Parma Food Tour: 8 Tastings in the Historic Center

Taste cured meats, cheese and handmade pasta as you walk Parma's oldest streets

A 3-hour guided food tour through Parma's historic center with 8 tastings of local specialties: Prosciutto di Parma, aged Parmigiano Reggiano varieties, erbazzone pastry, handmade pasta, regional wines, and a Secret Dish known only to the guide. A live English-speaking guide leads small groups through Piazza Garibaldi and the city's oldest food shops, stopping at a historic salumeria, cheese shop, bakery and traditional restaurant. The itinerary may shift based on shop availability and weather.

Step-by-step itinerary

Parma guided food tasting tour

• Sample cured meats at historic salumerie
• Taste aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Try savory erbazzone pastry at bakery
• Enjoy handmade pasta in Piazza Garibaldi
• End with classic local sweet dessert

The experience

You have a free afternoon in Parma and want to understand why the city earned its reputation as one of the world's great food capitals. This tour moves through the historic center on foot, stopping at five working food shops and restaurants where you taste as you go. The guide is a local who knows the stories behind each product: why Prosciutto di Parma tastes the way it does, how Parmigiano Reggiano ages, what makes erbazzone the everyday comfort food of Emilia-Romagna. You're not watching a demonstration. You're tasting at the counter where locals buy their food.

The route starts at one of Parma's oldest salumerie, where you sample an assortment of cured meats paired with local wine. From there you walk toward Palazzo della Pilotta, stopping at an authentic cheese shop to taste two aged varieties of Parmigiano Reggiano. At Panetteria Anna, a local bakery, you try erbazzone: a baked pastry filled with greens, cheese and herbs. You pass through Piazza Garibaldi, the main square, and stop at a traditional salumeria-restaurant to taste handmade pasta prepared by hand according to recipes passed down through generations. The tour ends with a classic local sweet from a historic shop. Throughout the morning, you drink a glass of regional red wine and a glass of local sparkling white wine. The guide also reveals an exclusive Secret Dish on the day of the tour itself.

The walk covers a fair amount of ground, so comfortable shoes matter. Water is provided. If you have dietary requirements, contact the operator in advance so they can arrange alternatives at the food stops. The tour lasts three hours and includes eight tastings, two glasses of wine, water, and access to food shops most visitors would walk past without knowing what they sell.

What’s included

• Parmigiano Reggiano tasting with two aged varieties.
• a board of selected Parmense cold cuts including Prosciutto di Parma.
• traditional erbazzone savory pastry.
• a serving of handmade pasta from Parma's culinary tradition.
• a selection of local sweets from a historic bakery.
• one glass of regional red wine.
• one glass of local sparkling white wine.
• water.
• the exclusive Secret Dish.
• a live English-speaking guide leading the group through the historic center.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:30, 15:00 and 15:30

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Secret Food Tours

Is this one for you?Small groups work best for this tour, as the food shops and restaurants have limited counter space and the guide needs to move the group through at a pace that lets you linger at each stop. If you're comfortable with three hours of walking on city streets and want to taste as you go rather than sit down for a meal, this fits the afternoon you have.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is Prosciutto di Parma and why does it taste different from other cured ham?

Prosciutto di Parma is a cured ham made from pigs raised in a specific region and aged according to strict traditions. The guide explains the craftsmanship and time-honored techniques at the first salumerie stop, where you taste it paired with local wine.

How many different kinds of Parmigiano Reggiano will I taste on this tour?

You taste two aged varieties of Parmigiano Reggiano at an authentic cheese shop along the route. The guide walks you through what makes each age different and why this cheese is called the king of Italian cheeses.

What is erbazzone and where do I try it?

Erbazzone is a traditional baked pastry filled with greens, cheese and herbs: the everyday comfort food of Emilia-Romagna. You taste it at Panetteria Anna, a local bakery on the walking route.

Is the handmade pasta included in the tasting, or do I have to order it separately?

Handmade pasta is included in the tour. You taste a serving of freshly made pasta at a traditional salumeria-restaurant near Piazza Garibaldi, prepared according to time-honored recipes.

How much walking is involved, and what's the terrain like?

The tour involves a fair amount of walking through Parma's historic center and Piazza Garibaldi. Comfortable shoes are recommended. The route passes through the city's oldest food shops and streets, so you're walking on city pavement.

What is the Secret Dish, and when do I find out what it is?

The Secret Dish is an exclusive tasting revealed only on the day of the tour itself. The guide knows what it is. You discover it as part of the experience.