Parma Tour: Parmigiano, Prosciutto & Torrechiara Castle

Taste four ages of Parmigiano Reggiano and walk through the rooms where Prosciutto di Parma is made

A private 6.5-hour tour of the Parma hills with a local guide, visiting a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy and a Prosciutto di Parma production plant, tasting both at each stop, then ending at the medieval Torrechiara Castle. The tour includes castle entry, tastings of aged cheeses and cured meats, a glass of DOC Parma hills wine, and either hotel pickup within 15 km of central Parma or self-drive to the departure point.

Step-by-step itinerary

Parma cheese, ham, and castle tour

• Visit Parmigiano Reggiano cheese dairy
• Taste different ageings of Parmigiano Reggiano
• Visit Prosciutto di Parma production plant
• Tour salting and curing rooms
• Taste Prosciutto di Parma and cured meats
• Stroll through medieval hamlet of Torrechiara
• Visit Torrechiara Castle

The Experience

The tour starts at a working Parmigiano Reggiano dairy where you watch the production process unfold, then taste four different ages of the cheese (12, 24, 30 and 36 months) alongside fresh ricotta. The guide explains how time and technique build the flavor, and you taste the difference yourself. From there, you cross the rolling Parma hills region to a Prosciutto di Parma plant, where the tour moves through the actual rooms used in production: the salting area and machines, the first and second salting rooms, the preresting, resting, washing, precuring and curing spaces. Each room reveals a step in the months-long process that makes the ham distinctive.

At the prosciutto plant, you taste Prosciutto di Parma alongside other traditional cured meats like Culatta and Fiocco, paired with a glass of DOC Parma hills wine. The final stop is the medieval hamlet of Torrechiara and its castle, still standing in its original grand architecture in the middle of vine-planted hillsides. A stroll through the village and a tour of the castle complete the afternoon.

The guide is a local who speaks English or Italian. If you book the option with transportation, hotel pickup and drop-off within 15 km of Piazza Garibaldi in central Parma are included. If you choose the self-drive option, you meet the guide at the departure point and follow in your own car. Bottled water is provided throughout the day.

Options for this experience

2 options

Up to 10 per booking · Guide in English or Italian07:30

Up to 8 per booking · Guide in English or Italian07:30

You pick the guide language when booking.

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

What’s included

• Professional local guide.
• admission to Parmigiano Reggiano dairy and Prosciutto di Parma plant.
• tastings of four ages of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh ricotta.
• tastings of Prosciutto di Parma and traditional cured meats such as Culatta and Fiocco paired with a glass of DOC Parma hills wine.
• Torrechiara Castle entry ticket.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• hotel pickup and drop-off within 15 km of central Parma (included in the transportation option only).

Days and timesTue–Sun · 07:30

AgesAges 12+ · 5 to 11 years · Under 5 — Free

Meeting point and pickupPickup optional · ends elsewhereMeeting point, per the operator: “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 and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by ARTEMILIA Guided Tours

Is this one for you?Book the option with transportation if your hotel is within 15 km of central Parma and you want pickup and drop-off included. Choose the self-drive option if you prefer to follow the guide in your own car from the departure point. This is a private tour, so the guide and all stops are exclusively yours and your group.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

5 to 11 years; under 5, free.

What exactly happens when you visit a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy on this tour?

You watch the production process at a working dairy, then taste Parmigiano Reggiano aged 12, 24, 30 and 36 months to experience how the flavor develops over time, plus fresh ricotta cheese.

Can I do this tour if I have dietary restrictions?

Gluten-free arrangements are available with prior notice at booking. The tour is not suitable for vegans and vegetarians because it centers on cheese and meat tastings. Specific dietary needs can be discussed when you book.

Does this tour include transportation from my hotel?

Hotel pickup and drop-off within 15 km of central Parma (Piazza Garibaldi) are included in the "Price including transportation" option. If you choose the "Self-Drive Price" option, you provide your own transport and follow the guide in a separate car from the departure point.

What do you see at Torrechiara Castle?

Torrechiara is a medieval hamlet with a castle that remains perfectly preserved in its original grand architecture, set in the middle of the Parma hills wine region. The tour includes entry to the castle and a stroll through the village.

How long is the whole tour?

The tour runs 6.5 hours from start to finish, moving between the cheese dairy, the prosciutto plant, and Torrechiara Castle with tastings at each stop.