I was living in Amsterdam when I first heard about the food tour concept.
This was back in 2014 and while the idea was new to me, I now know that food tours had been simmering in the global tourism scene for a few years already.
After initially being a bit skeptical (after all, I had always prided myself on the ability to construct a respectable list of "must-eat & drink" items anywhere I went), my wife went on the brand new Eating Amsterdam tour.
We ate a ton of great food, tipped back a couple of local beers, learned a lot about the history & culture of the city and had plenty of laughs with the other folks on the tour.
I was sold.
Since then, food tours have exploded all over the world and we've taken a second food tour in Amsterdam and tours in Tokyo, Vienna, Osaka, Graz and one just last month in Seville.
And now I can't imagine the travel world without these amazing food experiences.
Celebrating with friends over a meal. (Photo via iStock / Getty Images E+ / Tinpixels)
You show up, get taken to all the good spots in town to try the local dishes & drinks, get told about local food traditions and unique aspects of the destination you're visiting and probably even make a pal or two along the way.
What's not to like?
Speaking of making a pal or two, there is something utterly magical that happens when a small group of strangers get together in a foreign city to hang out for a few hours.
I've personally seen it on food tours, pub strolls and historical walking tours all over the world and this "quick camaraderie" is another reason why I absolutely love food tours, because there seems to be an even stronger bond that forms when people break bread and enjoy a beverage together.
That means food tours are a dream come true for solo travelers or travelers who just love to meet other people when they travel—a club of which I am most definitely a member.
Young travelers riding bikes in the city taking a selfie. (photo vgajic / Getty Images)
I suppose there are still some people out there who don't consider eating good food a top travel priority, but I'd be willing to bet they'd even get a kick out of a food tour.
Now, could you spend a few hours on restaurant review sites and blogs constructing your own stroll of places with five star ratings and rave reviews? Of course. Would you save a few bucks? Probably.
But would you get to pick the brain of a local expert, learn a ton about the city you're in and meet a few new friends along the way?
I doubt it.
And those first and second points are huge, because the biography of many of the world's most fascinating destinations can be explained through—and tied back to—food and a good food tour operator will weave these tales into the food-focused wanderings.
But it's not just delicious food and great times happening on a food tour, because a food tour from the right operator can also play a small part in combating overtourism, too.
How? Namely by choosing to visit locally-owned places a little off the beaten path, like that one I recently took in Seville.
Instead of taking us around the admittedly pretty tourist hotspot center of town (which I'm sure was home to plenty of great eateries), Food Lover Tour took us on a tapas crawl through lesser-touristed areas, offering up another side of the city for sampling.
And these days, that's more important than ever.
Viva food tours!
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