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Private Half-Day Tour: Discover Italian Food Valley's Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma
5.0
12 Ratings
San Prospero
Immerse yourself in the authentic flavors of the Italian Food Valley on a private half-day tour. Discover the secrets of Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma, from production to tasting.
Duration:
7 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano - 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. - Langhirano - We will visit a plant where famous Prosciutto di Parma is produced. - Barbiano - We will have lunch at a winery or family run restaurant with typical Parma delicacies and exquisite tastings of DOC Parma Hills wines.
What's Included
- Professional local guide
- 2 Glasses of exquisite DOC Parma Hills Wine
- Bottled water
- Tasting of aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses and fresh ricotta
- Admission to a Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Dairy
- Gourmet lunch featuring traditional cured meats
- Transport option available
- Homemade Pasta tasting (2 types)
- Selection of Traditional Cakes
- Tour of a Parma Ham Plant with admission fee included
- Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
- Option 2 does not include Transportation
Additional Information
Seeking a genuine experience, distanced from the bustling tourist crowds, to explore the essence and customs of the Italian Food Valley? Explore Emilia Romagna and its gastronomic treasures, Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma, at a leisurely pace, under the skilled guidance of a local and seasoned private guide dedicated to you and your companions or family. You will be part of the entire production process, from the feeding of dairy cows to the maturation of the cheese blocks in the food lover’s paradise, the amazing Parmigiano Reggiano warehouse. Watch in awe the cheesemaker’s well-practised hands in motion during the splitting of the curd and his swift handling of the cheese lifting from the kettle. The visit concludes with a delightful tasting of various matured cheeses. We’ll then transition to the hills of Parma to tour one of the factories where the unparalleled Prosciutto is made. The tour signs off with a lunch consisting of typical Parma specialities and wine from the Parma Hills.
- 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.
- Your health is our top priority and we have put special measures in place to keep all guests safe both during and after your activity.
- Stringent Cleaning - We’ve increased the frequency of disinfecting surfaces and high traffic areas between each tour and hand sanitizer will be available to all of our guests.
- Social Distancing - Guests will keep at all time the minimum safety distance in accordance with the instructions given in each place visited. We also ensure that all staff members will be wearing the necessary PPE.
- Guides and suppliers receive daily wellness checks to ensure they are healthy and symptom-free. If you or anyone in your group is experiencing symptoms, we will work directly with you to cancel or reschedule your tour.
- 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.
Location
Emily Way Bar
Via Marco Emilio Lepido
You will meet the guide in front of Emily Way Bar in Via Marco Emilio Lepido, 215, 43122 San Prospero PR at 7.30 am.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(12 Ratings)
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Stefania_m
Jul 14, 2024
The Birth of Cheese!! - Beatrice 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.
Review provided by Viator
Mab41426
Apr 12, 2024
Fantastic Family Tour - Absolutely 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!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarah_p
Feb 29, 2024
Personal, very informative tour with delicious food!! - We 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!
Review provided by Viator
Akanks123
Oct 2, 2023
Fantastic Food Valley Experience - My 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.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisa_d
Mar 31, 2023
Awesome time! - One 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!
Review provided by Viator
Russell_t
Nov 28, 2022
Perfect day in Parma! - My 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!
Review provided by Viator
Rachel_m
Jul 26, 2022
Fabulous Parma Food Tour - Barbara 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!!!
Review provided by Viator
Parmesanenthusiast
Jul 19, 2022
THIS TOUR WAS INCREDIBLE - 12/10 WOULD RECOMMEND - This 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!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helendh747wu
Jul 7, 2022
THIS TRIP WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY - We booked the Slow Parma Food Experience Private Tour and Tasting. The trip was so much more than we expected. Michelle Costa at Artemilia went above and beyond to make the experience happen for our group. She is easy to get a hold of and responsive to all requests for help of any kind. We had excellent personal service from her and her company. The tour itself was fantastic. It was very private and we were taken to each spot in a private vehicle. We learned so much about the famous cheeses and prosciutto of the Parma region. Our guide Barbara was fantastic. She spoke almost perfect English and was enjoyable throughout the day answering all of the questions we had. The day ended with an incredible and beautiful lunch at a hilltop restaurant overlooking the beautiful valley in the Emilia-Romagna region outside of Parma. Exceptional food, wine, views and ambience. We were thrilled with our excursion.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Txtree
May 9, 2022
Highly, highly recommended!! - We had an amazing day near Parma! It started with a 6 am pickup at our hotel in Florence (our driver Rossano was wonderful). The early wake-up call was well worth it - we got to visit a small parmesan producer and see the cheese-making process from start to finish. Then we headed off for an incredible lunch at an agriturismo that included platters of cured meat (prosciutto, culatello, coppa, salame felino, pancetta), delicious tortelli, and locally produced wines. Then off to a local prosciutto producer before being dropped at our hotel n Bologna. Michelle is a terrific guide - she's incredibly organized, knowledgeable (about food, art, history, culture), and enthusiastic, but also delightful company. I hope to return to the region soon and will gladly book more time with Artemilia - one day was definitely not enough!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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