Forget packed sightseeing schedules and tourist traps. A growing number of younger travellers are looking for something quieter and increasingly, that means spending time with grandmothers.
From learning pasta-making with an Italian nonna to exploring Japan with an elderly local guide, so-called "grandma tourism" is finding an audience among Gen-Zers and millennials seeking experiences built around food, tradition and companionship.
Why granny-led travel is catching on
The trend has links to the wider "grandmacore" movement, which celebrates activities such as baking, crafting and other old-fashioned hobbies. The hashtag has reportedly crossed 800 million views on TikTok.
Travel company GetYourGuide found that 76 per cent of Gen-Z travellers surveyed across France, Germany, the UK and the US would consider booking a "grandma-inspired" holiday activity.
For 32-year-old Los Angeles-based fashion stylist Brittany Diego, an Italian nonna-led pasta class became one of the highlights of her trip.
"There were plenty of pasta-making classes," she says. "But learning from an Italian nonna felt like the most authentic option, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations."
The class took place in the nonna's home near Rome and offered Diego more than a cooking lesson.
"My nonna spoke very little English, but we still connected through smiles, gestures and cooking together. We shared aperitivo and bruschetta before making the pasta."
She said the experience left her feeling at home and gave her a chance to meet people despite travelling alone.
Learning from a lifetime of experience
The appeal extends beyond food. In Bangkok, older women teaching traditional Thai massage offer younger visitors an opportunity to learn a skill shaped by generations of knowledge.
Similar experiences are emerging in Japan, where services offering "rent a granny" experiences connect tourists with older women for activities ranging from cooking to sightseeing.
Professional skateboarder Brooke Johnson, 29, spent a day with a grandmother in Tokyo, visiting Tsukiji Market, eating sushi and Wagyu beef and playing claw machines.
“Even though Misa and I didn't speak the same language, somewhere between the food, the laughter and the claw machines, it stopped feeling like I rented a grandma and started feeling like family,” she said on her social media.
A two-way exchange
Psychologist and author Terri Apter says these relationships can benefit older people too.
“Young people will undoubtedly get a very warm reception from older people. Because if you look at phases of development across the lifespan, one need, or 'developmental task' of older age is generativity, which means giving. Being engaged with and teaching younger people is extremely good for older people's mood, their health and their longevity.”
For travellers, the attraction may be just as simple: meeting someone local, learning something hands-on and spending a few hours away from screens.