Italian cuisine is one of the most high-regarded and loved European cuisines world-wide. Influenced since ancient times by Etruscan, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Arabic approaches to cooking, Italian cuisine is known for its robust and diverse flavors. Regional dishes are distinct and rely on local ingredients from both land and sea. And who could forget Italian wine? If you want to sample a bit of everything while being led by culinary experts, consider taking an Italian food tour. Here are some of the top food and wine tours in Rome, Florence, Sicily and other locales.

Rome

When you book a food tour of Italy’s capital city with Katie Parla, you’ll be guided by a true expert. The New York Times best-selling author, journalist and culinary guide has made teaching and learning about Italian gastronomy her life’s work, and declares Rome is the center of her heart. Parla’s private tours are shaped by her knowledge of food, archaeology and art history. If you’re new to the city, embark on her tour of Centro Storico, Rome’s historic center, to experience a varied overview of Roman wine bars, bakeries, cafes and gelato shops. To dive into foodie specifics, take Parla’s tour of cuisine in Testaccio, a formerly working-class district known for its food market and traditional fare. Or stroll with Parla through Ebraica to taste the contributions of the Italian Jewish community to Roman culinary culture.

Florence

“Real Tuscan cuisine is ‘better than the best sex you’ve ever had,’” Antoinette “Toni” Mazzaglia, founder of Taste Florence, said in the Washington Post. For more than 14 years the team of sommeliers, food professors, and professional guides at Taste Florence food tours have helped travelers fall in love with the food scene of this central Italian city and capital of the Tuscany region. A four-hour food and wine extravaganza, the Taste Florence food tour introduces patrons to the wine and cheese, breads, pastries, salumi, crostini, balsamic vinegars, olive oils, and seasonal bites of the city – all included in the ticket price. You’ll visit markets, shops and artisans selected for historic and culinary importance.

Sicily

Recommended by the BBC, National Geographic, and Fodor’s, A Gastronomic Tour of Sicily by Peter Sommer Travels is consistently rated five stars by travelers. Over eight days, you’ll tour culinary, natural, and archaeological sites with an expert guide in a small group setting. The night of your arrival, dive into the tastes of Sicily with a welcome dinner and drinks. Set off the next morning for Palazzolo Acreide to walk its archaeological sites, and an olive farm that produces award-winning olive oil from its centuries-old trees. In the late afternoon, arrive in Ortygia for a wine-tasting aperitivo with a local sommelier. And that’s only the first two days. “We are certain that any food and wine lover will be in raptures over this week-long cultural and gastronomic feast,” Sommer Travels promises.

Puglia (Apulia)

Eat your heart out in Puglia, the southern region forming the heel of Italy’s “boot”, during the eight-day Apulia Slow Food Tour. Named for the Slow Food Movement, which advocates for traditional techniques used to prepare foods and sustainable agriculture, the Apulia Slow Food Tour introduces travels to the region’s local produce, artisans and cooking. The Slow Food movement began in Italy in the 1980s and is now an internationally adopted ideal that “counters agribusiness’ efforts to standardize the taste of food, [while] defending the need to inform and educate the consumer and protecting the cultural identities linked to traditional food and wine productions...” according to a statement by the Apulia Slow Food Tour. You’ll take your time exploring the tastes, smells and colors of Puglia in a manner respectful of the environment, culinary and agricultural experts, and other hosts.

Multi-city  

Try it all with a tour of more than one city and region. Over nine days, The Heart of Italy Food Tour will take you from Sorrento and The Amalfi Coast to Naples, Florence, and the Tuscan countryside. Watch Neapolitan pizza being made and learn the history of the pie in its home city of Naples. Tour Italian food markets in Tuscany and learn to make homemade pasta in Pistoia. Bike through the Tuscan countryside and sample the best chianti at local vineyards. Try small bites at eateries along the Arno River in Florence. This well-rounded tour will both broaden and satisfy your palate.

Travel is an investment, so be sure to protect your trip with travel insurance. Allianz Global Assistance can reimburse your prepaid, non-refundable expenses if you need to cancel your trip due to a covered reason. Our travel insurance plans can also cover certain expenses due to baggage loss, damage or delay. It’s also important to know that many domestic health insurance policies will not cover you abroad. Our emergency medical benefits can help if you have a covered medical emergency while traveling internationally.

Get a quote to find out how Allianz Travel Insurance can make your gourmand get-away blissfully stress-free.

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