To meet the growing appetite for travel focused on sampling local food and drink in Central and South America, independent travel specialist Avanti Destinations has introduced two food-focused vacations and nine add-on gastronomic experiences that agents can use to customize other FIT itineraries throughout Latin America.
Cultural and Culinary Peru Package
Avanti’s newly-launched land-only customizable package, “Cultural and Culinary Peru,” takes clients to Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco for 8 days/7 nights. Culinary highlights include a “Flavors of Lima” tour including market visit with cooking demo and lunch; Ollantaytambo (Inca ruins) tour with farm-to-table lunch and traditional musical performance; and in Cusco, a wine and cheese tasting, a walking tour and cooking class with lunch, and chocolate-making class.
Cultural highlights include an evening tour of Lima’s Larco Museum with dinner, a Piuray Lagoon kayak or paddleboard adventure with tour of the Misminay community (descendants of the Incas) which includes a lunch prepared by and eaten with the local people, guided tour of Machu Picchu with a second entrance.
The price starts at $3,419 per person, double occupancy and includes hotels, daily breakfast, Vistadome train to Machu Picchu and all other ground transfers.
Culinary Highlights of South America Package
For clients who want to explore more of South America than just Peru and focus solely on food and wine, Avanti’s new 12-day/11-night air-inclusive Culinary Highlights of South America package provides gastronomic adventures in Peru, Chile and Argentina.
Culinary experiences include a Lima gastronomy tour, lunch and lesson on preparing ceviche and pisco sour, Lima bike tour of three “huariques” (small family restaurants serving traditional cuisine), a VIP restaurant dinner overlooking the Pacific, Chilean wine discovery tour and tasting in Santiago with dinner, all-day guided gourmet tour to the food markets and specialty food shops in Santiago, Colchagua Valley winery tour with lunch, Mendoza “enologist for a day” vineyard tour where clients can make their own wine with lunch, Maipu Valley wine tour with cooking class and lunch, gastronomic tour with dinner in the San Telmo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, and a “gaucho fiesta” tour at a working “estancia” (ranch). All ground and air transfers and breakfasts are included, as well as roundtrip air from JFK (other US gateways available). From $6,119 per person, double occupancy flying economy.
New Add-On Food and Drink Options
Modular private or shared food, wine, whiskey, chocolate and coffee experiences and cooking classes can be added to any Avanti itinerary or they can be stitched together to create a customized foodie,wine, and spirits itinerary in most Central and South American countries. The latest additions:
La Paz, Bolivia: Private La Paz culinary tour with lunch - Lunch at a restaurant housed in a colonial-era house with a folkloric music and dance show, after-lunch guided tour of Indian market and Witch Doctor’s market, followed by a tour of an Andean whiskey distillery. $234
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Private Brazilian chocolate and ice cream tasting tour - Tours and tastings at a European prize-winning Bahian chocolate maker and an artisanal ice cream parlor, specializing in gelato-style and sorbets with Brazilian flavors. $189.
Santiago, Chile: Chilean haute cuisine workshop and dinner – Clients will interact with the owner chefs and enjoy a group culinary workshop focused on teaching participants about seven Chilean specialties from around the country, accompanied by wine. $537.
Cartagena, Colombia: Private real food, real places, real people tour – A walking tour through the inner walled section of the city with stops at seven authentic food shops, all frequented by locals - with tastings. $111.
San Jose, Costa Rica: Coffee tour with lunch – Tour a coffee plantation and learn how to cup coffee with the experts. $83.
Lima, Peru: Private taverns & bars of Lima tour – Learn the history and enjoy a local specialty drink at each of three of Lima’s most traditional bars, all in business for more than 100 years. $212.
Cusco, Peru: Private culinary session with local family – First, a guided tour of San Pedro market, then learn how to cook three traditional dishes with a family and eat the resulting feast for lunch. $209.
Santiago, Chile: Private Chilean wine discovery with dinner – Virtual visits and tours of Chilean wineries, with tastings of five wines plus a welcome sparkling wine. Then, proceed to a 3-course dinner with aperitif and wine. $369.
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica: Spice tour & gourmet tasting – Shared walking tour of a garden filled with tropical spices, essential oil plants, then taste gourmet spice treats and drinks. $69.
Buenos Aires, Argentina: Private gastronomic San Telmo tour with dinner – Guided tour of the San Telmo neighborhood with stops at a house dedicated to Dulce de Leche, the San Telmo Market, tastings at a wine bar, and a three-course restaurant dinner. $334.
Cusco, Peru: Cooking Lesson at MAP Museum – Learn how to prepare traditional Peruvian dishes from a chef at café of the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art and dine on the results. $285.
For more, visit www.avantidestinations.com.
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