Parma Food Tour: Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Workshops & Tasting
Description
This is not a typical food tour. You’ll step behind the scenes of real artisan workshops in Parma, places not open to the public, and experience how the city’s most iconic foods are made. Your experience begins inside a traditional pastry lab, where you’ll see how local specialties are crafted and meet the people behind them. You’ll then continue into a fresh pasta workshop, the highlight for many guests, where you’ll watch pasta being made by hand and discover techniques passed down for generations. Along the way, you’ll enter hidden kitchens and production spaces across the city, meeting local producers and hearing their stories directly. You’ll taste Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, and the rare Culatello di Zibello With a maximum of 8 guests, you’ll enjoy access and interactions that larger groups simply can’t offer. This is Parma from the inside, not just what you eat, but how it’s made and who makes it.
Tour Options
Itinerary
In our walking food tour, we explore all our favourite local highlights of Parma. Our tour's meeting location is in front of the beautiful Cattedrale di Parma. It's ideal to arrive early and explore the building before the tour begins :)
During our Parma food tour, we pass next to the beautiful Battistero di Parma, just a few steps from where we start the tour.
In our walking food tour, we explore all our favourite local highlights of Parma. Among other places, we will stroll around Piazza della Ghiaia, the main shopping/dining street in Parma.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Non-eating children under 6 years old do not require a ticket
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Available for gluten free with prior notice. Please advise when booking.
- Not available for vegans and vegetarians
- A moderate amount of walking is involved (3km)
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- Tour starts with at least 2 people
Reviews(61)
We had a wonderful experience on this tour! We got to try so many wonderful foods and hear all about the history of the area. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and did a great job!
Thank you so much, Taylor! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a wonderful time exploring Parma with us: great food, local stories, and passionate guides are exactly what we love sharing with our guests. We’ll make sure your kind words reach your guide, and we hope to see you again soon for another delicious adventure in Italy! Andrea - Taste Bologna
If you're looking for great food combined with the very interesting history of both the food and Parma, this tour is for you. Our guide obviously enjoys showing off her city and her lively personality made the city come to life. We went to the best places to get the foods that are known as Parma specialties. The portions were very generous and I, along with my fellow tour participants were pleasantly full. We all agreed that it was a great experience and a good value..
Thank you so much, Susan! We love hearing that Parma won you over with its food, stories, and those very generous tastings: sounds like nobody left the tour hungry 😄. Hope to see you again for another delicious adventure in Parma, or maybe Bologna or Modena next time ;) Andrea - Taste Bologna
An amazing experience full of delicious food. We were treated to meeting several artisan food producers including behind the scenes visits to kitchen to see baking and pasta making and then delicious tastings. We were treated also to a variety of hams and different aged parmegiano cheese with Lambrusco. All in all a truly delightful and tasty experience with our wonderful host and guide Barbara who answered all our questions and was able to give us so much information not just of the local foods but also the history of Parma. Thank you so much for a lovely day and would highly recommend this tour.
Thank you so much for this amazing review Peter! We’re so happy you enjoyed the behind-the-scenes moments with our artisans: that’s exactly the kind of authentic experience we love to share. We hope to welcome you back for another tasty adventure soon! Andrea & Barbara - Taste Bologna
Fabulous tour with Lisa, who shared her love of Parma and its history as well as its wonderful food. We were able to visit the kitchens of a pastry shop which originated in the 1850s as well as a pasta maker and were provided samples by both in addition to seeing these wonderful products being made. Our last stop was a wonderful lunch in the cellar of a local shop which sells cheese and prosciutto. We tasted five kinds of ham, learned about the different types of ham and also tasted Parmesan reggiano aged from 12 to 70 months. This tasting was accompanied by sparkling wine. We have been on a lot of food tours and this one really stands out for the personal experiences with these artisans as well as the clear love and pride Lisa has for Parma.
Wow, reading this made our day! We'll make sure to pass your kind words on to Lisa, she truly pours her heart into every tour, and knowing her passion for Parma came through so clearly means everything to us. We hope to see you back in Parma (or Bologna!) very soon. A presto! Andrea - Taste Bologna
Lisa was an entertaining and knowledgeable guide. She gave us interesting information about Parma history and current life and led us through a delicious tasting experience. We particularly enjoyed stepping into two kitchens to see food prepared.
Thank you so much, Julie! We love taking our guests behind the scenes, so stepping into the kitchens and seeing the magic happen is a big part of what we do, so glad you enjoyed it. Hope to share more delicious moments together next time! Andrea & Lisa - Taste Bologna
Excellent program. Cannot hope for a better guide. We lucky that the 5 of us were the only pattrndees and effectively had a private tour.
Thank you so much — we're really glad you enjoyed the Parma Food Tour and that the small group turned it into a private-feeling experience! We loved spending the day with you all and sharing Parma’s best flavors. Hope to see you again for another tasty adventure! Andrea – Taste Bologna
Lisa did our food tour in Parma. She was wonderful, very friendly and super knowledgeable. She gave us a real behind the scenes tour. I highly recommend this tour and especially Lisa.
Thanks so much, Wendy! We’re thrilled you loved the Parma Food Tour — sharing those behind-the-scenes foodie gems with you was such a treat. Hope to welcome you back soon for more flavors from Emilia! Andrea & Lisa - Taste Bologna
What a wonderful tour! Lisa was terrific—full of enthusiasm and clearly passionate about what she does. It really shows. The food was excellent, and the chefs we met along the way were absolutely amazing.
Thanks Ana! So happy you enjoyed the Parma food tour—Lisa’s passion is truly contagious, and those chefs are something special. Hope you’ll join us again for more delicious moments! Andrea & Lisa - Taste Bologna
Wonderful tour with a great guide. We really enjoyed it, 2 adults and 2 children (children ages 5 & 7).
Thanks Grace, we're so happy your whole family enjoyed the Parma food tour! It's always a joy to share tasty discoveries with curious little explorers too. Hope to see you all again for another delicious adventure! Andrea - Taste Bologna
1. Our guide, Lisa, was knowledgeable, prompt and energetic. 2. Diverse introduction to the foods of the city. Cheese, pastry, pasta and ham of various ages. 3. Learned so much! Absolutely recommend to anyone visiting!
Thanks for jumping head-first into Parma with us and highlighting Lisa’s knowledge and energy! Swing by anytime for another deep dive into Emilia-Romagna flavors! Andrea & Lisa - Taste Bologna
