Immersive Culinary Tours in Romagna, Italy
Discover the Food, People & Culture of Italy's Authentic Heart
Welcome to Romagna, Emilia-Romagna's extraordinary land of food, wine, hospitality and buon vivere—the art of living well.
If you believe that the best way to understand a culture is through its food, and that the most memorable journeys happen when you connect with the people who call a place home, Esperienza invites you to experience Italy differently.
Our small-group culinary tours in Romagna go far beyond restaurants and sightseeing. You'll cook with local experts, share meals with chefs and hosts, taste wines where they are made, explore historic towns and meet the farmers, artisans and food lovers who keep generations of Italian traditions alive.
This is not "hit-and-run" tourism. It is travel at a human scale: slower, more personal and designed to leave you with something more meaningful than photographs.
Culinary Tours in Romagna at a Glance
Location: Romagna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Length: 8 days / 7 nights
Travel style: Small-group, immersive culinary travel
Focus: Italian food, wine, cooking, culture and authentic local connections
Experiences: Cooking classes, wineries, chefs, local homes, artisans and historic towns
Accommodation: Carefully selected 4-star hotels
Transportation: Airport transfers and transportation for scheduled excursions
Organization: Esperienza, a nonprofit travel organization founded in 2017
Why Travel With Esperienza?
For many of us, beauty and Italy are synonymous. Our founding vision was to connect with and sustain the many forms of Italy's beauty in a way that enlivens and uplifts—bringing travelers and hosts together. This is our Why.
In today's age of over-tourism, we believe it is time to reconsider not only why we travel, but how we travel to Italy.
Esperienza was created in 2017 as a nonprofit organization with a mission to celebrate and preserve Italian culture—in all its beauty—by bringing people together in the heart of Italy. Nearly a decade of learning has reinforced a simple idea: an authentic encounter with another culture can change your state of mind.
There may be an itinerary, but the transformative moment often happens somewhere much simpler: sitting beside a local, sharing a meal, tasting an indigenous wine, hearing a story and discovering that a language barrier does not prevent genuine connection.
That is the kind of experience we seek to create in rural Romagna.
Travel That Transforms
We are not merely a travel organization focused on Italy. We use travel as a doorway to slowing down, paying attention and reconnecting—with ourselves, with one another and with the places we visit. Our ultimate goal is nothing less than recovering the heart-to-heart connection between travelers and hosts.
A delicious meal can become a lesson in history. A cooking class can become an introduction to a family tradition. A conversation with a local can change how you see a region you thought you knew.
Instead of rushing from one famous attraction to another, our travelers have time to notice the details: the character of a village, the hands of an artisan at work, the stories behind a recipe, the landscape surrounding a vineyard or the warmth of an unexpected conversation.
Two Ways to Experience the Culinary Heart of Romagna
Food, Wine & Friends
Savoring the Culinary Creativity of Romagna
Explore the many facets of Romagna's extraordinary food culture—from Michelin-starred restaurants and centuries-old trattorie to exceptional home-cooked meals shared around the table. Immerse yourself in the cuisine of Italy - recognized by UNESCO for its unique cultural heritage.
Learn to make fresh pasta at Casa Artusi, the renowned foundation and cooking school devoted to Italian home cookery. Meet chefs who interpret centuries-old traditions with creativity. Taste local wines in beautiful countryside settings.
Along the way, discover the cultural treasures of Romagna: Cesenatico's Leonardo da Vinci-designed canal and the world's only floating museum; Cesena's UNESCO World Heritage library; Rimini's Roman treasures and the birthplace of Federico Fellini.
And share meals with people whose passion for food is inseparable from their love of their region, who keep its food heritage alive and vibrant.
The Art of Cooking & Eating
A Hands-On Italian Culinary Experience
For travelers who want to go deeper into Italian cooking, this experience offers an intimate look at the traditions, techniques and philosophy behind authentic Italian home cuisine.
Learn directly from experts at Casa Artusi, the Foundation and Cooking School devoted entirely to Italian home cookery and the very first center of gastronomic culture in Italy. Other cooking experiences will share the secrets of bakers, home cooks and Michelin chefs.
Together, we’ll discover why the food of Italy is about much more than recipes. It is about ingredients, seasonality, hospitality, family, place and the pleasure of gathering around the table.
In between our lessons, you'll also explore the cultural treasures of nearby towns and villages, including UNESCO treasures in nearby towns Ravenna and Faenza, while meeting local people whose knowledge and passion bring the region to life.
Meet The People Behind The Food
The heart of a culinary journey is not simply what you eat. It is who you meet.
On an Esperienza tour, you'll encounter farmers, foragers, chefs, cooks and artisans who embody the character of Romagna. You'll hear their stories, taste what they create and learn how land, tradition and creativity come together on the plate.
These are not staged encounters created for tourists. They are genuine opportunities to spend time with people who are passionate about their work, their communities and the culinary heritage they are helping to preserve.
““With the small group size and all having a shared interest, I felt as if I had a private mentor... taking me through a phenomenal culinary journey.””
Why Choose Esperienza?
Small Groups, Meaningful Connections
We intentionally keep our groups small so there is time for conversation, discovery and unexpected moments. Fellow travelers don't remain strangers for long—and local hosts become part of the experience.
Authentic Local Experiences
We go beyond the standard tourist itinerary to introduce you to people and places you might never discover on your own.
Food With a Story
Every meal is an opportunity to understand something about Italy: its history, landscape, traditions, creativity and people.
Expert Local Guidance
Our tours are shaped and led by knowledgeable local guides and culinary experts who bring personal relationships and firsthand knowledge of Romagna.
A Slower Pace
There are no large tour buses and no frantic race to check attractions off a list. We believe there is more to discover when you have time to be present.
Travel With Purpose
As a nonprofit organization, Esperienza is committed to creating travel that benefits both visitors and the communities they encounter. Your journey helps support local people, places, traditions and cultural connections.
What’s Included?
7 nights in carefully selected 4-star hotels
Airport transfers
Transportation for scheduled excursions
Breakfast daily plus additional meals showcasing Romagna's culinary traditions
Carefully curated cultural and culinary activities
Expert local guides who share insider knowledge
Comprehensive support from pre-arrival to departure
Customized advice for extending your Italian adventure
Traveling with Esperienza
Our human-scaled approach means no large tour buses, no rushed itineraries, no transactional experiences. Just authentic encounters, priceless moments, and the kind of fellowship that turns fellow travelers into friends.
Watch our video to get a taste of what traveling with Esperienza is really like—the laughter, the discoveries, the connections that make this journey truly transformative.
“This was the trip of a lifetime!”
Is This Trip For Me?
If you'd rather spend one memorable evening around a local table than visit ten restaurants in a day, you may have found your kind of travel. Our culinary tours welcome solo travelers, couples, friends.
Our trip is especially suited to food enthusiasts who are:
Curious about Italian culture beyond the major tourist destinations
Passionate about food and wine
Interested in meeting local people
Comfortable with a moderate amount of walking
Drawn to small-group travel rather than large organized tours
More interested in meaningful experiences than checking attractions off a list
Open to slowing down, being surprised and seeing Italy from a different perspective
Leaving Conventional Tourism Behind
We believe travel can be more than seeing beautiful places. It can be a way of helping those places thrive.
When travelers spend time with local hosts, learn about traditional crafts, eat locally made food and discover communities beyond the major tourist routes, they become more than visitors admiring picturesque scenery and historic monuments. They become quiet ambassadors for the places and people they have encountered.
Our challenge goes beyond helping small towns avoid oblivion. We want to transform travel into an encounter with authentic beauty, wonder and an unexpectedly deep sense of meaning. Above all, we want it to be experience meant to be lived fully.
Esperienza is a nonprofit travel organization founded in 2017 to celebrate and preserve Italian culture by bringing people together in the heart of Italy. we're driven by something beyond the bottom line: a genuine love for rural Italy and a commitment to creating travel that benefits everyone involved.
We focus on authentic, people-centered experiences in rural Italy. We plant trees, support local communities, and foster lasting connections between travelers and the remarkable people who call these places home.
Our work is rooted in a simple belief: when travelers and local communities genuinely connect, everyone has something to gain. So we invite you to slow down, look more closely, taste more deeply and discover an Italy that stays with you long after you return home.
Ready to Experience an Unforgettable Culinary Journey?
Come for the food. Stay for the people. Return home with a deeper connection to Italy. Discover the culinary traditions, extraordinary hospitality and quiet beauty of Romagna through an Esperienza culinary tour.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Esperienza's culinary tours in Italy?
Esperienza offers immersive, small-group culinary tours in Romagna, in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. The experiences combine Italian food and wine with cooking classes, cultural exploration and authentic connections with local chefs, artisans and hosts.
Where are Esperienza's culinary tours located?
The tours take place primarily in Romagna, a historic area of Emilia-Romagna known for its food, wine, hospitality and rich cultural heritage. Experiences include destinations such as Forlimpopoli, Faenza, Cesena, Cesenatico, Ravenna and Rimini.
How long are the culinary tours?
Esperienza's culinary programs are designed as 8-day experiences, including 7 nights of accommodation.
What makes Esperienza different from a typical Italy food tour?
Esperienza is a nonprofit travel organization focused on meaningful, people-centered travel rather than conventional sightseeing. Small groups, slower itineraries and genuine interactions with local people are central to the experience.
Are cooking classes included?
Yes. Culinary programs include hands-on cooking experiences, including opportunities to learn Italian home cooking traditions with experts at Casa Artusi. The Art of Cooking & Eating is specifically focused on hands-on cooking, with multiple days of cooking classes, while Food, Wine & Friends offers a broader array of culinary experiences, including hands-on cooking, meals in local homes, wine tastings, and two dining experiences in Michelin-starred restaurants.
Who are these culinary tours for?
The tours are designed for curious travelers who love Italian food and wine and want to experience Italy through its people, traditions and culture. Solo travelers, couples, friends and food enthusiasts are welcome.
Is Romagna a good destination for food lovers?
Absolutely. Romagna is one of Italy's great culinary regions, known for its traditional home cooking, pasta, wine, hospitality and strong food culture. It also offers an opportunity to explore an area of Italy that receives less international tourism than destinations such as Rome, Florence and Venice.
How does Esperienza support local communities?
Esperienza uses travel to create meaningful connections between visitors and local communities while supporting people, traditions and places in rural Italy. As a nonprofit organization, its mission extends beyond tourism to celebrating and preserving Italian culture. Learn more here.
Want to Connect with Italy from home?
Check out our online programs here.