The Best Trips For Sampling Amazing Mediterranean Food

Forget the sun-soaked islands, charming fishing villages and picture-perfect beaches, if you ask us the defining quality of the Mediterranean is without doubt its incredible food culture, characterised by fresh ingredients and ancient recipes. Here’s how to experience the tastiest bites of the Med with Culture Trip.

City Hopping in Spain by Train

Who doesn’t love a big group tapas night in an atmospheric little restaurant, having ordered a few plates more than necessary? In Spain food is to be shared with others, be it your oldest friends or newest travel companions. Our eight-day Rail Trip through the heartlands of central and southern Spain features several incredible dining experiences, starting on the first night with a three-course dinner in Madrid. The following day includes a tasty tapas tour of the capital, before we embark on a journey south to Andalusia. Seville is one of the country’s greatest foodie destinations, and you’ll get to embark on another tapas trail in one of its oldest neighbourhoods, Triana, before an optional live flamenco show. The tour ends in the coastal city of Malaga, so we recommend opting for the catch of the day on our farewell dinner at an authentic local restaurant.

From US$3199

Next available from 20th Apr 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Madrid, Spain

ENDS AT

Malaga, Andalucia

DURATION

8

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

STYLE

Discovery

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Winter Sale

Greek Island Odyssey

Feta, gyros, souvlaki… Greek cuisine has an abundant array of fresh, flavourful delicacies. Dinner at a local taverna in Athens and a sunset meal in glorious Santorini stand out as foodie highlights of our eight-day island-hopping extravaganza, but your inner-chef will be giddy as soon as you’ll reach the island of Naxos. That’s where we’ll head inland to the rural village of Kaloxylos, found among rolling hills, olive groves and oak trees. After a stroll around the area you’ll be treated to a masterclass in traditional Greek cooking within a local family home. You’ll be taught using recipes that have been passed down for generations and, while dishes will vary by season, you can expect to get handy with local ingredients like Naxian potatoes, sweet tomatoes and arseniko cheese. Yes, don’t worry, you’ll be able to gobble down your creations as soon as you’re done.

From US$1939

Next available from 28th Apr 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Athens, Greece

ENDS AT

Athens, Greece

DURATION

9

GROUP SIZE

18

PHYSICAL RATING

Light

STYLE

Discovery

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Winter Sale

Seductive Southern Italy

Who doesn’t love Italian food? This 10-day tour along the most glorious towns and cities of Italy’s east and west coasts will naturally feature plenty of gelato stops, pasta dinners and shots of limoncello. We’ll start in the home of pizza itself, the ancient city of Naples, where you’ll be treated to an incredible street food tour of the city. As well as gobbling down the best slice of your life, expect to fall in love with aubergine parmigiana, as well as a range of incredible pastries, most notably sfogliatelle, a multi-layered puff pastry delight filled with sweet ricotta and dusted with a generous serving of icing sugar. Other tastebud-tantalising experiences will include an olive oil tasting at a world class Puglian farm, and an incredible farewell dinner in Lecce.

From US$2789

Next available from 27th Apr 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Naples, Italy

ENDS AT

Lecce, Italy

DURATION

10

GROUP SIZE

14

PHYSICAL RATING

Easy

STYLE

Discovery

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Majestic Turkey

The eastern corner of the Med is a fascinating foodie destination. Turkey shares a lot of common ground with Greek cuisine, but is also full of Middle Eastern influences, resulting in a mouthwatering blend of culinary styles and key ingredients. You won’t get tired of Turkish breakfast on our 12-day epic, which usually feature plenty of cheese, bread and strong coffee. Istanbul, our starting point, is clearly the country’s greatest food city. Keen cooks will go crazy for the city’s spice market, while those with a sweet tooth won’t resist a plate of baklava and Turkish delight in the Grand Bazaar, washed down with a traditional Turkish tea. Our time in this continent-crossing city will also feature an incredible food tour of Kadıköy, a neighbourhood on the Asian side, which should include lahmacun, kaymak and more baklava, obviously.

From US$2699

Next available from 12th Apr 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Istanbul, Turkey

ENDS AT

Antalya, Turkey

DURATION

12

GROUP SIZE

18

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

STYLE

Discovery

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A woman in sunglasses enjoys an Italian aperitif and an Aperol spritz.

Spectacular Sicily

The largest island in the Mediterranean is worthy of mention beyond mainland Italy. Our comprehensive eight-day tour of Sicily is a food-lovers fantasy, starting in the capital, Palermo, where you’ll be treated to an incredible street food tour and traditional Sicilian cooking class. You’ll have a wine tasting in the Madonie Mountains and lunch at a local farm on Mount Etna, before reaching Taormina, where you’ll have the option to join another cooking class. You’ll have a guided street food tour of ancient Syracuse, as well as the adjoining island town of Ortigia, before rounding off the trip by exploring the Unesco-listed baroque towns of Val di Noto. Noto itself is a town famed for world-class gelato, so be sure to treat yourself to a scoop after lunch, while Modica is home to a rich history of fine chocolate production, so be sure to pop into a few century-old shops to stock up on chocs for the road.

From US$2924

Next available from 20th Apr 2024

Secure your spot with a low deposit

Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Palermo, Italy

ENDS AT

Siracusa, Sicily

DURATION

10

GROUP SIZE

14

PHYSICAL RATING

Light

STYLE

Discovery

View Trip

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

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Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.