Slow Parma Food Experience Half Day Private Tour and Tasting
Overview
Available languages
7 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Looking for an authentic experience, far from the major tourist flows, to discover the soul and traditions of the Italian Food Valley? Come and discover Emilia Romagna and its food excellences, Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma, at a slow pace, relying on the professionalism of a local and experienced private guide dedicated to you and your friends or family. You will follow the whole production chain, from the feeding of milking cows to the aging of the cheese wheels in the foodies heaven, the astounding Parmigiano Reggiano warehouse. You will closely watch the cheese master’s experienced hands during the breaking of the curd and his deft movements during the lifting of the cheese out of the kettle. The visit will end with a delightful tasting of different ageings of cheese. We will transfer to the hills of Parma to visit one of the plants where the inimitable Prosciutto is produced. The tour will end with a lunch of typical Parma delicacies and wine from the Parma Hills.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Specialized infant seats are available
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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.
This is a private tour, run exclusively for you and your family or friends.
Hotel pick-up and drop-off is included in the "Price including transportation" option. Pick-up and drop-off is intended within a radius of 15 kilometres of the city centre (Piazza Garibaldi in Parma). If your location is not among the pick up points listed, contact us to receive a customized quote for the extra transportation service. When travelers select the "Self-Drive Price" option, we'll see them at the Departure Point, they must provide their own transport and follow the guide in a separate car.
What To Expect
We will visit an authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese dairy and the visit will be followed by tasting of 12 months, 24 months and 36 months old Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Visiting a Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese dairy with us, you will be able to follow the whole production chain, from the feeding of milking cows, the milk collection and preservation, to the forming of the curd in the typical copper cauldrons. You will be able to watch the cheese master’s experienced hands during the breaking of the curd with the “spino” and his deft movements during the lifting of the cheese out of the cauldron. After that you will visit the resting, salting and ageing rooms of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese with their overwhelming aromas. The visit will end with a pleasant tasting, a real pleasure for the senses!
Castello Di Torrechiara
We will have a Photo stop at mediaeval village & Castle of Torrechiara.
Options
Self-Drive Price
You must provide your own transport and follow the guide in a separate car
Price including transportation
Price including transportation: Price including a private vehicle (car/minivan) with Professional Driver Pickup included
What‘s Included
Professional local guide
2 Glasses of exquisite DOC Parma Hills Wine
Bottled water
Tasting of 12, 24, 30 and 36 months old Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh ricotta cheese
Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Dairy Admission fee
Lunch: Traditional cured meat products such as Prosciutto di Parma, Coppa, Pancetta and Salame
Option 1 includes Transportation
Traditional Fresh Homemade Pasta (2 types)
A choice of Traditional Cakes
Parma Ham Plant Admission fee
Coffee and/or Tea
Option 2 does not include Transportation
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
14 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Book this tour!
A3561SWcharlottes,Apr 24, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had the most wonderful tour with Michelle exploring the best foods Parma has to offer. She explained everything in amazing detail and clearly has deep expertise in food, wine, and tourism. Could not recommend this experience more highly - if you’re reading this review, go ahead and book your tour! You won’t regret it.
Our tour guide, Lisa, ...
Michael O,May 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our tour guide, Lisa, was exceptional. Highly motivated and knowledgeable. She was genuine, professional, and personable. The tour exceeded our expectations. The master and crew at the dairy were impressive. Thanks also to Parma ham for opening their business to us.
The Birth of Cheese!!
Stefania M,Jul 14, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Beatrice was our guide and WOW! What an experience. She was knowledgeable, friendly, excellent at explaining the details and had a clear command of the intricacies of the making of both parmigiana and prosciutto. We wrapped the day up at the loveliest spot for lunch. We had my 6 year old with us who was the most curious and Beatrice explained this to her kindly and patiently.
Fantastic Family Tour
mab41426,Apr 12, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely fantastic experience with Michelle! My family stopped in Parma during our most recent trip to Italy and went on the Slow Parma Food Experience. Michelle was excellent, knowledgeable and engaging throughout the experience. We brought our two small children (4 and 7) on the tour and Michelle went above and beyond to engage both of them in the tour and, to their great joy, brought them to see baby cows! The tour of the Parmigiano Reggiano factory was the highlight with the aforementioned cows adding icing on the cake for the experience. The tasting was generous and delicious. Lunch was equally delicious and the setting breathtaking. Will absolutely book another tour when we return to Emilia Romagna in the future!
Personal, very informative tour with delicious food!!
Sarah P,Feb 29, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00We really enjoyed this tour! Watching the actual process of making parmigiano was so interesting and our guide was very knowledgeable about the process for both the parmigiano and the prosciutto di Parma. She knew the staff at both locations by name and we were the only tourists there, no other large groups also touring, which made it feel very personal and special. I also thought it was really cool that the prosciutto di Parma factory we went to is 4th generation family women-owned and run! The lunch was fantastic quality at a lovely agriturismo. The whole experience was great!
Fantastic Food Valley Experience
akanks123,Oct 2, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My family did a slow food tour with Michelle through the Emillia Region during our trip to Italy. We wanted to visit local, organic, family producers that showcased the authentic practices of the food valley, and did not want a touristy, commercial experience. I found Artemilia online, and they exceeded everyone's expectations and created a day that was a once in a lifetime experience. Michelle is passionate about the traditions of the food valley and is extremely knowledgeable about the history of the region. She has deep relationships with local producers, which got us into some incredible locations. Her way of storytelling is engaging and personable. During our day, we visited a local dairy farm, traditional balsamic producer, organic winery/vineyard (where we had a fantastic lunch), and prosciutto factory. All of the visits were intimate/private, included tastings of some of the highest quality products that we've had, and were beyond informative and hands-on. My husband equated the day to a Stanley Tucci experience, which I believe to be the ultimate compliment. If you are visiting the area and want to immerse yourself in the local practices which make this region the food capital of Italy, and arguably the world, you should 100% book with Artemilia.
Awesome time!
Lisa D,Mar 31, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00One of the best tours we’ve had in Italy. Roberta was so friendly and very knowledgeable about the cheese making process and prosciutto making process. We included lunch with our tour. We went to a great restaurant with a beautiful view. I would definitely recommend!
Perfect day in Parma!
Russell T,Nov 28, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00My fiance and I had a wonderful day with Michelle touring the parmegianno regianno and prosciutto de Parma plants. The drive was also very beautiful. We had an amazing lunch featuring local pasta, wine, dessert, and Nocino. Michelle was on time, extremely knowledgeable, and provided recommendations for aperitivo and dinner in Parma the evening after the tour. We would highly recommend booking Michelle for this tour. We learned a lot and ate wonderfully well!
Fabulous Parma Food Tour
Rachel M,Jul 26, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00Barbara P was a fantastic tour guide! She provided very descriptive information about the food and the way Parma Cheese and Ham are made. She took us to a lovely lunch overlooking a vineyard with spectacular food. She answered all of my father’s questions and was very accommodating with his wheelchair. You won’t be disappointed!!!
THIS TOUR WAS INCREDIBLE - 12/10 WOULD RECOMMEND
ParmesanEnthusiast,Jul 19, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour is in my top five days of my entire life. I know that sounds hyperbolic, but this tour is worth every penny and then some. My husband and I are both vegetarian cheese-lovers who adore parmesan and an excellent wine tasting, and when I asked Michelle Costa of Artemilia to design a custom tour (based on this one, without parma ham) for us, she delivered an absolutely incredible day. We spent the morning (7:30am pickup from our hotel) doing a private tour of the parmesan cheese factory, where Michelle is a super expert and explained every step of the process in completely fascinating detail, along with a ton of interesting history about parmesan itself. We then went to the farm where they source the milk (and got to meet the cows and a really cute dog), and did a guided cheese tasting with Michelle (with tasting notes!) with parmesan of different ages. From there, we did a tour and tasting of a traditional balsamic vinegar producer, which was VERY interesting and delicious and not to be missed, followed by a wonderful lunch and organic wine tasting at an eco-friendly and gorgeous agriturismo, and ended with a final wine tasting at a lovely hilltop winery. I've done private tours before, and sometimes they can feel awkward or forced. That is not the case with Michelle. She is an absolute gem and could not be easier to talk to. We spent the entire day with her, and not only is she an absolutely stellar tour guide in terms of planning out the day, she has a deep knowledge base in art history, Italian and regional history, food, and wine, and she answered every single one of my (MANY) questions with enthusiasm. :-) 12/10 would recommend this tour and anything else she puts together. Thank you for making my parmesan dreams come true, Michelle! Your tour was one for the books!
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