When someone asks what’s the best decision to make when traveling, the answer is always the same. Make the trip dining-focused.
Why? Think about it. What are your favorite travel memories? More than likely a meal is involved.
Whether it was that tiny taco stand that changed your life or the insanely good tasting menu that exceeded all expectations. Food has a way of bringing travelers closer to their destination like no other activity.
Here’s the deal…
Food tourism is more popular than ever right now. And dining-focused trips are the main driver. Eating vacations allow travelers to engage with their destination on a level that traditional vacations don’t.
You have access to restaurants taking you directly into the culture, history, and identity of a place.
But dining-focused trips require forethought. If not done correctly, visitors end up stuck eating at chain restaurants or overrated tourist traps.
Here are some food trip planning tips so you can eat your way through your next vacation the right way.
What you’ll learn:
- Why plan a dining-focused vacation?
- Tips for researching restaurants
- Tips for planning your itinerary
- Tips for getting reservations
- Tips for enjoying every meal
Why Plan A Dining-Focused Vacation?
Consider this…
Food tourism is a global trend that continues to grow year after year. Hilton recently released their 2025 Trends Report where they predicted that in 2025, 81% of travelers are most excited to try local foods while visiting a new destination.
That is bananas! Locals looking to try dishes that define their city’s food scene is the number one motivator of where people vacation.
According to a recent market research report on culinary tourism, travelers will continue spending money at this rapid pace through 2030. The culinary tourism market is expected to grow by 19.9% annually through that time!
Why should you care?
When dining is the main priority of a vacation, every meal is an adventure. Every restaurant is a destination unto itself.
Whether you’re enjoying amazing fine dining in Las Vegas at places like Stubborn Seed or roaming the streets of Bangkok looking for the best pad thai. Meals are what many travelers remember long after museums and hotels slip their minds.
Tips For Researching Restaurants
The research done before a food-focused vacation will determine its success.
Walking into a city blindly is asking for disappointment. The best diners abroad know their exact schedule of restaurants they must eat at weeks before they land their first flight.
Here are some steps to take when researching restaurants abroad.
- Find food blogs specific to the city your visiting. Bloggers spend years building relationships within their food scenes. They know the best restaurants off the tops of their heads. Search Google for recent articles written about your destination.
- Leverage Instagram and TikTok. While blog posts are great, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok show the food as it actually looks when served. Search for location tags that are specific to the city and photos posted by real guests.
- Read interviews with chefs. Putting faces to names goes a long way when scanning a list of restaurants to try. Plus you’ll learn valuable info that can help you decide which restaurants are a must and which can be skipped.
- Search for restaurant recommendations on Reddit or Facebook. Simply searching “best restaurants in [insert city here]” on Reddit or Facebook will likely yield restaurant recommendations from locals and travelers alike.
Come up with your own restaurants you MUST try before you book your next trip.
Tips For Planning Your Itinerary
When dining is the main priority you wanna pack in as many restaurants as possible.
Who doesn’t want to eat at five masterful restaurants in one day?
Here’s the issue with that…
Burnout.
Yes, it’s possible to do too much eating when traveling. Be meticulous when planning out your itinerary.
Schedule one restaurant that is your main priority for the day. Build the rest of your itinerary around that meal.
The best approach is doing one “hero” meal per day.
Your hero meal is the restaurant that needs a reservation booked months in advance. Or the place with the pricey but once in a lifetime tasting menu.
It’s the restaurant you won’t want to miss under any circumstances.
Fill your day with activities that don’t include food. Schedule in breaks to walk around and explore.
You never know when you’ll discover that tiny mom-pop sushi spot with the freshest fish you’ve ever tasted.
Here’s an example itinerary focusing on food:
- Wake up
- Light breakfast / coffee to go
- Sightseeing time!
- Hero Meal (Lunch or Dinner)
- Second Meal (optional)
- NIGHT-NIGHT
Tips For Getting Reservations
Securing reservations at your dream restaurants is a battle.
Big name restaurants typically release reservations exactly 30 days from the day you’d like to book. Some even run reservation lotteries.
You have to plan accordingly if you want to eat at these sought-after spots.
Set multiple calendar reminders for when reservations open at your top restaurants.
Popular places often sell out within an hour of opening links. Be ready to book right when your reservation window opens.
Look for restaurants on more than the obvious reservation platforms.
Resy.com, Opentable.com, and tock.com are great websites to search. But some restaurants only accept bookings through their websites.
Try booking during off-peak times.
If you’re set on dining at a popular restaurant, look for less crowded times to visit. Tuesday lunch will be less booked than Saturday night.
Always have a plan B.
This cannot be stressed enough. Always have a backup restaurant in mind.
You can do all the prep work in the world but things happen. Someone could accidentally book your reservation for two or the restaurant may not offer enough menu options for your party.
Don’t sweat it if you get bounced from a restaurant. You’ll have another solid option to turn too.
Tips For Enjoying Every Meal
How you approach dining will impact your overall enjoyment of each meal.
Nobody wants to be impatiently ripping apart pieces of steak leaving bite sized holes everywhere because they were too hungry to enjoy the food.
You never want to be that guy.
Eat lighter before mealtime.
You never want to show up to a restaurant starving. But you also don’t want to eat your weight in pasta before lunch either.
Find a happy medium. A snack here and there will keep your taste buds entertained before dinnertime.
Let the chef cook.
A lot of kitchens prides themselves on tasting menus with very little wiggle room for customizing dishes.
Stay true to what they know best. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the food you’re eating. Your server is there to help educate you on the menu.
Write things down.
This can be done through taking pictures of your food or even noting the dishes and wines you enjoyed most in a journal.
You’ll forget 90% of this information if you don’t record it somehow.
Slow your roll.
Enjoy each dish. Seriously, you’re on vacation!
Don’t rush through meals just to say you can cross that restaurant off your list.
Wrapping It Up
There you have it. Some tips to keep in mind when planning your next dining-focused vacation.
Remember…
- Plan out your restaurants before you book your trip
- Create your itinerary around one MUST visit restaurant per day
- Get into the restaurants you want with a little prep work and flexibility
- Approach each dining experience with intention
Food is a major driver for most travelers nowadays. More and more people are deciding where to go next based on where they want to eat next.
Don’t be left behind. Start planning a culinary vacation you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
