APPETITE FOR ADVENTURE?

NO GUIDEBOOKS. NO TRENDS. JUST REAL MOMENTS, SHARED MEALS, AND THE JOY OF DISCOVERING A PLACE THROUGH IT’S PEOPLE. WE OFFER SMALL, THOUGHTFULLY CURATED EXPERIENCES THAT GO BEYOND THE TOURIST TRAIL. GOT A HUNGRY DESIRE FOR ADVENTURE?

Join the Journey
A man and a woman sit at a dinner table with plates of food, smiling at the camera in a cozy dining room with patterned curtains and a black board with pictures in the background.

GET CURIOUS WITH US

For 18 years, we’ve followed our curiosity and appetite for adventure, meeting around the world to explore new places through food and connection. Off the Eaten Track is our way of sharing that with others: small, thoughtfully curated experiences that go beyond the tourist trail. No guidebooks. No trends. Just real moments, shared meals, and the joy of discovering a place through its people. If you too have a hungry desire for adventure, come join us.

– Beth & Michael

Our Story
Illustration of a compass with a green outline and a clock on top.

EXPLORE

Go where the crowds don't venture to
find hidden gems

Green outline emblem with a truck carrying a container, set inside an oval border.

LOCAL

Unlock doors only
locals know exist in every destination

A maze with a spoon at the top, featuring two large oval shapes inside

FOOD

Discover dishes the guidebooks don’t dare to mention

Upcoming Tours

Aerial view of lush green Mount Aso in Kumamoto and valleys during daytime with a partly cloudy sky and distant mountain ranges in the background.

THE MASTER’S ROUTE

Journey through central Kyushu in Japan’s South where generations perfect their crafts—diving for seaweed, distilling spirits, shaping clay—in legendary hot spring towns.

March 15 - 26, 2026

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Rows of green crops in a farm field with houses in the background and a cloudy sky.

FROM SEA TO SKY: CHINA’S WINE TRAIL

Trace China's emerging wine story from Great Wall vineyards through desert oases to Tibetan terroir, meeting winemakers pioneering an unknown revolution.

September 6 - 19, 2026

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FUTURE JAPAN TRIPS

  • A flowing river surrounded by green foliage and moss-covered rocks in a forest.

    TOKYO'S BACKYARD

    Escape Tokyo's crowds to its hidden backyard, where thundering Fukuroda Falls cascades through ancient forests and the samurai stronghold of Aizu-Wakamatsu offers mountain onsen, celebrated sake brewing, and warrior history that most Japan visitors never discover.

  • A colorful, fierce depiction of a demon-like figure with a crown, surrounded by flames and skulls, in a traditional lantern or paper art style, at the Nebuta matsuri in Aomori, Japan.

    THE TOHOKU TRAIL

    Venture into Japan's most remote northern reaches where ancient forests hide mountain shrines, coastal villages preserve centuries-old fishing traditions and exceptional coastal cuisine, and wild hot springs steam in untouched wilderness alongside renowned sake breweries, culminating in the spectacular Nebuta festival.

  • A scenic view of a Japanese village in Toyama with traditional thatched roof houses surrounded by green trees and agricultural fields.

    THE HOKURIKU FRONTIER

    Explore Hokuriku's hidden frontier from Ishikawa's ancient craft workshops to Toyama's secluded mountain villages and the wild remoteness of Noto Peninsula, where master artisans preserve Japan's most authentic traditions, from exquisite Kanazawa gold leaf sweets to Noto's pristine seafood, in Japan's forgotten corners.

  • Four people dressed in traditional Japanese clothing walking towards a wooden shrine with stairs, surrounded by lush green trees.

    JAPAN'S SACRED WEST

    Journey through Japan's mystical western frontier where massive sand dunes meet the sacred halls of Izumo Taisha, savoring coastal treasures and mountain cuisine beneath the dramatic peaks of Daisen-Oki National Park, where ancient peaks shelter older gods.

  • Scenic view of Mount Kaimon in Japan with a volcano emitting smoke, a bird in flight, and a coastal park in the foreground featuring a grassy lawn, trees, a walking path, a fence with plaques or decorations, and some people near the water under a partly cloudy sky.

    THE FIRE ISLANDS

    Journey through ancient cedar forests and coastal fishing villages where volcanic soil creates extraordinary flavors, from Kagoshima's legendary black pork to Miyazaki's premium beef, with sunamushi sand baths and dramatic volcanic landscapes as your backdrop.goes here

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FUTURE CHINA TOURS

  • A scenic mountain landscape with snow-capped peaks, rolling green hills, and a village in the foreground under cloudy skies.

    THE SOUTHERN SILK ROAD

    Venture through Yunnan's ethnic tapestry from mist-covered rice terraces to Myanmar's doorstep, where trading post cuisines and artisan traditions flourish in ancient towns, and soaking in volcanic hot springs along routes that once connected imperial China to distant kingdoms.

  • A traditional Chinese tulou wooden building in Fujian with curved roof and numerous red lanterns hanging outside.

    THE PORCELAIN COAST

    Trace Fujian's ancient trading routes from Pingtan Island fishing villages to historic tulou fortresses in Yongding, discovering how centuries of maritime commerce created unique craft traditions like Dehua porcelain and fusion cuisines along China's historic gateway coast.

  • Stone Buddha statue inside a carved cave wall at the Longmen Grottoes in Henan, China.

    THE CRADLE PROVINCE

    Journey through China's diverse heartland from Shaolin Temple's martial arts to Kaifeng's historic noodle and dumpling traditions, and Luoyang's Buddhist grottos, where pottery masters and diverse culinary legacies reveal how monks, merchants, and artisans shaped the Middle Kingdom's multicultural soul.

  • A serene mountain landscape with a calm lake reflecting green trees and cloudy sky surrounding tall mountains at Jiuzhaigou National Park in Sichuan, China.

    SICHUAN'S HIDDEN FACE

    Explore Sichuan's hidden face from the jeweled pools of Jiuzhaigou through traditional Danba Tibetan villages to glacial Hailuogou, discovering dramatic landscapes and authentic highland cuisines that go beyond the province's spicy stereotype

  • Young girl in traditional indigenous attire, wearing a black headdress decorated with white beads, red pom-poms, and colorful embroidered details in Yunnan, China.

    CHINA'S CULTURAL CROSSROADS

    Discover China's cultural crossroads in the shadow of snow-capped peaks, where ancient Lijiang's Naxi traditions, mystical Shangri-La's Tibetan heritage, and the matriarchal Mosuo culture of pristine Lugu Lake each create their own extraordinary culinary worlds.

  • Multi-story traditional wooden buildings on a hillside, surrounded by trees and mountains at sunset in Guizhou, China.

    THE UNTAMED PROVINCE

    Discover China's best-kept secret where ethnic minorities around sacred Fanjing Mountain and thundering Huangguoshu Waterfall create some of the country's most distinctive and fiery cuisines in a mountainous province that refuses to be tamed, far from crowds in a region that mainstream tourism forgot

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TESTIMONIALS

  • I had a very short time to spend in China, and Michael absolutely made the most of it! From the best xiaolongbao I’ve ever had, to a Yunnan dining experience I didn’t even know to seek out, to cocktails with an amazing view, he made sure that every moment was filled with something remarkable that I never would have found on my own!

    - Kiera & Josh, USA


  • Our trip to Yunnan was amazing. It's so different from the rest of China, with stunning scenery and such a relaxed feel. Our guide, Minsky, truly made the trip unforgettable. He was so friendly, knowledgeable, and fun to be around. He made it feel like we were traveling with a good friend who knew all the best places. The food was incredible too, some of the best I’ve had anywhere.


    - Sophie K, UK

  • 15/10! I’ve done 2 private tours with Beth and Michael and I’m already in talks for my 3rd. I don’t know how they do it but these two will seriously get you off the beaten track and eating the best meals of your life! If you’re still thinking about it, stop thinking and just go!


    - Hanna M, Australia

  • My tour guide had the best suggestions for Japan, taking me far away from the crowded streets of Tokyo and Osaka. My favorite stop was a European-themed amusement park straight out of the Bubble Economy!


    - Rei K, USA

  • If you want to experience China like a true local, this tour is unbeatable. Off the Eaten Track took us far off the typical tour bus itinerary of major cities and attractions into hidden villages and eateries we never could have found on our own. Every step felt authentic, and untouched, with every experience and each dish coming with backstories that gave us a deeper, memorable connection to every new discovery.


    - John W, USA

HUNGRY FOR MORE

Whether you're curious about our upcoming tours, want to discuss a custom itinerary, or just have questions about traveling off the beaten path in Japan or China, we'd love to hear from you. Tell us what kind of adventure you're dreaming of.