Booking choice: The Parmigiano and Parma ham tour, from $154 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Several tours are sold as a Parmigiano and prosciutto day by first-class train from Bologna, Milan or Florence. They exist, they work, and they cost more than doing the same thing yourself.
This guide gives the train times, the Parma tours that start near the station, what the packages include and where they really go, and how to plan the timing so a late train does not cost you the tour.
The quick answer
From Bologna the train to Parma takes about 57 minutes on average (48 at best), from Milan about 1 hour 22 (51 at best) and from Florence about 2 hours 12. Take a regular train and book a Parma tour: the $154 Parmigiano and Parma ham tour or the $91 cheese factory visit from beside the station. The $191 first-class train packages go to Reggio Emilia AV station rather than Parma, and cost more than a Parma tour plus a regular train.
Can you do a Parma food tour as a day trip from Bologna?
Yes, easily: around 21 trains a day run from Bologna to Parma, the fastest in 48 minutes, and several Parma tours start close to the station.
The first train leaves Bologna at about 5:06 AM, and fares start at about $10 each way when booked ahead. That makes a morning dairy tour realistic, and you are back in Bologna for dinner. From Milan there are around 26 trains a day, and from Florence around 20 (5 of them direct). Figures are Trainline's route averages; check the day's timetable before you book.
How long is the train to Parma?
About 57 minutes from Bologna, 1 hour 22 from Milan and 2 hours 12 from Florence on average, with faster high-speed trains on each route.
Route averages and fastest times as listed by Trainline in September 2026.
| From | Average | Fastest | Trains a day | Direct trains |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bologna | 57 minutes | 48 minutes | About 21 | Yes |
| Milan | 1 hour 22 | 51 minutes | About 26 | Yes |
| Florence | 2 hours 12 | 1 hour 44 | About 20 | 5 a day |
What are the first-class train food tours?
Three near-identical GetYourGuide packages from Bologna, Milan or Florence at $191: an Italo first-class ticket to Reggio Emilia AV Mediopadana station, a minivan to a Parmigiano dairy and a Parma ham producer, 6 to 8 hours in all.
You ride the train on your own and meet the tour leader at Reggio Emilia AV, about 20 minutes from Bologna by high-speed train; a smart option without the train starts in Parma outside the NH hotel. The operator sells an 8:30 AM slot as the one where you see the cheese being made. The Bologna version is rated 4.4 from 13 reviews, the Milan one 5.0 from a single review, and the Florence one is new. Guests report a smooth day with a driver waiting, but one found it lasted 4 hours rather than 6, and another advises buying a flexible return ticket in case the tour runs late. A late arrival at the meeting point means no refund.
Is the train package cheaper than doing it yourself?
No: the package costs $191, while the $154 Parmigiano and Parma ham tour plus a regular Bologna to Parma return ticket comes to about $175 with advance fares.
The package's advantages are a first-class seat and not having to find a meeting point in a new city. Its drawbacks: it takes you to Reggio Emilia AV, a high-speed station outside Reggio Emilia, rather than to Parma, so you see nothing of the city, and it has far fewer reviews. Doing it yourself, you arrive in Parma, join the most booked dairy and ham tour (4.9 from 954 reviews), and can add a walk or lunch in the old town before the train back.
Take a regular train and join Parma's most booked food tour: dairy, ham maker, transport included.
Check dates for the Parmigiano and Parma ham tourWhich Parma tours start near the station?
The cheese factory visit leaves from Viale Paolo Borsellino 31, right by the north exit of Parma station; the Parmigiano and Parma ham tour picks up at set points in Parma.
The cheese factory visit ($91, 2.5 hours) is the easiest for a day trip: step out of the station's north exit, take the minibus to the dairy, and come back to the same spot. The Parmigiano and Parma ham tour has two meeting points depending on the option you book, both in Parma; check yours on the ticket. The city food walks meet in the old centre, on Piazza Garibaldi or by the Duomo, a walk from the station. No luggage or large bags are allowed on the tour vans, so leave bags at your hotel or a left-luggage office.
The easiest dairy from the train: a minibus from beside Parma station, a working dairy and a tasting with wine.
Explore the cheese factory visitWhat time do you need to leave Bologna or Milan?
Early enough to arrive with slack: the dairies work in the morning, and on the ParmaLook tours a late train is treated as a no-show, with no refund.
Pick a train that gets you to Parma at least 30 minutes before the tour starts, and check the platform for delays before you set off. The first trains leave Bologna at about 5:06 AM and Milan at about 5:35 AM, so even an 8:30 start is possible. If you would rather not risk it, book a later tour and accept that you will see more aging rooms than cheese-making, or stay the night in Parma before a morning tour.
Is there a private food tour with pickup in Bologna or Milan?
Yes: a private Emilia-Romagna food tour on Viator picks up at 7:30 AM in Bologna or 7:00 AM in Milan, from about $319, with a dairy, a ham maker, a balsamic producer and lunch.
That tour is rated 4.9 from 133 reviews, needs at least two people, and costs less if you drive yourself. Guests call it a long day that starts early. A cheaper private option is to take the train to Parma and book the Food Valley private tour ($220), which starts at 8:30 AM with an hour at a dairy and an hour at a ham maker, with a driver option.
Train to Parma, then your own guide and driver for a dairy and a ham maker.
Check dates for the Food Valley private tourCan you see Parma and Modena in one day from Bologna?
Yes: the $208 cheese, ham and balsamic tour visits a dairy and a ham maker near Parma, then a traditional balsamic maker in Modena, over 6.5 hours.
Remember that balsamic vinegar is not a Parma product: Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale comes from Modena and Reggio Emilia. The tour has two meeting points depending on the option, so check yours, and the same no-show rule applies. Modena and Reggio Emilia are both on the rail line between Bologna and Parma, so getting home is straightforward.
Parmigiano, Parma ham and a Modena balsamic maker in one guided day, with tastings at each.
Explore the cheese, ham and balsamic tourFrequently asked questions
How far is Parma from Bologna by train?
About 57 minutes on average and 48 minutes on the fastest trains, with around 21 trains a day. Advance fares start at about $10 each way.
Do the train tours from Bologna go to Parma?
Not directly: the first-class train goes to Reggio Emilia AV Mediopadana station, where a minivan takes you to the dairy and the ham maker. Only the option without the train starts in Parma.
Can I bring luggage on a Parma food tour?
Not on the van tours: luggage and large bags are not allowed. Use a left-luggage service or your hotel if you are changing cities.
Can I do a Parma food tour from Florence?
Yes. Trains take about 2 hours 12 on average, 1 hour 44 at best, with 5 direct trains a day. Leave early for a morning dairy tour, or book the $191 package from Florence, which is new and has no reviews yet.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Parmigiano and Parma Ham Production Tour
- Transport from pickup points in Parma and back (about 20 minutes each way)
- Guided Parmigiano Reggiano dairy and aging-room visit
- A small family Prosciutto di Parma producer in the hills
Traditional Cheese Factory Visit with Tasting
The dairy alone, with transport
Cheese, Ham & Balsamic Vinegar Tour
Parmigiano, prosciutto and Modena balsamic
