Half Day Private Parmigiano Reggiano and Parma Ham Experience

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Parma, Italy

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

5 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Emilia-Romagna is a famous hub of Italian gastronomy, and two of its most renowned products come from the Parma Hills region—Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Prosciutto di Parma. This private tour takes you behind the scenes at a cheese dairy and Prosciutto di Parma Plant to watch traditional production methods and sample a selection of different aged cheeses and cured meats.

Go behind the scenes at a dairy and Prosciutto di Parma Plant
Sample a variety of Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses and Parma hams
Choose a self-drive tour or a private driver with pickup
Enjoy a personalized experience on this private tour

What's Included

Professional local guide
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese dairy admission fee
Parma Ham Plant admission fee
Tasting of 12, 24, 30 and 36 months old Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh ricotta cheese
Tasting of Prosciutto di Parma and traditional cured meats such as Culatta and Fiocco
1 glass of exquisite DOC Parma Hills Wine
Bottled water
Option 1 includes Transportation

Option 2 does not include Transportation

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Hotel pick-up and drop-off is included in the "Price including transportation" option. Pick-up and drop-off is intended within a radius of 15 kilometres of the city centre (Piazza Garibaldi in Parma). If your location is not among the pick up points listed, contact us to receive a customized quote for the extra transportation service. When travelers select the "Self-Drive Price" option, we'll see them at the Departure Point, they must provide their own transport and follow the guide in a separate car.

Meeting point

Emily Way Bar
Via Marco Emilio Lepido, 215, 43122 San Prospero PR, Italy
You will meet the guide in front of Emily Way Bar in Via Marco Emilio Lepido, 215, 43122 San Prospero PR at 8.30 am.

End point

43013 Langhirano, Province of Parma, Italy
If you selected the "Self-Drive" Option, the tour will end at the exit of the Parma Ham Plant. If you selected the "Transportation included" Option, the tour will end at the pick-up location.

Operating hours
.8:30 am

Itinerary

Via J. F.Kennedy, 18

2 hours 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Castello Di Torrechiara

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Langhirano

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Infant seats available
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
Minimum drinking age is 18 years.

Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking.
Available for gluten free with prior notice. Please advise when booking.
Not available for vegans and vegetarians.
This is a private tour, run exclusively for you and your family or friends.
Hotel pick-up and drop-off is included in the "Price including transportation" option. Pick-up and drop-off is intended within a radius of 15 kilometres of the city centre (Piazza Garibaldi in Parma). If your location is not among the pick up points listed, contact us to receive a customized quote for the extra transportation service. When travelers select the "Self-Drive Price" option, we'll see them at the Departure Point, they must provide their own transport and follow the guide in a separate car.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

5.0

based on 83 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Local Tour of Parma

Laura_M, Mar 2026

Our guide, Lisa was fantastic. She provided a lot of historical knowledge about the making of parmigiana reggiano cheese and the process to cure Parma ham. She was friendly and engaging and the tour was fantastic. It gave you a great sense of pride about these family-owned business's and their contribution to the local economy. I visited with my two sisters and would highly recommend the tour to other families and individuals.

It was very interesting....

Karen_B, Oct 2025

It was very interesting. The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. The two locations were perfect.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Karen, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We are glad you enjoyed your experience and hope to welcome you back in the future. Best regards, Michelle Costa

Groovy Cool tour!! Highly recommended.

Robert_C, Aug 2025

Groovy cool experience!! Highly recommended. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about the cheese and ham. The driver was great.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thank you for your valuable review. We're glad you enjoyed both the guide and the driver! We look forward to welcoming you back soon for another gastronomic adventure in Emilia-Romagna. Best regards, Michelle Costa

Great Adventure

Sherry_D, Jun 2025

This was a very educational and fun experience for all the family. Michelle was a knowledgeable and personable guide who made our experience worth the adventure!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Learning how food is made is a fun and engaging activity, especially when we talk about products so rich in history like Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma. We love taking our guests to discover the changes in technology and equipment through the centuries. Definitely a journey back in time. Thank you for choosing us! Best regards, Michelle Costa

Fantastic tour with Lisa

Kiera_S, Jun 2025

Our private tour was led by the very knowledgeable Lisa! We especially loved the Parmigiano Reggiano dairy where we got to watch them make the cheese and got to meet the cows. Lisa was so kind and friendly and had an encyclopedic knowledge of the history and process.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thank you for your lovely feedback! We’re pleased that you enjoyed your time with Lisa and her way of bringing to your attention the historical aspects and those related to production technology of Parmigiano Reggiano and Parma Ham. Watching the cheese being made is always a highlight and we’re glad it was memorable for you too. We hope the experience stays with you and adds a special flavor to your time in Parma! Best regards, Michelle Costa

Don't hesitate just book it. Great trip

Rachel_W, May 2025

Wonderful. A great driver and a personal luxuary van just for us. Lisa was our guide, her English was better that ours and we were born there. So much information presented by Lisa with in depth knowledge of all aspects of the tour. We now have even more respect for the artisans who not only spend their days making this amazing cheese but making the job look effortless. It was like watching a ballet and conductor at the same time all done in wellington boots and hardly a word spoken. Timing and skill , superb to watch. Then through beeeutiful countryside to Parma ham production place in the hills. Again fascinating, labor intensive which translates to those amazing flavors we associate with Parma Ham. Don't hesitate with this tour just book it and ask for Lisa because her command of English, Italian and German (possibly more languages) really added to the trip .

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thank you, Rachel! We’re so glad you had such a great day with Lisa. The skills and dedication of our artisan partners are extraordinary and we’re happy you got to witness them up close. Visiting the countryside and seeing the care that goes into every stage of production really makes the flavors more meaningful. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back again! Best regards, Michelle Costa

Parmesan Cheese, Parma Ham, and Medieval Castle

Taylor_W, May 2025

This was one of the best tours we have ever gone on. Lisa was incredibly knowledgeable and detailed about operations at the cheese and ham plants. She was patient in answering our many questions and very engaging throughout. Coming in, I didn’t know how much I would care for the operational aspects but her passion and delivery made it very interesting. Highly recommend taking the half day for this tour. Well worth it and a highlight of our Italy trip so far!

Response from Host, May 2025

Dear Taylor, thank you very much for your kind words. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the tour and that Lisa’s enthusiasm made the visits to the cheese and ham producers more interesting than expected. It’s always a pleasure to share the behind-the-scenes of these traditional processes and answer all the questions our guests might have. We hope to welcome you again in the future for more discoveries! Best regards, Michelle Costa

Wonderful tour seeing and tasting the process for Parma ham and Parmesano reggiano cheese

Donna_w, Feb 2025

Tour as described was close to 6.5 hr. Cecilia was the tour guide. She was very passionate about details as she grew up in the area and her father was a cheese maker. We chose to use our own transportation so we could drive on from our last stop.

Response from Host, Feb 2025

Hi Donna, It is not difficult to love products such as Parmigiano Reggiano and Parma Ham, especially for those who grew up in the area, as they are aware not only of their goodness but also of the hard work and passion that lies behind them. Thank you for choosing us. We hope to have a chance to meet you in the future. Best regards, Michelle Costa

Amazing tour of Parma with cheese and ham

Laura_W, Jan 2025

Beatrice was an outstanding guide. She was obviously passionate about the locations and products she showed us and was great at giving information, answering questions and showing us the process. Seeing the cheese made and walking through each step was amazing and the same for the Parma ham. Guido our driver did a wonderful job maneuvering through the fog and even though we couldn’t see the lovely landscapes and castle due to the fog we have a wonderful tour and I would recommend to anyone. We also tried a sandwich shop she mentioned after the tour and it was delicious.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Dear Laura, Thank you for your fabulous review! We love guiding our guests through every step of the production of Parmigiano Reggiano and Parma Ham and we are really happy to hear that you enjoyed the experience despite the fog. We hope to welcome you back in the future, perhaps on a clearer day so you can enjoy those stunning landscapes and castle views. Best regards, Michelle Costa

A deftour

Perri_W, Nov 2024

This is a definite tour to take. We absolutely loved our Guide, Cecelia! She was such a pleasure to be with. Our driver, Guido, was fun and comical.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Thank you for the wonderful review. It's nice to hear that you had fun with your guide and driver. We look forward to meeting you for another gastronomic experience in Emilia Romagna. Best regards, Michelle Costa

Cecilia is a total gem &...

jcbriski, Oct 2024

Cecilia is a total gem & gave us a 5🌟 experience in Parma & the ER region! She and our driver Guido guided us safely through the gorgeous countryside for behind the scenes experiences at a functional dairy & prosciutteria. She’s so knowledgeable, kind, and authentically interactive- we made a new friend!!

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Thank you for taking the time to write this beautiful review. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the behind-the-scenes experiences we designed for our guests and the beauty of the Parma countryside. We are pleased to learn that you appreciated the professionalism of the guide and driver. Thank you again for choosing us. We hope to meet you again in the future. Best regards, Michelle Costa

Do yourself a favour and book this experience!

Joanne_S, Jul 2024

Truly remarkable experience. Highly recommend. It was definitely a highlight of my trip! Our tour guide was very knowledgable and shared lots of insight which made us appreciate the experience even more.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Thanks for your enthusiastic words and glowing review! They mean a lot to us. They are the true fuel that drives us to improve ourselves for our guests. We hope to have you as our guests again. Best regards, Michelle Costa

Perfect Parmesan and Prosciutto Tour

margaret_b, Jun 2024

A friend and I enjoyed our private tour with Serena. She was incredibly knowledgeable and personable, and happily answered all of our questions. I felt like we got an in-depth view of both the parmesan factory (from watching some parmesan and ricotta being made from start to finish, going to see the cows that produced the milk, and tasting 4 different aged cheeses) and the prosciutto factory (seeing the raw meat cured with salt, seeing the meat at different stages of the curing and aging process, and finishing with a tasting including a glass of sparkling wine). I can't recommend Serena enough, she was fabulous. In addition, the logistics worked well: we were picked up on time at the designated meeting spot, had a dedicated driver along with Serena, and a very comfortable car for the two of us.

Everything is well...

Rok_K, Jun 2024

Everything is well organized, the guide Serena took her time for us and presented everything to us exactly as the tourist wanted

Time well spent

Daniela_B, May 2024

Really great tour, Inspiring and relaxing. The pickup was in time, the guide and the driver were very nice and very well informed, they answerd all our questions.

Fantastic afternoon in Italy’s culinary center

Temple_M, Mar 2024

Highly recommended! Beatrice was a fantastic tour guide and you could really feel her expertise on knowledge of regional foods. Both stops were fascinating deep dives into the process that makes the foods special and tasting a full ranger afterwards really gave us an appreciation of the products.

Great tour with great access

Jeff_W, Mar 2024

That was one of the best tours I've ever been on, private, great guide, incredible access. Our guide was an expert who was also personable.

Excellent interactive tour with fun and knowledgeable tour guide

Dave_S, Sep 2023

Serena was a terrific guide - very knowledgeable and entertaining. She included the right amount of historical information as we learned about the process of producing Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto di parma. The two production facilities were family-run businesses, and we got to see the production processes up close (as in splashed by the milk) before tasting the cheese and ham. The tasting was a highlight, but seeing the warehouses where the product is aged was also very cool. Thanks also to Guido for driving us around!

Go for the smells alone

dani_l, Sep 2023

We had a fantastic time wit our guide, Brabara. She was very knowledgeable and gave us a truly unique private experience. We were the only ones around for most of the time - we saw other large groups in passing but had a really intimate experience.

Amazing Experience

mgnmkpjn5t, Aug 2023

The entire tour was very professional and memorable. From the intricacies of the Parmigiano Reggiano process to the cellars of the Prosciutto di Parma. Beatrice was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and made the whole experience so exciting.

I recently had the...

Igor_Y, Jul 2023

I recently had the pleasure of embarking on the Half Day Private Emilia Foodie Experience tour, and it exceeded all my expectations in every way possible. This tour is an absolute must for anyone who appreciates authentic Italian cuisine and wants to explore the rich culinary traditions of Emilia-Romagna.

Tour host was an absolute delight

Erika_L, May 2023

This experience is a must for families with children so they get a private one on one attention with observing Parmesan cheese in the making. Barbara was an absolute delight, and is very knowledgeable of Parmesan cheese process, Parma ham process, and is more than willing to answer any questions you have. Thank you Barbara!

A "must do" if you are visiting the area

Ric_A, May 2023

Wonderful experience. A "must do" if you are visiting the area. They went beyond our expectations. Thanks!

Great experience for food lovers & for families with small kids!!!

Lisa_R, Jan 2023

Best tour in Italy!!! We had a blast and got a upfront experience on cheese making, visiting the Parma cows, prosciutto, a castle stop for pictures and traditional balsamic (which was an add on by request). Our guide was Roberta, she was very professional and knowledgeable about each site she took us too. She speaks multiple languages and was able to translate for my parents as well in Spanish (as the tour was booked for English). Overall, after talking about our amazing tour, now the rest of my family and friends want to book too!!! Roberta provided great tips on what to eat and where to eat. We were very pleased, we loved it!!! Thank you

Great morning with Roberta in Parma.

COLLEEN_C, Sep 2022

Our guide Roberta was fantastic! Learning about the cheese/prosciutto making process was super interesting and the access to both facilities was remarkable. We learned a lot and had a lot of fun.

Parma ham and prosciutto tour

Nikki_C, Aug 2022

We had an amazing tour with Michelle. She contacted us the day before about something that could have been a potential problem with our booking and helped us solve it. The Parmesan tour was so interesting and Michelle was so knowledgeable about everything. We got there an hour early to see the entire cheese making process. I recommend that! We also visited the Parma ham plant. We loved tasting the different types of cheese and then prosciutto. We highly recommend this tour. Michelle was amazing. You won’t be disappointed.

Awesome

SanjayShah, Jul 2022

Excellent guide and driver. Learned a lot. I didn’t realize all that went in to making cheese and prosciutto

The best of the best tour

Stephen_C, Jun 2022

We've been on a many tours in the last 2 weeks in Italy and Croatia but this tour was the best of all. Our guide Giulia was extremely knowledgeable and fun to be with. We felt we learned not only about parmesan cheese production and ham processing but also about the local culture and people. She was an incrediblely warm personality and by tour's end, we felt we were leaving a friend behind. She even gave recommendations for local sights and eateries for the remainder of our day. We highly recommend this tour

Unforgettable experience, a Parma insight

Patrick_M, May 2022

Interesting as the subject matter is,it is always the tour guide who brings it all together. Michelle was excellent: Informative,v well organized & pleasant, without being too intrusive

Incredible Tour

Kyle_M, May 2022

My mom and I took a train from Milan to Parma and met our guide and driver at the hotel across from the train station. We first went to the cheese factory where we learned and saw the process for parmigiano-regianno cheese, then we went to one of the farms where they get the milk for the chesse and tried the cheese. We then went to a parma ham factory and tasted hame there. Don't let the price fool you, it was totally worth the price for the experience.