Eat Your Way Across the Globe with These Food Trips

Originally published on Rachel Ray Magazine.

Mixing outdoorsy activities (biking, paddling) with cooking classes, farm stays, and wine tastings, these splurgy foodie travels will show you how to take a bite out of life.

Great Hikes and Cuisine of Crete

great hikes and cuisine of crete
CREDIT: PHOTO COURTESY WILDERNESS TRAVEL

Guided by Kostas Vasileiou, a local cook and winemaker, you’ll hike the mountain trails of this ruggedly beautiful Greek island. The scenic trek is interspersed with seaside monastery lunches with monks, a shepherd’s-cheese tasting, and educational stops at ancient ruins and sanctuaries. From $5,495 per person for 11 days, wildernesstravel.com

Rogue River Wilderness Gourmet

rogue river wilderness gourmet
CREDIT: PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES KAISER/OARS

On the banks of Oregon’s wild Rogue River, dine by candlelight at a linen-covered table on regional Pacific Northwest fare prepared by local chefs and paired with Calaveras County wines and microbrews. Trust us, you’ll be hungry for it after a day of (moderate) rafting on whitewater rapids. From $1,649 per person for four days, oars.com

India: Culinary Secrets of Rajasthan

india culinary secrets of rajasthan
CREDIT: PHOTOGRAPHY BY BROOKE LARK/UNSPLASH

Between the street-food tastings (pani puri, papri chaat), cooking classes with local families, and visits to organic vegetable farms, take in iconic sites like the Taj Mahal, enjoy a village safari, and luxuriate each night at gorgeous resorts and charming lodges. From $5,500 per person for 11 days, elevatedestinations.com

Cycling from Granada to Cordoba

cycling from granada to cordoba
CREDIT: PHOTOGRAPHY BY SANDRA VERHEIJEN/PURE ADVENTURES

Pedal along olive groves and timeworn castles in Spain’s Andalusia region to discover the best food and wine experiences the area has to offer. When not biking, spend your days learning how to prepare Spanish dishes and tasting monovarietal grapes at local wine bodegas. From $1,180 per person for eight days, pure-adventures.com

A Taste of Georgia: Wine, Cuisine & Culture

taste of georgia wine cuisine culture
CREDIT: PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIANA NOBLE/MIR CORPORATION

Join culinary writer Carla Capalbo (Tasting Georgia: A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus ) to discover the history of this ancient country through food, wine, and music. You’ll have underground wine tastings in Tbilisi, attend a Georgian feast, and tour rural vineyards. From $5,595 per person for 13 days, mircorp.com

Chile: Fjords, Fields & Flavor

chile fjords fields and flavor
CREDIT: PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KANE/CULTURE XPLORERS

Go clamming in mudflats, make curanto (a firepit feast of meats, seafood, and potato dumplings) with family farmers, and kayak through inland channels to taste urchin pulled straight from the sea. From the fjords of Chiloé to bustling Santiago, you’ll shop, cook, and learn from some of Chile’s most visionary chefs. From $6,995 per person for 10 days, culturexplorers.com

‘Chez’ Chesak is an award-winning travel writer, tourism consultant and 25-year veteran of the outdoor and travel industries. He is Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and formerly was the Vice President for Business Development for the Adventure Travel Trade Association and Executive Director of the Family Travel Association. He has been serious about his writing since about age eight. He also runs the Central States Chapter of the Society of American Travel Writers. He’s lived all over the U.S. and traveled to some 36 countries but has the most fun when he’s exploring with his wife and two daughters. An avid outdoors person, he’s happiest on a trail, on skis, or nestled into a sleeping bag. He deployed to Iraq with a U.S. Army line unit in 2005. His works have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Fodors.com, Good Housekeeping, Rachel Ray Every Day, Fatherly, Yahoo Travel, Family Vacation Critic, and many others. He also does periodic travel segments for the morning show of his local FOX affiliate and on American Forces Radio.

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