Top Italy Dining Experiences

Pizza reigns supreme on the Amalfi Coast, and you'll learn the secrets to preparing authentic "pizza napolitana" during this hands-on pizza-making class overlooking the sea. Join your hosts for a stroll through the terraced garden to learn about the local culinary traditions, then roll up your sleeves to prepare your personal pizza, from dough to wood-fired baking. Feast on the fruit of your labors paired with local wine and limoncello.

Use your time in Alberobello to learn more about local wine with a sommelier-led session at a winery. Join a group of like-minded travelers and sample four wines from the cellar, each expertly paired with traditional dishes. After, take in the beautiful vineyard views and bask in the warm Italian sun as you swap tasting notes with others.

Bologna is famous for its wines—but what if you don’t know your Sangiovese from your Pignoletto? Ideal for anyone looking for a gastronomy crash course, this private, deluxe food and wine experience treats travelers to a sommelier-led wine tasting paired with artisanal cheeses, meats, and olive oils from the region. And, if you're already a wine expert, get a chance to test your knowledge with Rewine technology.

Learn to cook traditional Italian dishes during this Tuscan cooking class in Siena. From homemade pastas to juicy cuts of meat, a professional chef leads you through a combination of family-favorite recipes and time-tested dishes, culminating with a shared meal and excellent wine. This class is held in a professional kitchen and limited to a small group of 15 people or fewer for a more intimate experience.

Discover the secrets to turning out fresh pasta and classic tiramisù like a real Italian 'mamma' with this home cooking class. Join a local cook in her kitchen and learn how to make two different types of pasta from scratch, then try your hand as assembling a creamy tiramisù under her careful guidance. Top off your class with a family-style lunch or dinner featuring the dishes you've created together.

Learn the secret to preparing pasta from scratch like a true Italian “nonna” in the heart of Florence with this hands-on pasta cooking class. Make three types of fresh pasta plus traditional sauces with guidance from your instructor as you sip unlimited Tuscan wine and connect with fellow foodies. Then cap off your lesson by sampling your creations with a celebratory meal served with even more wine.

Delve into the world of Puglian wine without leaving Lecce’s old town with this wine tasting experience in the heart of the Baroque city. Take a break from sightseeing and relax at a local wine bar for a guided tasting featuring four different regional wines paired with local specialties. Learn about Puglia’s winemaking history and culture as you sip and enjoy views over the pretty lane lined with traditional “palazzi”.

Take a break from sightseeing and let your hair down in a tipsy cooking class in the heart of Rome. Try your hand at rolling, cutting, and cooking fettuccine pasta and making a traditional carbonara or cacio e pepe sauce, all under the watchful eye of a local chef. Mix three classic Italian spritzes to enjoy while you cook and finish by savoring your own handiwork. For an even more personal experience, upgrade to a private class.

Skip the crowded restaurants and visit a Florentine home to learn how to make traditional Italian dishes during this hands-on cooking class. Discover the secrets to turning out authentic, hand-rolled pasta with a variety of sauces while enjoying insights about the city’s culture and cuisine from your local host and instructor. Top off your experience by sitting down to feast on the fresh dishes you've prepared together.

When you’re in Palermo, dodge the tourist trap eateries that you can find anywhere, and make your own pizza and gelato instead. With a local "pizzaiolo" as your host, you’ll learn to make a kneadable dough that stretches wafer-thin, and create the toppings for favorite pizzas such as the margherita, marinara, and capricciosa. After, you’ll turn your attention to chocolate, finishing with your own handmade gelato.

Get ready for a truffle-tasting adventure with this 3-hour lunch and hunting experience in San Gimignano. Your certified guides will take you to the prime truffle grounds and teach you everything you need to know about these esteemed delicacies. With your four-legged friends leading the way, you can experience the thrill of hunting for truffles in the midst of nature. Return to Podere La Marronaia for a mouth-watering truffle lunch, perfectly paired with organic wines and olive oils.

Learn the art of Italian cooking directly from a local during this small-group experience. Join your host in their home and discover the art of pasta-making as you learn to roll 'Foglia' by hand and create two delectable pasta dishes from scratch. Then, see if you can master the art of making the tiramisu. Immerse yourself in the Italian culinary scene, make new friends, and savor the flavors of Italy with this hands-on cooking adventure.

Brush up on your cookery skills with this pizza- and tiramisu-making class in Naples. Learn how to make Italy's most famous dish in the city where it was created. In just a couple of hours, make a delicious tiramisu and pizza dough from scratch and discover what ingredients make an authentic margarita pizza. When it's time to eat, indulge in Italian appetizers before trying out your own, handmade pizza.

Discover the Sorrentine Peninsula through a guided tour that will take you among centuries-old lemon groves and olive groves, on a real family-run farm. Delve into the local traditions and lemon cultivation techniques, from manual harvesting to the production of artisanal limoncello. Stroll among the olive trees and learn how extra virgin olive oil is born, while listening to fascinating stories about peasant culture. Conclude your experience with a tasting of organic jams and local liqueurs, directly from the producer. • Free pickup on request, from your hotel or the Sorrento center • Family farm for generations, with Christian as guide • Discover the cultivation techniques for lemons and olive oil • Lemon trees, ancient olive trees, animals and a 15th-century church • Tasting included: limoncello, extra virgin olive oils, and organic jams • Small groups, wheelchair and stroller accessible

Verona sits at the heart of Valpolicella wine country, but most central tastings stick to enoteca (wine store) pours rather than letting you see where the wine is made. Visit Corte San Mattia with a guided walk through the countryside and a cellar, and enjoy a tasting of five wines—served up with tasty local produce—on a terrace overlooking the city.

Connect with a passionate home cook in Varenna on Lake Como to discover the secrets to making flawless pasta and authentic tiramisù from scratch. Join your host in her home kitchen to hone your skills at rolling and shaping fresh pasta and assembling luscious tiramisù, then relax over lunch or dinner to sample your handiwork served with local wines and Italian espresso.

Learn to make pasta by hand with a professional chef-instructor for a truly memorable experience in Rome. Your small-group cooking class takes place in a private location in a traditional Roman neighborhood and covers the basics of creating incredible Italian pasta. Nibble on light appetizers and sip on prosecco as you begin to prepare the pasta meal. Or, opt for the pizza-making class to prepare your own pie.

You can eat pasta to your heart’s content while in Rome, but what happens after the vacation ends? Learn how to recreate classic Roman pasta dishes like cacio e pepe or amatriciana during this small-group cooking class. Get hands-on instruction within the home of an Italian nonna in an intimate group, with vegetarian options available. After the course, sit down to enjoy your freshly prepared meal.

Food enthusiasts: make the most of your time in Venice with a market tour and cooking class combination. Everything you need—ingredients and equipment—is provided, so all you need to do is show up and have fun. Start by exploring the vibrant Rialto Market, then dive into a hands-on cooking session to master authentic Venetian recipes. Best of all, savor your creations at the end of the class.

Roll up your sleeves for this hands-on small-group cooking class in a local’s home in Polignano a Mare. Learn how to make regional staples such as Bari-style focaccia and orecchiette pasta, before you sit down to enjoy your creations alongside your classmates, with local wine and traditional snacks included.

Step into a real Roman kitchen and learn how to make fresh pasta and a classic creamy tiramisu with a local chef during this small-group cooking masterclass. Discover the secrets behind iconic sauces like carbonara and cacio e pepe while enjoying local drinks and insights into Italian culinary traditions. End the experience by savoring your handmade dishes with wine and limoncello, then take home a recipe ebook to recreate the flavors at home.

Get a true taste of one of Italy's culinary capitals on a food and sightseeing tour of Naples. Spend some time exploring the city, stopping at the city's main squares and basilicas, as well as at hidden eateries to sample traditional dishes. Learn the history of Naples as you make your way from one mini-feast to the next, dining on everything from zucchini flowers and spritzes to ragù, baccalà, and pizza. Come hungry: the tasting tour is a meal in itself.

Skip the crowded restaurants and immerse yourself in Italy’s delicious culinary traditions during this hands-on cooking class. Make your own way to the kitchen in central Florence, grab an apron, and learn how to make classic pasta dishes from scratch. Choose the pasta and gelato option and learn to make fresh pasta, seasonal sauces, and enjoy a tasting of gelato and sorbet. Or, opt for the longer lasagna and tiramisu class to shop for ingredients at a local market and learn to prepare the classic dishes, just like nonna.

Leave the busy streets of Florence behind and soak up Tuscany's views on this small-group Vespa tour. Hop onto your scooter once you reach the beautiful country roads of Chianti, so you don't have to navigate inner-city traffic. Stop for a traditional Tuscan meal at a farmhouse and taste olive oils and Chianti wines for an authentic taste of Florence's culinary scene. You can also enjoy the journey in a Fiat Topolino e-car.