25 Delicious Vegetarian Friendly Destinations Around the World!
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Disclaimer: I am not vegetarian. Nor am I trying to be vegetarian. NOR am I actively looking to alter my diet intentionally. But with all of that said, it’s always healthy to like, eat plants or whatever, so I have an open mind. Many of my friends are vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, gluten-free, so I know traveling dietary “restrictions” can be a big hesitation for people, especially those that are just getting started in their global exploration journey. So, I decided to put together a helpful little list of vegetarian friendly destinations so that those who ARE hesitant (due to meat concerns) can find a little comfort knowing they’ll at least be able to more easily indulge in local cuisine!
“But Kayyyyyy!!! I thought you said you weren’t vegetarian!! How would you know about vegetarian friendly destinations?!?!?”
Well, one, vegetarian dishes do not automatically disappear from the menu when non-vegetarians are browsing for a dish. Two, I am actually (sometimes unpleasantly) surprised when I visit a location and the dishes are unintentionally meatless. OVER AND OVER.
I say unpleasantly because I do not like many non-meat proteins (beans, lentils, edamame, chickpeas, nuts, soy, etc etc).
But that said, their are natural gaps in my observation skills. So, I’ve reached out to my pals David and Auston, bloggers at Two Bad Tourists, for their insight. And trust me, they’ve been to A LOT of countries – not all of them the most vegetarian friendly destinations I might add, so they know their stuff!
Table of Contents
Why Should I Care??
Okay, so it’s pretty obvious if you are vegetarian, you’d want to check out some vegetarian friendly destinations. That makes sense.
But what if you aren’t?
Well, if you are familiar with traveling, you’ll already know this, but if you aren’t: food is part of the culture of a country. I’m no anthropologist, but in my opinion, cuisine is one of the main pillars of culture and cultural identity. Yanno, along with history, linguists, spirituality, traditions and rituals, and so on. Aside from visiting museums, EATING is one of the easiest ways to get a taste of another culture, no pun intended.
Even if you aren’t vegetarian, many vegetarian friendly destinations are accommodating to those diets because that’s historically a large part of their own cuisine. Vegetarianism (or veganism for that matter) is not inherently a western ideology, and it is for SURE not a result of colonization, neocolonialism, or solely for the purpose of pandering to western tourists. News flash – edible plants exist around the world all on their own.
But I could rant about that all day, hahah.
Back to vegetarian friendly destinations – even if you are the biggest carnivore imaginable, be a little more open to trying foods outside of your comfort zone! You might even find that you like it. Isn’t that what travel is all about anyway?
Tips for Traveling to Vegetarian Friendly Destinations
Before I give you the list of my suggestions of vegetarian friendly destinations, I also want to supply you with a few tools so that you will be able to navigate the meatless cuisine realm on your own!
Tip #1: know the words for food items in the destination’s language. Also know the words for non-meat proteins. I have a whole blog post about how to effectively travel in a destination when you don’t speak the language, but if I were to sum it up, download the language on Google Translate so you can access the translation feature offline. It isn’t 100% perfect, but it’ll do pretty good with food. This is also helpful if you are traveling with food allergies!
Tip #2: Download the Happy Cow app. It is a global restaurant guide (180+ countries!!) that specifically lists vegan and vegetarian establishments in that area. You can also save locations for offline access.
Tip #3: Take a food tour. Food tours have quickly become one of my favorite activities to do when traveling, and depending on the location, the tour will hopefully be accommodating to various diets, or even have specific vegetarian or vegan tour options. Plus, with food tours, you get a detailed explanation of the destination’s dishes AND you get to eat. Issa win win.
Now that you’ve been properly prepped and equipped, let’s dive into some vegetarian friendly destinations. Get your napkins ready!
Africa
Sometimes, people are surprised that there would be any vegetarian friendly destinations in Africa AT ALL. Which…is due to a few reasons, but mostly ignorance. Many (western) people have never tasted any African cuisines, nor do they hear much of the continent’s histories or many diverse cultures. So hopefully this post will shed at least the tiniest bit of insight, especially for vegetarians. Even if they can’t travel to Africa RIGHT THIS SECOND, it might encourage them to check out African restaurants in their city! And, if you feel inclined check out Nigerian blogger Fatimat Adelabu’s for loads of West African recipes that are vegan and vegetarian!
Botswana
Chances are, if you’re in Botswana, you’ll probably pass through either Gaborone or Maun. You’ll be delighted to know both those cities will spoil you with vegetarian options. Stews (with and without meat) and veggies are staples in Botswana, and in between your exciting safari adventures, be sure to have a taste of morogo, dikgobe, and vetkoek! That said, if you are vegetarian and going on an overnight safari in Africa, be sure to mention that because they aren’t usually vegetarian or vegan by default, and they might need a heads up (as soon as you can) to accommodate.
Ethiopia
If you’ve EVER gone to an Ethiopian restaurant ANYWHERE, you could probably already peg Ethiopia as being one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations in Africa. Misir wat, shiro, fossolia, bayenetu, inguday tibs….the list GOES ON. So yes, while there are a lot of meat dishes as well, there are just as many vegetarian options. Plus, many meat dishes COULD be made vegetarian. And, since it is also a widely popular cuisine, you’ll usually find Ethiopian restaurants in other vegetarian friendly destinations around the world!
Rwanda
Arguably one of the easiest vegetarian friendly destinations in Africa, you’ll find many of Rwandan dishes contain the stables of beans, avocados, and sweet potatoes. Emphasis on the avocados. And, since it’s pretty close to Ethiopia, which we already talked about being very veg friendly, you’ll get plenty of Ethiopian food as well. You’ll want to check out dishes like issombe and borneo. Since many visitors will find themselves in Kigali, be sure to also eat at Afia Organics, the first official vegan/vegetarian restaurant, and Borneo Indonesian Restaurant.
Seychelles
Africa has some pretty incredible beaches, in particular the country of Seychelles. INCREDIBLE. Ranking right up there with the beaches, Seychelles is also ranked as one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations. Wait, I’m sorry, did I say one of? I meant THE BEST. Literally, ranked #1 by Global Vegetarian Index. Uh, not the cheapest of the vegetarian friendly destinations though. With a blend of spices commonly found in Indian, African, and Chinese cuisines, dishes are grounded in nature (or what I like to call GREEN STUFF) and sourced from the region.
So, if you’re pescatarian, YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE SEYCHELLES, but super easy to also get meals sans-Nemo (like Creole vegetable curry and rice!). There’s even a high end vegetarian restaurant (Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove) so you can fine-dine AND not whine about meat!
South Africa
While many African dishes in general are vegetarian, it is not always by intention. In a lot of places, meat is expensive and not practical to eat daily. I think that is why many people in non-Western countries might view intentional vegetarianism with…an air of unfamiliarity, and associate it with “silly Western things.”
SO, as one of the “easier” countries for Westerners to visit, South Africa unexpectedly has a lot of restaurants that intentionally accommodate to intentional vegetarian diets. Especially in Cape Town, you’ll find tons of juice bars, acai shops, and fresh farm-to-table salads. But that doesn’t mean South Africa wasn’t ALREADY one of the great vegetarian friendly destinations all on its own. When you’re there and looking for local cuisine, make sure to order bunny chow, geelrys, braaibroodjie, and South African dal roti!
Americas
Being as most of my readers are somewhere in this part of the globe, you may not be as surprised with the countries on the list. If you’re a visitor to the continents, then this might be a little more helpful when choosing which countries to visit. If you speak English or Spanish….you’ll probablyyyy be fine navigating these menus.
Argentina
Say whaaaaat? Argentinaa? The Buenos Aires being the literal BEEF CAPTIAL of the world?? Okay, so it’s not LITERALLY the beef capital, but colloquially called that. There’s a ton of meat consumption, so yeah, Argentina ending up on a vegetarian friendly destinations list? I was surprised too. But the vegetarian and vegan movement (or rather, interest) in Argentina is RAPIDLY growing.
But, it is growing, so outside of Buenos Aires, you’ll have less options. If you stay within Buenos Aires though, there’s over sixty vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the city, so you can eat at a different one every meal for a week and still not get through all of them. There’s also a large influence of Italian cuisine, so along with cheese empanadas, medialunas, and alfajores, you’ll also get to eat lots of ravioli and pasta.
Aruba
You might be scratching your head to find vegetarian friendly destinations in the Caribbean, but don’t worry. I gotchu. Aruba. It has THE MOST vegetarian restaurants in the Caribbean, so if you eat a plant based diet, Aruba will truly be your one happy island.
That was a reference to Aruba’s nickname, in case it was too subtle.
With a mix of Caribbean, Dutch, and South American flavors, meat and fish dishes are cuisine stables for Aruba, but many of them can easily be made vegetarian, or are meatless side dishes that often accompany the meat, like pan bati and funchi. Or head to the restaurant One Happy Bowl where there are no meat dishes at all!
Chile
Does it surprise you that Chile is on this list? Like many countries in South America, while it may seem to outsiders like there are only meat based dishes (because that’s largely what we’re shown in Latin restaurants abroad), there is a strong sense of environmentalism in Chile. In fact, in 2018, Chile’s Enviornmental Survey reported that over 1.5 million Chileans follow a plant/non-meat based diet , and 75% of those that do eat meat said that they would reduce their meat consumption to mitigate the negative environmental impacts caused by animal agriculture.
Not AT ALL saying that there aren’t negative environmental (and human) impacts from soy and other non-meat farming, but that’s a whole different blog post.
If you stop by the nation’s captial, Santiago, you’ll be able to get along just fine as it’s an incredible vegetarian friendly destinations. Even if you decide to off-road it on a trek, there are plenty of non-meat products to stock your cooler since two of the BEST plant-based food companies, The Live Green Co and Notco, were both founded in Chile!
Mexico
Mexico is a given – it’s home to the largest number of both vegetarians AND vegans in Latin America. It is easier and easier to follow a plant-based diet in Mexico, and with so many large cities teeming with innovative restaurants, Mexico is hands down one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations in the world.
From Mexico City, to Tulum, to Puerto Vallarta, to Tijuana and dozens of pueblos magicos in between, if you are looking for a vegetarian dish, you will find it in Mexico. Some regional favorites would be vegetarian mole and mole poblano (from the states of Oaxaca and Puebla), chipilín tamales (from Chiapas), and elote (literally ANYWHERE). I could even break it down by specific CITIES, but for this list, just know that your vegetarian stomach will be taken care of in Mexico.
USA
U-S-A. U-S-A. U-S-A!!!
Sarcastic patriotism aside, the United States of America does have some great vegetarian friendly destinations within its borders. Even at some of the more underrated foodie cities in the US, you’ll find that your plant-based diet can and will be accommodated for! Since this could be its own blog post in and of itself, I’ll give you my personal opinion that the west coast as a whole has the most extensive vegetarian (and vegan) restaurants. Plus, you’ll also get all of the smoothies and grain bowls your heart desires. Portland, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, heck you could even move inland to Salt Lake City and Phoenix and still get great veggie foods.
Asia
Y’all. It was reallyyyyy hard narrowing down all of the fantastic vegetarian friendly destinations in Asia. I mean, there’s just SO many countries with such a wide variety of cuisines. So, please excuse if your favorite (*cough* Thailand *cough*) didn’t make the list. It’s nothing personal, I probably just haven’t been there.
You can blame Auston and David though, hahah.
Kidding, kidding.
But yes, we know this super small section isn’t at all comprehensive, so feel free to drop your favorite vegetarian friendly destinations in Asia in the comments below! Then scroll back up to continue reading!
Bhutan
Bhutan is an exciting country that is nestled high among the Himalayan mountain range. It is a great place for people who love the outdoors and you can enjoy exciting activities like trekking, exploring ancient fortresses, visiting monasteries, and bird watching.
And following a plant-based diet, of course. In fact, it is illegal in Bhutan to kill an animals for consumption, so meat must be imported in. This means a lot of meat dishes are more expensive AND it is easy to get a variety of good vegetarian dishes at every single restaurant. You can order vegetable dumplings, rich vegetable soups cooked in milk or cream, or buckwheat noodle dishes served in a tantalizing mix of mustard oil and pepper. For breakfast you can have buckwheat pancakes served with a tasty chilli sauce called ezay.
Bhutan is one of the best -if not arguably THE best- vegetarian friendly destinations in the world.
China
Along with….many things about China, the cuisine really surprised me – IN THE BEST WAY. It might also be one of the vegetarian friendly destinations that might not pop up first in your mind. My favorite vegetarian dish, hands down, was mapo tofu. I even learned the mapo tofu recipe from the only Sichuan culinary school (and museum) in the world, the The Chuancais Museum.
But along those same lines…I always need to add a disclaimer when I speak about traveling to China.
It is not easy to navigate China as a tourist, especially if it is your first time in the country. A large majority of the restaurants in China, even in major cities, will not have menus in English. Even the fanciest of restaurants (with a few super touristy exceptions) will only MAYBE have one employee that can reliably communicate details of the menu to verbally accommodate any dietary restrictions. So this is where that tip of knowing how to say specific foods in the local language (or even taking a picture of the word) will come in handy!
Aside from that, you’ll be blown away by the vegetarian food in China!
India
No joke, when I think of some of the best vegetarian meals I’ve ever had, they’ve all been under the expansive umbrella of Indian cuisine.
I am truly so so thankful for Indian food. And not just for vegetarian meals or whatever – but because it’s just SO GOOD. So, it comes as no surprised that I would list India as one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations. But cuisine in India, just like its history, peoples, languages, and customs are incredibly diverse and regional. There’s 29 states (and 7 territories), of course it’s going to be different! But, there are a few dishes from different areas that you should definitely keep an eye on during your visit.
If you’ve never visited India, or are unfamiliar with South Asian cuisine, you’re probably most accustomed to eating foods from Northern India, with favorites like paneer makhani and korma (tandoori chicken and naan are also from Northern India!). Western India (Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat) will be a little sweeter, but also more sour, with influences from Chinese and Portuguese cuisines. And if you’re in Southern India, be sure to try dishes like poriyal, kootus, and dosas!
Japan
Okay, I debated having Japan on this list, as in my mind, it is more of a pescatarian friendly destination. BUUUUT, then I remembered the reason I ended up (accidentally) eating fried chicken every single day (literally), was because I visited Tokyo during Christmas.
If you want to LITERALLY eat fried chicken every day, go during the winter holiday season. Otherwise, it’s a good option of vegetarian friendly destinations if you’re up for a challenge!
Tokyo is the capital city and it is filled with restaurants that offer up tantalizing vegetarian fare. Try vegetable tempura, vegetarian sushi, and many bean dishes like edemame, natto, and tofu. There are many different kinds of seaweed that are prepared in different ways and very tasty. I have a few Tokyo restaurant guides -including veggie friendly ones!- so I’ll just drop them below!
Taiwan
Taiwan has some of the best food in the world. I WILL DIE ON THAT HILL. And along with being a great destination for LGBTQ+ travelers, it is also one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations. Hands down, the easiest city to navigate for vegetarian restaurants will be Taipei, though I recommend taking a Taipei Food Tour as well. If you dim sum for brunch, make sure your stomach can handle all of the small dishes that will make your mouth water.
If you’re feeling extra adventurous (but like, not really, you should do this anyway), head to one of the many night markets. The fruits alone will blow you away. But also keep an eye out for stinky tofu, green onion cakes, grilled mochi, and cold noodles!
Europe
I admit, when I lived in Europe…that was probably the time in my life when I ate the MOST amount of meat. French steaks, Spanish tapas, German….well, ANYTHING. But, as it turns out, there’s some pretty great vegetarian friendly destinations in Europe as well! Have you been to any of these countries? What did you think of their non-meat options?
France
France is beautiful country and there are many exciting places to explore like Paris, Normandy, Brittany, and the French Riviera. Although the French enjoy their meat (and so do the travelers, eyyoooo), it is not as difficult to find vegetarian options as you might image. Get a little creative, and you’ll see that France is one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations in Europe!
I mean, they ARE the inventors of crepes with Nutella, after all. You can get crepes filled with sweet fruit or savoury vegetables. Ratatouille, a hearty vegetable stew is a great option for lunch or dinner. On the streets in Paris you can easily pick up baguette sandwiches made with cheese and tomatoes. That was pretty much my staple lunch (and dinner. and breakfast) when I lived there. Mostly because it was 2 euros. But it was also delicious.
Plus, because this is a VEGETARIAN list and not vegan, feel free to stock up on all the cheeses, nuts, and wine you want!
Italy
Italy is a fabulous country to explore and there are lots of options for vegetarians to eat. Which…is unfortunate for me because you see – I LOVE PEPPERONI PIZZA. But alas, that’s apparently NOT REALLY A THING in Italy. More likely, you’ll be offered a margarita pizza, which is 10000x more Italian, and obviously more vegetarian.
There are also plenty of great bean soups, legume based dishes, pasta with fresh spring vegetables, and hearty risotto dishes with mushrooms. You can also choose plenty of antipasti dishes, freshly made bread, and sample the many different kinds of cheeses and olives that are available.
On a visit to Rome, Italy’s capital, you’ll find that there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan cafes and restaurants, so you certainly won’t feel like you are missing out on the culinary experience. If you really want to experience the best vegetarian food Italy has to offer, and why Italy makes the vegetarian friendly destinations list, make sure you go to Turin, as it is Italy’s ‘Vegetarian City’ and has a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan dining options.
Hungary
It might not be your first thought when it comes to vegetarian friendly destinations in Europe, but it IS possible! Well, with a little helpful knowledge. Going to Hungary as a vegan, however, is a little more challenging hahha.
But that’s a problem for the vegan version of this list haha.
Hungarian cuisine has a lotttt of stews, but popular vegetarian stew dishes are gombapaprikás, paprikás krumpli, and főzelék. Or, if you’re looking for something quick when you’re on the go, pop into Hummas Bar, a healthy chain in Budapest. If you do not eat fish, be sure to mention that because “no meat” can be interpreted as “fish is ok!” haha.
Sweden
It might surprise you, but Nordic countries rank the highest in number of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Europe. Go figure. So I could include all of them, but I’ll specifically point out Sweden as one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations. In general, even if the restaurant isn’t specifically a vegan or vegetarian spot, you’ll find that most dishes have a vegetarian substitution.
Especially southern Sweden, like Malmö and Lund, the menu will have a dedicated portion to non-meat dishes. There aren’t too many Swedish dishes that are traditionally vegetarian, but you’ll have a blast eating all of the bread and potato sides available. If you’re in Stockholm, a few vegetarian restaurants are Lao Wai, Fern & Fika, and Vaxthuset.
The UK
The UK, aka England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, make for incredible vegetarian friendly destinations. And, if you speak English, you can communicate your needs fairly easily. Similar to the USA, there’s usually at least one or two vegetarian options at any restaurant, but unique to the UK – that also includes pubs! Enjoy pairing your brew with veggie soups, sandwiches, salads, and even pasta dishes at the local pub.
Plus, the UK is a hub of international cuisine, especially if you’re trip is based in London. So yeah, all of the other incredible vegetarian friendly destinations on this list? You’ll find those same cuisines in the UK as well!
Middle East
Unlike the other categories in this list, the Middle East is not a continent. It’s the space between Europe and Asia, with most of it geographically being part of Asia. But this specific region share many similar ingredients in their cuisine, and have a lot of shared culinary history (yanno, the whole Ottoman Empire and whatnot), so I thought it would make sense to group them. THAT, and Asia and Africa are pretty huge, so I wanted to give these countries a little special attention, haha.
Egypt
OKAY BEFORE YOU YELL AT ME SAYING THAT EGYPT IS IN AFRICA…yes. Yes it is. But see the reason above! With that out of the way, yes! Egypt is one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations on the list. In fact, the national dish, koshari, is actually vegan! Other traditional dishes, like taameya (Egyptian falafel), foul medames, fiteer baladi (Egyptian pizza), mashi, and besara can be found in pretty much any city in the country. And that’s not even HALF of the popular dishes. You just KNOW it’s one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations when I can’t even fit all the dishes in a paragraph.
As a vegetarian, taking a food tour in Egypt would be your best bet to get the background and cultural context of many traditional Egyptian dishes, as well as non-traditional dishes that have been adapted when it was brought to Egypt from other places, like bamia, eggah, and shakshuka.
Jordan
Jordan, from the culinary standpoint, was a rough country for me to visit. Not because the food was bad – on the contrary – but because I have a very select taste palate for non-meat proteins. And I also don’t like lamb. In Jordan, you’ll find a lot of hummus, lentils, chickpeas, or tahini.
Yeah, I had a rough time.
BUT, it does make Jordan one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations! Breakfast spreads and mezze are typically vegetarian by nature, with cheeses, tomato and cucumber salads, olives, hummus, and pita. Cassandra from EscapingNY leads entire group tours through Jordan and she’s vegan! Join one of her excursions and she will take you on the best meat-free culinary journey in the country!
Lebanon
While there might be only one or two official vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Beirut, a lot of traditional Lebanese dishes are vegetarian anyway, so like many “unexpected” vegetarian friendly destinations, you can get by pretty easily and have a good time mixing and matching side dishes and entrees! Of course there is hummus and falafels, but also be sure to try manqoushe for breakfast and kibbet batata to cool down on a hot day.
Turkey
Out of all of the countries in the rough region of the Middle Easy, Turkey is arguably the most meat-y. BUT, similar to many countries in the Middle East, there are a ton of side dishes AND main entrees that are meat-free! So bam, just like that, turkey is one of the best vegetarian friendly destinations between the east and west! You’ll definitely want to order pilav, manti, etsiz cig kofte, and make sure to stop at any and every food cart that sells misir.
That said, in a lot of restaurants in Turkey, meat stock (that could be used in stews, soups, casseroles, rice dishes, etc) might not be thought of as a “meat” product, so feel free to ask if about the stock if it isn’t explicitly stated. If you plan on doing a lot of cooking yourself, I’d recommend signing up for a market tour; one, because…they’ll explain what things are, and two, because the markets in Turkey are mad dope!
UAE
If you’re planning a trip to the United Arab Emirates, you’ll discover the there is a simply overwhelming array of restaurants. Like, ACTUALLY THO. A TON OF RESTAURANTS.
Thankfully, when I visited, my friend Anessa from Expat Panda gave me all the scoops on the best cafes in Dubai, the best Arabic breakfast in Dubai, and even where to get the best Asian food in Dubai. Yeah, yeah, there’s more to the UAE than just Dubai, but I did spend six days in just that emirate (and 2 days in Abu Dhabi). Let me tell ya, the UAE is definitely one of the most vegetarian friendly destinations in the world.
Partly, because it has a very high immigrant and expat population from countries all over the world, bringing both their expertise and interest in serving and eating their home cuisines. So all those other vegetarian friendly destinations found on this list – you’ll find those same delicious meat-free meals in the UAE, along with incredible Emirati cuisine as well!
Vegetarian Friendly Destinations: Conclusion
Whew! Now that blog post was a doosy! I never thought I’d write so much about plant-based travel hahah. But it’s true, you can find vegetarian friendly destinations on literally EVERY continent (well, I left out Australia/Oceania and Antarctica, but you get the idea). From fine-dining restaurants to street food grabs, I hope this lists helps you AND your vegetarian stomach enjoy exploring new cuisines while you travel!
What did you think of this list? Did any of these vegetarian friendly destinations surprise you? Did I miss your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
Also, while I’m still working through eating through all of the innovative vegan restaurants in Portland (my home base), it’s nice to daydream about visiting other vegetarian friendly destinations! Do you think your home base city could make it onto a vegetarian friendly destinations list?
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