Food Valley Gourmet Tour – The Original (Full Day)

One Day Experiences

Where:

Province of Parma

Duration:

6 Hours

Starting Time:

08:30 am in Parma

Avaibility:

Monday to Sunday

Ever dreamt of spending a full day in the Food Valley of Italy with a top-notch guide and the most famous gourmet products of the world all around you? Well, here you can!

  • Private licensed expert guide until lunch (English/other languages upon supplement)
  • Private guided visit & tasting at a Parmigiano-Reggiano dairy
  • Private guided visit & tasting at a Prosciutto di Parma producer’s
  • Private guided visit & tasting at a Traditional Balsamic Vinegar producer’s (run by the owner)
  • Typical full lunch as described
  • Everything not mentioned in the inclusions

08:30 am – Start your day with one of our Cheese Factory Tours. Meet our guide in Parma and head on to visit an authentic producer of Parmigiano-Reggiano PDO: you’ll discover how the King of all cheeses has been literally made byhand in the same way since the Benedictine monks invented it 10 centuries ago! From the curdling into the typical copper heaters to the salting and the final ageing in the so-called wheel cathedrals, you will be a privileged witness of almost all the steps of production of this out-and-out food icon. Tasting at the end.

On the way – Take a look at the stunning castle of Torrechiara, one of the 40 manors of the area!

11:00 am – Guided visit with final tasting at one of the local family-run ham factories producing the mythical Prosciutto di Parma PDO: you will get to know why this ultra-famous cured meat can only be made in the hills of Parma, where the sea breeze blows from the Tirrenian all along this very specific river valley.

12:30/45 pmFull lunch based on the typical products of the area: from season appetizers to one pasta course among the most iconic of Emilia to end with home-made cakes. All paired up with local wine such as Lambrusco and/or Malvasia!

02:15 pm – Transfer to the province of Reggio-Emilia.

02:45 pm – Guided visit & tasting at a family-run production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar PDO.

03:45 pm – End of activities and back to hotel / head on to your next destination.

Please Note:

  • Program: the described program may undergo minor changes in the timings.
  • Pick-ups: If you add the car+driver supplement from a specific town, you will be picked up at your hotel downtown. If out of town, you could be asked to pay a further supplement.
  • Guide: the guide can decide whether to join you on board (only if you buy the car+driver supplement) or drive her/his own car. In case you selfdrive, the guide drives her/his own car in front of you and you just follow upon our itinerary instructions.
  • Lunch: the lunch can be arranged at a local restaurant, a Parma ham producer or an agriturismo depending on availability.
  • Live production: being artisanal and not industrial products, the working cycle is not repeated every day at the same time, so it is not guaranteed to see craftsmen at work at each site (for example: Wine and Vinegar making, Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello).
  • Our drivers are NOT driver-guides, since this kind of professional profile is forbidden by the Italian law.

Cancellation Policy:

  • No fee up to 8 days before the starting day;
  • From 7 days to 3 days before the tour starting date: 50% penalty;
  • 48 hours’ notice: 70% penalty;
  • 24 hours’ notice: 100% penalty.

Price

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