From Florence: Bologna Food Day Trip with Local Tastings

About this tour

This 11-hour day trip from Florence takes you deep into Emilia-Romagna's food heartland, visiting three working producers that define Italian cuisine. You'll tour a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy, watch balsamic vinegar age at a family farm near Modena, and explore a prosciutto facility established in 1988. Tastings punctuate each stop, culminating in a leisurely lunch of cured meats, aged cheese, tigelle bread and lambrusco before free time wandering Bologna's medieval streets. An air-conditioned coach and expert guide handle transport and context throughout.

Highlights

• Walk through Parmigiano Reggiano ageing rooms, taste the real thing
• Sample aged balsamic vinegars paired with cheese and gelato
• Lunch on regional cured meats, fresh bread, local wine
• Visit a family-run balsamic producer near Modena
• Explore Bologna city centre at your own pace
• Meet producers and learn their methods firsthand

What to expect

You'll spend the morning and early afternoon moving between three food facilities in the countryside, each involving a short walk and some standing. At the dairy and balsamic farm, guides walk you through production areas—cool rooms with ageing wheels or oak barrels—before offering generous tastings. The prosciutto facility follows a similar pattern. Lunch is a seated affair with multiple small courses and wine. The final stretch is free time in Bologna's compact centre, where Renaissance buildings frame cafés and arcaded streets. Expect to be on your feet regularly, though never strenuously.

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