The Best Local Culture Travel Experiences
Get under the skin of a place and pick up a skill – whether that’s dancing in Sicily or cooking in Georgia – on one of these Culture Trip small-group tours.
The best trips are so much more than a holiday. Venture away from the pool to experience different cultures and discover a destination like a local, and you will not regret it. From family-run restaurants off the tourist trail to historical monuments only locals know, these carefully curated Culture Trip adventures allow you to experience culture in the world’s most unforgettable destinations.
The real White Lotus location
The toecap of Italy’s boot has gained fresh hype following season two of TV’s most wanderlusty show, The White Lotus. Just like the characters, you’ll spend time in Taormina, Cefalu and Noto as you see the best of Sicily at a slow pace – in keeping with the local rhythm of life. Over 8 days in the largest island in the Mediterranean you’ll savour the sights and sounds of southern Italy, with plenty of pit stops for gelato and limoncello. You’ll go on a fascinating trip to the Aeolian islands for close encounters with smoking volcanoes and hot springs, and explore the dramatic slopes of Mount Etna. Sicilian cooking workshops and multiple street food experiences will help you immerse yourself in the local cuisine, while culture and ancient history abound in Taormina and the baroque towns of Noto, Ragusa and Modica.
Getting stuck into a cooking lesson in rural Georgia
From the very first day exploring Old Tbilisi’s fourth-century Narikala Fortress, this cultural trip will take you back in time in the place many believe is the Land of the Golden Fleece. Your local experience will include a cooking lesson in a chef’s home, a trip to remote Juta village and a visit to the Kakheti region, where wine has been made since 6000BCE in clay vessels buried underground.
Maja Proescholdt contributed additional reporting to this article.