Guffanti Cheese Tasting Lake Maggiore Underground Cellar Tour

Walk into a 10°C cellar stocked with 200 cheeses, then taste six paired with wine and bread

Guffanti Fiori near Lake Maggiore is an underground cheese experience where you descend into a temperature-controlled cellar, learn how master cheesemakers select and age over 200 Italian and international varieties, then taste six seasonal cheeses paired with bread, breadsticks, water and wine. The activity runs two hours and guides speak English or Italian. You choose a morning or afternoon departure.

The experience

Guffanti Fiori sits near Lake Maggiore and operates out of an underground cellar kept at 10°C (50°F). The precise temperature cheese needs to age properly. You descend into this working storage facility where over 200 varieties sit on shelves: Italian classics alongside rare international finds, each one stored and rotated by hand according to methods refined over decades. The cellar itself is the attraction. It's not a museum display but the actual aging room where the cheeses live.

A master cheesemonger guides you through the selection and handling techniques that define the work: how to read a cheese's readiness, why certain varieties need specific humidity, what the rind tells you about what's inside. Then you move to the tasting: six seasonal cheeses chosen to show range, from creamy cow's milk to tangy goat or sheep varieties, plus blues or washed-rind specialties that shift with the season. Each one arrives with fresh bread, breadsticks, and a glass of wine selected to bring out the cheese's particular flavors. The pairing is the point. The wine is not an afterthought but part of how the tasting unfolds.

Bring a light jacket or fleece. The cellar's cool temperature is what keeps the cheeses alive, and you'll be down there for the better part of two hours. Public transportation runs nearby if you're traveling without a car. The experience suits anyone curious about how cheese gets made and aged, not just people who already know the category. The guide explains as you go.

What’s included

• Underground cellar tour through Guffanti Fiori's temperature-controlled aging facility with over 200 cheeses.
• six seasonal artisan cheeses tasting.
• fresh bread and breadsticks.
• one glass of wine paired to each cheese.
• water.
• expert guidance from a master cheesemaker in English or Italian.
• local taxes.

Options for this experience

2 options

Cheese Morning ExperienceGuide in English or Italian · 11:00

Cheese Afternoon ExperienceGuide in English or Italian · 16:00

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 11:00 and 16:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (9 and older) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Cesarine: Cooking Class

Is this one for you?Choose the morning departure if you want the cellar tour and tasting early in the day, or the afternoon slot if you prefer a later start. Either way, the two-hour experience fits into a half-day itinerary around Lake Maggiore without dominating the whole day.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 8 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What exactly do I taste during the six-cheese tasting at Guffanti?

Six seasonal artisan cheeses chosen to show different styles (creamy, tangy, blue-veined, and washed-rind varieties) each one paired with bread, breadsticks, water and a glass of wine. The selection changes with the season, so what you taste depends on when you visit.

How cold is the underground cellar, and do I need special clothing?

The cellar stays at 10°C (50°F) year-round to preserve the cheeses. Bring a light jacket or fleece to stay comfortable during the two-hour experience underground.

Will the guide explain how the cheeses are made and aged?

Yes. A master cheesemaker walks you through the selection, handling and aging processes: how to read a cheese's readiness, why certain varieties need specific conditions, and what the rind reveals about what's inside. The guide speaks English or Italian.

Can I visit Guffanti if I don't have a car?

Public transportation options are available near Guffanti Fiori, so you can reach the cellar without driving. Check local transit schedules for the route that fits your arrival time.

Do I choose between a morning or afternoon visit?

Yes. You pick either the Cheese Morning Experience or the Cheese Afternoon Experience at checkout. Both run two hours and include the same cellar tour and six-cheese tasting. The difference is the time of day.