Welcome to Parma
If reincarnation ever becomes an option, pray you come back as a Parmesan. Where else do you get to cycle to work through streets virtually devoid of cars, lunch on fresh-from-the-attic prosciutto and aged parmigiano reggiano, quaff crisp, refreshing Lambrusco wine in regal art-nouveau cafes, and spend sultry summer evenings listening to classical music in architecturally dramatic opera houses?
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Parma activities
Private Emilia Romagna Food Tour from Parma or Bologna
Half-Day Tour (5 Hours):If you’ve elected to avail of a driver and car, start your tour with a pickup from your hotel or preferred meeting point in central Parma or Bologna. If you’re driving yourself, hop inside your own vehicle and pick up your guide in Parma. Then, set off to seek out some of the Emilia Romagna region’s most sought-after gastronomic exports. Make your first stop at a cheese dairy to taste Parmesan cheese, which is nicknamed the 'King of Cheeses.' Watch the cheesemakers at work, and learn about the tightly regulated rules that govern the production of the artisanal product before indulging in a tasting.Visit a Parma ham producer located in the foothills of Parma and learn why the prevailing wind that blows off the Ligurian Sea is needed to create perfect cured ham. Continue on to the scenic medieval village of Torrechiara, where you'll pause for photos. An imposing 15th-century castle dominates the vistas.Indulge in a tasting-style lunch in a Parma wine cellar. Munch on cold cuts, Parmesan, filled pasta and sweet handmade cakes. Then wash them down with local wine such as Lambrusco and Malvasia.With your appetite sated, travel back to Parma or Bologna, where your tour concludes back at your accommodation or preferred drop-off point (if option selected).Full-Day Tour (7 Hours):Follow the itinerary for the half-day tour in the morning. Then, after lunch, move on to a traditional balsamic vinegar producer with your private guide.Listen as your guide shares facts and information about this prized gourmet product. The aged balsamic vinegar that is produced in Modena and Reggio Emilia is created using time-honored techniques that date back to the Middle Ages, and is very different to the balsamic condiment generally found on supermarket shelves.After learning about the production process, experience the intense and complex flavors during a tasting.In the afternoon, return to Parma or Bologna (depending on option selected), where your tour concludes.Please note: A minimum of two people per booking is required.
Half Day Parma Food Tour
Get picked up at your hotel in Parma to begin your delicious tour of the area.Head first for a cheese factory to see how milk is transformed into Parmigiano-Reggiano. Learn how this cheese, devoid of any chemical additive, can be aged for years to improve its quality. Learn to recognize the various aging stages thanks to the tasting led by an expert.Proceed to discover another culinary specialty of this area: Parma ham. In the ham-producing house, you will see every phase of the curing of the meat and taste the final result, yielded by meticulous aging.Your tour ends in a typical local restaurant where you can enjoy all the specialties of the Parma region matched with excellent local wines like Lambrusco and Malvasia. Taste different types of salami, as well as the tortelli d'erbetta, a round pasta stuffed with ricotta and herbs, a traditional dish of Parma. As for dessert, you will discover the famous Sbrisolona and other dry pies. Lunch also includes water, wine and coffee.
Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Tasting Tour
Meet your guide at the caseficio in Parma, and start your tour to learn about parmigiano-reggiano, aka the king of cheese. The famous hard cheese is guaranteed in its origin, so only Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma, and some parts of Mantova and Bologna are able to produce it. See the producers at work as they heat the milk to separate the whey. Watch as the cheese is salted and shaped into a wheel before it’s placed in the aging room. As you admire the rows of wheels, hear how the cheese is hammered, fire-branded, and subject to stringent tests before it is finally allowed to be sold as parmigiano-reggiano. Finally, finish your tour and sit down for a cheese tasting with honey and local wine. Please note: A minimum of two people per booking is required.
Parma Food Tour with Tastings and Lunch
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.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 aging.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. You can also enjoy different salamis, 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 pies. Your lunch will also include water, wine and coffee.After lunch, round your tour off with a visit of a "acetaia", where a member of the owner’s family will reveal all secrets of traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Small-group food tour with tasting: Parmesan cheese and Parma ham
Discover the secrets of Parma's most traditional products on a mini shuttle bus with your Italian and English-speaking guide. Meet your English-speaking guide in Piazza Garibaldi (tourist information office on Parma's main square) and start your tour at 9:30 AM. First, stop at the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO production factory. Discover how milk is processed and transformed into Parmigiano Reggiano PDO. Find out why this extraordinary cheese can be preserved for years and why its quality improves over time without any chemical additives. Learn how to distinguish between cheese of different ageing thanks to a guided tasting. Continue to the Parma Ham PDO production factory. See the production phases of this renowned kind of cold cut. Start from the meat processing and lose yourself in a journey of flavors until the tasting of the final product. End your tour with a tasting of Parma ham and savor its sweetness and unique flavor and return to Piazza Garibaldi at 2:00 pm. Optionally, keep discovering local delicacies and continue your journey with a light lunch in typical trattoria where you will try some of the most famous local dishes accompanied with a glass of wine. After lunch, enter an ancient acetaia and discover why every drop of balsamic vinegar is a true gem. Taste its exceptional quality, aroma and fragrance on a delicious guided tasting. Return to Piazza Garibaldi at approx. 5:00 PM.
Private Emilia Romagna Food Tour from Milan
Half-Day Tour (5 Hours):If you’ve elected to avail of a driver and car, start your tour with a pickup from your hotel or preferred meeting point in central Milan. If you’re driving yourself, hop inside your own vehicle and meet your guide in Parma (meeting point provided in your booking confirmation). Then, take a spin around the scenic Emilia Romagna region and seek out some of the region’s most sought-after gastronomic exports. As you travel, chat with your private guide about the history of the province and its high-quality produce.Stop into a traditional cheese factory and watch local artisans at work. Learn about the lengthy aging process that gives the cheese its unique flavor, and see the aging wheels of Parmesan stacked high before sampling the delicious cheese for yourself. Next, visit a Parma ham producer, who will explain the painstaking curing processes that make the ham as tender and flavorful as possible. Then, hit the road once more, stopping briefly in the medieval village of Torrechiara. Use your camera to capture photos with the 15th-century castle as a picturesque backdrop.Continue to a wine cellar in the Colli di Parma wine region. Enjoy a lunch comprised of local specialties such as fresh pasta, cured meat and cheese, washed down with mouthwatering local wines like lambrusco and malvasia.After lunch, begin the journey back to Milan, where your tour concludes back at your accommodation or preferred drop-off point (if option selected).Full-Day Tour (7 Hours):Follow the itinerary for the half-day tour in the morning. Then, after lunch, head for a traditional balsamic vinegar producer in the Modena region.After learning how it is made, taste the delicious vinegar for yourself, and see how it differs from the more commonplace versions. Later that afternoon, head back to Milan, where your tour concludes.Please note: A minimum of two people per booking is required.