Full Day Parma Culinary Journey: Cheesemaking, Ham Production and Vinegar Factories
4.8
77 Ratings
Parma
Embark on a full-day culinary adventure in Parma. Visit a cheese factory, ham production facility, and traditional balsamic vinegar factory. Indulge in a 3-course lunch with local wine pairings.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano - Leaving Parma, you will first stop at a cheese factory to see how milk is transformed into Parmigiano Reggiano. You will also discover how this cheese, devoid of any chemical additives, can be aged for years to improve its quality. You will then learn to recognize the various aging stages by enjoying a tasting led by an expert.
- Consorzio Del Prosciutto Di Parma - Proceed to learn about Parma Ham. In the ham producing house, you will see every phase of the curing of the meat and then taste the final result, yielded by meticulous ageing.
Move on to a local restaurant where you can enjoy all the delicious products of the area, including local wines such as Lambrusco and Malvasia. Your menu includes local cured meats, as well as the tortelli d’erbetta, a round shaped pasta stuffed with ricotta and herbs which is a local specialty. For dessert, you will try the famous sbrisolona and other dry cakes. Your lunch will also include water, wine and coffee.
- Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP - After lunch, round your tour off with a visit of an “acetaia”, where a member of the owner’s family will reveal all secrets of traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Lunch
- Wine and food tasting
- Pick-up and drop-off in Parma
- Beverages
- Transport by private vehicle (if option selected)
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Discover Parma’s gastronomic heritage on this exciting 8-hour journey. Take a tour of a cheese plant, a ham production facility, and a traditional balsamic vinegar factory, led by a knowledgeable gourmet guide, and get the chance to sample these exquisite foodstuffs straight from their makers. Your day also includes a delectable 3-course meal, featuring our typical specialties paired with top-notch local wines.
- May be operated by a multilingual guide
- Make a note of any dietary needs in the ‘Special Requirements’ box when you book
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Location
Parma
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(77 Ratings)
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540brendas
May 2, 2024
Great Food Tour - We enjoyed our touring day with Marika. She was full of energy and very informative. She took us to three sites where we learned a lot about the processing of Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto, and Balsamic Vinegar. We would recommend Maestro Tours
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ilgiolio
Jan 25, 2024
Best guided tour we've ever taken - On our way back to Paris from Venice on our foodie tour last September, we made a pilgrimage to Parma to pay homage to the rich gastronomic heritage of Emilia-Romagna.
We hit the jackpot choosing this tour featuring memorable visits to (1) a Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese cooperative, (2) a huge prosciutto production facility, and (3) the home/workshop of an acclaimed maker of old-school artisanal Balsamic vinegar.
This was the best commercial tour we've ever experienced, bar none. ★★★★★
Our tour guide Giacomo, an architectural historian, Parma native and food maven, is well-connected with the local producers, deeply knowledgeable about all three production processes, and a very engaging and enthusiastic teacher. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G_h
Oct 5, 2023
Where good food comes from - It was all eye opening and informative. It’s definitely “down in the trenches”. You have to appreciate some pretty intense smells! I’m glad they saved balsamic for the end. It was the best part!
Review provided by Viator
Celestemz8336ix
Sep 25, 2023
Book this tour! - Giacomo was so knowledgeable and made learning about each experience really interesting for the group! He has a great personality to get along with a group of strangers and made us all feel comfortable and excited each time he taught us a new piece of information. Each stop on our tour was great too, you get front row seats to how each product is produced which was really cool to see up close. Would highly recommend this tour with Giacomo!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
328andrewr
Sep 24, 2023
This was just a brilliant experience - We were lucky we booked the day before at Bologna tourist information office but it’s much safer to book in advance as we got the last 2 seats. We travelled by train from Bologna & the meeting point was easy to find. Be on time though as they will leave without you.
We absolutely loved our day out.
Our favourite in order Balsamic, Parmesan, then Parma Ham.
This tour is just great for the senses & just an amazing day.
The Parma Ham although brilliant & sanitised as much as possible be prepared for the process at the beginning & the smell that goes with it.
We felt very lucky to have had the chance to experience this tour & our guide really was brilliant.
The tasty bus was air conditioned too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jumana_whelan
Sep 6, 2023
Excellent tour guide - Lisa was an excellent tour guide, super friendly, and very knowledgeable! Well worth the full day tour experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
X9997xucristinab
Aug 21, 2023
Unique experience - Giacomo is an excellent and knowledgeable tour guide. I learned so much on the tour and felt like the experience was truest unique.Highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anthony_c
Aug 13, 2023
Fantastic tour - We were very happy with our guide and she was very knowledgeable and very informed and we walked away with more than we anticipated.
Review provided by Viator
Connie
Aug 12, 2023
Amazing food experience ! - Today we had the pleasure of a tour with Elisa. She did a fantastic job explaining the processes of Reggiano Parmigiano, Parma ham and the making of Picci Balsamic vinegar. We then stopped for lunch at a local restaurant called Al Mulino which was just nearby a local Castle. All in all a lovely day was had by all. She was very informative and knowledgeable in all that we saw.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
679yev
Aug 1, 2023
Fascinating, warm & hospitable. A MUST in Parma! - This was such an amazing experience. Our guide Paulina was so knowledgeable, sweet and helpful. All of the places we visited were hand picked small family run businesses where we were welcomed by the owners, who were very hospitable and answered all the questions we asked.
The lunch at the local village was excellent, great quality home made food with genuine warm environment.
One last thing that I wanted to mention was the upkeep of hygiene and cleanness was of top quality also.
Overall, would highly recommend this tour, it might seem a bit long when you see 7-7:30 hours, but it goes by so fast, as you’re introduced to a variety of places and products.
♥️ Thank you Parma!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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