12 of the Best Food Experiences Around the World

For many travelers, one of the most exciting parts of visiting a new destination is discovering a brand-new food scene. And while you can get food from around the world in most cosmopolitan cities, nothing beats trying the most authentic form of a dish on its home turf. This selection of the best food experiences worldwide celebrates food, glorious food in all its forms, to give you a wealth of inspiration for gourmet gallivanting.

So, whether you're looking to unleash your inner chef or simply sit back and sample the delicacies on offer, this round-up of the best Viator culinary experiences will whet your appetite. Eat, drink, and be merry!

1. Try the world’s best bread on a breakfast tour of Paris, France

Save for Denmark, few places are as famous for their pastries as Paris, where boulangeries burst with flaky pain au chocolat and just-baked baguettes. This breakfast tour of the French capital not only reveals the City of Light before the lunchtime crowds descend but also tells you where to get the best quiche, coffee, and chocolate, and takes you to the birthplace of croissants. You’ll walk away full of both food and tips on where to find the best bites for the rest of your trip.

2. Feel your taste buds tingle on a taco tour of Mexico City, Mexico

When it comes to local cuisine experiences, there’s no better way to enjoy authentic dishes than on a street food tour. The street food scene in Mexico City is unrivaled across Latin America—one no-frills, street-side taqueria even holds a Michelin star—and this evening taco tour reveals it in all its glory after dark, so you’ll have worked up an appetite after a day of sightseeing. And it doesn’t just feature tacos—you’ll also wash down tasty treats with smoky shots of mezcal.

3. Experience perfect pasta with an ancient backdrop in Rome, Italy

Pasta and Italy go together like salt and pepper. While in Rome, you’re sure to be doing plenty of steps while sightseeing, so you’ll need to load up on carbs in between. But don’t limit eating perfect pasta just to your time in Italy—this fettuccine- and ravioli-making class equips you with all the tips and tricks for getting pasta right at home, so you can wow friends and family with your newfound skills.

4. Indulge in steak and red wine in heady Buenos Aires, Argentina

In Argentina, asado (barbecue) is a way of life—it’s an important social event and a cultural institution that results in some of the best-tasting steak you’re ever sure to try. And while feasting on the signature cut of bife de chorizo during a tango show is a Buenos Aires rite of passage, this asado experience in a local home is an authentic culinary option. And beef isn’t the only thing on the menu; you’ll try choripan (sausage sandwich) and morcilla (black sausage) with lashings of chimichurri sauce and malbec wine.

5. Witness the high-octane tuna auction in Tokyo, Japan

You don’t need to spend long in Tokyo to understand why it’s one of the world’s top gourmet travel destinations. No matter which unassuming counter restaurant you duck into, you’re almost guaranteed to enjoy top-quality tonkatsu, ramen, or gyoza. But the capital’s bayfront location means it really shines when it comes to sushi, and there’s no better place to try expertly sliced fish than Toyosu Market, where the world-famous tuna auction takes place. This private tour saves you the stress of entering the tuna auction lottery and helps you select the very best sashimi.

6. Spice up your life with a cooking class in New Delhi, India

An explosion of sights, smells, and sounds, New Delhi is a banquet for the senses. And while you could spend days exploring the spice markets and street food stalls, the city is an ideal place to take cooking classes abroad. This hands-on culinary workshop takes place in a local home, so you can learn about the culture and cuisine of India while mastering dishes such as aaloo poori (potato curry with deep-fried puffed bread), enjoying gently spiced masaala chai tea as you go.

7. Enjoy the Big Apple’s best bites on a tour of New York City, USA

New York City is a melting pot of cultures, and nothing reflects this diversity better than its food scene, which encompasses everything from pizza to potstickers. This flavorful food tour showcases two of Manhattan’s most famed districts: Little Italy and Chinatown, giving you a great sense of the city’s culinary spectrum. Plus, while you’re enjoying bites from doughnuts to dumplings, you'll pick up plenty of tips for further exploration.

8. Feast your senses on the souks of Marrakech, Morocco

Selling everything from silver jewelry and ornate lamps to fragrant spices such as saffron, Marrakech’s souks are a real-life Aladdin’s cave. It's easy to see how the shopping scene inspires the country's colorful and flavor-packed cuisine, which comes in the form of tagines, clay-pot-baked beef, spicy harissa, and flatbreads as fluffy as clouds. Get help navigating the labyrinthine Medina on this authentic Moroccan food tour, which introduces you to a mix of famous and lesser-known dishes such as Moroccan macaroons, grilled meats, and mint tea.

9. Taste your way around Bangkok, Thailand in a tuk-tuk

All of the best street food adventures begin in Bangkok, where corners are adorned with stands bursting with what's often hailed as Southeast Asia’s best casual cuisine. But while pad Thai and green curry are firm favorites, there's so much more to the capital’s culinary scene than those. This evening tuk-tuk tour not only whisks you around Thailand’s capital on two wheels when daytime temperatures have cooled, but also introduces you to the full spectrum of Thai street food.

10. Enjoy jerk chicken and rum cocktails in Montego Bay, Jamaica

No list of global food tours would be complete without a Caribbean kick—just thinking about the flavors of fruit rum punch and barbecue-seared jerk chicken evokes scenes of lapping waves and white sand. This Jamaican food tour of Montego Bay makes that idyllic scene a reality by taking you to locally loved eateries set against a beach backdrop. Caribbean classics such as goat curry, ackee and saltfish, and tropical fruit all feature on the menu.

11. Sip and sightsee along South Africa’s wine route

You don't need to be a sommelier to know that South Africa produces some of the world’s best wine. Pair that with spectacular opportunities for safari and surfing, and you've got a vacation destination that has it all. But between all of the adventures, you'll want to carve out ample time for wine-tasting tours. This Stellenbosch and Franschhoek wine tour from Cape Town takes you to some of the region’s top wineries. Plus, letting someone else drive not only lets you soak up the scenery but also means you can indulge in wine worry-free.