Parmigiano Reggiano tour reviews
I have reviewed each of the seven Parmigiano Reggiano tours this site links to, and every review starts with the same question: does the tour get you to the dairy, or do you get yourself there. I put that ahead of the score. A dairy will sell you the visit direct and the cheese is made in the morning, so what really separates these tours is the ride, the hour they arrive, and what gets added around the dairy.
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 first
Two of the seven listings say transport is included. The cheese and ham tour from Parma has pickup and drop-off, and the Bologna cheese and ham tour has a transfer from Bologna. One listing says plainly that it is not: the €44 farm tour near Parma, which tells you to reach the farm by a 15-minute taxi or a 30-minute bus. The other four do not state it. The balsamic tour is listed as running from Bologna but does not spell out a pickup, so I count it with the unstated ones. Where a listing is silent I have left it silent, and I would ask the operator before paying. All seven with a transport column, cheapest first.
The lowest score here
The Bologna tour carries 4.7 from 167 reviews. That is the lowest rating of the seven, and it belongs to the most expensive tour on the site, at €198 with lunch not included. A 4.7 is not a bad score and the reviewers I quote enjoyed their day. Next to four 4.9s and a 5.0, though, it is at the bottom, and I would rather you read that here than find it at the end of a list sorted by price. I do not have the critical reviews broken down, so I am not going to guess at the reason.
The perfect score, and what it weighs
The balsamic tour carries 5.0 from 96 reviews. It is the best average on the site and fewer than a hundred people produced it. A base that size moves visibly if a few groups have a poor day, while the flagship’s 4.9 rests on 954 reviews, ten times as many, and has already absorbed its bad mornings. As a guide to what an ordinary day is like, I read 4.9 on 954 as the stronger number. The 5.0 is a very good start, not a verdict.
The seven, reviewed
Formigine: Parmigiano Tour with Full Food Tasting
The cheapest, near Modena, with wine and cold cuts on the table. Transport not stated.
from €35 per personRead the full review ›
From Milk to Wheels: Parmesan Tour & Tasting in Parma
Transport excluded. In effect a dairy visit near Parma that you reach yourself.
from €44 per personRead the full review ›
Parma: Traditional Cheese Factory Visit with Tasting
Dairy only, with headsets. Transport not stated, and that is the whole question.
from €80 per personRead the full review ›
Parma: Parmigiano Production and Parma Ham Tour & Tasting
Pickup included, a Parma ham stop, and the most reviews by far. The flagship.
from €135 per personRead the full review ›
The Secrets of Parmigiano Reggiano & Balsamic Vinegar Tour
The best average, on 96 reviews. A long day with a balsamic factory.
from €140 per personRead the full review ›
Parma: Cheese, Ham, & Balsamic Vinegar Tour with Tastings
All three foods and a private guide. Transport not stated.
from €183 per personRead the full review ›
From Bologna: Parma Cheese & Ham Factory Tours and Tastings
Transfer from Bologna included, lunch not. The lowest score of the seven.
from €198 per personRead the full review ›What none of them sells you
Access. The dairy visit on its own costs €15–35 booked direct through the Consorzio’s booking page. In Parma itself, Caseificio Ugolotti, one example among many, is on the city’s line 23 bus, about 15 minutes from the station. Whichever way you go, the hour decides what you see: the wheels come out of the copper vats early in the morning, and at 11 you are more likely to get the aging warehouse and a video. Booking a dairy yourself, step by step.
Frequently asked questions
Which Parmigiano Reggiano tour should I book?
Choose by where you are staying and whether you drive. Staying in Parma without a car, I would book the €135 cheese and ham tour, which includes pickup and rates 4.9 from 954 reviews. With a car, or happy on a city bus, book a dairy direct or take the €44 farm tour. Based in Bologna, compare the two Bologna departures. The flagship review.
Which of these tours include transport?
Two listings state it: the cheese and ham tour from Parma, with pickup and drop-off, and the Bologna cheese and ham tour, with a transfer from Bologna. The €44 farm tour explicitly excludes it. The other four do not say, so confirm with the operator before you book. Why the farm tour is priced the way it is.
Is the 5.0-rated tour the best one?
It has the best average, from 96 reviews. That is a small base, and a few poor days would show on it quickly. The flagship’s 4.9 from 954 reviews is the more settled score. Pick the balsamic tour for the balsamic, not for the decimal. The balsamic tour, reviewed.
Are these reviews independent?
I am a food and wine guide in Parma, not an operator and not a dairy. I earn a commission if you book a tour through this site, at no extra cost to you, and the first thing every review tells you is how to see the same cheese made without one. How the site is paid for.