Top Veneto Dining Experiences

Valpolicella is one of Italy’s most important wine countries, and its scenic hills are dotted with traditional, family-run cellars. With this experience, visit one of these small wineries and learn about how the wines are produced and aged directly from the winemaker. Discover the history of the family and its estate, and end with a guided wine tasting paired with extra-virgin olive oil and local cheese and salami.

Discover the authentic flavors of Venice with a cooking lesson and dinner in a local's home. In a small group of no more than 12 guests, get a taste of true Italian hospitality and help to prepare a 3-course menu of Venetian specialties using time-honored recipes. Sit down together to enjoy the meal, along with wine, for an experience you won't get in any restaurant.

Follow three authentic Venetian recipes during a small-group cooking class and learn the tricks of the trade from a 'cesarina,' or home cook, in Venice. Each participant is equipped with utensils and ingredients at a personal workstation during the 3-hour lesson. You’ll prepare 'cicchetti,' or small plates, then taste each delicious dish, accompanied by a selection of local wine.

Dive into the heart of Venetian culinary tradition with a hands-on cooking class led by an expert local chef. In a small group, master the art of crafting fresh pasta, including stuffed varieties, paired with flavorful seasonal sauces, and end on a sweet note by creating the classic Veneto dessert, Tiramisù. Enjoy local wine as you cook in this magical city where food, history, and culture unite.

Prosecco is Italy’s most beloved bubbly, produced on the scenic slopes just north of Venice. Make exploring beyond city limits simple—and head to wineries you might not find on your own—on this small-group tour. Enjoy a scenic drive through rolling vineyards and medieval villages from Venice to boutique wine estates for tours, wine tastings, and a light lunch overlooking the hills.

Learn how to authentically make two common Italian foods in their country of origin in a private cooking class in a local home in Verona. Follow your teacher’s guidance as you make pizza and tiramisu from scratch the local way. End the class by dining on the meal you’ve created and take your newfound knowledge home to share your new skills.

Learn about Verona’s artisanal food and wine products during this intimate visit to a family-run winery in Marano di Valpolicella. Tour a 17th-century wine cellar and sample regional wine varieties paired with cheeses, cured meat, and bread. See how olive oil is produced, visit an olive tree orchard, and learn how to distinguish between oils during an exclusive tasting.

Venice can be unmanageably crowded by day—but if you set off after dark, you'll experience a totally different, and more peaceful, side of the city. Meet your Venetian guide at a convenient, central location, and set off with just a small group of fellow travelers for company. Head off the tourist trail, and see how locals live, when you explore the Cannaregio and Jewish Ghetto neighborhoods. Then, enjoy a classic osteria meal (own expense).

Share this special moment of the Veronese daily life with a local who can make you feel the atmosphere of the place, enjoy a traditional custom in a fabulous square, assure yourselves unique memories of this part of Italy and its friendly people.

See how some traditional Italian dishes are prepared before getting to eat them with this private cooking demonstration and dining experience in Verona. While enjoying some local hospitality, watch as a local home cook shows you how they prepare dishes based on family recipes, then dine on the 4-course meal they’ve made for you.

Go beyond the Grand Canal and visit the three main islands of the Venice lagoon, Murano, Burano, and Torcello, on this group boat trip. Avoid the hassle of figuring out how to get to these destinations, and leave the organization to your guide. Simply turn up at the meeting point, and let them lead the way. Enjoy a comprehensive itinerary featuring glassmaking and lacemaking traditions, historic sites, lunch, and more.

Pizza and tiramisù are two Italian crowdpleasers, but these blockbuster dishes are trickier to prepare than you might think. Hone your skill with this hands-on cooking class hosted in a home kitchen in Treviso. Turn out pies like a pro “pizzaiolo” (pizza chef), then whip up a luscious dish of tiramisù from scratch under your instructor’s watchful eye. End by sampling your handiwork during a celebratory lunch or dinner.

Venice is home to pasta-making traditions passed down for generations, but too often, travelers suffer through disappointing meals. Skip the usual tourist traps and head to the home of a local Venetian cook to learn time-honored cooking secrets. After mixing, kneading, and shaping classic pasta dishes such as bigoli, tagliatelle, or ravioli, sit down to enjoy the fruits of your labor over a bottle of wine.

Discover the little-known Valpolicella Classico wine country just outside Verona and connect with a local winemaker on this small-group winery visit. Take a guided walk through the historic vineyards to learn about the traditional cultivation methods, visit the former icehouse (now the aging room) and barrel cellar, and then relax with a tasting of a number of Valpolicella and Amarone wines.

Visit traditional food shops at a local market and taste authentic Venetian recipes, treasured and passed down through generations in family cookbooks. During this private dining experience at the home of a “cesarina,” or home cook, you’ll share a 4-course menu and experience the warmth of Italian hospitality. Watch as your host prepares an appetizer, main course, side dish, and dessert—all paired with a selection of red and white wines.

Learn the secrets behind Italian cooking with a half-day class in Treviso. Discover Le Cesarine, a network of home cooks spread across Italy, with a private cooking class. Visit the home of a Cesarina in Treviso and get hands-on experience preparing three regional recipes. Taste everything you cook alongside a glass of local wine.

Follow the journey of how Italian dishes are prepared and learn about Italian culture in the process with this shared market tour and dining experience in Verona. Visit a market in Verona with a local cook as they highlight the region’s seasonal produce and then watch them prepare an authentic regional meal that you get to enjoy at the end.

Experience the vibrant food culture of Italy during this 4.5-hour small-group tour in Venice. Start by exploring the local markets in search of some of the best Venetian products. Then get hands-on experience with a cooking class to create a delicious Italian meal. Enjoy the fruits of your labor as you eat your 3-course meal paired with local red and white wines from the region.

Learn what sets Venetian cuisine apart from the rest of Italy on an indulgent food and wine walking tour in Venice. Sample delicious small bites known as "cicchetti", and pop into some of the island's best "bacari," or wine bars. As you explore, gain insider knowledge from your guide and discover the best hidden gems in the area. Then, enjoy a sit-down dinner complete with authentic Venetian dishes and artisanal gelato.

Take your appreciation of wine to a deeper level with a tour of this Mischi winery. Walk with the winery’s owner through the vineyards to learn about the philosophy of this agritourism business, before settling down for a wine tasting session that explores the characteristics of each wine. This shared activity is limited to 10 participants.

This hands-on cooking experience in Venice teaches you home recipes that you wouldn't find in a cookbook. Learn in a unique setting, the home of a local home cook, and enjoy the more personalized experience of a small-group cooking lesson. Learn to make pizza and tiramisu from scratch and feast on the delicious dishes you make.

If you’re craving an authentic culinary experience while visiting Padua, then there’s no better way to enjoy traditional food than by visiting a local cook’s home. To help expand your knowledge of local ingredients, the experience begins with a market tour. You can then visit a local home to enjoy a 3-course dining experience with drinks included.

Taste your way through the Rialto market and historic neighborhoods on a small-group walking tour of Venice that combines street food with sightseeing. You’ll duck through narrow alleys and follow quiet canals to a series of tastings that include delicious ‘cicchetti,’ Venetian small plates served tapas-style, and check out top Venice attractions along the way.

Venice has an atmosphere and flavor unlike any Italian city, but many travelers miss out on its culinary traditions. Pair sightseeing with great food and wine during this small-group, half-day tour. Visit the historic Rialto Market, enjoy a selection of Venetian tapas known as cicchetti, and dig into a decadent lunch in a local trattoria. In between tasting stops, pass famous landmarks, including Marco Polo’s house and the Grand Canal.