Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age

262: Veg Jaunts & Journeys: How Kim Giovacco Built a Thriving Vegan Travel Community

Sep 9, 2025

Kim Giovacco, founder of Veg Jaunts and Journeys, has ignited the vegan travel scene with her small-group adventures since 2017. She shares how a simple birthday gift transformed into a thriving travel business, even through the pandemic. Kim highlights hidden gems like Berlin's vegan Christmas markets and unique plant-based safaris in Namibia. With 60% of her guests returning, she emphasizes community and compassion, inspiring listeners to embark on their own vegan adventures around the globe, all while enjoying delicious plant-based cuisines.

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ANECDOTE

Birthday Shower Sparked The Idea

Kim realized she could plan trips for vegans during a food-coop birthday trip and instantly thought, "I could do this."
She started the business part-time while keeping her full-time job and used vacation weeks to run early tours.

ADVICE

Bootstrapping With Your Day Job

Start a passion business on the side while keeping your day job until it proves viable.
Use vacation time and part-time launches to test demand without risking financial stability.

ANECDOTE

Severance Funded The Leap

When Singapore's office closed she took a severance package, moved to Asheville, and bought a tiny house share to lower expenses.
That cushion let her focus full-time on growing the tour business and survive early years and COVID disruptions.

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Vegan travel without compromise. Kim Giovacco, of Veg Jaunts & Journeys, talks about building a vegan travel community, 52 tours around the world, and why 60% of her travelers keep coming back.

Traveling as a vegan doesn’t have to mean settling for side salads or stressing over where to eat. My guest this week, Kim Giovacco, founder of Veg Jaunts & Journeys, has been changing the way vegans see the world since 2017.

Kim has led more than 50 small-group vegan tours around the world, with an incredible 60% of travelers returning for more. Her itineraries blend community, culture, and compassion—so you can explore places like Berlin, Lisbon, and South Africa without worrying about whether the menu has something for you.

In this episode, Kim and I talk about:

How a birthday gift and a love of food co-ops sparked the idea for her tour company.
What it took to build a vegan travel business—and keep it going through the pandemic.
Why her guests come back for multiple trips each year.
The hidden gems she’s uncovered around the world, from vegan Christmas markets in Berlin to plant-based safaris in Namibia.
Her passion for building vegan community, both abroad and in her hometown of Greenville, South Carolina.

Whether you’re a seasoned plant based traveler or dreaming of your first vegan tour, Kim’s story will inspire you to pack your bags and see the world—vegan style.

Learn more about Kim and upcoming tours: Veg Jaunts & Journeys

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