The 10 best culinary tours of Italy

A trip to Italy is definitely a journey through art and beautiful landscapes, but it is also an itinerary through a variety of exceptional products, unique flavors and traditional recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. In every big city and in every small town you will find new specialties and new dishes to taste. It will be through the cuisine that you will be able to grasp the soul of a place and discover its habits and traditions. So, if you want to live a unique experience during your next trip, below we tell you which are our favorite culinary tours of Italy!

1. Food Tour in Trastevere

Let’s start with the capital city.

People go to Rome to see the Colosseum, walk through the Roman Forum, flip a coin in the Trevi Fountain, and visit the Vatican Museums. Among the things to do in Rome, however, there is also a tasty stop in a trattoria to discover the excellent Roman cuisine.

The best place to do this is Trastevere, one of the most fascinating and authentic neighborhoods of the Eternal City. Here, among alleys of sanpietrini and craft stores, you will find some of the best osterias in Rome.

Participating in our Gastronomic Tour in Trastevere you will discover history, anecdotes and curiosities about the neighborhood and you will be accompanied inside the restaurants most loved by locals to taste some of the best traditional dishes.

Ready to taste, for example, the real pasta alla carbonara, the supplì and the Roman pizza?

2. Traditional Food Tour in Genoa

Genoa’s gastronomic tradition is apparently poor: made of simple ingredients in which sea and mountains meet continuously. Pine nuts, mushrooms, anchovies, cuttlefish and many, many herbs are some of the protagonists of a cuisine that will surely amaze you.

Tasting the typical dishes of the city is one of the reasons why it is really worth visiting Genoa: it is at the tabl that you will be able to understand the history of the capital of Liguria, that of the sailors and the dockers who handled the goods, that of the farmers who worked the land and that of the merchants who made this city famous all over the world.

Genoa is not only the great Aquarium, but also the majestic Palazzi dei Rolli and the rich churches that hold works of art of immense value.

To live a unique experience, book your place for the Traditional Food Tour in Genoa and among curiosities and anecdotes you will be able to taste, among others, the famous pesto, the fragrant focaccia, the delicious stoccafisso accomodato and the excellent fried anchovies.

3. Naples Street Food Tour

Naples, chaotic and cheerful, is the perfect city to stroll while eating: the street food of the capital of Campania is among the most delicious in Italy!

Among the busy and noisy alleys of the historic center you can admire some of the most beautiful churches in Italy and visit many interesting museums, but remember that among the experiences not to be missed in Naples there are a taste of pizza and a stop for a coffee.

Our suggestion is to take the Naples Street Food Tour: one of the best and most entertaining culinary tours in Italy. During the guided tour you will taste the best of the local cuisine: for example you can taste the famous cuoppo (a cone full of fried delicacies), the pizza a portafoglio and the baba. In the meantime, you will get to know some of the most iconic places in Naples thanks to the expert local guide who will accompany you.

4. Tour of Street Food and Aperitifs in Milan

Milan, city of fashion and happy hour.

The capital of Lombardy is often referred to as the economic capital of Italy and, despite some people describe it as gray and hectic, life in this city is lively and cheerful. The myth of the happy hour before dinner was born here, along the Navigli, between a Prosecco and a Spritz.

The Milanese, after work, love to relax while sipping a cocktail and nibbling at something: it is part of the tradition.

During a visit to the city, then, you won’t be able to give it up either and the best way to discover this habit is to participate in our Tour of Street Food and Aperitifs in Milan: between a cocktail and a glass of wine you will taste cold cuts, cheeses and excellent gourmet sandwiches.

5. Traditional Food Tour in Florence

Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy: it is a real open-air museum.

There are so many things to do in the Tuscan capital: from a visit to the Uffizi Gallery to a climb up Brunelleschi’s Dome, from a walk in the green Boboli Gardens to a climb up Piazzale Michelangelo to admire a splendid view of the city.

Among all this, however, you absolutely must find the time to stop in one of the excellent trattorias and taste the local cuisine: a good Florentine steak, but also panzanella, ribollita and pappa al pomodoro are some of the dishes to order.

If you want to be sure not to miss anything, book your place for the Traditional Gastronomic Tour in Florence: an expert guide will accompany you to discover the best of the Florentine gastronomic tradition.

6. Bologna Gastronomic Tour

It has to be said, Bologna is the taste capital of Italy!

Bolognese cuisine is famous throughout the world: tagliatelle, ragù, mortadella and tortellini are true cornerstones of Italian gastronomic culture.

If you have decided to visit Bologna, after a stroll through the historic center we suggest you find time to go to one of the city’s markets to immerse yourself in unforgettable scents and colors. Then sit down in a trattoria and let yourself be tempted by the menu.

If you’re short on time or if you’re looking for a fun experience, join the Bologna Food Tour: in 3 and a half hours a local guide will take you to discover the city and taste some of Bologna’s best dishes.

7. Street Food Tour in Palermo

Palermo is the street food capital of Italy: if you love street food this is the perfect city for you!

An opportunity not to be missed is the Street Food Tour of Palermo: this is, in our opinion, one of the tastiest culinary tours of Italy.

Are you ready to immerse yourself in the colors and sounds of Palermo’s markets to taste the famous panino ca meuza, sfincione, the famous arancino and the delicious Sicilian cannolo? Then you can think about your diet another time!

8. Food Tour of Parma

Prosciutto and other cured meats, good wine, pumpkin tortelli and cotechino: it’s no coincidence that Parma was declared Creative City for Gastronomy in Italy by UNESCO!

Visiting Parma is worth it for its artistic beauties, but also (and maybe above all) for its gastronomic tradition. So, after visiting the Duomo, the Camera di San Paolo and the Galleria Farnese, we suggest you take part in the Food Tour of Parma to enjoy the excellent local dishes!

9. Tour of Pastries in Turin

Turin, the ancient Capital of Italy, today is one of the most fascinating Italian cities to visit.

If once the capital of Piedmont was considered gray and monotonous and always identified with the big factories of the North, today it is known and appreciated for its museums, its churches and its many beauties and uniqueness … as the rich gastronomic tradition!

Among the things to do in Turin, you cannot miss the gourmet stops to taste the bagna cauda, tajarin and agnolotti, but also and above all the traditional sweets.

The Tour of Pastries in Turin is a really fun experience and one of the best culinary tours in Italy: you will get to know some of the historic cafes and pastry shops of the Piedmontese capital and taste, among others, the famous gianduiotti, cremini and marron glacé.

10. Venice Gourmet Tour

Finally, the last of the best culinary tours to do in Italy is the one in the capital of Veneto.

The Food Tour in Venice is an alternative way to visit the city. You will stroll in the Cannaregio district and enter some of the bacari (typical taverns) most loved by Venetians. Between a Spritz and a cicchetto (local appetizers) you will feel part of the everyday life of a city that sometimes seems to have lost its authenticity.

The tour, moreover, takes place in the late afternoon just to give you the opportunity to enjoy the unique beauty of Venice in the evening: it will be beautiful, we give you our word!

SELENE

Graduated in Literature and Communication and Media Culture, she loves both writing and storytelling. She made her first trip when she was only two and a half months old and hasn't had a break since. Each of her trips is accompanied, of course, by more tastings of the local cuisine! Today she writes about this and more on her blog "Viaggi che Mangi" and in the meantime she also writes for other portals.

ABOUT US

We have created amazing food tours and cooking experiences that will show you how and what local people enjoy eating. Typical dishes, served in different restaurants, will present you the local food culture.