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Parma Factory & workshop tours

Our most recommended Parma Factory & workshop tours

Parma: Parmigiano Production and Parma Ham Tour & Tasting

1. Parma: Parmigiano Production and Parma Ham Tour & Tasting

Learn the secrets of some Italian specialties on a private tour of Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto factories. Enjoy a hassle-free visit with pickup and drop-off from your hotel in Parma. The tour begins at 8:30 AM when the cheese makers pull the cheese from the milk vats. Watch the masters at work as you hear an overview of Parmigiano Reggiano's history from your local guide. Next, visit the seasoning/storage rooms where the cheese is brought for its last stage of production. At the end of the tour, try some different aged Parmigiano Reggiano and browse the on-site shop where you can purchase local products. After, head to the picturesque hills of Langhirano or Felino, which are home to Prosciutto di Parma Ham. The tour begins with a brief history of the production, followed by a visit to the "cold stage," where fresh meats are processed. Learn how the best meat is chosen and see the salting machinery and refrigeration/resting cells. Take a look in the seasoning chambers and savor the traditional ham aromas in the air. Learn about the "spillatura" and how only the best hams pass the test and are branded as the famed "Crown of Parma." Finally, enjoy a degustation of Parma ham accompanied by a glass of Malvasia, a sparkling white local wine. After the tasting, your guide will bring you to your hotel or accommodation.

Parma: Cheese, Ham, & Balsamic Vinegar Tour with Tastings

2. Parma: Cheese, Ham, & Balsamic Vinegar Tour with Tastings

On a day-long tour, you’ll Learn the origins of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese throughout a visit to a cheese factory in Parma. Hear how this cheese, protected by the EU, is still produced following traditional methods. Exclusively made in the Zona Tipica of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and parts of Bologna and Mantova, Parmesan cheese dates back over 9 centuries. After, head to the picturesque hills of Langhirano, which are home to Prosciutto di Parma Ham. The tour begins with a brief history of the production, followed by a visit to the "cold stage," where fresh meats are processed. Learn how the best meat is chosen and see the salting machinery and refrigeration/resting cells. Take a look in the seasoning chambers and savor the traditional ham aromas in the air. Learn about the "spillatura" and how only the best hams pass the test and are branded as the famed "Crown of Parma." Finally, enjoy a degustation of Parma ham accompanied by a glass local wine. Then We will discover the secrets of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, one of the hidden and still little-known jewels of the Modena area. We will visit a Traditional Balsamic Vinegar producer and the visit will be followed by tasting of 12 years old, 25 years old Traditional Balsamic Vinegar and other balsamic condiments.

From Bologna: Parma Cheese & Ham Factory Tours and Tastings

3. From Bologna: Parma Cheese & Ham Factory Tours and Tastings

This tour of Parmesan excellence starts from the Bologna train station where our staff will provide you with tickets for the train from Bologna to Parma and back. Once in Parma you will meet outside the Parma train station with our staff who will will welcome you and make you sit on our minibus or Van. The first stop will be the producer of Parmigiano Reggiano where it will be possible to directly witness the processing of Parmigiano Reggiano. The tour begins at the dairy, a room where the milk is cooked in the so-called "caldere" from which the wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano are then extracted. It will then be possible to visit the brine room and the maturing warehouse in which it will be possible to try to "beat" the Parmigiano Reggiano as the experts of the Consortium do. At the end of the tour there will be a tasting of Parmigiano Reggiano of different ages accompanied by typical mustards and local red wine. We then continue to the ham factory, where the famous Parma ham is born. The visit starts from the rooms where the fresh pork meat is processed and where only the best legs are selected for Parma ham. We then continue in the maturing cellars where the "sugnatura" will be explained and where the Parma hams will be "tapped" in the presence of visitors to discover their aromas and evaluate their goodness. At the end tasting of ham and wine from the hills and then return to the city.

Parma: Traditional Cheese Factory Visit with Tasting

4. Parma: Traditional Cheese Factory Visit with Tasting

Learn the origins of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese throughout a visit to a cheese factory in Parma. Hear how this cheese, protected by the EU, is still produced following traditional methods. Exclusively made in the Zona Tipica of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and parts of Bologna and Mantova, Parmesan cheese dates back over 9 centuries. Watch the cheese makers pull the product from the milk vats, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the process of cooking and separating the whey. You'll then visit the shaping and salting rooms, before going to the stagionatura where the cheese is aged. Savor the sight and smell of thousands of wheels of cheese, and learn about the strict tests performed by the Consorzio, such as hammering the cheeses before the fire-branding ritual. Finally, taste the delicious cheese accompanied by some honey and local wine.

From Bologna or Modena: Parma Gastronomic Tour with Lunch

5. From Bologna or Modena: Parma Gastronomic Tour with Lunch

Discover the production of two excellences of Italian cuisine, Parmigiano Reggiano and Parma Ham, on a gastronomic tour from Bologna. After being picked up from your accommodation in Bologna or Modena Learn more about Parma and its local cuisine that is so popular that it often ends up dominating conversations among locals. Visit a historic Parmigiano Reggiano factory where an expert guide will show you the stages of production, and you'll be able to taste some of the cheese made by the factory. Then, discover more about the production of Parma Ham. Learn the secrets of this Italian delicacy followed by a tasting paired with a glass of local wine.  Following your visit to the Parma Ham factory, enjoy a light lunch at a prosciuttificio with typical products and dishes. Finally, head back to your accommodation in Bologna or Modena.

Parma: Museum of Pasta Entry Ticket

6. Parma: Museum of Pasta Entry Ticket

Reserve your ticket to the Museum of Pasta in Parma and learn about the staple of Italian cuisine which is enjoyed worldwide. Explore the museum which is dedicated to the historical, technological, and cultural knowledge of pasta, divided into ten sections. Explore the first section, which is devoted to wheat, its properties, and cultivation methods, including models, old peasant implements, and records that document the growth of agricultural techniques. The second section is devoted to grinding and includes models and historical iconography, as well as a reconstruction of a millstone and a modern cylinder mill. See exhibits of small household equipment in the third section. Discover the art of the rolling pin, and find out more about the proud Italian tradition of fresh pasta. Discover the origins of the first true industrial pasta factory from the first half of the nineteenth century. Learn about the steps of dry pasta manufacture using ancient technology that has been meticulously repaired. In the fifth area, the second nucleus of antique equipment depicts the production procedures in an Emilian artisan workshop from the previous century. See models of machines that present the current, very modern technologies used in industrial pasta factories to ensure a consistently high-quality product. See a variety of posters, playbills, and historical items used to promote pasta. The gastronomy component contains the history of the colander, recipe books, as well as information about optimal format and condiment combinations. Find out about the distinctive characteristics of Italy's many regions and the Mediterranean diet. Finish up by seeing various representations of pasta in art and culture, from paintings to stamps. Choose to include an optional pasta tasting at the end of your tour.

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What people are saying about Parma

Overall rating

4.4 / 5

based on 156 reviews

Incredible tour of an authentic Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factory and a wonderful tour of a family owned Parma Ham factory in the hills. Our driver Francesco was very friendly, professional, and polite offering dinner suggestions on the way home. Everyone from both factories were very friendly and welcoming as well. We thoroughly enjoyed the tours and loved the traditional Italian lunch that followed. Highly recommend

Small but very nice museum about the process of the pasta and its many varieties. Nice to see what those molds look like for those different types of pasta. You can also enjoy a delicious meal in the restaurant.

Really a cool trip with great local guides from the various local producers.