Specializing in private, custom luxury travel, Artisans of Leisure has introduced 12 new exclusive culinary-focused tours for 2016. Each private itinerary can be scheduled year-round, with departure dates tailored to the traveler. Highlights include a 12-day Culinary Tour of Japan featuring a private tea ceremony, visits to a miso factory and a sea salt producer, a sake brewery tour, and guided food walks in Tokyo and Kyoto that include Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji Fish Market.
The seven-day Food & Wine of Austria tour visits premier vineyards in the Wachau and Burgenland regions, offers a private cooking lesson in traditional Austrian specialties, and explores the food stalls of Vienna’s Naschmarkt. Travelers also enjoy an evening at a classic heuriger (wine tavern) in the hills outside the city and sample Vienna’s finest cafés for coffee and pastries.
On the nine-day Food & Wine of Portugal itinerary, guests taste Port in Porto, sample pastries in Lisbon and Sintra, and tour olive oil farms in the Alentejo region. The program includes private winery visits and tastings in the Douro Valley, a chef-led cooking class at a seaside manor in Cascais, and a visit to a cheese-making farm near Setúbal.
Additional culinary journeys on offer span the globe and range in length and focus: an 11-day Culinary Tour of Mexico, a 16-day Flavors of Southeast Asia exploration, a 12-day France for Foodies experience, a 10-day Culinary Tour of Greece & Turkey, a 10-day Morocco for Foodies adventure, a nine-day Culinary Tour of Israel, a 13-day Culinary Tour of India, and an 11-day Food & Wine Tour of Italy. Each itinerary emphasizes local food culture, hands-on experiences, and private access to producers, markets, and expert guides.
All tours are designed for travelers seeking an immersive culinary experience with personalized service, private guides, and the flexibility to travel on preferred dates throughout the year.