13 BEST Multi-Day Foodie Tours in Italy (by a Local)

As an Italian, I might be just a liiitle bit biased, but you’ll have to agree that, when it comes to food, Italy is an unbeatable destination. From the classic pasta and pizza to delicacies from each region of the country, the culinary world in Italy is vast and very rich.

In this article, you’ll find a great compilation of multi-day tours to immerse you in the local cuisine, its roots, flavors, and history, like no other experience. You’ll get to travel to different Italian regions, discovering the products and dishes that originated in each area. 

Eating your way through the country, wine tasting, and attending cooking classes are a few of the gastronomic adventures you’ll embark on. These multiday excursions ensure that you’re catered for throughout the experience, with accommodation and transfers included.  

Now let’s dive into the ultimate foodie tours in Italy, handpicked by a local who knows the country inside out. You’re in for a delicious treat!

Limited time? These are the top tours:

OUR PICK: The Two BEST Foodie Tours in Italy

Italy Real Food Adventure

Itinerary: The tour departs from Venice – Bologna – Modena – San Gimignano – Ends in Rome  
Duration: 8 days

The Italy Real Food Adventure is an eight-day journey focused on Italian cuisine. Your trip starts in Venice, with a welcome meeting in the evening starring the Venetian aperitivo of Spritz or Bellini at a local restaurant. 

Explore the bustling Rialto Fish Market, witness as the farmers unload produce from their boats in the canals, and have a free afternoon. In the evening, enjoy a delectable Cicchetti crawl through the city’s Bacari (wine bars). 

Your trip continues to Bologna, Italy’s foodie capital (and my city!), for a hands-on pasta-making class, in which you’ll prepare your own dinner from scratch. Learn about the production of Parmigiano Reggiano and Modena Balsamic Vinegar with factory visits. 

Leave Emilia-Romagna behind as you make your way to Tuscany, renowned for its regional cuisine and first-class wines. You’ll stay in the hilltop town of San Gimignano, in a beautiful farmhouse where you’ll get to tour the vineyards and olive groves. 

Learn about the organic methods used to produce wine and olive oil, followed by a generous tasting of both products. Finally, hop on a train to Rome, where you’ll enjoy a comprehensive walking tour and a feast of homemade dishes for your last dinner. 

*Vegetarian and vegan meals can be requested, as well as Kosher and Halal food options. 

This tour includes: All transfers, a guide, accommodation, product tastings, activities, breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 4 dinners. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

8-Day Foodie Tour Of Northern Italy

Itinerary: The tour departs from Bologna – Modena – Pavia – Turin – Ends in Alba
Duration: 8 days

The 8-Day Foodie Tour Of Northern Italy takes you on a whirlwind trip around the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions. 

Start on a high note with a tour around the gastronomic capital of the country, Bologna, and a hands-on cooking class preparing pasta al ragù. You’ll then travel to Modena, the land of Balsamic Vinegar, to learn how it’s made as you tour the cellar and enjoy delicious tastings. 

Visit the Ferrari Museum before leaving for Pavia, with a mandatory en-route stop at a local farm for samples of Parmigiano Reggiano. You’ll check into a wine estate for the night, and spend the following day exploring the quaint town. Learn about its agriculture and wine production, and enjoy a wine tasting in Canelli.  

Heading into the Barolo region you’ll pass by castles, charming towns, and lush countryside. Take part in a truffle hunt before relishing a truffle-based lunch, and enjoy a wine-tasting session of Barolo wines at a winery. 

Your last day will be spent in Turin, where you’ll be treated to delicious sweets, visit the Museum of Ancient Egypt, and dine and wine. The tour wraps up in Alba.

This tour includes: All transfers, accommodation, a guide, all breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners, product tastings, and entrance fees. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Gourmet Tours in Tuscany for Food Lovers 

A Taste of Tuscany – Hilltop Towns and Vineyards

Itinerary: Departs from Pisa – Livorno – Pienza – Siena – Chianti – Volterra – San Gimignano – Ends in Pisa
Duration: 8 days

Choose A Taste of Tuscany – Hilltop Towns and Vineyards to immerse yourself in the heart of Italy. The Tuscan countryside is renowned for its cuisine and viticulture, both of which you’ll get well acquainted with. 

Your trip starts in Pisa with an orientation tour and a welcome dinner. Rise early the next day for a trip to Livorno, a port city with delectable fresh seafood. You’ll explore its Central Market, learn about the region’s agriculture, and savor a street food lunch with wine or espresso. 

Continue to the hilltop town of Montalcino for a wine-tasting session of the famous Brunello di Montalcino, and hike to a local farm where you’ll learn about organic production and agriturismo. Enjoy a typical lunch with regional wines, and visit the town of Pienza for delectable samples of Pecorino Cheese. 

You’ll spend two nights in Siena, a city rich in history and architecture. The highlight is a visit to a Pasticceria to discover how traditional sweets, such as ricciarelli and cantucci, are made (and have a taste!). Then, enjoy a pasta-making demonstration at a family-run pasta shop.  

The tour also includes a tour around a wine estate in Chianti with delectable tastings and optional olive oil samples. You’ll take part in a cooking class in San Gimignano, followed by gelato and a farewell supper before returning to Pisa.

This tour includes: All transfers, 7-night accommodation, a guide, 7 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners, and wine and product tastings. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Tuscany Gourmet Cooking Tour

Itinerary: Departs from Cortona – Montepulciano – Montalcino – Siena – Ends in Cortona
Duration: 7 days

The Tuscany Gourmet Cooking Tour is ideal for foodies with a passion for cooking. Over the span of 7 days, you’ll discover the ins and outs of Italian cuisine as you travel around the Tuscan countryside. 

Start the trip with a cocktail party in Cortona, followed by a visit to a coffee merchant. There, you’ll learn how Italian coffee is prepared by an award-winning barman, from the roasting and grinding of the beans to pouring a cup of espresso. 

Take part in a truffle hunt on Cortona’s hill before relishing a forest picnic lunch with the exquisite truffles. Cap off the day with the first cooking lesson of the trip. 

Your next stop is Montepulciano, an enchanting town that pretty much revolves around wine-making. You’ll be treated to a tasting session in a local cellar, and a hands-on cooking class at a farmhouse. 

On the fourth day you’ll visit Montalcino, renowned for its Brunello wine, and enjoy a cellar tour and wine tasting at a local winery. A trip to Siena and the Chianti wine country follows, paired with yet another cooking experience in the afternoon. 

Your final full day will be spent in Cortona, with a visit to a Farmer’s Market and free time before the farewell dinner.  

This tour includes: All transfers, accommodation, a guide, 3 cooking classes, entrance fees, wine tastings, and all meals. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

*Vegetarian and vegan meals can be requested. 

Tuscany Walking and Wine

Itinerary: Departs from Pisa – San Gimignano – Siena – Pienza – Montalcino – Ends in Florence
Duration: 8 days

This Tuscany Walking and Wine experience departs from Pisa and takes you into the heart of Tuscany. Your first destination is San Gimignano, a hilltop medieval town with incredible views. 

Enjoy free time to wander, and get to hike part of the ancient Via Francigena pilgrimage route before heading to a nearby winery. You’ll be treated to a tasting of local wines, featuring Chianti reds and a Vernaccia white. 

Get settled in Castellina in Chianti, and hike along the Tuscan gravel tracks to reach another local winery. There you’ll enjoy tastings of Chianti Classico and regional wines, paired with a light lunch. 

Visit the city of Siena on market day, and explore it with your expert guide before continuing to Pienza. Enjoy a panoramic loop walk, known as the Gladiator Hike, taking in the countryside landscapes. 

The tour will also take you hiking in Val d’Orcia, following the pilgrimage route from San Quirico d’Orcia to Montalcino. Indulge in a picnic lunch, and a top-notch tasting of Brunello di Montalcino wine.  

The excursion wraps up with an orientation tour around Florence, and a full day to explore the city. 

This tour includes: Transfers, accommodation, a guide, all breakfasts, 2 lunches, and wine tastings. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

*Vegetarian and vegan meals can be requested. 

Eat and Drink in Sicily

Itinerary: Departs from Catania – Taormina –   Syracuse – Ends in Palermo
Duration: 8 days

The Small Group Sicily Food & Wine Tour (Maximum 8 Guests) enables you to discover Sicily’s street food and flavors first-hand. 

Your trip starts with a walking tour of the Taormina. You’ll pass by its main attractions, and delight in foodie stops to try seafood, a cheeseboard with wine pairings, and Sicilian sweets and liquors. 

On the second day, visit Taormina’s Food Market, where you’ll choose ingredients for a cooking class. A chef will teach you to make pasta, bread, fish, and vegetable dishes unique to the Sicilian cuisine in a family trattoria. Relish them with local wines!

You’ll then travel to Mt. Etna villages, home to lava houses and volcanic landscapes, and tour a family-run winery. Discover the process of wine-making, complete with a tasting of volcanic wines, and then relish a seasonal lunch. 

Take part in a walking tour of the UNESCO-listed Noto town, with samples of Modica chocolate and ice cream. Then, make the trip to Marzamemi, a fisherman’s seaside village for a delectable seafood lunch, and spend the night in Syracuse. 

You’ll get to explore the city on foot with stops to taste fresh fish, local pastries, wines, and liquors. Sample even more wine with a visit to an ancient winery, getting to tour the cellars and old millstone. 

You’ll also be treated to a street food walking tour around Palermo, trying various traditional bites along the way.  

This tour includes: All transfers, an expert guide, wine tastings, walking tours, all food samples, breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 2 dinners. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ You can also book this tour as a private option for your group.

*Vegetarian meals can be requested. 

Eat Your Way through Emilia Romagna

Parma to Florence: Italy’s Culinary Highlights

Itinerary: Parma – Modena – Bologna – Faenza – Brisighella – Ends in Florence 
Duration: 7 days

The Parma to Florence: Italy’s Culinary Highlights takes you to Emilia-Romagna, the country’s foodie capital. 

You’ll start the trip in Parma, discovering the history and traditional methods of its iconic products. You’ll taste Culatello Ham, fresh produce, and regional wine before indulging in street food for lunch. 

You’ll get to tour a producer of Parmigiano Reggiano, followed by a visit to a Balsamic Vinegar Mill and cellars. Discover why Modena Vinegar is so famous, and relish tastings of the precious product. 

Then, make your way to Bologna, named the World Capital of Food by Condé Nest Traveler. There, you’ll take part in a cooking class, learning to create Bolognese traditional dishes from scratch, and tour the city with a foodie guide. 

You’ll also explore the towns of Faenza and Brisighella, touring an organic winery and olive oil press. Enjoy a sumptuous lunch paired with wine tastings, and end the trip in Florence, getting to visit the San Lorenzo Central Market.  

This tour includes: Transfers, a guide, accommodation, wine tastings, breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinners. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Food, Culture and Wellness in the Hidden Emilia Romagna

Itinerary: Departs from Bologna – Porretta Terme – Pistoia – Apennines Countryside – Ends in Bologna
Duration: 7 days

The Food, Culture and Wellness in the Hidden Emilia Romagna takes you on a 7-day journey around the famed foodie region of Italy. You’ll start with a visit to a Food Market in Bologna, where you’ll pick fresh produce to use in a hands-on cooking class. 

Delve into the making of fresh pasta, such as tortellini, and other traditional dishes before relishing them for lunch. Spend the night in Porretta Terme, and then drive to Bologna to explore the city’s food and wine highlights. 

Pop into a Bottega to try chocolate and balsamic vinegar, enjoy a traditional lunch at a trattoria, and savor Tuscan cuisine on your trip to Pistoia. You’ll also visit a producer of Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto, and explore the Apennines landscapes. The tour ends with transfers back to Bologna.    

This tour includes: All transfers, a guide, accommodation, breakfasts, 7 meals, all activities, and tastings. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Food Tours in Puglia & Matera

Discover Matera and Taste of Salento Tour

Itinerary: Departs from Brindisi – Lecce – Maglie – Otranto – Gallipoli – Alberobello – Ostuni – Salento – Ends in Matera
Duration: 10 days

The Discover Matera and Taste of Salento Tour combines cuisine and history, two staples of Italy.

Your first visit is to a farmhouse in Brindisi, where you’ll discover how olive oil is made and enjoy samples, followed by a trip to a local winery. Taste various local wines before relishing a Salento traditional dinner. 

The following day, tour Lecce and Maglie, getting to sample Leccese products and visiting an authentic pasta factory.

Travel along the coastline to Otranto, where you’ll savor seafood dishes, and take part in a pasta-making class. A chef will guide you in the preparation of homemade pasta Salentina made from scratch. 

Tour Santa Maria de Leuca and Gallipoli, dine at a pizzeria Napoletana, and enjoy tastings in the charming Alberobello. 

You’ll also visit Ostuni and Salento before checking into your hotel in Matera, Italy’s oldest city. Delight in wine and Materan food tastings, and explore the city in depth. 

This tour includes: A guide, accommodation, activities, breakfasts, 8 dinners, all tastings, and transfers. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ You can also book the Puglia section alone, without the trip to Matera.

*Vegetarian meals can be requested. 

A Taste of Italy – Walking in Puglia

Itinerary: Departs from Altamura – Alta Murgia National Park – Matera – Cisternino – Alberobello – Ends in Monopoli
Duration: 8 days

Check out this Hiking & Trekking tour A Taste of Italy – Walking in Puglia, which will have you eating and exercising daily – the perfect combination! 

The 8-day trip starts in Altamura, an Apulian town located in the Murge Plateau. You’ll be greeted with a feast of regional dishes and antipasti, locally sourced and cooked by your hosts. 

The town is the only one in the country with a DOP-recognised bread. You’ll stop at a renowned bakery to witness how the dough is made and baked in wood-fired ovens, with delicious tastings. Enjoy a hands-on cooking class making orecchiette pasta and oven-baked vegetables at a farm-to-table restaurant, and visit an organic farm for lunch. 

The tour includes lots of walking in beautiful locations, such as the Alta Murgia National Park, Castel del Monte, and through the gorge of Matera. 

Learn how mozzarella, trecce, and nodini cheeses are made, and visit an olive oil mill near Cisternino. Discover the differences between a traditional and modern press, and relish samples of the product. 

Finally, stroll around the Trulli of Alberobello before the tour ends in Monopoli, one of the Itria Valley’s gem towns.  

This tour includes: Transportation, a guide, accommodation, breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, activities, and all tastings. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

*Vegetarian and vegan meals can be requested. 

Foodie Tour in Rome & Amalfi Coast

Itinerary: Departs from Rome – Sorrento – Positano – Capri – Naples – Ends in Rome 
Duration: 8 days

The Gourmet Rome, Sorrento & Capri is the perfect tour if you’re looking to explore the striking Italian coastline. During the course of eight days, you’ll savor traditional cuisine while visiting some of the most iconic destinations. 

Attend a cooking class in Rome, where you’ll learn how to prepare a scrumptious Italian meal, and travel to the Sorrento Coast. On the way, stop at the foot of Mount Vesuvius to tour a vineyard, where you’ll learn about wine-making and sample local wines paired with lunch. 

In Sorrento, enjoy a demonstration of gelato and sorbet making, complete with refreshing tastings. You’ll also explore the winding Amalfi Coast with a stop in Positano, and take a ferry to the island of Capri. There, you’ll be treated to dinner and Torta Caprese for dessert, getting to learn the coveted recipe from the chef.

Spend a day in Capri, exploring its highlights and tasting its cuisine and limoncello, before you sail to Naples. Take part in a walking tour of the city, and relish authentic Neapolitan pizza for lunch. The tour ends back in Rome. 

This tour includes: All transfers, a guide, accommodation, breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners, tastings, and activities. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

*Vegetarian meals can be requested. 

A Cooking Tour in Umbria

Itinerary: Departs from Perugia – Deruta – Bevagna – Montefalco – Assisi – Ends in Perugia 
Duration: 5 days

The 5 Days Italian Cookery Getaway in Umbria offers a full immersion into central Italy’s gastronomic wonders. You’ll be based in Perugia, the region’s capital, and start strong with a hands-on cooking class. 

Under a chef’s guidance, prepare a four-course lunch that you’ll enjoy with local wines. Then, take part in a chocolate workshop, and visit a ceramic laboratory in Deruta. 

You’ll participate in two more cooking classes, learning a variety of traditional recipes that you’ll then savor with Umbrian wine. 

Dive deeper into the region’s viticulture with a tour around a winery that produces Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCGS. You’ll learn about the production of wine, and relish samples paired with local specialties. 

Visit the towns of Bevagna, Montefalco, and Assisi to learn about their history and culture from your guide before wrapping up the tour in Perugia. 

This tour includes: Transfers, a guide, accommodation, activities, all tastings, breakfasts, and 3 lunches. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

*Vegetarian and vegan meals can be requested. 

Discover Abruzzo, a Hidden Gem in Italy

Itinerary: Departs from Vasto – Punta Aderci Nature Reserve – Lentella – Trabocchi Coast – Ends in Rome 
Duration: 7 days

The Cultural, Culinary & Olive Harvest Experience in Abruzzo is a 7-day, food-focused holiday.

Start the trip with a visit to an award-winning olive grove, run by a third generation. Learn the secrets behind the making of olive oil in a practical way, from picking olives to bottling the product. Enjoy tastings with a delightful picnic lunch. 

Visit the historic center of Vasto, with its Medieval castle and bustling market, where you can get seasonal products. Then, drive into the countryside for a hands-on cooking class, learning to make fresh pasta and Abruzzo sauces from scratch. 

Throughout the week, explore Abruzzo and the Trabocchi coast, and enjoy a delightful walk in the Punta Aderci Nature Reserve. You’ll also visit a Fattoria d’Arte to create your own postcard using colors produced with natural elements.

At a country farmhouse, learn about farming, milk a cow or sheep, and prepare pizza scima and ricotta cheese. It wouldn’t be an Italian tour without a visit to a vineyard, where you’ll indulge in lunch with wine pairings. Finally, help your hosts make pizza and tiramisu for the farewell dinner. You’ll be driven to Roma Fiumicino the following morning. 

This tour includes: Transfers, a guide, accommodation, a daily breakfast buffet, 8 meals, all activities, and entry fees. ➥ BOOK IT HERE