When you live in the same town or city year after year, it’s not uncommon to develop a routine when it comes to going out to restaurants. It starts with that list of places to eat getting progressively smaller and it ends in only a small handful of menu items being considered each time you visit. When this happens, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a vacation to engage in one of the more culinary-inspiring activities possible, the food tour, and thanks to Travel + Leisure’s collection of the country’s Top Food Tours for the 2021 Fall Season, your palette is soon to be deliciously expanded.

The typical food tour brings together the best elements of travel and cuisine because when you’re far away from home, you often are more likely to release your inhibitions and try new dishes that you never would in your hometown or own kitchen. Additionally, food and culture are oftentimes closely related, so when you book a food tour, you allowyour palette to explore new tastes and textures that you might not otherwise experience, and because you’re often being led by a food tour guide, you can safely trust that you’re in the right hands.

So whether you’re looking to book a food tour to discover a new “genre” of restaurant, favorite dish, or an intriguing new recipe to add to your cooking repertoire, be sure to consider the following food tours offered in the American cities below.

Los Angeles, California

The iconic city has attracted its fair share of press, celebrities, and notoriety over the past century, but in that time it’s also drawn in culinary artists from around the world. Experience a sampling of the best international dishes that the LA Farmers’ Market has to offer by booking a “Melting Pot Food Tour,” where you can choose from a wide selection of culinary experiences. Melting Pot offers its customers the chance to choose their own culinary destiny, as they offer experiences that examine Thai Town, East LA’s Latin cuisine, and even the historic Old Pasadena. Though, one of the stand-out experiences of their available tours is booking the opportunity to dine with the Dona Juana family as part of the La Española Meats VIP Tour. On this tour, attendees are heralded by a family that is the first and last name of all Spanish cheeses, charcuterie, small plates, drinks, and imported specialties. The best part of this tour is that it ends with a lunch on a patio where you enjoy paella, tapas, and homemade churros, thus acting as the cherry on top of a perfect culinary experience.

Savannah, Georgia

Two particular food tours do an outstanding job at inundating someone with the lush history and charming spectacle often associated with Savannah. First is “The First Squares” tour offered by Savannah Taste Experience in which participants stop along six different restaurants and food boutiques to enjoy gourmet dishes and learn the history of the city’s relationship to food as you visit an authentic pub, a British Pie Shop, and an award-winning honey store. Additionally, Southern Flavors Savannah offers a three-hour excursion into the world of sweets with “The Dessert Tour.” Be sure not to book this one too close to the previous, as you’ll be swept away with the ambiance and sweetness of downtown Savannah as you collect and savor various southern delicacies ranging from creamy-textured pralines to delightfully simple and rich coffee cake amid an unforgettable setting.

Other notable entries on Travel + Leisure’s list are the “Taste of New Orleans Food Tour, Tours By Locals” in New Orleans, Louisiana; “Best of New York Food Tour by Sarah Funky” in New York City, and “Little Havana Food Tours” in Miami, Florida.

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