What if the best way to understand a place… is to eat it? In partnership with MasterChef Australia, we’re serving up some of the most delicious, authentic food experiences Trafalgar guests enjoy across the globe. Touring isn’t one-dimensional, and these Be My Guest Experiences and hands-on culinary adventures connect you to the people, passion, and flavours that make each place unique.
From sharing rustic Tuscan dishes with winemakers at an ancient estate, to shopping local markets in Lima before cooking with a top Peruvian chef, this is how you Tour Differently. Come hungry – these experiences satisfy more than just your appetite.
1. Tuscan cooking with Giada Landi in Italy – European Whirl
In the rolling hills of Tuscany’s Chianti region, you’ll find Villa Il Leccio – where the Landi family are waiting to welcome you like an old friend. Giada and her family have lived at this 18th-century villa for nine generations, and invite Trafalgar guests into the heart of it all for one of our most beloved Be My Guest Experiences.
The warm and charismatic Giada – head of the household, business, and kitchen – shares a true taste of Tuscan life with our guests. As her brother and cousins tend to the vineyards and olive groves, Giada prepares traditional dishes using vegetables, herbs and ingredients grown right on the 90-acre estate. Think fresh olive oil from their 600 trees, house-made wine from nearly 40 acres of vines, and recipes passed down through generations.
While Giada’s authentic Tuscan cooking steals the show, it doesn’t hurt that you’ll be seated inside a medieval Tower House from the 1200s, surrounded by rolling countryside. Dreamy!
READ NEXT: 8 locals you’ll connect with on a European tour
2. Market tour & cooking school with Ignacio in Peru – South America Revealed
Lima’s food markets are a feast for the senses. With chef Ignacio Barrios as your guide, you’ll dive into the heart of Peruvian cuisine like a local. Wander through rows of seasonal produce, from rainbow-bright tropical fruits to freshly caught seafood, learning about Peruvian cuisine while meeting vendors.
Then, you’ll follow Ignacio – one of Peru’s top chefs, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu and honed his craft in Michelin-starred kitchens – or one of his trusted chefs to his cooking school. Once in the kitchen, it’s time to get busy. Roll up your sleeves and help prepare a menu of local favourites under expert guidance. What you make depends on the season, but expect bold, fresh flavours and a family-style meal to share, paired with wines.
It’s an ideal way to get a true taste of Lima, the culinary capital of South America.
3. Explore Anglo-Indian cooking in Kochi, India – Captivating Kerala
What do the Portuguese have to do with Indian cooking? Plenty, as you’ll discover over a delicious evening with locals Oscar and Jeanette in their Kochi home. As part of Trafalgar’s Captivating Kerala journey, you’ll dive into the region’s unique Anglo-Indian culture.
Your hosts will share stories, touching on Portuguese colonial history and the many layers of spice. With a cooking demonstration you’ll learn, step-by-step how dishes like butter chicken, ghee rice and a vibrant fish curry come together. Then, sit down together and feast on a meal of local food prepared before your eyes.
4. Malay dishes with a local family in Malaysia – Highlights of Singapore & Malaysia
On Day 4 of our Highlights of Singapore & Malaysia tour, you’ll cross into Malaysia and step into the laid-back charm of Kampung Cantik village. Here, a local family welcomes you for a flavour-packed Be My Guest Experience lunch, where every dish is practically exploding with the spices, herbs, and fruits of the region.
After lunch, stroll through the village with a Local Specialist. You’ll pass traditional stilt houses, peek into herb-filled gardens rich with lemongrass and curry leaves, and spot seasonal treasures like durian and mangosteen. Round it all off by trying your hand at top spinning or the graceful art of silat. Now that’s a cool day experiencing life as the locals do.
5. Farm-to-table organic dining with Happy Girl Kitchen, USA – Northern California
California is home to more than 3,000 organic farms, making it the largest producer of pesticide-free food in America. Get a taste of healthy eating when you connect with locals for a farm-to-table Be My Guest Experience at Happy Girl Kitchen.
Locals Todd and Jordan Champagne started this project to celebrate their love of local food. The couple worked on farms around the globe where they learnt skills in preserving. Now they use those skills to preserve California’s summer fruits to enjoy year-round.
“We have developed simple recipes and techniques so the good life of the central coast of California can be tasted in each bite! A celebration of the simple life each time a jar is opened!”
These days they share skills and the harvest with customers and friends through their café and grocer, Happy Girl Kitchen, in Monterey – and lucky Trafalgar guests will get to experience this with an exclusive farm-to-table dinner.
6. Traditional Braai (BBQ) lunch with Stefan in South Africa – Essence of South Africa
There’s nothing quite like a South African braai, and in the coastal town of Hermanus, Chef Stefan takes it to the next level. After a scenic journey along the Franschhoek Pass, Trafalgar guests arrive at Penguino. This is Stefan’s home and guesthouse, where the evenings are warm and the welcome is even warmer.
A professional chef and passionate host, Stefan invites you to relax with a glass of his homemade wine as he shares stories about life in South Africa’s whale-watching capital. Then, it’s time to feast.
A traditional braai is a celebration of South African flavours and local food. On the menu expect everything from juicy lamb loin chops and boerewors to masala chicken skewers, sirloin steak, and grilled corn. All that is served with classic sides like potato salad, chakalaka beans and cheesy garlic rolls with biltong spread. Finish off with a malva pudding and custard!
READ MORE: The ultimate guide to South African Braai
7. Connect with Navajo Nation in the USA – Colourful Trails of the Southwest
Baya’s ancestors have lived and grazed on these lands for over 15 generations. Under a vast desert sky, Baya and Paul invite Trafalgar guests to join them at Shash Dine Eco Retreat on the Navajo Nation for an evening of cultural connection over food on our Colourful Trails of the Southwest.
Sit down for a traditional Navajo feast of mutton stew, frybread, fresh vegetables, melon, and steaming Navajo tea. As the sun sets on another day, award-winning Diné artist and storyteller Eli Secody will bring Navajo traditions to life with songs and stories rooted in generations of heritage. After dinner, walk up to a panoramic vista – a truly unforgettable place to pause and reflect on this special experience.
That’s our wrap of 7 special food experiences that connect you with the locals while you Tour Differently with Trafalgar.