Top Lombardy Dining Experiences

There’s no better place than Italy to make pizza, so when you’re in Milan, opt for a cooking class and learn to make it with your own hands. With a local chef, you’ll create a classic Neapolitan pizza and a tiramisu dessert from scratch, enjoying wine and conversation as you work. Insider tips on Milan restaurants, markets, and ingredients are covered, too.

On your Lake Como vacation, make sure you see the lake from above to experience the natural beauty without the crowds. This small-group hike and picnic takes you high up into the hills near Varenna where the countryside and views take center stage. After a short hike, you’ll picnic on local food and wine from the Valsassina and Valtellina regions.

Food is the cornerstone of Italian culture and this cooking class in Milan covers a few important dishes. Master the art of Milanese cooking as you prepare dishes from scratch such as ravioli and fresh tagliatelle plus watch a gelato-making demonstration. From March 1st, 2026, the dessert will be tiramisù instead of gelato. Then, enjoy the fruits of your labor paired with Italian wines.

Use your time in Como to learn more about wine with a sommelier-led tasting session in the heart of the city. Taking place in an elegant wine shop near Como old town, the wine tasting includes plenty of samples along with all the information you need about each varietal. Nice touch: The group is limited to just 12 people for a more sociable and intimate experience.

The class will learn to cook three typical dishes of the Italian tradition, using professional tricks and techniques; it will be followed step by step by me as a professional chef but at the same time the atmosphere will be relaxed and pleasant. The recipe cards will be provided so it will be easy to replicate them at home with friends and relatives. The lesson will take place in my cooking workshop, that is, in a real professional kitchen. It is possible to have special menus in case of allergies, intolerances or special diets: please specify your request when booking

Make two fresh pasta dishes by hand during a small-group cooking class in Varenna, Lake Como. You’ll skip the impersonal feel of a larger cooking class, and rustle up creations in the home of a local, who is part of the Cesarine network of Italian home cooks. Prepare and eat pasta and a tiramisu as you learn about the wider Lombardy region in the best place — an Italian home kitchen.

When you’re in Varese, live a little culture and enjoy dinner in the private home of a local. You’ll skip a cliché evening of a restaurant dinner in town, and enjoy not only a 4-course meal with regional wine, but also the warm hospitality of a Varese host who’s part of the Cesarine community of Italian home cooks.

Become immersed in Italian culture as you learn to make traditional dishes during this cooking class in Varenna. This private class takes you to a local home where you can learn all about Italian cooking while making a number of dishes. Learn tricks and tips so you can recreate the dishes at home and sit down to the fruits of your labor paired with local wine.

Learn to create classic dishes of the Lombardy region with a small-group cooking class in Lake Como. A member of the acclaimed Cesarine network of chefs will welcome you into their home for a lesson in Milanese-style cuisine as you help prepare a 3-course menu featuring northern Italian favorites such as a seasonal starter, various kinds of fresh pasta, and a local dessert such as a *torta miascia*, *cutizza* pancake, or tiramisu. When the cooking’s done, sit down with your host and small group to enjoy the homemade meal with wine.

Master the techniques behind two of Italy’s most beloved dishes in a single lesson with this hands-on gelato and pizza workshop in the center of Milan. Join your chef instructor in a downtown cooking studio for a relaxed lesson on how to make authentic pizza from scratch and mix up a batch of creamy gelato like a pro. Cap off your experience by sampling your handiwork over a final tasting.

Step into a local's home in Como to learn how to make fresh pasta and a classic tiramisu. In an intimately sized small group of just 12 people, you'll hear the tricks to roll fresh pasta by hand, and create two dishes as you learn about Lombardy food from your Cesarine host — part of a network of home cooks who preserve regional culinary traditions.

Immerse yourself in a private dining experience at a local's home, enjoy an exclusive show cooking and taste authentic recipes from Lecco treasured in family cookbooks passed down by real Italian Mammas. Feel the warmth of Italian hospitality as you connect with local people. Enjoy a 4-course menu including starter, pasta, main course with side dish, dessert with drinks included (water, selection of red and white wines from regional cellars and coffee). This experience is held by Cesarine: Italy’s oldest network of home cooks all over the country in more than 500 cities. They are passionate and welcoming hosts that open the doors of their own homes to curious travellers for immersive culinary experiences.

Wine and dine your way through Bari on this culinary walking tour of Puglia’s regional capital. Try two bites from artisanal food shops—plus a bottle of wine—and then head inside a local house and prepare three classic dishes alongside a home chef. Enjoy your meal paired with wines at the end of the class.

Food lovers won’t want to miss this hands-on, private cooking lesson at a local home in Bergamo. Sip Prosecco as you chat with your host, then learn to prepare pasta or pizza dishes, before tucking into the fruits of your labor as part of a three-course menu plus liqueur and coffee for an intimate and informative experience few travelers get to enjoy.

See the best of Milan with a hop-on hop-off bus ticket valid for 24, 48, or 72 hours. Enjoy views from the top level of an open-air double-decker bus, including the Milan Duomo and La Scala opera house. Choose from four routes covering all main attractions, with unlimited hop-on hop-off access. The 72-hour weekend ticket from June to September also includes a Milan night tour.

Connect with a passionate home cook on the shores of Lake Como to discover the secrets to making flawless pasta and authentic tiramisù from scratch with this private, hands-on experience. 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 cook Italian staples during your time in Milan with this small-group cooking class in a local home. Discover techniques to create fresh pasta and prepare two different types, with help from your host. To top off your class, learn to make an iconic Italian dessert—tiramisu. After you’ve worked up an appetite, enjoy the fruits of your labor paired with local wines.

Discover the enchanting beauty of Lake Como from a unique perspective. Enjoy an exclusive picnic with curated selection of dishes from local farm. Immerse yourself in an aesthetic and gastronomic journey. The uniqueness of the activity in a hidden tranquil place with stunning views of the lake, this is qualitatively different from the lake embankment with crowds of tourists. Also a gastronomic experience with the opportunity to try traditional northern cuisine in a unique setting.

Secure admission to Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ and tour the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent and church (where the painting is held) with this tour and ticket combo. Learn the history of the celebrated 15th-century mural and the groundbreaking technique that Leonardo used in creating it. Visit the UNESCO-listed church with your guide before finishing your tour in the Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Sit down to a delicious 4-course meal prepared by a local during your trip to Milan. This private dining experience is perfect for those who want to taste real Italian cooking and learn a few techniques along the way. The meal includes a starter, a pasta dish, a main course, and dessert paired with a selection of red and white wines from Lombardia.

Gain exclusive insight into the world of Italian cooking during a private dining experience in Como. You'll overcome the language barrier as you browse a local market with your private guide and then watch as they whip up a tailored 4-course meal for you to enjoy. Unlike other typical cooking classes, you'll assist in the preparation of food but leave the cooking itself to a professional.

Have fun in Milan through its food, with this cooking experience that takes place in the home of a local chef. You’ll learn how to make a fresh pasta dish, teaming it with a classic "al pomodoro" (tomato) sauce or a Parmigiano-Reggiano-based sauce, as well as a tiramisu. Tastings of balsamic vinegar, complimentary wine or soft drinks, and good company are among the extra perks.

Learn how to cook typical Italian dishes like a real Nonna at a private cooking class held in the home of a local chef. Make fresh pasta and a delicious sauce, and prepare a starter using seasonal vegetables and local produce. For pudding, create a traditional dessert such as tiramisu, then sit down around the table to eat what you’ve created. Round off your meal with a glass of local wine or a coffee.