Travel, Cook, Eat: 5 Gourmet Vacations Around the World

For some, a vacation is a chance to just kick back and be waited on hand on foot. But there is a growing trend to use our vacations to explore the world around us and experience a meaningful engagement with the people and cultures we explore. For this very reason, gourmet vacation packages are growing in popularity. Not only is food a great uniter and daily necessity, participating in a cooking course is also a fantastic opportunity to use your vacation to learn a new skill and interact with the people around you.

We trawled the internet for gourmet travel deals to see what kind of packages were available and were pleasantly surprised to find quite a wide variety of options all over the world. So grab your appetite and enjoy our Top 5 Gourmet Vacation Packages:

5 Gourmet Vacations Around the World

France

A trip to Paris will demonstrate exactly where the words cuisine and gourmet get their definitions. Great Value Vacations offers a 4-night Gourmet Paris Vacation for Two with prices starting from $3,797.04 (low by $601). As well as flights and hotel accommodation, this tour includes a walking tour of Parisian markets and bakeries as well as a wine and cheese tasting, and most excitingly, a tour of five innovative chocolatiers (with tastings of course!)

Morocco

Explore the spice markets and famous tagines of Morocco with Epitourean's 6-night Fes and Marrakech Escorted Vacation for Two for $7,895.80. Although this vacation doesn't include airfare, this comprehensive tour includes guided tours of the markets of both Fes and Marrakesh. It also features cooking classes in both cities where you'll learn to make classic dishes like tanjia Marrakchia (slow-cooked stew of seasoned lamb), tagine djaj m'kalli (chicken with lemons and olives), and Ghriba bel 'Asal (traditional Fassi honey macaroons).

Italy

To learn to cook authentic Italian cucina, head the to nation's capital, Rome, for this Great Value Vacations 4-Night Authentic Roman Cooking Vacation Package for Two starting from $3,344 (low by $159). Not only will you tour the most delicious gelaterias in the Eternal City, you'll also learn to shop for fresh local produce and then prepare an authentic Italian meal and pair it with the perfect wine.

Thailand

For a taste of the exotic, book an Epitourean 7-Night Thailand Culinary and Cultural Adventure Vacation for Two with prices starting from $5,780 (airfare not included). This luxury vacation includes five full-immersion Thai culinary classes where you'll learn to create 22 different Thai dishes. Apart from all the usual temples, the sightseeing aspect of this tour includes a trip to Bangkok's floating markets and a foodie walking tour through historic Thai neighborhoods, where you'll be able to sample a delicious bowl of pad thai or somtham.

New Orleans, LA

If you are on a budget and want to keep it domestic, you can still experience a world of flavor by heading to New Orleans for a TasteBud Tours 3-Hour Walking Tour starting from $44. This tour has a 5-star rating on TripAdvisor and includes delicious eats like a muffaletta sandwich, traditional jambalaya, and sweet beignets.