Food Tour of Italy

If you're a foodie then Italy is one of the best countries in Europe to visit as it is home to some of the most recognized and loved dishes in the world, including pizza, pasta, risotto, gnocchi and tiramisu. If you would like to combine a vacation in Europe with your passion for fine cuisine then we highly recommend this food tour through Italy, which takes you to Venice, Rome, Sorrento and Bologna. It is also fully customizable so if there are other cities or regions that you would prefer to visit, that is not a problem at all - just tell us what you would like from your food-themed vacation in Italy and we can arrange all the details for you, including cooking classes and tours. 

Trip Highlights

• Private gondola tour of the Grand Canal in Venice
• Three-course meal in an authentic Venetian restaurant
• Bus tour tickets for Rome
• VIP private tour of the Vatican Museums
• Cooking class in a traditional Roman house
• Guided tour of Pompeii - a fascinating archeological site in South Italy
• Day trip to the fishing villages of the Amalfi Coast
• A farm experience in Sorrento, with food tasting, a pizza-making class and limoncello samples
• Gourmet walking tour of Bologna
• Cooking class or wine tasting in Bologna

Detailed Description

Places visited: Venice (2 nights), Rome (3 nights), Sorrento (5 nights), Bologna (2 nights)

Departure dates and prices: Dates are flexible and customizable for private departures. Prices vary depending on the season and star of accommodation chosen, and prices start from $3900 per person - please contact us for a personalized quote

Best for... Cuisine / Culture / Leisure & Relaxation / Romance / Sunshine

Detailed itinerary:

Venice: Considered one of the best destinations in the world for food lovers, Venice provides an unexpected twist on Italian cuisine as there is a stronger focus on dishes that include rice and polenta, such as bigoli, making it a wonderful place to experience the diversity of Italian cuisine. As part of this package, you'll be treated to a private gondola tour of the Grand Canal and a three-course meal at an authentic Venetian restaurant.

Rome: The Eternal City brings some of the most decadent pasta dishes, which are at the heart of Roman cuisine, including spaghetti alla carbonara and bucatini alla matriciana. Other must-try dishes include carciofi alla Romana, which are Roman-style artichokes, and coda alla vaccinara, which is an oxtail stew. As a special treat, we've included a cooking class in our package so that you can learn to make authentic Roman dishes! As well as all this tasty food, you'll enjoy a bus tour to see the main city sights and a VIP guided tour of the Vatican Museums.

Sorrento: Being close to Naples (the birthplace of the pizza), Sorrento is the perfect coastal destination to enjoy authentic pizza and you can also indulge in a little limoncello made with the freshest lemons that grow in the groves around the city. Here you can also enjoy a day tour of Pompeii - a rare and important archaeological site - and a wonderful guided tour of the fishing villages that make up the famously beautiful Amalfi Coast. If all this wasn't enough, we've also included a farm experience so that you can taste fresh local food, learn the secret to making the best pizza and sample zesty limoncello!

Bologna: Affectionately known as "The Fat One" thanks to its love affair with food, Bologna features many must-try foods, which you can enjoy on a market tour, such as mortadella and locally made chocolates. Be sure to also enjoy authentic spaghetti with Bolognese sauce and fresh tortellini. Other favorites are cotolettine (breaded meat) and crescentine, which is a foccacia-like bread, and you can learn about these foods and more during a in-depth cooking class with an Italian chef.

Trip Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1 to 3: Venice

• Private motorboat transfer to your hotel
• Private gondola tour of Venice's charming canals, including the Grand Canal
• Three-course meal in a traditional Venetian restaurant
• Train transfer to Rome

Day 3 to 6: Rome

• Private transfer to your hotel
• Hop-on/hop-off bus tour tickets to explore the ancient sights at your own pace
• Cooking class in a Roman house in the countryside
• VIP guided tour of the Vatican Museums, with exclusive access to protected displays
• Train transfer to Sorrento (via Naples)

Day 6 to 11: Sorrento

• Private transfer to your hotel (from Naples train station)
• Day tour of Pompeii - Italy's lost city
• Guided tour of the Amalfi Coast
• Sorrento farm experience, with food and limoncello tasting and a pizza-making class
• Private transfer to Naples for your train to Bologna

Day 11 to 13: Bologna

• Private transfer to your hotel
• Gourmet walking tour of the city, with the opportunity to buy local mortadella and chocolate
• Cooking class with a professional chef OR a wine-tasting tour of the countryside

Optional Extras

Our vacations are customized and so it is not a problem at all to add additional tours or exchange the activities included in the itinerary above for other options. Some of the other optional extras we can arrange include:

• City tours, including hop-on/hop-off bus tours
• Guided tour of the Colosseum in Rome
• Tours to fascinating archaeological sites near Rome
• Day trips from Sorrento to Capri, Ischia or Mount Vesuvius
• Musical theater tickets in Sorrento
• Wine tasting tours of the local wine regions
• Day trips to any other Italian city

For a customized quote, contact our team on +44 1223 637328 or click here to send us an inquiry. You can also visit our homepage for an overview of the European tours and vacations that we offer.