Series premiere kicks off in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, August 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Any time I travel, to a new destination or an old favorite, I always walk out of an airport and get in a car. Local drivers are the first people I converse with about where I am and what I want to do. And they in turn suggest what they think I should do. They are the true experts on their own culture—they know where to eat, what to see and how to play—and the recommendations they share are more authentic than what you’ll find in any guidebook. Harness a little trust, go along for the ride and regardless of the city, you will have an unforgettable travel experience.

In the new series Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, I discover the street behind Main street, the off-the-grid dive and the unexpected with a local guide—from a rickshaw driver in Hyderabad to a Nashville cab driver who knows all the hidden gems in Music City. Together, we’re exploring food and culture from a whole new perspective.

In the series premiere, I’m visiting the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro to experience it like a real carioca, tapping into three local cab drivers to get a true feel for this bustling, diverse metropolis. Tune in for a beachside game of futevolei, the synchronized Olympic sport of rowing and samba lessons inside a changing favela with some of the city’s best ocean views. We hit juice shops and sushi spots, trek to the famous Christ the Redeemer, explore Rio’s wild club scene and dine on some of the best Brazilian barbecue, seafood and meats.

Additional cities featured in the first season of Andrew Zimmern’s Driven By Food include: Bangkok; Berlin; Chicago; Hyderabad, India; London; Medellin, Colombia and Nashville, Tenn.

Visit TravelChannel.com for more on Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food.

Photographs courtesy of Travel Channel.