8 Top Unique Tours in Europe: Into the Lives & Homes of Locals

Whether it’s heading off to a charmingly relaxed village in the mountains of Andalusia to visit a local’s home for a traditional meal or accompanying a Parisian to one of the French capital’s best markets for a unique inside look at daily life, our small-batch Go Local Tours go beyond the tourist sites and embed you in the fabric of local communities.

On these tours, you will be introduced to local artisans, bakers and fishermen, you’ll shop at local markets and you will, in many senses, become part of a local family. You’ll learn about generations-old traditions and the ways of the locals’ day-to-day lives. Whether the tour happens to be in a longtime favorite travel spot or a destination that’s entirely new to you, all of these features come together to create a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave you feeling connected to the place – and changed.

More than 100 of these tours are offered throughout Europe, with additional opportunities in Africa, Alaska, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Caribbean and South America. Below is a short list of favorites – our 8 top unique tours in Europe – that illustrate the depth and breadth of these exclusive Go Local Tours.

Haugesund, Norway | Forresfjord Home Visit
Visit with local couple Anne and Leif Bjarte, who will welcome you into their harmonious home and garden to discuss daily life in rural Norway and their passion for gardening. As lovely as their 19th-century wooden house is, the grounds are even more spectacular. Anne is a garden designer, while Leif is a landscape architect. In the garden, you will find perennials and roses in bloom and all sorts of other fragrant plants. You will also browse the greenhouse where vegetables and fruits are cultivated. Herbs and spices have their places, too. Besides being added to dishes to enhance their flavors, they are picked for tea, a cup of which you will be served. Traditional Norwegian waffles and jam will be offered as an accompaniment.

Limassol, Cyprus | Cyprus Rural & Agricultural Heritage
Experience traditional rural life by making bread, sampling cheeses and coffee, and conversing with villagers. While visiting the family-operated Hadjiiorkis flour mill in Frenaros, you will learn how the milling process has changed over the decades and make your own whole wheat bread. Feel free to sample it at the mill and take the remaining loaf with you on the way to Athienou village. Your host there will be the mayor, who will lead you on an enlightening insider’s tour of the area. Later, you will enjoy a cup of strong coffee made in a long-handled pot called a mbriki. Other highlights include a tasting of halloumi and anari cheeses made in a 19th-century creamery, a revealing conversation with a priest and a performance of Byzantine hymns.

Málaga, Spain | Slow Pace of Life in Andalusian Village
Savor the slow pace of life so prevalent in the mountain villages north of Málaga, where you will linger over a home-cooked meal at a private residence. As you meander through the white-washed village of Alfarnate, you can’t help but notice the relaxed rhythms. It’s a refreshing attitude that the locals have wholeheartedly embraced. Nearby, you will find Alfarnatejo, another small and wonderfully serene mountain village that you will experience while visiting a private home for an authentic Andalusian meal. Your hospitable host will happily discuss the many attractions of living in this quiet village and how most residents pass the time.

Paris (Le Havre), France | Like a Parisian in the Marché d’Aligre
Experience the Marché d’Aligre – one of Paris’ most extraordinary markets – like a Parisian for a true picture of daily life in the capital of France. Meet up with a local guide that will show you around the market where so many Parisians come daily for garden produce, baked goods, cut flowers and all sorts of gourmet delicacies. You’re likely to see the finest chefs in Paris stocking up their kitchens, locals engaged in lively conversations and vendors proudly offering tastings. The guide will be an invaluable resource, introducing you to vendors who will happily elaborate on their distinctive goods. As a prelude to spending a bit of free time in the area, enjoy a glass of wine at a nearby wine shop.

Portofino, Italy | Fishing with Natives
Spend a day at sea with local fishermen, watching them haul in the day’s catch, which they will prepare for your lunch while you sit back and enjoy the staggeringly beautiful scenery. The captain and crew of your boat will describe a typical day on the Ligurian Sea as they fish for mackerel, bream, mullets and other common species. In some cases, the fishermen might haul in nets that they had cast the night before. Other times, they may use traditional palamiti, which are long fishing lines with hundreds of hooks. Regardless, the fishermen are always successful, and you will dine on the day’s catch while on board. As you will discover, fresh fish just pulled from the sea tastes absolutely wonderful, especially when prepared in a traditional way.

Provence (Marseille), France | Provence Black Truffle Discovery
Venture into the Provençal countryside with a truffle hunter and a truffle-hunting dog to find coveted truffles, after which you will sample them with several local wines. Your adventure will take place near Rognes, a village known for its wine, quarried stone and the cultivation of black truffles. These prized fungi delicacies, sometimes called Provençal black diamonds, grow underground near the roots of specific host trees. Accompanied by a truffle hunter and a specially trained truffle-hunting dog, you will head into the woods in search of black truffles. Once the dog sniffs out a truffle, the hunter will show you how to extract it from the soil without damage. It is a slow, methodical process that reflects the value of these black fungi.

St. Peter Port (Guernsey), UK | Fruits of the Valley
Meander through the orchards at a family farm that makes Rocquette apple ciders and sample a remarkable variety of them. Although cider-making dates to the 1700s in the Channel Islands, it has experienced a renaissance. To meet the growing demand, the farm that you will visit planted an additional 5,000 apple trees over the past two decades. You will sample as many as nine distinct Rocquette ciders that may include a refreshing draft with a prominent “appley” taste, a medium-strong aromatic cider blended with hops and a sweet cider made with raspberry juice. Local cheese, fresh-baked biscuits and the farm’s own apple chutneys will be served as accompaniments.

St. Petersburg, Russia | Matryoshka Painting Master Class
Learn to paint your own version of Matryoshka nesting dolls in a hands-on class and then enjoy a traditional Russian tea party with ice cream at a downtown café. The wooden dolls have been wildly popular since 1900, when they won the bronze medal in the World Exposition in Paris. A set of these iconic Russian souvenirs typically contains seven dolls of decreasing size, each one identically painted and nesting inside another. Matryoshka means “little matron,” and the dolls are said to represent motherhood and family. An art expert will offer guidance as you paint your own set of dolls in the hands-on class. When finished painting your Matryoshka nesting dolls, the set will be your souvenir to take home.

Ready to meet some locals? Explore all of our Go Local Tours here and start planning your next Europe cruise here.