Dive deeper into a destination with Intrepid’s nourishing new food and drink experiences, from picnics in the Bolivian salt flats to home-cooked feasts in Northern Thailand.
Across the world, Intrepid’s newest food experiences invite you to slow down, discover local flavours and connect meaningfully with chefs and culinary experts in their field. It might be learning to roll cinnamon buns beside a silent Swedish lake, sharing stories over coffee with social innovators in Belgrade or joining women in Galicia preserving centuries-old seafood traditions. These are the tastes and tales that linger long after a trip ends – with each of these new adventures and experiences bringing you not just to a destination, but to a real sense of place.
1. Cook ancient flavours in Guatemala and Belize
Intrepid’s new Tikal, Guatemala and Belize Short Break is a bite-sized journey with plenty of culinary perks packed into four days. After exploring the temples of Tikal, you’ll cross the border to San Ignacio in Belize to learn how to cook on a fogon (fire), grind corn on the metate (grinding stone) and also master the art of preparing chicken pepian – a hearty stew of roasted seeds, lively spices and local vegetables. Mash guac, warm up fresh tortillas and sip sweet, floral Rosa de Jamaica (a herbal drink made from dried hibiscus flowers) as you master age-old Maya techniques.
2. Plant rice with a female chief in Sierra Leone
On Intrepid’s new Sierra Leone Expedition you’ll head to Boma Village, where one of the country’s few female chiefs will welcome you into her community. Learn why rice is life here as you wander through the village, then roll up your sleeves to plant or harvest the fields alongside your hosts. As night falls, swap stories beside the fire and join in traditional dances under the stars before bedding down at the neighbouring campsite.
Read more: Meet Sierra Leone’s trailblazing female chief
3. Make hand-pulled noodles in China
On Intrepid’s new ten-day China Real Food Adventure, you’ll explore cultural icons like the Great Wall and Terracotta Warriors – before trading binoculars and maps for a rolling pin in Xi’an. Step into a local couple’s apartment for a hands-on noodle-making class, kneading and slicing your own dough before your hosts whip up a feast of steaming soup and stir-fried dishes. Over tea and laughter, you’ll get a warm, flour-dusted taste of modern Chinese life.
4. Harvest dates and history in Tunisia
On the new Premium Tunisia trip, you’ll wander the quiet Roman ruins of Dougga and the kaleidoscopic tiled lanes of Testour, as well as trying your hand at Arabic calligraphy in Tunis. But this trip doesn’t scrimp on food experiences, either. You’ll also be using your hands to shape sweet makroudh cookies with a home baker in Kairouan, spend time watching Tozeur’s famed dates being harvested in the desert oasis and meet a family in Matmata for lunch in their earthen troglodyte home (the same ones used as Luke Skywalker’s home in Star Wars).
Read more: Take a master-led calligraphy class in Tunisia
5. Unearth ancient and modern flavours in Turkey
On the new Eastern Turkey Explorer trip, you’ll sit down to a home-cooked lunch at Nahil Guesthouse (supported by KEDV, a partner of The Intrepid Foundation) and taste your way through Gaziantep – Turkey’s undisputed food capital. In this UNESCO ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’, you’ll join a street-food crawl through the birthplace of baklava (and watch masters during a demonstration) and sample local favourites like ali nazik (eggplant topped with spiced lamb or beef), katmer (a flaky Turkish pancake filled with nuts and clotted cream) and even pistachio-infused Turkish coffee.
6. Bake and wander in Scandinavia
Classic Scandinavia is a new trip covering all the major capitals (Helsinki, Stockholm and Oslo) as well as the hinterlands in between and offshore islands. But it’s the small moments that shine. In the Swedish lakeside village of Tallberg, you’ll bake cinnamon rolls with locals, then head into the forest for a gentle walk and an outdoor lunch cooked over an open fire. You’ll also get to appreciate the Swedish pastime of fika (coffee and sweets), sample Norwegian snacks and go for an aquavit (spirit) tasting.
7. Make culinary connections in Japan
The 12-day Japan: Land of the Rising Sun journey isn’t just about ticking off the postcard sights. You’ll also be getting closer to the people, flavours and traditions that make the country unique. In Hagi, you’ll visit a female sake brewer whose story is as inspiring as her craft – she’s one of the few women in Japan to take on a family sake business in a male-dominated industry. Then, stay with a local family for a rare glimpse into rural Japanese life, sharing home-cooked meals together, swapping stories and picking up a few Japanese cooking tips along the way.
8. Feast with purpose in Malaysia
On the new Singapore to Malaysia Real Food Adventure, you’ll sit down to a home-cooked feast at Kafe Basikal Tua, where visually impaired chefs dish up fragrant Malay favourites. On the coast of Penang, you’ll also explore the Tropical Spice Garden – a five-acre, biodiverse living museum of the spices and other tropical plants – before learning to cook aromatic dishes surrounded by lush greenery, using herbs and spices grown on site.
Read more: 9 new ways to champion local women
9. Discover Galicia’s women-led seafood traditions
A new experience added to the Northern Spain Real Food Adventure visits the quiet fishing village of Cambados to meet the women behind Galicia’s seafood heritage. For this new addition, Intrepid has partnered with Ponle Cara al Turismo – an association founded and led by women who promote sustainable tourism and support local communities. Visit canning factories where women have long perfected the art of preserving fish, taste local wines and delicacies, then stroll along the port where nets are repaired by hand. For those keen to dive deeper, pull on a pair of boots and try your hand at shellfishing.
10. Feast your eyes (and appetite) across the Andes
From Bolivia’s high plains to Chile’s otherworldly deserts, the nine-day Bolivia Encounter journey is a feast for the senses. While traversing the shimmering Uyuni Salt Flats in a 4WD, you’ll stop to see the Salt Hotel and Dakar Rally monument before sitting down to a picturesque picnic lunch in the middle of the endless white expanse. You’ll also stop by the small town of Colchani to see how a local farm processes salt from the Salar.
Read more: 16 unique places to stay around the world
11. Discover Saudi Arabia’s renowned hospitality
From coastal markets to desert feasts, the new Saudi Arabia Highlights trip serves up a richly layered look at local life. In Jeddah, wander through the city’s bustling fish market, choose your catch of the day and have it cooked to perfection at a nearby restaurant for a truly fresh seafood lunch. Later in Hail, head to the desert outskirts for a traditional Saudi kishta experience – a Bedouin-style outdoor dinner under the stars, complete with a tent, rugs, cushions and dishes cooked slowly over open coals.
12. Meet the people brewing change in Belgrade
On the Explore the Balkans adventure, you’ll travel through Central Europe’s lesser-known cities and sites, meeting the people shaping their communities today. As part of a newly added experience in Serbia, you’ll visit Zvuci Srca cafe in Belgrade, run by a social enterprise providing jobs and purpose for young people with developmental disabilities. Enjoy a drink, hear the story behind the organisation and, if you like, take home one of their handmade creations.
13. Sample a fresh take on Thai flavours
The refreshed Thailand Real Food Adventure celebrates the country’s food culture by joining locals in the little-visited province of Phichit for a home-cooked lunch of spicy tom yam soup, wing bean salad, stir-fried vegetables and a fluffy Thai omelette – all made from ingredients sourced straight from the fields. Then, learn how to make classic Thai desserts like banana or pumpkin in coconut milk, depending on the season. In Chiang Mai, wrap up your journey with a farewell dinner at the chef’s table of family run fusion restaurant, Ros Yiam Bar, where you’ll hear from Chef Kosin – once an Intrepid leader, now a celebrated chef – as he shares his story and the Northern Thai flavours that define his family’s food.
14. Savour a new truffle tasting in the Blue Mountains
From April 2026, the Best of Sydney and Blue Mountains journey adds a delicious new stop in Oberon with a truffle-farm experience set among the misty hills of the Blue Mountains. You’ll meet expert growers who’ll share how these gourmet treasures are cultivated and learn how aroma profiles and the grading process works, then sample a selection of umami-rich, truffle-infused treats. It’s a fitting finale to a trip that blends Sydney’s icons and First Nations’ stories with the wild beauty and bold flavours of the Blue Mountains.
Find out what else is new for 2026 with The Goods – a collection of new trips and experiences to inspire a year of adventure.
