The Discovery CompassThe Discovery Compass

  • Home
  • Small Group Travel
  • Luxury Travel
  • Experiential Travel
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • More
    • Personal
    • Destinations
    • Travel Tips
    • Tours & Vacations
    • Culinary Experiences
    • Culture
Search
  • Home
  • Small Group Travel
  • Luxury Travel
  • Experiential Travel
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • More
    • Personal
    • Destinations
    • Travel Tips
    • Tours & Vacations
    • Culinary Experiences
    • Culture

The Discovery CompassThe Discovery Compass

  • Home
  • Small Group Travel
  • Luxury Travel
  • Experiential Travel
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • More
    • Personal
    • Destinations
    • Travel Tips
    • Tours & Vacations
    • Culinary Experiences
    • Culture
Search
  • Home
  • Small Group Travel
  • Luxury Travel
  • Experiential Travel
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • More
    • Personal
    • Destinations
    • Travel Tips
    • Tours & Vacations
    • Culinary Experiences
    • Culture
Expectations

Tomorrow, We Lose Money. Here’s Why I Sleep Perfectly Fine About It


What happens when 2 guests show up for a tour that needs 8 to profit – and what it reveals about an industry that’s forgotten its purpose I was scrolling through TripAdvisor reviews this morning (don’t ask me why I torture myself like this), when I stumbled across something that made me sick to my...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 29, 2025
  • 1
Culture & Lifestyle

The Crisis That Revealed Our True Identity – And Changed Everything


How choosing family over profit during COVID confirmed for us that we were still the company we were always meant to be In March 2020, the entire world seemed to stop, and we were just about to start our season. The entire world stopped traveling, and we faced an impossible choice that would define not just our...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 19, 2025
  • 3
Expectations

The Truth About Italy’s 1 Euro Homes: Why They’re Not Such a Great Deal After All


The headlines are irresistible: “Buy a House in Italy for Just 1 Euro!” Social media feeds overflow with dreamy photos of ancient stone cottages nestled in picturesque Italian villages, all yours for the price of a morning espresso. With over 50 municipalities across Italy participating in these schemes as...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • August 2, 2025
  • 0
Culinary Experiences

Where Hearts Find Home: The Story of Soriano nel Cimino


Why our first location remains the soul of Culture Discovery Vacations Nearly twenty years ago, in a medieval hilltop village that most travelers have never heard of, a dream was born. While everyone else flocked to the famous piazzas of Florence and the dramatic coastlines of Cinque Terre, we discovered something...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • July 13, 2025
  • 4
Experiential Travel

Small Group Travel Myths Debunked: The Truth About Authentic Cultural Tours


Discover why small group travel myths are wrong! Learn how authentic cultural tours with 14-18 guests offer better value, flexibility, and access than large group tourism. Expert insights from 20+ years in travel.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • July 4, 2025
  • 0
Culture & Lifestyle

Portugal Tours: Why 8 Days around Porto Beats 8 Cities in 8 Days (A Travel Industry Insider’s Honest Take)


Tired of Portugal tours that leave you empty? An industry insider reveals why 8 days immersed in Northern Portugal offers true cultural connection and lasting transformation, far beyond rushing through 8 cities.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • June 24, 2025
  • 1
Read Article
Culture & Lifestyle
Culture & Lifestyle

Why Pizza is the Best Food


I’ve been trying to think of a blog post to write all day long, and no matter what I did, all I could come up with was one word: Pizza. How do I write a blog post on pizza? Pizza is the best food in the world! Do a I write...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • May 29, 2019
  • 4
  • Read More...
Read Article
Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 1: “The Warm Table”


“The Warm Table” For years, people have asked me to tell the story of how I ended up with my dual US-Italy life. The reality is that it was a series of somewhat unrelated events that all came together to create an...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • May 16, 2019
  • 28
  • Read More...
Read Article
Personal
Personal

Starbucks digs its claws into Italy, and why that saddens me.


With its massive global expansion, Starbucks has always left Italy alone. After all, how do you open a store in the country you copied your model from?

  • Michael Kovnick
  • May 10, 2019
  • 2
  • Read More...
Read Article
Culture & Lifestyle
Culture & Lifestyle

Italian Coffee – What and How to Order


Italian Coffee Protocol There are many things that Italians hold dear, coffee being one of the big ones. But there are unspoken rules about how to order Italian coffee, and if you do it wrong, every Italian will judge you, even...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • May 6, 2019
  • 4
  • Read More...
Read Article
Destinations
Destinations

Our Amalfi Coast Vacation in 13 Gorgeous Photos


Our Amalfi Coast Vacation is one of our best selling tours. The dramatic coastlines, the perfect towns built into the cliffs, it is absolutely stunning from every angle. The Amalfi Coast was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • May 3, 2019
  • 3
  • Read More...
Read Article
Travel Tips
Travel Tips

10 Tips for New Travelers


These are great tips for new travelers, but also useful for seasoned travelers or people who haven’t traveled in a while. It can be scary to travel to a new country, especially when there is a different currency and...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 30, 2019
  • 0
  • Read More...
Read Article
Culinary Experiences
Culinary Experiences

7 Reasons Why Bologna is an Italian Food Paradise


Bologna, the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, is one of Italy’s best kept secrets.  While many American tourists don’t even know Bologna exists, Italians consider it as a major food capital. Bologna is the...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 26, 2019
  • 0
  • Read More...
Read Article
Culinary Experiences
Culinary Experiences

5 Reasons our Cooking Vacations are the Perfect Solo Trip


Are you thinking about taking a solo trip, but are afraid of being in a new place all alone? Solo trips are becoming more and more popular among men and women of all ages. Solo travelers can be anyone from a young single who is...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 23, 2019
  • 0
  • Read More...
Read Article
Culinary Experiences
Culinary Experiences

The 10 Best EASY Italian Recipes


Italian food is always a crowd pleaser, and it’s truthfully pretty easy to make but a lot of people are afraid to try. Enter Olive Garden. You can make your favorite Italian recipes at home, it’s so much easier...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 17, 2019
  • 0
  • Read More...
Read Article
Destinations
Destinations

The Siena Horse Race – Palio di Siena


The Siena horse race, Italy’s most celebrated horse race dates back to 1633. The Palio di Siena is not a typical race, the rules are few, the traditions are involved, the rituals are divine, and the fanaticism is nothing...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • April 15, 2019
  • 0
  • Read More...
Newer Posts
  • 1
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • …
  • 11
Older Posts
  • Culinary Experiences
  • Culture
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • Destinations
  • Expectations
  • Experiential Travel
  • Luxury Travel
  • Personal
  • Small Group Travel
  • Tours & Vacations
  • Travel Tips
Small Groups
Culture Discovery Vacations
Leading Luxury Food & Wine Tour Operator
Authentic culinary experiences with Culture Discovery Vacations

Experience the true meaning of luxury travel with Culture Discovery Vacations - the leading small-group culinary tour operator, offering immersive experiences that go beyond traditional opulence.

  • Hands-on cooking classes with local families
  • Authentic all-inclusive pricing with no hidden costs
  • Boutique accommodations with character
  • Exclusive access to family vineyards
★★★★★
5.0/5 from 384+ reviews on TripAdvisor
"We didn't feel like tourists—we felt like family. The cooking classes changed how I think about food."
— Mark S., Tuscany Tour
Discover Our Tours
Italy • Portugal • Spain • Croatia

Recent Comments


  • abdessamed gtumsila on Tomorrow, We Lose Money. Here’s Why I Sleep Perfectly Fine About It
  • Michael Kovnick on The Crisis That Revealed Our True Identity – And Changed Everything
  • ANN Bowerman on The Crisis That Revealed Our True Identity – And Changed Everything
  • Patricia Ford on The Crisis That Revealed Our True Identity – And Changed Everything
  • Michael Kovnick on Where Hearts Find Home: The Story of Soriano nel Cimino

Tags


america calabria cimino Coffee Cooking english family flight Food holidays how to travel italians italian village italian word italian words language locals marketing olive garden pasta pompeii porto portugal restaurants soriano spanish steps tour town tourist traditions translation travel tips Umbria vacation vacations vatican
Newer Posts
  • 1
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • …
  • 11
Older Posts

Categories


Copyright ©Culture Discovery Vacations. • All rights reserved.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Tumblr
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest