Food is the edible history of a culture and a community, each morsel telling stories and creating memories. Bringing each destination deliciously to life, every Luxury Gold journey offers a menu of dining options like no other. This includes a wide range of culinary experiences, from exclusive dinners in Michelin-starred restaurants to street food walks with locals who know where to source the best delicacies in the city.
And on select Luxury Gold excursions, travelers are greeted with private chef cooking classes. Curated to not only introduce travelers to the flavors of a destination, these private cooking classes provide an experience you can take home to relive mouthwatering memories whenever you choose. To temp you further, take look at just some of the experiences you can look forward to as a guest of Luxury Gold.
To when your appetite, read more about Exceptional Dining
Roll Italian pasta in a Tuscan private cooking class
The wealthy Medici family helped fuel the Italian Renaissance, and though their bloodline no longer flows through Italy, travelers can still visit their rich properties. In Tuscany, you’ll visit one of the Medici family’s hunting lodges for a quintessential Italian experience: private chef cooking classes. Source fresh ingredients from the lodge’s garden and roll your own fresh pasta for lunch alongside a professional Italian chef for a decadent and delicious meal.
Take a bit out of Tuscany and savour other classic Italian flavours in Rome, Florence and more on Ultimate Italy.
For lovers of Italian cuisine: 7 ways you’ll celebrate Tuscan food when you travel with Luxury Gold
Go beyond the tapas bars and learn Spanish culinary secrets
Spain’s cuisine is far from a monolith: between Barcelona and Madrid alone are a host of different styles and specialties. Andalusia, Spain’s southernmost agricultural region, is known for its gazpacho, oxtail, sherry and Iberian ham. In Seville, you’ll spend a day diving into the region’s flavors. A chef awaits your arrival at an Andalusian market, ready to walk you through the fresh meat and produce. When the market tour concludes, you’ll enjoy a private cooking class and learn how to make some of Spain’s hallmark plates, before savoring them for lunch.
Learn cooking techniques in Seville, plus dine at the Michelin-starred L’Antic Moli on Spain & Portugal in Style.
Pick up the cheque: Where to Find the Most Rare & Expensive Food in the World
Prepare lunch on a Vietnamese riverboat with a professional chef
Every foodie has heard of the legendary banh mi. This world-famous Vietnamese street food is best experienced in the alleyways of Hoi An. It’s a palate pleasing event, but only an appetizer for what’s to come. You’ll board a traditional bamboo-basket boat and cruise to the Thanh Dong village. Once onboard, locals will host private chef cooking classes for you and your group, helping you prepare lunch as you learn about their local customs for cultivating and harvesting vegetables.
Leave room for more mouthwatering experiences when you visit Vietnam with Luxury Gold, including a brunch cruise to Hanoi and a private concert dining experience at the home of singer Camille Huyen.
Savor this on Spirit of Vietnam.
You may also enjoy reading: Hue is Where the Heart is: In conversation with artist Camille Huyen
Discover the nuances of Indian spices
Private chef cooking classes are quite engaging, though there’s a case to be made that a food tasting tour is just as critical in learning how to cook international cuisine. In Delhi, you’ll have the opportunity to join a well-known chef, not in his kitchen, but in the streets of Old Delhi. You’ll hop between food stalls, watching how each Indian delicacy is prepared. The stallholders will give you tips and tricks for how to properly balance spices to create transformative tastes.
Travel to India on a Luxury Gold small group journey and you’ll have far more than one afternoon to experience the country’s many flavors, including a sunset desert dinner with local musicians in Jaisalmer and lakeside banquet dinner in Udaipur.
Discover this on: Imperial Rajhastan
Bookmark for later: How Travel Concierge Viren Paints a Vivid Picture of India
Drink in a mixology class in Southern USA
In the deep south, a signature drink is just as important as a hearty meal. With so many delicious plates set before you, an afternoon at the Dunleith Historic Inn gives your stomach a break with a hands-on mixology class. Ideal for those who’ve already taken a few private cooking classes on other Luxury Gold tours, the bar manager at this pre-Civil War mansion will teach you how to stir up two seasonal cocktails.
Sip that Mint Julep before settling into a three-course dinner, the head to New Orleans where Cajun and Creole flavors await on Southern Grace.
You may be interested to read: High Notes: How Travel Concierge Ann Amplifies the Sounds of the South
Style sushi with a master in Tokyo
Sushi rolling is a revered 2,000-year-old Japanese art. A decade of practice is required to become a master sushi chef, but thankfully, this Luxury Gold tour expedites the process by providing private chef cooking classes in Japan. Join a master sushi chef for an in depth sushi rolling lesson. You’ll learn why the philosophy and precision required to perfect the technique is unlike any other culinary exercise on the planet.
Sushi is just one of the many iconic Japanese meals you’ll enjoy on Majestic Japan with Luxury Gold. You’ll also have a Geisha lunch performance in Kyoto and sip sake at a private tasting with a local brewmaster in Oirase.
Discover this on: Majestic Japan
You may enjoy: A journey of a lifetime: unearthing Majestic Japan, with Luxury Gold
Feel lucky with a hosted dinner in an Irish family’s home
No matter where we’re from, we all share memories of sitting around the family dinner table as dish after dish is prepared. In Ireland, you’ll have the opportunity to pause your restaurant reservations and instead welcome the invitation to dine at a homestead in Blarney. Unlike a private chef cooking class, you’ll sit back and let your hosts do the cooking for you, though you’re welcome to ask away any questions you have regarding Irish food and cooking techniques.
Enjoy many more experiences with locals, including dinner at a local gastropub in Dublin and a street art tour in Belfast on Ultimate Ireland.
Hungry for more: Indulge Your Inner Gourmet With These Luxury Food Experiences
To discover how you can see and taste the world in a whole new light, take a look at our worldwide collection of small group journeys.
“India is a country of contrasts that will never bore you; something is happening somewhere all the time. The cities are bursting with life and activity and aromas. The desert is an oasis of calm and tranquillity.
Celebrating India is all its vibrant glory, our Imperial Rajasthan luxury small group journey begins in the capital New Delhi. Over 13 days, enjoy the best of luxury travel in India. See Agra, home to the Taj Mahal and the pink city of Jaipur. The desert village of Khimsar provides a stunning oasis retreat while the grandeur of Jaisalmer’s fort never ceases to amaze. Blue hues in Jodhpur and Udaipur’s sublime lake Palaces complete your vivid, and unforgettable picture of India, each step paired with unrivalled hospitality and sensational cuisine.
“India is an amazing country – with a human touch,” says Viren. “People are welcoming here, and because it’s a country where English is not a foreign language, it is very easy to converse with locals. As your 
“With such a wealth of cultural riches to explore, there are many opportunities on Imperial Rajasthan where you can personalise your day,” says Viren. “Created with the Luxury Gold guest in mind, we offer thoughtfully curated options to explore your destination. I spend time talking to guests to get to know them and their preferences and explain the options to find the best fit.”
When in Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, guests can choose between meeting locals on a Murgal Heritage walk, to learn about daily life in the ancient village. Alternatively, you may prefer to visit a private colonial bungalow and join the host family for high tea. To gain a deeper connection to Jaipur you can visit the fresh flower and spice market, or the white marble Birla Mandir Hindu temple to witness a traditional prayer ceremony. And in Udaipur, choose to cruise the serene waters of Lake Pichola or explore the colourful bazaar in the old city.
“All hotels on Imperial Rajasthan are both luxurious and fascinating,” says Viren of this hallmark of luxury travel in India. “Each one offers something different. Rajasthan as a state is blessed with heritage properties. Many forts and palaces have been converted to spectacular hotels. This offers not only an exceptional hospitality experience, but you get to further see the historical and cultural contrasts of India.”
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One of India’s most iconic monuments, the Taj Mahal is a must-see sight. Travel with Luxury Gold and you’ll see it in peace and calm. “Sunrise is always the best time to visit the majestic Taj Mahal and we ensure this moment for our guests,” says Viren. “The early morning has its own charm, and the crowds are sparse. The light is soft, it’s a photographer’s delight. Perfect for capturing this unforgettable monument to love.”
Exquisite cuisine is a hallmark of all Luxury Gold tours. With many great culinary experiences to choose from, one of the most sublime on Imperial Rajasthan is dining among the dunes in Jaisalmer.
Whilst following an expertly crafted itinerary, the tour allows plenty of time to tailor to your individual preferences. And your Travel Concierge is on hand to help with that in any way possible. “Some people choose to get up early to see sights not scheduled in the tour. I help with research, planning and arranging transport, there is nothing I do not know about the area. I also know the best spots that you may not find in a guidebook, for tailored experiences and special occasions.”
