I knew Tokyo had good vegan food. But I didn’t expect a handwritten welcome note, a custom six-course meal made without eggs or dairy, and a chef who asked—twice—if the vegan tempura broth was “too subtle or just right.”
That level of care wasn’t just surprising. It felt royal.
And Tokyo isn’t alone.
Across the globe, pockets of plant-based hospitality are thriving. These aren’t just spots with “a vegan option.” They’re cities, islands, and even entire communities that treat vegan visitors not as fringe diners—but as valued, delighted guests.
The rise of veganism — now a $40+ billion global market — has quietly reshaped tourism. Hotels are adapting. Food tours are rebranding. And local governments in some regions are backing plant-based hospitality as a sustainability and wellness investment.
If you’re planning your next trip and want more than salad-and-fries treatment, these six destinations roll out the red (plant-based) carpet.
1. Chiang Mai, Thailand: Where Buddhist roots meet modern plant-based comfort
I first visited Chiang Mai during the vegetarian festival and thought I’d landed in a parallel universe.
Every other stall had yellow flags (indicating vegan-friendly dishes), and strangers offered samples of soy-based curry puffs, coconut milk soup, and jackfruit larb like proud relatives showing off family recipes.
What makes Chiang Mai unique isn’t just the variety — it’s the deep cultural alignment. The city has strong Buddhist vegetarian roots, which means even hole-in-the-wall eateries understand the difference between egg-free and milk-free.
Combine that with a boom in digital nomads and wellness tourism, and you’ve got a town where vegan food is not just easy to find—it’s celebrated.
Wider impact?
Chiang Mai’s booming vegan food scene has inspired culinary schools to include plant-based modules, while traditional chefs are adapting Thai classics to accommodate the rising global interest in ethical travel.
2. Berlin, Germany: The capital of conscious cool
A few years ago, I sat at a vegan doner kebab stand near Kreuzberg and overheard two kids—maybe 10 years old—debating tofu versus seitan. That’s Berlin.
The city has earned its reputation as the vegan capital of Europe. It’s home to Europe’s first all-vegan supermarket chain (Veganz), a Michelin-starred vegan fine dining spot (KOPPS), and even vegan hotels that use cruelty-free bedding and offer oat milk lattes at check-in.
What sets Berlin apart is the normalization of veganism. Plant-based isn’t a niche. It’s a lifestyle embraced by artists, engineers, grandmas, and Gen Z alike.
Beyond food, Berlin’s eco-conscious leanings are reshaping tourism infrastructure.
Vegan bike tours, cruelty-free spas, and leather-free fashion pop-ups are quietly influencing travel trends across the continent.
3. Ubud, Bali: Where veganism meets ritual and healing
When I first arrived in Ubud, I was skeptical. The wellness branding seemed too perfect—sunlight filtering through palm trees, smoothie bowls with edible flowers, menus that looked like Instagram.
But then I tried my first Balinese jackfruit curry at a warung run by a local family. It was plant-based, deeply spiced, and made with the kind of joy you can’t fake.
Ubud isn’t just “vegan-friendly.” I
t’s a mecca for plant-based living woven into spiritual, Ayurvedic, and yogic practices. Retreat centers offer vegan cooking classes as part of their programs.
Traditional healers often recommend plant-based diets as part of energy cleansing. And farmers’ markets sell coconut kefir next to ceremonial incense.
The bigger picture? Bali’s tourism board has started incorporating vegan sustainability language into its travel guides, encouraging eco-tourism that respects both land and body.
4. Tel Aviv, Israel: Bold flavors and ethical innovation
Tel Aviv shocked me. Not because it had vegan options — but because those options were bold.
Street food vendors offered sabich sandwiches with vegan eggplant “eggs,” tahini ice cream carts rolled through parks, and even the local Domino’s had a vegan cheese pizza.
Driven by a tech-savvy, ethically-minded generation, Tel Aviv now boasts more vegan restaurants per capita than almost anywhere in the world. And this isn’t just hummus (though the hummus is excellent).
You’ll find plant-based shawarma, labneh made from cashews, and even high-end Israeli wine bars with cruelty-free cheese pairings.
Zooming out, Israel’s startup scene is leading the way in alt-protein innovation, with companies like Redefine Meat and Aleph Farms testing lab-grown meats and dairy alternatives.
Vegan tourism here often doubles as a glimpse into the future of ethical eating.
5. Toronto, Canada: Cold winters, warm vegan welcome
The first time I visited Toronto in January, it was so cold my eyelashes froze. But every café I ducked into had oat milk, a vegan soup of the day, and staff who knew what nutritional yeast was without blinking.
Toronto’s diversity fuels its vegan excellence. You’ll find Ethiopian injera platters, Vietnamese bánh mì, Trinidadian doubles, and Italian gelato—all plant-based and lovingly prepared.
The city’s vegan scene is so robust that local event planners now coordinate fully plant-based weddings, and many school cafeterias offer vegan meal plans without the need for special requests.
More broadly, Canada’s updated Food Guide now places plant-based proteins front and center, nudging a nation toward more inclusive food systems—one lentil at a time.
6. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam: Street food for the plant-based soul
Vietnamese cuisine is naturally friendly to vegans — just ask for “chay” (vegetarian). But Ho Chi Minh City has turned it into an art form.
At family-run eateries tucked behind motorbike alleys, you’ll find vegan pho simmered for 12 hours, banh mi sandwiches with mushroom pâté, and che (Vietnamese dessert soups) made without condensed milk.
Many restaurants have entire menus dedicated to plant-based versions of classic dishes, and Buddhist temples often run canteens offering vegan meals to locals and tourists alike.
And here’s the wider trend: As Vietnam’s younger generation becomes more health-conscious and globally connected, many cafés and food vendors are rebranding themselves with eco-conscious, vegan-first messaging—without losing their cultural identity.
Final words
Traveling as a vegan used to mean packing granola bars and crossing your fingers.
But in these six destinations, it means pulling up a chair and being treated not like a picky eater — but like an honored guest.
Whether it’s Berlin’s ethical cool, Ubud’s spiritual grounding, or Tel Aviv’s flavor-forward innovation, each place reminds us that plant-based travel isn’t just possible — it’s already thriving.
And as the global conversation around sustainability, health, and culture evolves, these vegan havens might just be shaping the future of tourism itself.
