Food consistently ranks as one of the top travel experiences, which is no surprise. More than simple sustenance, food is a gateway, a passport to a specific destination’s history, culture and diversity. And while sitting down to a multi-course meal is an undeniable enjoyment, immersive, hands-on culinary experiences offer a richer, more flavorful way to explore both the food and the people who prepare it with you.
Cuisine is a major draw for domestic and international travelers, and the possibilities for tasting the world have never been bigger. From Santa Fe to Switzerland, here are five culinary experiences sure to leave sweet memories long after the plates are cleared, the glasses are empty and your trips have concluded.
Old Town Food Tour with Tea Ceremony and Wagashi Lesson
Tokyo, Japan
Japan’s capital is known for cutting-edge architecture and the world’s best sushi, but there’s more to explore in the nation’s largest city. A walking food tour of Yanaka, a neighborhood renowned for its Edo-period charm and tranquil atmosphere, allows visitors to explore hidden temples and wander through narrow streets while trying local foods. An artisan area where crafts like textiles, pottery, and wood carvings are still produced, Yanaka survived the Great Kanto Earthquake and Fire of 1923 and escaped bombing during World War II, leaving much of its historic charm intact.
Following the walking tour, travelers visit Gallery Okubo, a cherished family-run cultural hub and antiques shop with a tearoom that has preserved Japanese traditions for five generations. Here, the experience begins with a hands-on wagashi-making workshop. Using ingredients like sweet bean paste and rice flour, participants craft delicate, seasonal Japanese sweets inspired by nature, such as cherry blossoms or autumn leaves. Guided by a skilled host, they’ll shape and decorate your wagashi, blending creativity with traditional craftsmanship.
Then, travelers can experience a tea ceremony (chanoyu), led by Atsuko, daughter of Gallery Okubo’s owner and a certified tea master. The handmade wagashi is served as part of the ceremony, paired with expertly prepared matcha (powdered green tea). The perfect complement to bitter matcha, wagashi became a key part of Japanese tea ceremonies during the Edo period. With Atsuko’s guidance, your travelers will learn about the philosophy and history of the tea ceremony, which emphasizes harmony, respect, purity and tranquility.
Private Sushi Class
Chicago
There’s no need to tackle Tokyo to learn the secrets of sushi, Japan’s most famous food. The name “Nobu” is almost synonymous with sushi, and legendary chef Nobu Matsuhisa now helms a global empire of restaurants and hotels that showcase elegant Asian minimalism, sparkling cuisine and exemplary hospitality that embody the Japanese philosophy of Shiawase — a celebration of happiness and well-being — infused with Omotenashi, the Japanese spirit of hospitality.
In Chicago’s trendy West Loop neighborhood, groups of up to 30 can experience a hands-on sushi class at the 115-room Nobu Chicago. The private space is located on the hotel’s mezzanine level and features a beautiful dining room anchored with a sushi bar and an airy bar lounge embellished with floating glass leaves.
The class is led by an executive sushi chef from Nobu Chicago, who takes students through a six-step, 10-finger process to craft the fish and rice into their very own sparkling seafood feast. Two- and three-hour class options include lunch sushi, lunch hand roll and dinner nigiri. Groups have the availability to add a sake pairing enhancement featuring Hokusetsu sakes, which have been brewed on the island of Sado since 1872. All guests receive a keepsake Nobu Chicago apron as a souvenir of their class.
“Our sushi classes provide the perfect opportunity for people to learn this culinary art,” said Luke Bjoin, director of food and beverage at Nobu Chicago. “Chef CJ guides guests through this distinctive method, inspiring them to embrace it ‘kokoro,’ meaning ‘from the heart.’”
Santa Fe School of Cooking
Santa Fe, New Mexico
From complex moles to corn tortillas, the family-owned Santa Fe School of Cooking has been demystifying classic New Mexican cuisine for 35 years, since it was founded by Susan Curtis in 1989.
“Every event for a private group is designed specifically for their needs, so they, the group, can pick the menu, they can pick the format, add something like a salsa competition or a specialty cocktail,” said director Nicole Curtis Ammerman. “It’s all designed based on whatever the client would like to have the experience be here.”
Ammerman is Curtis’ daughter and has been working with the school for 32 years.
“In Santa Fe, we have a very unique regional cuisine. The most common offerings that people choose are to make are traditional New Mexican food, so tamales, chili sauces, enchiladas, rellenos, empanadas — the majority of groups lean toward the regional New Mexican cuisine. We have different work stations, so there’s a tamale-making station, there’s a chili-roasting station and a corn tortilla-making station, so different groups can be in charge of different components of the meal.”
The Santa Fe School of Cooking is located in the city’s historic downtown, just minutes from attractions like the iconic colonial plaza, the Palace of the Governors and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. In addition to hands-on custom classes, the school also offers demonstrations and restaurant walking tours, along with monthly evening events featuring fine dining and jazz performances.
Camp Cass
Paso Robles, California
Located along the beautiful back road countryside of Paso Robles, California, Cass Winery is an award-winning 145-acre vineyard featuring estate-grown Rhone and Bordeaux wines. The entire region is an oenophile’s dream, but fine wines are only the beginning. The culinary and events programming at Cass gives visitors the opportunity to harvest honey, press olive oil and create their own vintages, all while enjoying — and creating — locally sourced standouts of California cuisine like cold-smoked duck breast and fig on rosemary skewers.
Under the direction of chef Charlie Paladin Wayne, Camp Cass offers a smorgasbord of culinary experiences, from watching and learning (while sipping and tasting) demonstrations to hands-on Chef Challenges, where groups race against the clock to prepare dishes using a secret ingredient revealed only at the start of the competition. There are also classes focused on kitchen skills to up the “wow factor” at dinner parties; Sip Like a Sommelier classes to improve participants’ tasting; or a Winemaker in Training experience, where teams blend their own Rhone and Bordeaux varietals.
During harvest season, there’s also a three-day “Winemaker’s Dude Ranch” where visitors can pick, stomp, blend, wine and dine while staying at the winery’s Geneseo Inn or nearby properties, before departing with branded merchandise, six bottles of Cass Wine and an at-home winemaking kit to continue the journey. Guests can also participate in activities like horseback riding, archery, axe-throwing, a photography scavenger hunt or an “Amazing Race” adventure through the winery.
Culinary Train Journeys
Switzerland
Spectacular Alpine scenery, a vintage train and delectable dining options — is there a more delicious and quintessentially Swiss way to spend a day? Home to an impressive railway system and an unmatched public transportation network, trains are a comfortable and practical way for groups to explore. And many of those routes are accompanied by cheese, charcuterie, chocolate, wine and other delicacies.
In the foothills of the Jura — a little-known but amazing wine region in its own right — the Gare de Morges to Bière line boasts a 1925 restaurant car, where guests may sustain themselves on the gastronomic excursion with fondue and other traditional offerings. A winemaker’s train along the same route pairs phenomenal local wines with a gourmet feast.
Departing from Montreux or Zweisimmen to Château-d’Oex, guests will observe a farmer crafting a “Le Chalet Bio” cheese in the traditional way, from 100 gallons of fresh milk over an open-wood fire, followed by fondue.
For those who prefer their culinary experiences to remain stationary, a sausage-making class is available at the Gustarium Breitenmoser in the Appenzell region. After a demonstration on the traditional class on the making of Siedwurst, a light-colored sausage flavored with cumin and garlic, guests can enjoy a meal before the fireplace in the cozy butcher’s parlor, browse the gourmet shop and take home some traditional recipes.
