Smithsonian Journeys Launches Walking Food And Wine Tours Across European Vineyards: All You Need To Know

Written By: Soumi Chowdhury

Soumi Chowdhury

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July 1, 2026 05:22 GMT+5:30

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Smithsonian Journeys is expanding its portfolio of culturally rich trips with a collection of new food-and-wine-focused walking itineraries across Europe, designed for travelers who want to stay active while savoring local cuisine and vintages. These programs, scheduled for next year, weave together daily guided walks of two to six miles with curated tastings and immersive encounters in vineyards, villages and historic sites in Italy, France and Spain.

Senior vice president Walter Littlejohn III describes these journeys as a way for guests to deepen their connection with each destination by moving at a slower pace through the landscape, rather than simply viewing it from a bus or train window. The emphasis is on “active journeys” that combine scenic trails in some of Europe’s most celebrated wine regions with authentic food experiences and local cultural insights.

Walking Vineyards In Italy: Tuscany And Piedmont

Trails Linking Castles, Vineyards And Hill Towns

The eight-day Italy itinerary focuses on two of the country’s most revered wine regions, Tuscany and Piedmont. Travelers follow trails that connect medieval castles, vineyard rows and hilltop villages, tracing routes that locals have used for centuries to move between fields, estates and market towns. At a walking pace of roughly two to six miles a day, guests have time to absorb changing views of cypress-lined roads, stone towers and patchwork hillsides.

In Tuscany, participants can expect days spent walking through countryside known for Sangiovese-based wines, passing olive groves and historic farmhouses before reaching small towns that host tastings and regional meals. In Piedmont, the focus shifts to landscapes associated with Barolo, Barbaresco and other appellations, where vineyards drape over rolling hills and castle ruins overlook neat rows of vines. Throughout, walking routes are chosen to balance activity with comfort, avoiding overly strenuous daily distances while still feeling genuinely “on foot.”

Food, Wine And Regional Culture

Meals along the Italian itinerary highlight local specialties: pastas, cheeses, cured meats and seasonal produce, often paired with wines from estates visited earlier in the day. Tastings are structured to introduce guests to the distinct personality of each region, from Tuscan reds with their bright acidity and earthy notes to Piedmont’s Nebbiolo-driven wines famed for their structure and aromatics.

Beyond food and drink, travelers gain insight into rural Italian life, village traditions and the historical role that wine production has played in shaping local economies and landscapes. From castle-cellars to family-run vineyards, the trip creates opportunities to speak with winemakers, innkeepers and guides who illuminate how these regions have evolved while protecting long-standing agricultural practices.

Burgundy On Foot: France’s Vineyard Trails And Village Charms

Nine-Day Burgundy Journey With Castle Stays

The French itinerary spans nine days and concentrates on Burgundy, one of the world’s classic wine regions. Guests walk through a patchwork of wine estates and storybook villages, following paths that link small communes, vineyard parcels and historic estates. Daily walks again range between two and six miles, designed to be accessible while still capturing the feeling of traveling through the countryside rather than simply stopping for isolated tastings.

A highlight of the program is a stay in an 11th-century castle, which anchors the trip in the region’s architectural and feudal history. Spending nights within ancient stone walls offers a tangible connection to Burgundy’s past, contrasting with the modern techniques and ambitions of today’s winemakers.

Chateau De Pommard And Burgundy Wine Heritage

The itinerary includes wine sampling at the renowned Chateau de Pommard, celebrated for its Pinot Noir and its role in Burgundy’s global reputation. Tastings here introduce participants to the nuances of terroir, showing how soil, slope orientation and microclimate influence flavor and structure in wines from closely neighboring plots.

As travelers move between estates and villages on foot, they see how vineyards are integrated into daily life, how small lanes cut past vines, how village squares host local markets, and how centuries of cultivation have sculpted the landscape. This on-the-ground perspective complements guided explanations of Burgundy’s classification system and winemaking traditions, turning each walk into a living lesson in the region’s agricultural and cultural story.

Spain’s Basque Country And Rioja: Trails, Tapas And The Camino

Following The Camino De Santiago Through Wine Country

The nine-day Spain program focuses on Basque Country and Rioja, blending coastal geology, vineyard scenery and pilgrimage history. One of its distinguishing elements is time spent on sections of the Camino de Santiago in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Walking parts of this historic route allows travelers to experience the spiritual and cultural layers associated with centuries of pilgrimage while enjoying views of mountains, valleys and fields.

Daily walks once again fall within the two-to-six-mile range, giving guests enough distance to feel immersed without requiring intensive athletic training. Trails are chosen to highlight both the natural environment and its relationship to wine-growing areas, leading participants past terraced vineyards, rural chapels and viewpoints overlooking rugged coastlines.

Wine, Food And Bilbao Finale

In Rioja and Basque Country, food plays a central role: tastings include local wines alongside regional dishes and tapas-style bites, emphasizing how culinary traditions express regional identity. Guests learn how the area’s geology and climate shape both the grape varieties and the flavors of the wines they sample, from structured reds to fresh whites.

The journey concludes in Bilbao, a city known for its architectural transformation and vibrant food scene, offering an urban counterpoint to the quiet trails and countryside visited earlier in the trip. Time in the city allows travelers to reflect on how historic wine regions coexist with contemporary culture, and how walking routes link rural landscapes with modern centers of art, dining and daily life.

Active Cultural Travel: Why These Trips Matter

Across all three itineraries, Smithsonian Journeys is responding to a trend: travelers increasingly want trips that keep them physically active while deepening their understanding of the places they visit. The walking format encourages slower, more reflective engagement with landscapes, and the emphasis on food and wine adds a sensory dimension that makes cultural learning enjoyable and memorable.

Guests walk modest daily distances, but the rhythm of moving between vineyards, castles, villages and coastal stretches reinforces the idea that travel can be both health-conscious and intellectually rich. By designing itineraries that highlight local agriculture, regional cuisine and everyday life along the trails, Smithsonian Journeys offers an alternative to purely sedentary tours, one where each step brings a new view, a new flavor, or a new story from Europe’s wine countries.