Anyone who says they are too old to believe in magic has never been on a Gastronomad Experience! Because that’s what it is — magic. Each day is a surprise. Every day of the experience becomes your favorite day. In two radically different trips, Oaxaca and Provence, we were taught and fed by amazing chefs, learned about mezcal and rosé, lavender and textiles, all in an environment that fed our curiosity, our spirits, and our stomachs! We couldn’t help but laugh out loud some days when we found ourselves doing things we could never have imagined we would have had the opportunity to do. Mike and Amira constantly astound us with their creativity and thoughtfulness in designing the most memorable trips. Bring an open heart, an open mind, and experience the unforgettable! - Dan and Elizabeth

The experience couldn't have been better. As usual, Amira and Mike have a great attention to detail, and a sense of quality and exclusivity while not being uptight or arrogant. Also the pacing of the experience is just right, with enough time to rest and be ready for dinner, etc. We ate in amazing, local places, learned how to make delicious pasta with a local chef, and experienced the local culture like a typical tourist could not have. We have done Provence and Prosecco, and can't wait to do our next one in Morocco in a few weeks. We have done our share of traveling and these types of experiences are in a class of their own... highly recommended. - Francisco

Our Gastronomad Experience was nothing short of extraordinary. Amira and Mike's kindness and hospitality made the journey truly special. The incredible countryside location where we stayed was like a dream, offering breathtaking views and unparalleled comfort. The wine pairings were exceptional, perfectly complementing the delicious meals we enjoyed. Each day was filled with visits to amazing sites, each more captivating than the last. In just five days, we created unforgettable memories that we will cherish forever. - Adrian and Daniela

It is hard to describe just how delightful this trip is. EVERYTHING is taken care of so that we could really relax into and revel in the experience. From the moment we were greeted in the airport, we felt like we were the most cherished guests. There was just the right mix of historic context and cultural learning. Every day brought delightful surprises, extraordinary experiences, and visual stimulation. We hiked, we swam, we napped, we walked, we rode (camels), we ate, we drank, we talked, we lounged, we laughed, we explored, we discovered, and we filled ourselves up with beauty. How could we eat so much and still lose weight? I'm telling you the whole thing is magic. Mike and Amira have curated the trip of a lifetime. One year later and I still think about elements of the experience every day. Place your trust in these people. They know what they are about and will take you along on an unforgettable journey. - Jody

We've just returned from the El Salvador Experience (we've done them all!) and once again, we're in awe of how magical and beautiful the week was. We enjoyed spending time in this beautiful country, eating delicious food, and staying at incredible locations in naturally gorgeous surroundings. And the best part was being introduced to El Salvador by Amira and Mike who have the personal relationships and connections they generously shared with us, making us feel like family in all the best ways. There's nothing else like The Gastronomad Experience. We can reassure anyone thinking about going that each Experience is incredible, delicious, inspiring, and life-changing. Trust us, trust them and sign-up! It's an absolutely fantastic way to experience the world and connect with new and longtime friends. - Julia and Charlie

The Oaxaca experience was a culinary masterpiece! We received VIP treatment from some of the top chefs in the region, including exclusive experiences that only Amira and Mike could create. Add to that the many artisans and craftspeople who lovingly shared their dedication to making the best of what Oaxaca has to offer, making our week there truly the trip of a lifetime. - Rachel and Jon

I was profoundly moved by the Provence Rosé experience. And what made me feel moved was the attention to detail. Absolutely everything was perfect. It is like you are being held and taken care of by friends who happen to know all the greatness of the region. Their ability to plan a whole day of activities and never feel that you have too much is a fine art, especially, when those things are crafted in unique locations in an exclusive way just for the group.

We really appreciate their knowledge about food, wine, and beautiful life. They both (Amira & Mike) are an inspiration and transmitted very naturally the spirit of a good and profound meal, the joy of the locality, the soul of connecting with people, and hospitality at its best.

My husband and I travel a lot and found this experience one of a kind if you are willing to get surprised by Provence and just flow for a week in a gourmandized immersion like no other. We felt like we were having a workshop on how to understand the pleasures of life in Provence surrounded by good friends. - Marina

Recently I was privileged to share the Gastrononads Venice Prosecco Experience with Amira, Mike and 10 others. Loved it all! The meals and wine we shared, the unique experience of each day plus the special way Amira and Mike interacted with each of us, created a bonding among 13 great people! Gastronomad now has a piece of my heart. - Eileen

A Gastronomad Experience is perfect if you love food and culture, experiencing them through the eyes and lives of those who are passionate about their roots and their heritage. Mike and Amira took care of all the details, a big relief for those of us who aren’t experienced travellers. From finding hidden gems like a coffee shop with a million dollars view, understanding the history behind the floating gardens while having a feast (envied by tourists!), learning how to make authentic dishes, making memories with thousands of photos, to amazing meals shared with even more amazing people. It was life changing - Raising my consciousness about where our food comes from, our ecosystems and sustainability of historical food sources. It was an incredible experience that we will never forget and are likely to repeat. - Christine

We are more than certain that we will follow Amira and Mike to another Gastronomad Experience… maybe even revisit The Provence Rosé Experience we just completed. The first Experience was a leap of faith for us. The second one will not be a leap of faith, but rather a “knowing” that our vacation will be in great hands, due to the professional planning, exquisite execution and honestly, the core values that Amira and Mike live their life by. To say we are “sold” is an understatement, we are now clients and friends! - Charlie

If you love food (and who doesn't) and you love sparkling wines, The Venice Prosecco Experience is the trip for you. It was a very different kind of travel experience than what we usually do. We don't like large group travel and we mostly do our "own thing" so the appeal for us was the group size and the opportunity to go to some local wineries that otherwise we wouldn't have access to. We have been to the Veneto region of Italy before but this was a cut above. The small excellent family owned wineries that Amira and Mike take you to are what everyone should aspire to and the food was beyond great. The local people that we were introduced to and had the pleasure to spend time with was just what we were looking for. Your days are filled with wine and food returning to a lovely B&B to recap the day and drink more wine. If you are looking for local flavor then sign up now. If you are looking for sightseeing, shopping and a shallow dive into a region then this is not the tour for you. You do see some of the best of Italy but not the "touristy" places other than Venice and even that is off the beaten path. So, sign up and pack your bags and have a week of food and wine like no other. - Marty

The Prosecco Hills & Venice Gastronomad Experience was the best experience of my life. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It was amazing due to the 5 star experience in food selection, the wines and most of all the Italian people. - Rod

To travel to a place you have never been and experience it as if you’d been there for a year or in another life is what going to Morocco with Amira and Mike felt like. It is the difference between dining at a friend’s house versus being served in a restaurant The stories, the knowledge, the wisdom that is shared, cannot be replicated - this is the beauty of the Gastronomad experience. You are taken into a world through the eyes and life of someone who has lived it. You share their experience of a place through all the senses and you become part of it., The Morocco experience let me know Morocco as if I had spent years there. I lived a whole spectrum of a country that is complex on every level. The best part is that be in the moments of Morocco without the distraction of worry, planning, negotiating, deciding. I was liberated from all of those things and merely got to be in the experience. It is immersive an immersive sort of travel theater. The lights go down and the story begins and you are swept away in it. I have never traveled in this way. I will forever be changed by what I tasted, smelled, heard, saw and felt. - Julie

Our trip to Provence was 5 star all the way. Every experience was perfection. Excellence from the accommodations at the beautiful and spacious French farm house, to the gourmet, multi-course meals that always included fresh, top-quality ingredients with wine, wine, and more wine, pure excellence. If you want a vacation that includes the essence of a culture and all the leg work to do it right is done for you, join Gastronomad. - Janet

Our week in Provence was nothing short of Magical… The Provence Rosé Experience was more than anything we could have imagined. Everything was perfectly planned from the accommodations to the incredible farewell dinner and all the surprises in between..

Amira and Mike are wonderful hosts and truly treat you like family. Experiencing Provence with them is the only way to fully immerse yourself into the culture. This was an unforgettable week so much so that we can’t decide which experience to do next. - Maria and Mardi

First, let us say that this was exactly the vacation we wanted. We wished for a real Italian experience meeting interesting people, having unique experiences and enjoying wonderful food and wine. Check, check, check.

We value experiences over things – not big souvenir shoppers – and our week was filled with visits through the breath-taking countryside to wineries and distilleries, and classes with culinary experts – and of course lots of prosecco! We had dinner in a Michelin-starred restaurant and in a palazzo in Venice, but even the incredible meals at the farmhouse, like breakfast, were a true Italian experience of dining al fresco, lots of fresh flowers and wonderful treats baked fresh that morning.

We want to offer kudos to Amira and Mike. They have lived in all of these places and cultivated friendships with lots of locals, and use their connections to offer opportunities that we could never find on our own, like getting a gracious private tour of a hundred-year-old wine cellar by the owner and getting to sample a couple of vintage wines. It was like this for the entire trip – we felt more like we were visiting (new) good friends rather than going on a tour. To make it all this seamless and fun takes a tremendous amount of planning and coordination. All week, everything was handled and all we had to do was relax and enjoy!

We would love to go on another trip with them – more good food and wine await! - Beety and John

Just book your flight! That’s all you need to do. From pickup at the airport to drop off, everything is taken care off. Luxury accommodations, top shelf experiences, cultural immersion, and friendships made. Our Mexico City Experience has spoiled us for any other way to travel. Mike & Amira’s infectious love of Mexican Food Culture and its people is truly beautiful. - Michele

“A week like no other. Aside from the Galapagos Islands (where it's required), I've never booked a vacation on which someone else determined my itinerary day by day. That is, until I discovered Mike and Amira Elgan's Gastronomad Experiences.

Every day was a surprise as the details of your daily itinerary was carefully guarded by Amira. This added to the sense of wonder and discovery which is at the core of the Gastronomad Experiences. We went from foraging for mushrooms in the hillsides, to stunning Michelin star dining. We learned to make local specialties; everything was hands on. The wine education you receive is at the hands of experts in their fields.

Don't tell Mike and Amira, but the price was a steal. Not once were you required to pay for anything after you arrived at the airport; all food, wine, instruction, transportation were covered. There was more wine and food than a normal human could handle. One thing I realized early on was the the cost included a full time photojournalist (a.k.a. Mike Elgan). Every step of your journey is documented, and the photos were available nearly immediately. Feel free to take a camera, but you won't need it. This is a hidden feature of any Gastronomad Experience which I think needs to be stressed!

Amira and Mike alone might be worth the price of admission. You'll never meet more generous and knowledgeable hosts. They treated you like family, and not like tourists. Their lifetime of travel experience was yours to sample at a moments notice. They make a compelling case for the Gastronomad lifestyle, and they're happy to guide you on how to get there yourself. They clearly love what they do, and love sharing it with other of similar temperament. The warmth they exude was contagious!” -Tom

“I was recently browsing our group pictures from our Gastronomad Experience and one constant theme that emerged from those pictures was the smiles on our faces. These smiles say a lot about the delight that we experienced day after day as we met with some of the best bakers, winemakers, cheese makers and coffee roasters the city and the region has to offer. Furthermore, the Gastronomad Experience allowed me to live fully in the moment, free of the tyranny of decisions about what comes next. Everything was expertly organized and of top notch quality: The place we stayed at was upscale, the food and wine we enjoyed was fantastic and plentiful and the daily experiences were informative and entertaining. All that being said, would I do it again? You bet!” -Francois

“Our very knowledgeable hosts made everyone immediately feel like family and organized an incredible week. The “farmhouse” was a lovingly restored high-end B&B whose owner is also a top-notch chef. Every day had new surprises and delights - private winery tours from the proprietors, classes from cookbook authors, reserved dining rooms in Michelin restaurants. But maybe the best part was new friendships with warm and well-traveled people like Mike and Amira. We’ve had wonderful times in dozens of countries, Italy several times, but never experienced anything like this before.” -Gary

“This was truly one of the most excellent experiences in my life. In no particular order, what made it so was the people we met and traveled with, the experiences that were planned for us, the food and the drink. From the moment we entered the pleasant B&B where we stayed and met the owners, I felt loved and cared for. They were so kind and thoughtful, as were the group leaders who were more like friends than group leaders. The small group we Experienced with were well-traveled, well-rounded, and downright fun to be with. The experiences we had--tours of wineries not open to the public, dining in Michelin star restaurants, and even mushroom hunting in the woods--were all unexpected and delightful and made possible only by the personal friendships of our well-traveled and outgoing tour leaders, who were welcomed like the long-lost everywhere we went. We never would have had access to any of it outside of the Experience. Before we went, I thought it was a bit pricey, but having experienced the Experience I am amazed that so much was included.” -Gretchen

Deciding to book the Oaxaca Gastronomad Experience was a leap of faith for us. No itinerary. Only Amira’s and Mike's promise to deliver a superb gastronomic experience. And they certainly delivered on that promise. Whether attending a cooking class with a well-regarded chef or visiting an artisan community everything was so well planned and executed. Every meal was special. It was the best of everything! All the details of times and transportation were all worked out ahead of time. We had so much fun and developed a group of friends while sharing the experience with our small travel group. Amira and Mike taking care of all the details was a real plus. We will be back! -Nathan

The dramatic physical beauty of Provence will greet you no matter how you travel there. What makes Mike and Amira’s Gastronomad Experience so special is the opportunity to participate in a number of exclusive, behind-the-scenes events and special meals arranged with their passionate and knowledgeable local friends. Among the highlights: one is able to leave the world behind while exploring the wonders of the outdoor markets. The Provence Experience will be of particular interest to wine lovers, although I, Barbara, a food lover, came without much experience with wines. What a surprising pleasure it was to have my nose and palate so enjoyably educated on our trip! Mike and Amira worked incredibly hard to make us feel appreciated and our visit relaxing and varied. Best of all, they created an environment in which our traveling companions—all strangers at the beginning—forged bonds of friendship and trust we could never have imagined. - Bernard and Barbara

“My wife and I went on a Gastronomad Experience and it was a one-of-a-kind vacation which met and then surpassed our expectations. The idea of focusing on a region’s food and wine culture intrigued us so we decided to take a chance and sign up. Every day was filled with culinary activities and fascinating destinations where we learned about local specialties and in between we ate fabulous meals and soaked in the beauty of the region. What was surprising was how quickly we became close with our fellow travelers, sparked by a common interest in food and wine. Traveling and sharing the experience with a group of good friends added a wonderful, unanticipated dimension to the trip, but perhaps the most unexpected outcome was how much it inspired us. We do realize that planning an experience this exceptional by ourselves would be impossible without the years Mike and Amira have spent living in these locations and their dedication to making each event perfect, but it illustrated that if you have passion, curiosity, and a desire to venture beyond typical tourist activities—and you are willing to open up and ask questions—there are similar-minded people all over the world happy to share their knowledge and culture with you. Fantastic!” -Steve

“Words can't express how amazing this experience was. It's not often you can say a vacation changed your life, but that's exactly what happened. I saw the world in a whole new way. You can tell that Mike and Amira put their heart and soul into every experience. The camaraderie, excursions, food, and wine were phenomenal. I would go anywhere with Mike and Amira!!” -Heather

“Awesome! Exquisite, with a focus on quality, yet never ostentatious, nor extravagant. My husband and I enjoyed our Gastronomad experience in Barcelona very much. It felt like a relaxing, casual, and friendly get-together with a small group of food and wine aficionados in one of the greatest gastronomic cities of the world. Our hosts greeted us in the most family-like atmosphere which helped set the mood among participants during the entire stay. The wine had been carefully selected, the home-made food was a delight. Day after day, we sampled and enjoyed good food and wine, at best locations and in pleasant company, while never having to worry about decision making or any aspect of logistics. Whatever surprise field trip or activity our hosts had planned for us each day, we remained confident of a fun, engaging, and an authentic experience. We had the pleasure to get acquainted with local people, who welcomed us warmly and so kindly shared with us some of the art and science of their craft, as well as their passion for it. Congratulations and long live Gastronomad! What an innovative way of having your guests immersed into local flavors and experience the heartbeat of the city and countryside beyond the usual tourist sites! Please, keep up the Gastronomad blog: we love to see all the great pictures and read about your new experiences and acquaintances!” -Micheline

“I have traveled a fair amount both abroad and in the US. So I know my way around. I rarely do tour groups or private tours and I have never done a fully planned excursion like the Gastronomad Experiences. Usually I have tried to do the hard to find, off the beaten path items as well so tour groups don’t really fit into that.

All of this is to say that I was a bit out of my element. I certainly don’t mind groups but they weren’t really something I would seek out when traveling. Also, I knew the trip would be good but with anything like this there’s uncertainty.

My fears, doubts, second guessing, etc were all dispelled within the first day. As soon as we arrived, Mike and Amira made us feel at home. Almost like family. The location we stayed at was great and suited a larger group well. The other people in the group were wonderful. Some of the best and most fun people I have ever met. We had a pretty diverse group of all ages and from different continents. A love of technology brought a lot of us together, as many heard about this through following Mike. However it was a love of enjoying great food and experiences that really bonded us. I consider all of them my friends now.

If the people were great then the locations we went to and establishments we visited were just incredible. We didn’t just go to the businesses the locals go to or visit hard to find places, we spent time with the people that make it happen. The people who perfect their craft for more than just money. It is for a love of doing it right. From tasting wine in a small group at a food festival to chatting with a winemaker in his reclaimed bunker. There was never a bad moment.

Mike and Amira really did a fantastic job in getting everything set up. The people they introduced us to were so nice and welcoming. Here it is some two months after the trip and we’re still talking about it. Still tagging and chatting with each other from the trip over social media. I had traveled around a lot but I had never been on something like this. It was an experience.” - Joe

“I generally despise group tours, and have avoided them most of my life. So what the hell was I thinking considering a group tour?! Well, the concept behind the ‘Gastronomad Experience’, and the people who devised it gave me confidence (that and the fact that they rightly point out its not a ‘tour’ in the traditional sense). I won't bother to explain the concept in detail (just go here) but I will describe briefly what appealed to me, and the reality of what transpired.

Having followed some of Mike and Amira’s activities over the years, it seemed clear that they did significant research, and truly wanted to showcase the best of what was on offer, with a promise to embed you in the local culture. What became obvious very early on, was just how meticulous their planning and attention to detail was. Starting with greetings at our base of operations, an opulent spacious apartment in the heart of the city, we were immediately made to feel welcome. The next few days were packed with a sequence of unforgettable experiences. Every contingency was catered for, and our schedule was even rearranged when the weather wasn’t being compliant.

It's hard to summarise just how good each of the activities was. Everyone we met during the journey was warm and welcoming, and it was clear that Amira & Mike had established a real relationship with everyone/place we visited.

What truly made the week however, was our group. A diverse bunch of ages, backgrounds and cultures, all focussed on having a good time in one of the best cities on the planet.

Philoxenia. This a greek term which was ringing in my brain (given my heritage) throughout the entire experience. Very loosely translated, it’s the hospitality offered to friends and strangers alike, but it means so much more than that. It’s a way to embrace life and people. In essence, its what Amira and Mike offered us, we were welcomed and treated as if we were family, and we responded by becoming just that.

We loved it so much we have already booked another!” -Tony

Gastronomad Experience Testimonials