GROUP TOUR
Food Lovers Tour — Food, Wine & Culture
A 10-day group journey through Italy's most flavorful cities — Venice's wine bars, Bologna's tortellini and Food Valley, Tuscan wine country, and Rome's pizza tradition, with three hands-on cooking classes.
The journey
Ten days through Italy's most flavorful cities, with food as the explicit thread — Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome. The journey opens in Venice with a guided evening tour of the city's traditional wine bars, tasting local wines and small bites in the city's beloved aperitivo tradition. Bologna, Italy's recognized food capital, brings the first hands-on cooking class — handmade tortellini with a local chef — and a full day in the Food Valley between Parma and Modena, visiting small producers of Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, and aged balsamic vinegar. Florence opens the wine country chapter with a full day in Chianti and a second cooking class — Tuscan dishes prepared with ingredients from the city's central market. Rome closes the journey with a Trastevere food tour and the third cooking class — pizza from scratch with an expert pizzaiolo, plus traditional tiramisù. Italy's culinary education in 10 days, lived as a small group around the table.
Highlights
- Venice wine bars and small-bites evening tour Guided evening exploration of Venice's traditional wine bars (the local 'bacari' tradition) — local wines, small bites ('cicchetti'), and the authentic Venetian aperitivo culture, off the beaten path.
- Bologna tortellini hands-on cooking class with lunch First cooking class of the journey — handmade tortellini with a local chef in Italy's recognized food capital, followed by lunch with the group.
- Food Valley day — Parmigiano, Prosciutto, balsamic vinegar producers A full day in the countryside between Parma and Modena visiting small producers — Parmigiano Reggiano cheese-making, Prosciutto di Parma curing rooms, aged balsamic vinegar cellars. Tastings throughout and a traditional farmhouse lunch with rolling-hill views.
- Chianti wine country full-day tour A day among boutique wine estates in the Chianti hills — vineyard walks, expert-led wine tastings, and a multi-course lunch paired with regional wines.
- Florence central market visit and Tuscan cooking class Morning shopping at Florence's bustling central market with the chef, then a hands-on Tuscan cooking class — full regional meal prepared together with the group, paired with Chianti.
- Rome Trastevere evening food and wine tour Guided evening walk through Rome's most charming neighborhood — Trastevere — with multiple food and wine tastings led by a local food expert. Roman street food, cobblestone alleyways, and authentic neighborhood flavors.
- Rome pizza and tiramisù masterclass Third cooking class of the journey — pizza from scratch with an expert pizzaiolo, baked in a stone oven, plus traditional tiramisù. The Italian comfort classics, mastered.
- High-speed train and luggage-free service between cities Train travel between Venice, Bologna, Florence, and Rome — bags travel ahead from hotel to hotel, the group moves light.
Locations
Overnight stays
Venice
Bologna
Florence
Rome
TOUR FEATURES
Group tours start from 8 people.
A low minimum means more of your clients can actually form a group – without chasing numbers to make it happen
Experience focus.
Built around Italy’s culinary education — three hands-on cooking classes, the Food Valley behind Parmigiano and Prosciutto, Chianti wine country, and food tours led by local chefs
USD pricing, commission included.
Wide sales window – we hold the quote, you sell at your pace. All in USD, your commission already built in.
Itinerary
DAY 1 — VENICE
- AM/PM | Arrival in Venice, hotel check-in. Free time to stroll Piazza San Marco or take an optional gondola ride.
- Evening | Free dinner with the group.
DAY 2 — VENICE — BACARI EVENING
- Full day | Free time during the day to explore Venice independently.
- Evening | Guided wine bar and small-bites evening tour through Venice’s traditional bacari.
DAY 3 — VENICE → BOLOGNA
- AM | Train to Bologna, hands-on tortellini cooking class with lunch.
- PM | Hotel check-in, free time to explore Bologna’s medieval streets.
DAY 4 — FOOD VALLEY
- Full day | Excursion through the countryside between Parma and Modena — Parmigiano Reggiano producer, Prosciutto di Parma curing rooms, aged balsamic vinegar cellars. Tastings and traditional farmhouse lunch.
DAY 5 — BOLOGNA → FLORENCE
- AM | Train to Florence, hotel check-in.
- PM | Free time — stroll across Ponte Vecchio or enjoy gelato in Piazza della Signoria.
DAY 6 — CHIANTI WINE COUNTRY
- Full day | Full-day Chianti wine and olive oil tour — boutique estates, vineyard walks, expert-led tastings, multi-course lunch.
DAY 7 — FLORENCE — MARKET & COOKING
- AM | Florence central market visit with the chef to shop for fresh ingredients.
- PM | Hands-on Tuscan cooking class — full regional meal paired with Chianti.
DAY 8 — FLORENCE → ROME
- AM | High-speed train to Rome, hotel check-in.
- Evening | Trastevere food and wine tour through the cobblestone alleyways.
DAY 9 — ROME — PIZZA & TIRAMISÙ MASTERCLASS
- Full day | Pizza from scratch with an expert pizzaiolo and traditional tiramisù masterclass — the Italian comfort classics. Free time in the afternoon.
DAY 10 — DEPARTURE
- AM | Optional private transfer to the airport, or extension in Rome.
Selling tips
- Bologna and Food Valley — the food capital chapter most Italy tours skip Bologna is recognized internationally as Italy's food capital, and the Food Valley between Parma and Modena (Parmigiano, Prosciutto, balsamic) is the heart of Italy's most prized DOP products. Most iconic Italy tours skip Bologna entirely — Venice-Florence-Rome with maybe Naples for pizza. This tour makes Bologna and the Food Valley the central chapter. The angle for advisors selling to serious food clients who already know Italy and want the real food regions.
- Three hands-on cooking classes — culinary depth no other tour delivers Tortellini in Bologna, Tuscan cuisine in Florence, pizza in Rome — three different cooking classes with three different chefs, three different regional cuisines. Most food tours include one cooking class as a highlight; this one builds the journey around them. The angle for clients who want to learn, not just taste — and for groups celebrating a milestone (anniversary, retirement, graduation) with a meaningful, skill-building experience.
- Group format ideal for foodie social travel Designed for groups of 8 or more — friends, food clubs, supper club groups, sommelier societies, alumni gourmet groups, or family reunions where food is the unifying theme. Cooking classes and shared meals are naturally social — every dinner becomes a group ritual. The angle for advisors with a defined foodie client base looking for an Italian culinary experience together.
Cost
STARTING PRICE
from $4,200 per person
Commission included
CALCULATED ON
Group size
12 guests
Travel month
March
Room type
Double occupancy
Final princing depends on group size, dates, and customizations.
Accomodation
The hotels shown are our main partners in each destination. At quote time we'll choose them together based on your client's needs.
Signature collection
Our collection features high standards 4-star hotels. The hotels mentioned are for reference only.
Venice
Boutique 4-star hotel near the canals (specific name confirmed at Planning Call phase)
Bologna
Design hotel near the fashion district (specific name confirmed at Planning Call phase)
Florence
Boutique hotel in the historic center (specific name confirmed at Planning Call phase)
Rome
Boutique hotel near Via Condotti (specific name confirmed at Planning Call phase)
What’s included
Accomodation
- 9 nights in carefully selected hotels (specific properties confirmed during Planning Call phase)
Meals
- Daily breakfast
- Tastings during the Venice bacari evening tour
- Tortellini lunch following the Bologna cooking class
- Food Valley tastings (Parmigiano, Prosciutto, balsamic) and traditional farmhouse lunch
- Multi-course Chianti vineyard lunch with wine pairings
- Tuscan cooking class meal paired with Chianti
- Trastevere food and wine tastings
- Pizza and tiramisù masterclass meal in Rome
Activities
- Venice wine bar and small-bites evening tour
- Bologna tortellini hands-on cooking class
- Food Valley full-day excursion (Parmigiano / Prosciutto / balsamic vinegar producers)
- Chianti wine country full-day tour
- Florence central market shopping with the chef
- Tuscan hands-on cooking class
- Trastevere evening food and wine tour
- Rome pizza and tiramisù masterclass
Transportation
- High-speed train tickets — Venice → Bologna → Florence → Rome
- Luggage-free service between cities
- Private transportation for Food Valley and Chianti excursions
Local team and guides
- Italian tour leader, fluent in the group’s language, throughout the journey
- Top-certified local food experts and chefs for every culinary experience
- 24/7 on-the-ground assistance throughout the stay
Terms & Conditions
Mandatory
Minimum: 8 pax
Payment
- 30% deposit at booking
- 70% balance 60 days prior to departure
Departure date changes
- Free up to 90 days before departure
- From 89 days onward: changes subject to availability and third-party fees
Cancellation
- 60+ working days before departure: deposit non-refundable
- 59–51 working days: 50% of total tour cost
- 50 working days or less: 100% of total tour cost
Not included
- Tips, extras, hotel city taxes (payable on spot), and anything not listed under ‘Price Includes.’
These conditions apply to standard group tour bookings. Specific terms may vary depending on group type, booking lead time, hotel requirements, and destination. Your dedicated Group Travel specialist will confirm the applicable conditions at the time of proposal.
Our process
Planning call
We don’t start with an email. We start with a call. You tell us about your client — who they are, what they’ve already done, what they dream of, what they’d never accept. We ask the right questions. Then we build a proposal designed to sell itself: hotels, inclusions, margin structure — all aligned before your client sees anything.
Ready to sell – Zero deposit
Once you decide to move forward, we block the hotels, lock the exchange rate, and define the selling price. Cancellation terms are set and fixed. No deposit required at this stage — unless the hotel requires it, or for short-notice departures. You start your sales campaign with full clarity and zero exposure.
Group Assessment
As sales progress, we review allotments and minimums together — adjusting where needed, releasing what isn’t working. We take every measure to minimise cancellation risk. At this stage, we define the non-refundable deposit needed to move forward: between 10% and 30%, depending on the hotel.
Final settlement
Balance requested 90 days before departure. Predictable, clean, no surprises.
