What Roads & Kingdoms does

Roads & Kingdoms is a privately held, New York-based media and travel company founded in 2012 by Nathan Thornburgh and Matt Goulding, with Anthony Bourdain as co-founder and editor-at-large until his death in 2018. The company operates two integrated business lines: a content publishing platform featuring long-form food and travel journalism series (The Fix, Food Chain, Dispatched by Bourdain, Know Before You Go, Food Planet Prize), and the League of Travelers, a small-group culinary travel program. The League runs week-long, all-inclusive trips (from $11,450 per person, max 10-12 travelers) to destinations across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa, led by chefs and local experts such as José Andrés and Alejo Sabugo. All prospective travelers must complete an interview process (managed by Mike Jauregui, Master of Guest Relations) before booking, reinforcing a curated, community-led go-to-market.

The business generates revenue through three primary streams: one-time payments from League of Travelers bookings (plus solo traveler supplements), recurring or sponsorship-style revenue from journalism and newsletter audiences, and one-time purchases from the R&K Store (James Beard Award-winning print issue, Anti-Ice Supper Club merchandise). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website, newsletter, Instagram, and The Trip Podcast; there is no online booking flow and trips are sold via inquiry. With 11-50 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, and no institutional ownership signals in the data, Roads & Kingdoms appears to be a founder-led, bootstrapped operation leveraging Bourdain-era editorial credibility and chef relationships as its principal competitive assets. Recent milestones include a 2026 James Beard Award for the first print issue and the continued expansion of the trip portfolio into new geographies.

Name

Roads & Kingdoms

Legal name

Roads & Kingdoms

Website

https://roadsandkingdoms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Roads & Kingdoms is a privately held, New York-based food and travel media company that publishes long-form culinary journalism and operates the League of Travelers, a small-group (10-12 travelers) curated culinary tour program led by chefs and local experts across four continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Culinary & Wine Travel Agencies (THAKAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours (THAJAAAG)

Keywords

• Culinary travel tours
• Food journalism media
• Small group tours
• Experiential travel services
• Travel newsletters

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Group Travel Tours: Small-group culinary tours (The League of Travelers) with prices ranging from $11,450 per person for week-long journeys. All-inclusive pricing covers accommodations, transportation, meals, beverages, gratuities, and expert guides. Additional revenue from solo traveler supplements ($1,800 for week-long trips).
2. Journalism and Content: Long-form food and travel journalism published on the website, including series like The Fix, Food Chain, Dispatched by Bourdain, and Food Planet Prize. Revenue may derive from advertising, sponsorships, or premium content subscriptions.
3. Store and Merchandise: E-commerce store selling print issues (including James Beard Award-winning first print issue), merchandise like The Anti-Ice Supper Club, and other branded products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Roads & Kingdoms sells small-group culinary travel experiences (the League of Travelers) priced from $11,450 per person for week-long trips to destinations across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa, with all-inclusive pricing covering accommodations, transport, meals, beverages, gratuities, and expert guides. It complements these tours with long-form food and travel journalism published on its website, an Insider membership unlocking travel guides, a free email newsletter, and an e-commerce store selling print issues and merchandise such as The Anti-Ice Supper Club.

Product overview

Roads & Kingdoms is a media and travel company offering a portfolio of editorial content series and travel experiences. The core product is the League of Travelers, a small-group culinary trip program featuring curated journeys led by chefs and local experts. The content portfolio includes editorial series—The Fix, Food Chain, Dispatched by Bourdain, Know Before You Go, and Food Planet Prize—providing longform journalism, city guides, and food system coverage. Additional offerings include print magazine issues and merchandise sold through the R&K Store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Fix: A series featuring city-specific food guides with local chef perspectives and recommendations.
• Food Chain
• Dispatched By Bourdain
• Know Before You Go
• Food Planet Prize
• League of Travelers

Quantifiable outcome

• James Beard Award for first print issue
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Anthony BourdaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnthony Bourdain was a co-conceiver of the League of Travelers concept and served as partner and editor-at-large. He curated the 'Dispatched by Bourdain' series, which won a James Beard Award. Bourdain was integral to the company's founding and journalism mission before his passing in 2018.
• José AndrésflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJosé Andrés, the acclaimed Spanish-American chef, is a collaborator whose ideas, passions, and people are woven throughout R&K trips. He is from Asturias and serves as a trip guide and designer for the Asturias 'From Sky to Sea' journey.
• Nathan ThornburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and publisher of Roads & Kingdoms. Hosts trips and leads the ideation process for new journeys. Previously worked with Anthony Bourdain on 'Parts Unknown.'
• Matt GouldingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of Roads & Kingdoms. Collaborated on 'Omnivore,' a show with René Redzepi. Food writer with extensive work published in various outlets.
• Food Planet PrizeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoads & Kingdoms hosts editorial coverage of the Food Planet Prize, a major sustainability initiative celebrating food system innovations. R&K publishes articles about Food Planet Prize nominees and winners as part of their editorial content.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AFAR: Travel media brand that has expanded into AFAR Experiences, offering curated, expert-led trips. Closely comparable in combining long-form journalism with premium immersive travel products.
• Context Travel: Small-group expert-led walking tours with deep cultural and historical focus. Comparable in tour format (small groups, expert guides) and curated experiences.
• Atlas Obscura: Media-led experiential travel platform offering community-driven food, culture, and adventure tours and experiences. Directly comparable as a content-first travel brand monetizing both editorial and curated small-group experiences.
• Culinary Backstreets: Food-focused travel media and small-group culinary walking tours across global cities. Direct competitor in the culinary experiential travel niche with strong editorial content.
• Black Tomato: Luxury bespoke and small-group experiential travel operator with strong storytelling and curated itineraries. Comparable in premium positioning and bespoke trip design.

Broad incumbents

• Intrepid Travel: Major small-group tour operator with food-focused itineraries. Comparable group travel format but broader portfolio and much larger scale; operates in the same culinary travel category at lower price points.
• Travel + Leisure (T+L): Mainstream travel media brand with broad editorial coverage and growing experiential offerings. Adjacent competitor for audience and trip-attached content marketing.
• Saveur Magazine: Long-running food and travel magazine. Comparable in editorial food/travel journalism and audience overlap with R&K's content series, though primarily media without a tour business.
• Butterfield & Robinson: Established luxury experiential travel company offering guided walking and culinary trips globally. Larger incumbent with overlapping culinary tour offerings but broader adventure portfolio.

Emerging players

• Wild Frontiers: Adventure and culinary tour operator focused on off-the-beaten-path destinations. Comparable in niche experiential positioning and emphasis on local cultural immersion, though smaller and more adventure-focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/roadsandkingdoms
• Xx.com/roadskingdoms
• Facebookfacebook.com/198501403566041
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roads-and-kingdoms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roads & Kingdoms