Parmigiano production and Parma ham tour: review
My verdict: this is the tour I would book if I were staying in Parma without a car. Pickup and drop-off are included, which is what you are really paying for, and it adds a Parma ham stop to the dairy. It is also the most-booked tour on this site by a wide margin, so its score rests on more mornings than any other here. With a car, or with a city bus you are happy to take, you can see the same cheese made for a good deal less.
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 sevenTransport included, and why that is the point
The dairy visit on its own costs €15–35 booked direct through the Consorzio’s booking page. The cheese is made in the morning. What is hard, without a car, is reaching a working dairy by about 9am, because most of them are out in the country. A local guide on the Rick Steves forum put it at “at least 90%” of dairies being far from any bus or train stop. That is one local’s estimate rather than a statistic, and it matches what I would tell you.
This tour solves exactly that. It collects you, gets you to the dairy while the cheese is being made, adds the ham, and brings you back. At €135 against a direct dairy ticket of €23 at Ugolotti, for example, you are paying a little over €100 for the ride, the guide and the second stop. For a morning without a car I think that is a fair trade, and it is the one I would make. What the extra money buys, line by line.
“Go early”
John, from Germany, reviewed it in five words: “Go early. You see cheese come out of vats.” That is the whole argument of this site. The extraction, when the cheesemakers lift the curd out of the copper vat in linen cloths, cut it in two and put each half into a mould, is the moment people come for, and it happens early. What you see at 9 and what you miss at 11.
What 954 reviews tell you
A 4.9 from 954 reviews is the most-reviewed score on this site, three times the next largest. A score on that many mornings has already taken in its share of off days, and it moves slowly. Carolyn, from the United States, says the guide was knowledgeable and made it informative and fun, which is the tone of most of what I have read about it.
When I would skip it
If you are staying in Parma and do not mind a bus, you can do the dairy part yourself. Caseificio Ugolotti, one example, is reached on TEP line 23 from the station, about 14–17 minutes and roughly every 15 minutes on weekdays. I could not confirm the Sunday service. Its English visit is from €23, mornings only, and a single traveller has to contact the dairy directly. With a car, the Consorzio’s booking page lists dairies across the whole production area. You would miss the ham stop, and you would keep about €110. Doing it without a tour.
What works
- Pickup and drop-off included
- Reaches the dairy at the hour the cheese is made
- A Parma ham stop in the same morning
- 4.9 from 954 reviews, the largest base on the site
Worth knowing
- Several times the price of a direct dairy visit
- Late for pickup counts as a no-show
- Gratuities are not included
- No balsamic: that is a different tour
Who it suits
Anyone staying in Parma without a car who wants to see Parmigiano Reggiano made and try Parma ham the same morning. If you want balsamic vinegar as well, the three-stop tour adds it, though its listing does not state transport.
Other tours to consider
Cheapest near ParmaFrom Milk to Wheels: Parmesan Tour & Tasting in Parma
Cheese, ham & balsamicParma: Cheese, Ham, & Balsamic Vinegar Tour with Tastings
From BolognaFrom Bologna: Parma Cheese & Ham Factory Tours and Tastings
Frequently asked questions
Does the Parmigiano and Parma ham tour include pickup?
Yes, pickup and drop-off. It is one of two tours on this site whose listing says transport is included; the other leaves from Bologna. All seven, with transport marked.
How long is the cheese and ham tour?
About four hours. The guide, entry and tasting are included and gratuities are not.
Why does it cost so much more than a dairy visit?
Because it includes the ride and a second stop. The dairy visit itself is €15–35 direct; the rest pays for being collected, taken to the dairy in the morning, shown the ham and brought back.
What if I am late for the pickup?
The listing treats late arrival as a no-show, non-refundable and non-reschedulable. Free cancellation applies only up to 24 hours before.
Can I see Parmigiano made without taking this tour?
Yes. Book a dairy direct through the Consorzio. From Parma station, line 23 reaches Caseificio Ugolotti, as one example, in about 15 minutes. The direct route.