The secrets of Parmigiano Reggiano and balsamic vinegar: review
My verdict: the best average rating on this site, with the fewest reviews behind it. It is the long day of the seven, with a balsamic vinegar factory added to the dairy, and it is listed as a tour from Bologna. I would book it for the balsamic. I would not read the perfect score as proof that it beats the flagship.
Car, or no car?A dairy visit booked direct costs €15–35. What the tours below sell is the ride out to the dairy by 9am, and the ham and balsamic stops.
Compare all sevenA 5.0 from 96 reviews
A 5.0 is as high as the scale goes, and on 96 reviews it is a real result. It is also the score on this site most exposed to change. A handful of disappointed groups would show on a base this size, where on the flagship’s 954 they would barely register. So I read the 4.9 from 954 as the more reliable number, and this 5.0 as a very good start. Both are excellent. Only one of them has been tested by nearly a thousand mornings.
Transport: from Bologna, pickup not spelled out
The tour is listed as running from Bologna. What the listing does not do is set out a pickup or transfer the way the Bologna cheese and ham listing does, so I am not going to claim one. Check the meeting point in the booking details before you pay, and ask the operator if it is not clear.
What the long day buys
About six hours: the dairy, then a balsamic vinegar factory with three vinegars to taste and ice cream with 30-year balsamic. The dairy visit on its own costs €15–35 booked direct through the Consorzio’s booking page. What €140 adds on top is the vinegar and a day organised for you. Next to the other Bologna departure, at €198 with lunch excluded, it is also the cheaper of the two. The two tours from Bologna, compared.
What the reviewers describe
A traveller from the United States calls the guide, Claudio, “an amazing storyteller” with hands-on knowledge. On a six-hour day with two quite different producers, the guide carries a lot of it, and that is what the praise is for.
A long day still needs an early start
Starting from Bologna, the tour still has to reach the dairy in the morning if you are to see the wheels lifted from the vats. Check the start time on the calendar before you book. Why the hour decides what you see.
What works
- The best average rating on the site
- Adds a balsamic factory and three vinegars
- Cheaper than the other Bologna departure
- The guide is praised by name
Worth knowing
- 96 reviews is a small base for a perfect score
- Pickup is not spelled out on the listing
- About six hours: a full day
- No Parma ham stop
Who it suits
Someone based in Bologna who wants balsamic vinegar more than Parma ham. If you are in Parma and want all three foods, the Parma cheese, ham and balsamic tour is the one to look at.
Other tours to consider
Most bookedParma: Parmigiano Production and Parma Ham Tour & Tasting
Cheese, ham & balsamicParma: Cheese, Ham, & Balsamic Vinegar Tour with Tastings
From BolognaFrom Bologna: Parma Cheese & Ham Factory Tours and Tastings
Frequently asked questions
Is a 5.0 rating on 96 reviews reliable?
It is a strong result, but a small base. A few poor days would move it more than they could move a score built on 954 reviews. Treat it as very good, not as the best tour by default. The 954-review flagship, for comparison.
Does the balsamic tour include transport from Bologna?
It is listed as a tour from Bologna, but the listing does not spell out pickup. Check the meeting point before you book. The other Bologna tour states a transfer: its review is here.
What does the balsamic part involve?
A balsamic vinegar factory, three vinegars to taste, and ice cream with 30-year balsamic, over a day of about six hours.
Balsamic tour or the Bologna cheese and ham tour?
Balsamic if you want the vinegar and a lower price. The cheese and ham tour if you want Parma ham and a transfer stated on the listing, and lunch there is excluded. Both, side by side.