Verona eats well, and a food tour is the quickest way to understand what to order for the rest of your stay. The cooking of the city and its province draws on the mountains, the lake and the vineyards all at once: cured meats such as sopressa, a soft salami from the Veneto, cheeses from the Lessini pastures, olive oil from the hills along Lake Garda and red wines from Valpolicella. Then there is pandoro, the tall, star-shaped golden cake that was created in Verona and is now eaten all over Italy at Christmas. This tour strings these tastes together on a walk through the historic centre, with stories about the city along the way, and finishes at a family pandoro shop. It is a light, sociable introduction to Veronese food, ideal on your first afternoon, and it leaves you with a short list of places and dishes to look for later.
What you taste: the tour we link to lasts two hours and includes sopressa, cured ham, two cheese tastings and a vegetable pâté, then a Valpolicella tasting with a Classico and an oak-aged Superiore, served in tasting rooms near the Arena with a sommelier. You also taste bruschetta with extra virgin olive oil from a local mill, a selection of traditional chocolate and, to finish, pandoro from a local family shop. Water is included.
How it works: groups are capped at ten and the guides speak English and Italian. You meet inside the Gastronomia Doc and Dop food shop on Stradone Antonio Provolo, near Castelvecchio and the river, where the guide waits for you. The route is a gentle walk through the centre, so it suits most fitness levels. You can cancel or reschedule up to two hours before the start.
Good to know: the tastings add up to a substantial snack rather than a full meal, so plan a light dinner afterwards. Tell the guide about allergies or dietary needs when you book. In the weeks before Christmas, pandoro is everywhere in Verona’s bakeries, which makes late November and December a particularly good time for this tour.
What to expect
The experience
A small-group walking tour of the historic centre with stops for cured meats, cheeses, wine, olive oil, chocolate and pandoro.
Best time
Your first or second afternoon in Verona, so you know what to order for the rest of the trip, and especially in the run-up to Christmas.
How long
Two hours, at an easy walking pace.
Tips
Come hungry but plan a light dinner afterwards, and mention any allergies or dietary needs when you book.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Food lovers and first-time visitors who want a tasty, sociable introduction to Veronese cooking and wine.
- Families
- Older children enjoy the cheese, chocolate and pandoro stops, though the wine tasting is for adults only.
- Couples
- A relaxed way to spend an afternoon together, and a good source of tips for romantic dinners later in the trip.
- Pair with
- Castelvecchio Museum near the meeting point, or the Valpolicella wine tour for a deeper look at the region’s wines.
- Time needed
- Two hours, ideally in the late afternoon before an aperitivo.
Good questions
What food is included on the Verona food tour?+
Sopressa, cured ham, two cheeses, a vegetable pâté, bruschetta with local olive oil, chocolate and pandoro. Two Valpolicella wines are also tasted.
Where does the Verona food tour start?+
It starts inside the Gastronomia Doc and Dop shop on Stradone Antonio Provolo, near Castelvecchio. The guide waits for the group there.
Is the food tour enough for a meal?+
It is a generous tasting rather than a full meal. Most people have a light dinner afterwards.
What is pandoro?+
Pandoro is a tall, star-shaped golden cake created in Verona and eaten across Italy at Christmas. The tour ends with a slice from a family shop.
How big are the groups?+
Groups are limited to ten people, with a guide speaking English and Italian. That keeps the tastings personal and easy to fit into small shops.
