Modena Food Tour with Lunch: Balsamic & Market

Taste balsamic vinegar straight from the producer, then sit down to homemade pasta and wine.

A private guided tour of Modena's historic center lasting roughly three and a half hours, with stops at the Cathedral, Albinelli market, and a working Acetaia, followed by a three-course lunch with paired wine in a traditional restaurant. The guide speaks English, Spanish or Italian: your choice at checkout. Pickup from Bologna is included.

The experience

The tour starts with a private driver collecting you from Bologna and bringing you into Modena's UNESCO-listed heart. Your guide then leads a two-hour walk through the city's most significant sites: the Cathedral, the historic palaces, and the Albinelli market, where the smell of cured meats and aged cheeses fills the narrow aisles. Along the way you'll taste balsamic vinegar, the black gold of Modena, and sample local cold cuts and cheeses, so by the time you reach the restaurant you've already had a sense of what the region produces.

Lunch is a three-course affair in a typical trattoria: a starter of local cold cuts and bread, fresh homemade pasta, and an artisan cake for dessert, all paired with a glass of wine and water. The restaurant is chosen to show you how Modena's food culture actually works, not as a tourist stop but as a place locals eat. The whole day (from pickup to the end of lunch) runs about three and a half hours, compact enough to fit around other plans but long enough to move slowly through the city and sit properly at a table.

What’s included

• Private driver pickup from Bologna.
• two-hour guided tour of Modena's historic center in your choice of English, Spanish or Italian.
• entry to a historic Acetaia with balsamic tasting.
• walk through Albinelli market.
• three-course lunch with local cold cuts, fresh pasta, homemade cake, and a glass of wine.
• water.

Options for this experience

2 options

Tours in Italian10:30Pickup is included

Tours in Spanish10:30Pickup is included

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

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 10:30

Book up to18h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Bologna Tour & Best Italy Tour

Is this one for you?Book the English-language tour if you want a guide who can explain the history of the Cathedral and the stories behind Modena's food traditions. Choose Spanish or Italian if that's your preferred language and you'd like the same depth of local knowledge in your own words.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What exactly is balsamic vinegar from Modena, and do I get to taste it at a real producer?

Balsamic vinegar of Modena is aged vinegar made from grape must, dark and complex, nothing like the thin balsamic sold in supermarkets. On this tour you visit a historic Acetaia, a traditional aging house, where you taste it directly, so you understand why it costs what it does and why locals call it black gold.

Is the lunch included in the price, or do I pay separately at the restaurant?

Lunch is included: a three-course meal with a glass of wine and water, served in a typical Modena restaurant. You're not paying extra at the table.

Does the tour include pickup from my hotel in Bologna?

Yes, pickup from Bologna is included in the tour price. The driver collects you and brings you back after lunch.

How much walking is involved, and is the pace relaxed?

The guided portion of the tour is about two hours of walking through Modena's center, at a pace that allows you to stop and look at the Cathedral, explore the market, and absorb the city. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, and you're not rushed between stops.