Food Tours

A Food Tour enables one to explore a new destination while simultaneously experiencing new flavors and cultures. Food has always been a part of tourist hospitality services, although, in late 1990, Culinary Tourism started focusing on Food as an attraction for exploration and a destination for tourism. 

How pleasurable can it be to travel to eat and learn? Gastronomy plays an intensely important role in culture because not only is Food significant to the tourist experience, but it has also become an essential source of identity evolution in postmodern cultures.

We are currently living in the era of Wine and Food Tours.

What are Food Tours?

Food Tours are the pursuit and pleasure of traveling for unique and memorable Food experiences. Our culinary Tourism offers an exclusive opportunity to indulge in the local delicacies and drinks of a destination, each with a rich history, culture, and heritage. 

Over the years, tourism, cuisine, and food preferences have become closely intertwined as places seek competitive advantage in the international marketplace.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, food tours have earned increasing attention over the past few years. Tourists are more attracted to local produce. With Food so profoundly connected to its origin, this focus allows destinations to market themselves as truly unique, offering an authentic experience that appeals to those travelers who look to feel closer and part of their destination through its flavors. 

Portugal and Spain Food Tours

A Food Tour has likely crossed one's radar when deciding on the best experiences for a Portugal and Spain Vacation. You should consider it! Here in Portugal and Spain, we take food seriously! 

In Portugal, you can savor hearty dishes like Cozido à Portuguesa, a delicious mix of meats, vegetables, and various sausages. Fresh seafood, legumes, and natural vegetables are also staples of Portuguese cuisine. In Spain, you can indulge in the delicious culinary delights and many Mediterranean specialties. The best-known specialty and absolute classic of Spanish cuisine is the famous rice paella, considered the national dish of Valencia. Other must-try dishes include Jamón ibérico, a type of cured ham, and Churros, a sweet treat often enjoyed with a cup of hot chocolate.

Due to our geographical position and extensive coastline allied to the Portuguese fishing tradition still alive, one of the most distinguishing features of Portuguese cuisine comes from the sea. During a Gastronomic tour, one will likely pamper buds with mouthwatering cataplanas, bouillabaisses, and other fish or seafood dishes.

While on a Portugal Food Tour, meat enthusiasts cannot neglect the Cozido à Portuguesa, a delicious mix of meats, vegetables, and various sausages. From north to south, whether beef, pork, or kid, one finds countless options of excellent and quality certified meat.

On the other hand, the heart of Spanish cooking remains in its rustic, homespun nature, a legacy of a time when hard-pressed Spaniards had to work the land for everything it would offer.

No Luxury Food Tour could be complete without the presence of premium wines. At Portugal and Spain Deluxe, we take it to the next level by matching each dish to a specific wine. 

One of the secret ingredients of Portuguese cuisine is prime-quality olive oil.

During our Food Tours, you can experience olive oil in style while visiting one of the largest and best producers of olive oil. Have you already considered taking part in a private olive oil tasting?

Cheese lovers in Portugal are in paradise! While Queijo da Serra, the mountain cheese from Serra da Estrela, tops the bill, all the cheeses from Centro de Portugal, Alentejo, and the Azores are delicious. 

In Spain, delight with Queso manchego, Spain's most famous cheese made with sheep’s milk from a specific breed known as oveja de raza manchego or “Manchega sheep breed.” Remember to enjoy the luxury of one of the most exclusive gourmet delicacies in the world, Cinco Jotas ham.

Sweet devotees should taste Portugal's most iconic pastry—Pastel de Nata. Our Portuguese sweets, whose roots go back to the many convents, were initially prepared by monks, and even today, they make us "give thanks to heaven" while we taste them. Also, in heaven, one feels like sampling sweet churros, one of the most popular treats from Spain, because these sweet churros are eaten all day long. There is no doubt that the best Spanish desserts are delicious.

Being part of our culture and traditions, during a Culinary Tour to Portugal or Spain, one needs to put aside the diet and indulge in the pleasure of the sweetest local treats. At the end of a meal, in Portugal, we toast with some Port or Madeira, fortified wines that have spread Portugal's name to faraway lands for centuries. A port, sherry, or marsala are classic choices in Spain. These are wines with a higher sugar content as well as a higher alcohol. 

Contact us to lead you on this delicious planning journey. Our experienced guides know exactly which food tour is ideal for your party, ensuring you have the most satisfying culinary experience.

Porto Food Tours

A Food Tour in Porto often includes a private cooking workshop at a lovely property from the 13th century. The owner host and lead the experience at the family house. 

Count with a magical day around flavors and scents in the old kitchen, learning about authentic Portuguese recipes. Grab a basket and pick the season products from the vegetable and herbs garden.

Adequately dressed with a hat and apron, the lesson starts. During the class, taste some local tapas and wine. Venture into tasting your recipe and have lunch in one of the places chosen according to the weather. The background is extraordinary, whether in the rose garden dining room or courtyard.

Contact us to get more options.

Lisbon Food Tours

Ones can "taste" Lisbon by venturing into a Tuk Tuk tapas Food Tour, one of our preferred journeys with an excellent balance of history and local gastronomy.

Escorted by English speaking driver-guide, a private Tuk Tuk tapas tour starts at the highest belvedere in Lisbon, where ones can observe the estuary of the Tagus, São Jorge Castle, the roofs of Mouraria, besides Carmo Convent ruins, and other attractions.

Savor a selection of tapas blending regional food with local wine, soda, beer, or water. Amongst the tapas, taste cured Portuguese ham, cheese, seasoned olives, steamed clams in a rich broth, Portuguese bread, and one of the following delicious treats, the salted prawn or codfish croquet or even the tempura-like string beans, depending on the daily market that day. Afterward, dig Alfama on a walking tour.

Take this chance to taste Ginjinha (typical cherry liquor). One of the most common combinations in Portugal is the crunchy Pastel de Nata (custard cream tart) and Portuguese expresso coffee.

Before returning to your hotel, stop at one of the largest and most iconic vista points in Lisbon, a garden with a panoramic view across the city to St. George's Castle and central Lisbon. 

Combined with the tapas Tuk Tuk, a unique private cooking workshop is available upon request. Contact our team for a personalized package.

Food Tours with Portugal and Spain Deluxe

Our Food Tours offer a more profound and intimate exploration of cultural, historical, and geographical factors during the noble act of eating. 

Portuguese Food is Mediterranean cuisine at its best. Like the people, it's warm, vibrant, spicy, and a little mysterious. It's also balanced, as we eat lots of fruits, vegetables, fresh seafood, meat, cheese, olive oil, and plenty of sweets.

Travel, Taste, and Learn!