Custom Culinary Travel Itineraries for the Pacific Northwest

The best trips are planned around meals. Ours certainly are. We’ve spent years eating and drinking our way across the Pacific Northwest for our stories, and our custom culinary itineraries put that research to work for you. Tell us how you like to travel, and we’ll build a day-by-day plan that strings together memorable tables, tasting rooms, markets and scenic detours — paced so you have time to savor it all. You get the insider knowledge of a travel writer without spending hours piecing it together yourself.

What’s included

We currently plan trips across the places we know best:

• Portland. Food carts, neighborhood bistros, bakeries, coffee, cocktail bars and farmers markets.
• Willamette Valley. Wineries by sub-region, farm stands, wine-country dining and quiet country roads.
• Columbia River Gorge. Waterfalls and trails paired with orchards, breweries and wineries on both sides of the river.
• Oregon Coast. Seafood shacks, oyster bars, cheese and chowder stops and dramatic viewpoints.
• San Juan Islands. Ferry-friendly routes to farms, island wineries, seafood and slow island evenings.

Every itinerary includes:

• A travel questionnaire to capture your tastes, budget, pace, dietary needs and must-dos.
• A curated day-by-day plan with breakfast-to-nightcap suggestions and backup options.
• Dining reservation guidance — which places to book, how far in advance and which are walk-in friendly.
• Tasting appointment suggestions for wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries.
• Lodging suggestions at a range of styles and price points.
• Maps linking each stop so routes make sense on the ground.
• A PDF and mobile-friendly guide you can print or carry on your phone.
• One revision to fine-tune the plan once you’ve reviewed it.

How it works

1. Book and share your dates. Tell us where and when you’re traveling and who’s coming.
2. Complete the questionnaire. The more we know about what you love (and what you don’t), the better your plan.
3. We research and build. We draw on our reporting and confirm current details as closely as possible.
4. Review your draft. You receive a complete itinerary with maps and notes.
5. One round of revisions. Swap a dinner, add a hike, slow the pace — we adjust and deliver the final guide.
6. Travel and enjoy. Make your reservations using our guidance, or add concierge booking and let us handle them.

Who it’s for

Our itineraries suit first-time visitors who want to skip the tourist traps, returning travelers looking for something new, couples planning an anniversary or honeymoon, families who need kid-friendly options alongside grown-up meals and groups coordinating a reunion or celebration. Locals are welcome too — a staycation planned by someone else can feel like a real getaway.

We pay close attention to pacing. A good culinary trip leaves room for appetite, so we balance big dinners with lighter meals, cluster stops to cut down on driving and build in unscheduled time for wandering into a bakery or lingering over a view. If you travel with someone who doesn’t drink, has food allergies or uses a wheelchair, tell us and we’ll plan with that in mind from the start rather than as an afterthought.

Sample two-day itinerary

This simplified example shows the shape of a Portland and Willamette Valley weekend. Your guide will include specific recommendations, timing notes and maps.

Add-ons & options

• Concierge booking. We make your dining reservations and tasting appointments for you, where they can be booked in advance.
• Private wine-country tour. Add a chauffeured day from our wine-country tours so no one has to drive after tasting.
• Additional revisions. Extra rounds for evolving plans.
• Special occasions. Proposal-worthy viewpoints, celebration dinners and thoughtful surprises.
• Group coordination. Itineraries for larger parties with options for splitting up and meeting back together.

Good to know

• Pricing. $250 is the starting price for a short itinerary in a single region. Longer trips, multiple regions and concierge booking are quoted individually.
• Details change. Restaurants and wineries update hours, menus and fees often. We verify what we can, but please check before you go.
• Bookings and payments. Unless you add concierge booking, you make and pay for your own reservations directly with each business.
• Cancellations. Please review our terms of use for cancellation and refund policies.
• 21+ and never drink and drive. Tasting suggestions are for travelers 21 and over. When an itinerary includes wine tasting, we build in designated drivers, chauffeurs or walkable stops — never plan to drive after drinking.

Looking for inspiration first? Read our Columbia River Gorge food and wine weekend or Time to Savor the San Juans.

Ready to eat and drink your way through the Northwest? Start planning your custom itinerary and we’ll send our travel questionnaire.