Why You Must Put Grocery Stores on Your Travel Itinerary

When 26-year-old Gaby Lask flew from her home in Orlando to spend Thanksgiving last year with extended family in Los Angeles, she had just one request: to visit Erewhon.

Erewhon is a luxury grocery store chain that has taken Los Angeles by storm in part for its celebrity collaborations, but more infamously for its high prices. There, even basics, like four pre-peeled, hard-boiled eggs, cost a staggering $10.

Some of the most egregious prices exist in the prepared foods section. Hailey Bieber's Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie, for example, costs $20. That smoothie drew in Lask, who describes herself as a “major foodie” and runs Instagram and TikTok accounts documenting her meals called @kiko_eatz.

“When I started seeing the Hailey Bieber smoothie and beautifully curated aisles all over my social media feeds, I knew I had to go check it out for myself,” she says.

While it’s possible to order one of Erewhon’s Instagram-worthy smoothies for less (they start at $8 for a basic fruit smoothie), customizing it with trendy ingredients like organic barley, spirulina or something called “Moon Juice Sex Dust” can easily push the price past the $20 Hailey Bieber smoothie price tag.

Lask says there were three people in line ahead of her — and most ordered the same $20 Hailey Bieber smoothie anyway.

Products like Erewhon’s over-the-top smoothies are drawing in customers at not just Erewhon, but a new crop of grocery stores aimed at not just locals. In fact, many guidebooks now recommend grocery stores, and “grocery store tourism” even went viral on TikTok in early 2025. According to a survey of 22,000 travelers conducted between June and July 2025, 55% of U.S. travelers said they always or often visit local supermarkets abroad. And that figure continues to grow. According to a SkyScanner analysis of internal Reddit data, views of grocery shopping conversations in travel subreddits are up 78% year-over-year.

As new stores open, it’s often in touristy areas. When Eataly launched its first West Coast location in 2017, the 67,000-square-foot store opened in Los Angeles inside the famous Westfield Century City mall. Eataly isn’t just a tourist attraction in Los Angeles. Its other outposts are also in tourist-friendly areas, including just off of Chicago’s famous Magnificent Mile. There’s even an Eataly on the Las Vegas Strip.

Now this isn’t an entirely new trend. Just look to the historic Los Angeles Farmers Market and the neighboring high-end, outdoor shopping center called The Grove. In fact, TripAdvisor's list of Best Free Things to Do ranks The Grove and adjacent Los Angeles Farmers Market as the No. 4 top activity in Los Angeles, narrowly edging out the Hollywood Sign.

The market’s 500 workers speak a combined total of 23 languages, according to Visit California, a nonprofit that promotes tourism to the state. That diversity is reflected in the fare. Hot food stalls include Singapore’s Banana Leaf, which serves curries and skewers, and Pampas Grill, which sells Brazilian meats. Most items, including its popular picanha cut, are sold by the pound.

That’s hardly America’s only iconic farmers market. Other highlights include Pike Place Market in Seattle, which stands out for its seafood (it’s also home of the original Starbucks). Tourists flock to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market for both views of the San Francisco Bay and locally-grown produce.

Mercado González opened in 2023 in Costa Mesa, California, where it has become a top Orange County attraction. From the outside, the Mexican market looks like any other supermarket, part of an unassuming strip mall and sandwiched between a bank and a T.J.Maxx.

One could easily complete their shopping list through its robust grocery section, which sells products from America’s biggest food brands alongside ingredients that are important in Mexican cuisine like cactus, chayote and a variety of peppers. Whereas the candy section certainly has Reese’s and Red Vines, it also sells Mexican sweets like mazapan, which is a traditional, peanut-based candy.

The highlight is the full-blown food hall. Whereas an average grocery store might have a small counter serving up hot foods like rotisserie chickens or pasta, Mercado González is a culinary wonderland.

Stalls represent the range of Mexican cuisine, including tortas (Mexican sandwiches), birria (a type of stew) and seafood. Fusion spots like Sushi El Sinaloense blend Japanese sushi with Mexican flavors.

Fresh tamales at La Tamaleria in Mercado González cost $2.99 each. A full combo meal including two tamales, rice, beans and toppings costs $10.

You’ll find unique or local products

Boutique markets, like the Farmshop in Los Angeles, are good places to find curated goods and gifts. Some are local, while others are curated for unique selling points, such as being non-GMO, made by minority-owned companies or biodynamic. Within that realm, some are bigger name products, like Three Wishes Cereal, which promotes itself through all sorts of buzzwords including high-protein, low-sugar and vegan.

Other boutique markets like First Bloom, a grocery store that opened in upstate New York in September 2023 by food writer and internet personality Alison Roman, take a different strategy. In a February 2024 newsletter introducing her store, Roman wrote that very few of the brands, farms or makers sold in her shop even have an Instagram presence or website.

“If you can buy something anywhere, then you can do that, but I think it's nice to carry things that you can only find in a few places,” she wrote.

According to SkyScanner's survey from summer 2025, more than one third of travelers said they hit up local grocery stores to discover new food or drinks. When abroad, it's to find global brands they can't get at home, while just under one third of travelers seek out local takes on familiar favorites.

Some tourists like Lusk approach grocery store tourism like finding treasure on a map — specifically seeking out foods they’ve seen on Instagram or TikTok.

“I would never do my full grocery shopping at Erewhon,” she says. “But I want to go back to try things I’ve seen on social media, like the MadChip Sundae.”

The MadChip Sundae is Erewhon’s coconut soft sundae served with a “superfood chocolate glaze” and cookie. At $12.50, the $20 Hailey Bieber makes this one look like a deal.

For other tourists, it’s about the thrill of getting lost in aisles of goods exclusive to each store. That’s the case even at national grocery stores like Trader Joe’s, which famously adds (and removes) products based on customer interest.

Though few tourists put Trader Joe’s on their must-visit list given its widespread accessibility, the grocery store still does manage to draw tourists. According to an episode of the official Trader Joe’s podcast, the outpost (which is the sole outpost) in Maine actually is a tourist attraction. In episode 50, one employee said it’s not uncommon for customers to drive four hours each way just to shop.

As the cost of dining out continues to rise, grocery stores are no longer just a pitstop for broke backpackers to load up on ramen.

Erewhon aside, most grocery stores sell affordable, quality meals. For instance, a pastrami sandwich at Farmshop’s adjacent fine dining restaurant costs $26 before tax and tip. But at the deli counter under the same roof, sandwiches start at $15. Budget-minded tourists might order one to eat on the charming Brentwood Country Mart patio for about half the price.

Beyond getting affordable food, the mere activity of browsing the aisles makes for one of the best free activities in Los Angeles.

Plus, grocery stores afford conveniences that restaurants often don’t. There’s no reservation required. You’re generally not obligated to tip. And you might earn rewards by charging it to a grocery credit card. Even at pricey stores like Erewhon, browsing the aisles is free.