for soaking in the views and a sleek onboard spa.
Alternatively, join Good Housekeeping’s eight-day tour of the Douro Valley, where you’ll visit mediaeval hilltop villages and several historic quintas and vineyards to taste their wines and learn about their heritage. You’ll also stop in Aveiro, a city often referred to as the 'Venice of Portugal' due to its network of canals traversed by colourful boats, called moliceiros, and lined with ornate Art Nouveau houses.
Relax in Portofino with chic, seafront dining
Italy's Ligurian Coast has treats for the tastebuds in abundance, along with dramatic cliffs, turquoise coves and brightly-coloured seaside towns framing its beaches. Its best-known town is pretty Portofino, which is a favourite holiday destination for good reason — especially for anyone looking for fine food and exquisite views.
What was once a quaint fishing village now boasts one of the chicest marinas in Italy, where visitors dine in excellent seafront restaurants and wander its quaint, cobble-stoned streets lined with upmarket boutiques.
How to visit: Check in to Splendido Mare, a Belmond Hotel with an exclusive four-night offer from Good Housekeeping. Your stay will include breakfast each day, which you can enjoy either in your room or in the piazzetta, with local specialties like focaccia and frittata with wild herbs or fresh daily pastries with homemade jam.
A highlight will be an included trip to La Portofinese Eco-Farm, a renewable and self-sustainable farm with honey bees, vineyards, olive trees and a butterfly garden. You'll enjoy a farm-to-table picnic here to sample the delicious produce grown and made here.
Explore the Dordogne and Feast on Michelin-starred Cuisine
Dordogne is a classic region for those who love all that is timeless about France, with medieval towns, fairytale-like châteaux, ancient walled cities, honey-hued villages, and magnificent gardens all seemingly unchanged for centuries. There are also prehistoric caves to explore and an array of foodie experiences in which to immerse yourself, including browsing farmers' markets with their stalls laden with truffles and other local produce.
Wonderful cuisine isn’t in short supply here, but there are some super-special venues for truly exceptional meals, among them Carcassonne's Michelin-starred La Barbacane. Here, amidst elegant period decor you can savour seasonal produce sourced from the region's farmers, market gardeners and livestock breeders, such as confit of farmhouse pork loin with cauliflower and capers.
How to visit: An escorted tour of the Dordogne, Albi and Carcassonne is a brilliant way to dig deep into this area of rural France with its walled towns and hilltop settlements. You’ll take in all the regional highlights, including Lascaux’s Stone Age cave paintings, Carcassonne with its medieval citadel, and Marqueyssac’s formal gardens with their views over five châteaux.
You’ll also enjoy a walking tour of charming medieval Sarlat, a traditional flat-bottomed boat ride through the Dordogne River valley, and a look at a world-class collection of work by Toulouse-Lautrec in his home town of Albi. Along the way, your tour will be punctuated by wonderful meals both as a group and under your own steam, along with other gourmet experiences such as sampling some of Cahors’ famous red wine in the town itself.
Take a foodie tour of Bologna and Modena
Bologna has a well-deserved reputation as Italy's gastronomic capital - even earning the affectionate nickname La Grassa - or ‘the fat one’. The capital of Emilia-Romagna is the home of spiced mortadella sausage, tortellini and rich ragu with homemade pasta (or, as the British call it, spaghetti bolognese).
While Bologna might take the crown as the culinary capital of Italy, it's not the only city in Emilia-Romagna where you can indulge in fabulously flavoursome produce and carefully crafted dishes. Nearby Modena produces some more of Italy's most beloved traditional foods, including tangy balsamic vinegar.
How to visit: Join Good Housekeeping for a gourmet adventure that includes a mouthwatering foodie tour of Bologna, where you'll have the chance to learn about this beautiful city through its fascinating gastronomic history.
You'll also visit Modena, where you can spend time discovering the city's history and culture, from the grand Duomo to the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums. Of course, there'll be plenty of chances to indulge in the region's delicacies, with a visit to a local Parmesan factory, a balsamic vineyard, and a family-run Parma ham producer.
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Learn how to cook like Raymond Blanc in Oxfordshire
If you're looking for a foodie staycation with a difference, consider heading to leafy Oxfordshire. This county offers wonderfully flavoursome food, thanks to its agricultural heritage and miles of fertile farmland. One particular highlight is the cheese, with many small artisanal cheesemakers rustling up award-winning varieties like the creamy Oxford Blue.
One of Oxfordshire’s most famous dining spots is Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc’s sumptuous Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons. Wander up a heavenly scented lavender-lined path to a grand honey-stone Oxfordshire manor house, home to Raymond’s cooking school, apple orchard and kitchen gardens, designer hotel and two-Michelin-starred restaurant.
How to visit: For a truly unique foodie break in the UK, you can check in at Le Manoir with Good Housekeeping for a special getaway that includes a seven-course tasting menu in the Michelin-starred restaurant. You'll also take a tour of the gardens and orchards with a senior gardener, learning about the food ethos at Le Manoir and Raymond's passion for sustainable growing practices.
Hunt for truffles in Slovenian Istria
Slovenia is a land rich in natural beauty and with a rich culinary heritage influenced by the diversity of its landscapes. Its most iconic attraction is the serene Lake Bled, nestled in the Julian Alps with a backdrop of snowcapped peaks, with a tiny island and a historic church.
It’s a somewhat underrated foodie destination in Europe, but you’ll discover vineyards, wine cellars, Michelin-starred restaurants and cosy local eateries to rival Italy and France. The country is also dedicated to sustainable tourism practices and this is reflected in its food. In fact, with seven Michelin Green Star restaurants, Slovenia is one of the world’s leading destinations when it comes to sustainable gastronomy.
How to visit: Join Good Housekeeping on a tour of Slovenia centred on its food. You’ll begin in Ljubljana, where you can wander the cobbled streets and enjoy its excellent restaurants. You'll also visit the medieval town of Kamnik, the centre of the country's craft beer production, and head into the lush green rolling hills of the countryside, to learn about local herb culture.
A real highlight will be a truffle-hunting excursion in Istria followed by a hearty truffle-themed homestead dinner.
Visit local famers' markets on a cruise of Bordeaux
Bordeaux and its surrounding countryside are among the loveliest French regions for any lover of good food and fine wine to explore. Shellfish is popular, given the Atlantic coastline, but Bordeaux is mostly famous for its meat and wine. Its most celebrated dish is entrecôte marchand de vin, also known as entrecôte a la Bordelaise.
This is a juicy rib steak cooked with a rich gravy made from wine, butter, herbs, and shallots.Of course, the vineyards are what attract many people to Bordeaux. The diversity of its wine-growing districts means a variety of different types of wines are produced here, such as reds, dry or sweet whites, light reds, rosés, and sparkling whites.
How to visit: Good Housekeeping has a 'Best of Bordeaux' river cruise that takes you along the Garonne, Dordogne, and Gironde rivers, sampling fine wines and local produce as you go. Look forward to visiting the lively farmers' market in Libourne, tasting wines on the Medoc wine routes, and tucking into delicious meals and drinks on board the SS Bon Voyage.
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