Bayonne Ham Workshop: Learn Traditional Preparation & Taste
See how ham becomes ham, from salt to slice, in the room where it still happens
A guided workshop at Pierre Ibaialde in Bayonne where you visit the salting room and dryer—the last two still operating in the city—and learn the full process of traditional ham preparation from raw meat through aging. The tour runs 45 minutes in French only, with a tasting of the house's own products at the end. Children from age 1 are welcome, and the salting room and dryer are reached by staircase on the building's second floor.
The Experience
You arrive at Pierre Ibaialde's workshop in Bayonne with a free afternoon and no particular plan. The guide meets you and takes you upstairs—no elevator, so the staircase is part of the route—into the salting room where the meat first arrives. Here you see the actual salt work, the racks, the timing, the decisions that turn raw pork into something that will age for months. It is not a museum display; this is where the work still happens.
From the salting room you move into the dryer, where the ham hangs and the air does the rest. The guide walks you through what happens in this space over time—how long, at what temperature, what you are watching for. You learn where the meat comes from, what makes Bayonne ham distinct, and why these two rooms are the last of their kind still in use in the city. The whole tour takes 45 minutes and runs in French only.
At the end you taste the house's own products—the ham you have just learned about, prepared and aged in the rooms you have just walked through. It is a short tasting, not a meal, but it is the point where the process becomes something you can taste.
What’s included
Guided tour of the salting room and dryer with explanation of traditional ham preparation from meat origin through all preparation stages; tasting of Pierre Ibaialde's house ham products.
Operated by Pierre Ibaialde
Is this one for you?Walk through the last working salting room and dryer in Bayonne to see ham preparation from raw meat to finished product, then taste the house's original creations.
Traveler reviews
Top questions
What exactly do I see on the tour of the workshop?
You visit two working spaces: the salting room where the ham begins its preparation, and the dryer where it ages. Both are on the second floor and reached by staircase. The guide explains the full process from raw meat through the operations that create Bayonne ham, and you see the actual conditions and equipment where this still happens.
Is the tour only in French?
Yes, the guide speaks French only. The tour is not translated.
How long does the whole thing take?
The workshop tour runs 45 minutes, including the tasting at the end.
Can I bring small children?
Children are welcome from age 1. Infants can sit on an adult's lap, and strollers are allowed, though you will need to manage stairs to reach the salting room and dryer on the second floor.
What do I taste at the end?
You taste the house's original ham products—the ham prepared and aged in the rooms you have just toured. It is a tasting, not a full meal.
Is there parking or public transport nearby?
Public transportation options are available near the workshop. The tour does not include hotel pickup or drop-off.
Bayonne Ham Workshop: Learn Traditional Preparation & Taste
45m · FR
from € 5 per person
★★★★★★★★★★4.69239 reviewsVerified traveler reviews via our booking provider
