Emilia-Romagna with Locals: Food, Wine and Culture Tour | May 11-19, 2027

Eight days exploring both Emilia and Romagna—two distinct halves of one remarkable region. 

Together with my friend, Giulia Tamarri, we’ll introduce you to the Emilia-Romagna she calls home. As a licensed Italian tour leader and gastro-guide for the region, Giulia has spent years uncovering the artisans, family businesses, and traditions that make this corner of Italy so special. We’ll introduce you to the celebrated food capitals of Bologna, Parma, and Modena, then venture beyond them into artisan workshops, organic farms, vineyards, hidden museums, and the historic towns and coastal communities of Romagna, revealing a side of the region that many visitors never see.

What We’ll Do:

• Begin your journey over dinner with a food historian and author whose engaging stories reveal the surprising history behind some of Italy’s most beloved dishes. 
• Explore Bologna, Ravenna, Modena, and Parma on guided walks that blend history, architecture, and regional food traditions. 
• Make traditional tagliatelle and tortelloni during a hands-on cooking class, then visit a museum dedicated to Modena’s balsamic vinegar heritage. 
• Visit a mountain dairy preserving the rare White Modenese cow and witness Parmigiano Reggiano being made from start to finish. 
• Discover the wines of Romagna during a seafood pairing dinner led by a renowned local wine educator. 
• Learn to make Romagna’s beloved piadina while tasting organic wines and Brisighella’s celebrated extra virgin olive oil. 
• Discover the centuries-old art of Romagna textile printing and create your own hand-printed keepsake. 
• Celebrate your final evening with a tortellini-making contest and dinner at Tortellante, a remarkable social enterprise.

Who is this tour for:

This tour is for you if you want to explore both sides of Emilia-Romagna. You’ll experience the celebrated food capitals of Bologna, Modena, and Parma, then continue into Romagna, where hill towns, artisans, vineyards, and coastal communities reveal a side of the region that many travelers miss.

Who this tour is not for:

This tour may not be the right fit ifyou want to see as many places as possible. We travel at a slower pace, allowing time to learn about the food, wine, traditions, and people that make Emilia-Romagna unique. Because many of the region’s most celebrated specialties are built around fresh pasta, bread, cured meats, and cheeses, the tour may also be less suitable for guests with highly restrictive diets.

Why this tour feels different:

Emilia-Romagna is famous for its extraordinary food, wine, and beautiful cities, and you’ll experience all of them. What makes this journey different is the people you’ll meet along the way. Together with Giulia and our local partners, we’ve created opportunities to spend time with the cheesemakers, artisans, historians, and local experts whose passion and generosity bring the region to life.

Duration: 8 nights

Price: €5,800 per person (shared double) | Single supplement €700 

What’s Included: Accommodation, daily breakfast, 4 lunches, 5 dinners, 1 aperitivo, all activities, transport for daily activities, and all entrance fees to historical sights.

What’s Not included: Airfare and airport transfers on arrival. Optional gratuities for guides and drivers

Please note: This tour involves walking at a relaxed pace on uneven cobblestones, hills, and stone stairs. It is not suitable for guests with mobility issues. Most dietary requirements can be accommodated with advance notice. Gluten-free options are limited.

2027 ITINERARY DAY BY DAY

Day 1: Tuesday, May 11

Arrival in Bologna

Your boutique hotel located in Piazza Maggiore is just steps from the city’s main attractions, shops, and markets. Spend the afternoon exploring at your own pace. In the evening you’ll meet your fellow travelers over a welcome drink followed by dinner with a food historian and prolific food author who grew up here on his grandmother’s tagliatelle and tortellini.

Accommodation: Art Hotel Orologio

Meals: Welcome Drink, Dinner (1)

Day 2: Wednesday, May 12

Bologna and Cooking in the Countryside

Bologna is often called Italy’s culinary capital, but there’s much more to discover beyond its famous cuisine. Join our licensed guide and sommelier for a walking tour that weaves together the city’s rich history, vibrant markets, and beloved food shops, revealing how centuries of culture, commerce, and tradition have shaped this city.

Later today we’ll head to an acetaia (vinegar cellar) for a hands-on cooking class with a family that’s been making balsamic vinegar since the 1800s. We’ll visit the vinegar ageing area and their remarkable museum, where centuries-old tools, household objects, and historic balsamic vinegar vessels tell the story of rural traditions in the Modena countryside.

Accommodation: Art Hotel Orologio

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (1), Dinner (2)

Day 3: Thursday, May 13

Ravenna and the Coast

Today, we’ll journey east to Ravenna, where our guide brings his hometown’s extraordinary Byzantine mosaics and remarkable history to life. After lunch in Ravenna, we continue to the Adriatic coast and settle into an elegant five-star hotel, a contemporary interpretation of Romagna’s celebrated Grand Hotels and your home for the next three nights. 

Accommodation: Palace Hotel Milano Marittima

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (2)

Day 4: Friday, May 14

This morning we’ll have time to explore the charming fishing town of Cesenatico, where Leonardo da Vinci redesigned the historic canal that is still the heart of the community. Lined with colorful boats, cafés, and seafood restaurants, it’s an ideal place to experience the relaxed rhythm of Romagna’s Adriatic coast. 

This evening, our friend and a noted wine educator will join us for a seafood and wine pairing dinner in a beautifully restored 17th-century salt warehouse, where the history of Cervia’s famous “sweet salt” lives on through the region’s food, wine, and culinary traditions.

Accommodation: Palace Hotel Milano Marittima

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner (3)

Day 5: Saturday, May 15

Ancient Textile Printing in Sant’Arcangelo di Romagna

Today we’ll explore the hill town of Santarcangelo di Romagna, one of the region’s most charming and culturally rich villages. With its cobbled lanes, lively piazzas, and thriving artisan traditions, it’s a place where craftsmanship and everyday life remain closely intertwined. Visit a historic textile workshop where generations of artisans continue Romagna’s centuries-old printing traditions using hand-carved wooden blocks and a remarkable 17th-century stone to prepare the fabric. Then create your own hand-printed keepsake to take home.

Accommodation: Palace Hotel Milano Marittima

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (3), Dinner (4)

Day 6: Sunday, May 16

Brisighella Olive Oil, Piadina, and Wine

Depart for Modena today, with a stop to explore the picturesque hill town of Brisighella, one of Italy’s most beautiful villages. Then head into the surrounding countryside for a hands-on piadina-making experience, a guided olive oil tasting, and lunch at an organic vineyard and olive estate, where you’ll discover why Brisighella is home to Italy’s first DOP extra virgin olive oil. After check-in at our 5-start historic hotel, you’ll have free time to wander with dinner on your own.

Accommodation: Hotel Rua Frati 48, Modena

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (4)

Day 7: Monday, May 17

Modena and Parma

Discover Modena this morning with our local guide as you stroll through its elegant historic center. Visit the lively Mercato Albinelli and enjoy tastings that showcase the city’s rich culinary traditions. 

After free time for lunch, we’ll head to Parma, a refined city celebrated for its art, music, and gastronomy. During an evening walk, admire highlights including the magnificent Romanesque cathedral and its remarkable baptistery before gathering for dinner at a local favorite trattoria.

Accommodation: Hotel Rua Frati 48, Modena

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (5), Dinner (5)

Day 8: Tuesday, May 18

Begin the day at a mountain dairy dedicated to preserving the rare White Modenese cow. You’ll see fresh milk transformed into Parmigiano Reggiano, following every step of the cheesemaking process from start to finish. Afterward, enjoy a guided tasting comparing different ages and styles of the dairy’s handcrafted cheeses. 

We’ll return to Modena for free time before celebrating your final evening with a friendly tortellini-making contest and dinner at a unique social enterprise where traditional pasta-making creates meaningful opportunities for young adults on the autism spectrum.

Accommodation: Hotel Rua Frati 48, Modena

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner (6)

Day 9: Wednesday, May 19: Departure

NOTE: We can arrange a private airport transfer upon request and/or pair you with others arriving at the same time to save costs.

Please Note

1. Although every effort is made to adhere to the stated tour, itineraries are subject to change at any time due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of Via del Vino, LLC and its travel providers. A non-refundable deposit is due at the time of booking to secure your spot.
2. Our tours use charming historic properties with a mix of rooms that are all unique and may vary in size and amenities. Rooms are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis according to need (doubles vs twin beds vs single supplement). Single supplement rooms are limited. Please let us know if you need twin beds.

Physical Requirements of This Tour:

• Walking unassisted at a relaxed pace on uneven pavements, hills, and stone stairs with only short breaks
• Standing for 1 or 2 hours for walking tours with only short breaks and limited seating available
• Getting on and off the minibus unassisted
• This tour is not suitable for guests with mobility issues