Eight days. One of Italy’s great food regions. Maximum eight guests.
Villa-based culinary holiday | Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Tour Duration: 8 days / 7 nights (Wednesday to Wednesday)
Price per person: €5,750
Single Occupancy Supplement: €800
Non-participating guests*: Not available for this tour
Payment Options: Credit card or bank transfer
Payments can be made in most major currencies via our booking platform.
A 0% interest payment plan is available; details provided at booking.
Schedule: Wednesday, September 9 to Wednesday, September 16, 2026
*All guests joining the Let’s Eat Modena & Emilia week participate fully in the program.
Inclusions
- 7 nights accommodation in a private villa in the Emilia-Romagna countryside
- Chef-curated cooking sessions with Chef Ilaria Bertinelli
- Guided visits to regional producers — Parmigiano Reggiano, traditional balsamic vinegar, and regional wineries
- All meals included as per the itinerary, with wine pairings where indicated
- Market visits and food walks in Modena and the surrounding region
- Cultural excursions included in the itinerary
- Ground transportation for all included activities
- English-speaking guide and coordination throughout
- Small group — maximum 8 participants
Who is this For
- Food lovers who want to cook, taste, and understand a region — not just pass through it
- Travelers who value well-chosen accommodation and thoughtful pacing
- Those who want chef-curated access that isn’t available on a standard visit
- Solo travelers, couples, and small groups of friends who want to connect over food
- Anyone who has loved Uzès and wants that same quality of experience in Italy
- Curious, open-minded guests who enjoy learning as much as eating
This Experience is Not Ideal For
- Travelers seeking a fast-paced, city-hopping itinerary
- Those who prefer fully independent, self-guided travel
- Guests who are not interested in hands-on cooking participation
What’s Not Included:
- Flights & any other transportation not detailed in the itinerary
- Any food and drinks outside those specified in the itinerary
- Travel Insurance
- Tours, events, and activities outside those noted in the itinerary
- Personal items and expenses
Tour Dates:
2026
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- September 9–16, 2026 — New Tour. 2 spaces remain.
Join our waiting list and be among the first to know about upcoming culinary holidays and workshops.
Privatize
Want to privatize the Let’s Eat Modena & Emilia week for your family or group? You can email us about privatizing this program. reservations@letseattheworld.com
Have questions?
Find answers about language, cooking level, room setup, travel logistics, and payment options in our [FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions ↓]
Let’s Eat Modena & Emilia
A villa week in Italy’s most delicious region
Welcome to Emilia-Romagna — where the food isn’t a highlight of the trip. It is the trip.
This is the Italy that doesn’t need to perform. Emilia-Romagna has been feeding the world for centuries — quietly, obsessively, without fanfare. Parmigiano Reggiano aged in family caves. Balsamic vinegar that takes decades to become itself. Pasta shapes that vary from village to village, each one a point of local pride. This is a region that measures quality in years, not Instagram captions. And for one week in September, it is yours to explore properly.
Let’s Eat Modena & Emilia is a villa-based culinary holiday for a maximum of eight guests. Chef Ilaria Bertinelli — who has been cooking and teaching in this region her entire life — guides the week alongside Andrea of Food Valley, whose network of producers, artisans, and winemakers opens doors that don’t open to ordinary visitors. Together, they have shaped an experience that feels less like a tour and more like being welcomed into the region by people who genuinely love it.
A week that moves at the right pace
Mornings often begin in the kitchen — learning the pasta shapes, the techniques, the stories behind what you’re making. Afternoons take you out into the region: to producers who walk you through what they do and why, to markets and gastronomie where Emilia-Romagna’s extraordinary larder is on full display, to a winery where the wine makes more sense when you taste it where it was made.
The villa provides the rhythm and the home base. There is time built in to wander, to sit, to do nothing in particular. This is not a schedule designed to exhaust you — it is one designed to give you the full texture of a place, at a pace that lets you actually absorb it.
By the end of the week, you will have cooked dishes you can recreate at home, met the people behind ingredients you will never buy the same way again, and spent seven nights somewhere genuinely beautiful. That is what this week is for.
Chef Ilaria
Chef/Guide
Ilaria Bertinelli joins Let's Eat Parma culinary adventure. Discover the inspiring woman behind A Chef for Gaia, renowned for her passion for Italian cuisine and inclusive cooking, making delicious Italian food accessible to everyone, regardless of dietary needs.
- Pizza
- Sbrisolona cake
- Gnocchi
- Gnocco fritto
- Tortelli d’erbetta
- Tortellini in brodo
- Tigelle
- Fresh egg pasta — tagliatelle, lasagne, tortelloni
- Ragù Bolognese
- Lasagna from scratch
- Tiramisu
- Eggplant parmigiana
- Erbazzone herb pie
- Barozzi style cake
Have questions? Contact us using the form below:
A Sample Week in Emilia-Romagna
Every departure is shaped by the season, the market, and the people we visit — so no two weeks are identical. What follows is an example of how the week flows. The spirit and the quality remain constant; the details may vary.
The week begins on Wednesday and ends the following Wednesday. Arrival is into Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) or Modena by train. Your host will be in touch before departure with full arrival logistics.
Sample Week at a Glance
- Wednesday — Arrival, welcome dinner at the villa, first evening together
- Thursday — Morning cooking session with Ilaria; afternoon orientation in Modena’s historic center
- Friday — Producer visit: Parmigiano Reggiano dairy and a traditional balsamic acetaia
- Saturday — Market morning; afternoon free to explore; group dinner
- Sunday — Cooking session; wine tasting with a regional producer
- Monday — Full-day excursion into the wider Emilia-Romagna landscape
- Tuesday — Final cooking session; farewell dinner at the villa
- Wednesday — Departure after breakfast
Activity Level: Relaxed to Moderate
Most days involve a mix of standing (in the kitchen or at a producer), walking (through markets, town centers, and estates), and sitting (at the table, which is where much of the best learning happens). A reasonable level of mobility is all that’s required.
Producer visits may include uneven ground or gravel paths. The market mornings involve around 45–60 minutes of walking at a relaxed pace. There are no strenuous hikes or physically demanding activities on this tour.
If you have specific mobility considerations, please mention them at booking. We design the week to be genuinely comfortable for all guests and are happy to discuss any adjustments in advance.
Download the Full Tour Itinerary:
Download the brochure for the complete day-by-day program, inclusions, and logistics.
What Our Guests Say
New destination — reviews coming soon.
FAQs
Questions about language, cooking level, accommodation, logistics, and booking — answered here.
Yes. All sessions, producer visits, and guided activities on this tour are conducted in English. Chef Ilaria and Andrea of Food Valley both work in English throughout the week.
Not at all. This tour is designed for culinary enthusiasts of all skill levels. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced cook, you will find the activities both enjoyable and educational. There is always something to learn.
Yes! Many guests join solo. The small-group format — never more than eight people — creates a warm, social atmosphere that makes it easy to connect with others over shared meals and experiences.
Yes. Let’s Eat The World welcomes LGBTQ+ travelers, solo travelers, couples, and guests of all backgrounds. Our culinary holidays are built around shared meals, cultural curiosity, and mutual respect. We are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment where all guests feel comfortable and valued, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or background.
We do not automatically assign roommates. If you are traveling solo and would like to share a room to avoid the single occupancy supplement, please let us know at the time of booking. We will do our best to match solo travelers who have expressed interest in sharing, but this depends on availability and group composition. If no match is possible, the single occupancy supplement will apply.
Non-participating guests are not available on this tour at this time. All guests joining the Let’s Eat Modena & Emilia week participate fully in the program.
This tour originates in Modena. Guests are collected as a group at Modena train station at the start of the week. The closest major airport is Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ), which is approximately 35–40 minutes from Modena by train or transfer. Modena is also directly served by high-speed rail from Milan, Florence, Rome, and other major Italian cities, making it straightforward to reach from most European hubs. Full arrival logistics and recommended connection options will be provided in your pre-departure information.
Entry requirements for Italy depend on your nationality. EU/EEA citizens can travel with a valid national identity card. Non-EU travelers should ensure their passport is valid for at least six months beyond the travel dates. Visa requirements vary by country — please check the current entry requirements for Italy based on your passport before booking. We are happy to advise on general logistics, but visa applications remain the responsibility of each guest.
We recommend bringing some cash for personal expenses — small purchases at markets, coffee, and anything outside the included itinerary. Cards are widely accepted in Modena and Bologna, but smaller producers and rural areas may be cash-preferred. A modest amount (€100–€200 for the week) is typically sufficient for most guests.
A deposit is required to secure your spot, with the remaining balance due 45 days before the tour start date. Due to the upfront costs involved in organizing our programs, the initial deposit is non-refundable but may be transferable to a future date, subject to availability and pricing.
We accept payment by credit card or bank transfer. A 0% interest payment plan is available and can be selected during the booking process. Guests who opt in may choose to split the remaining balance into multiple installments. Once the deposit has been received, the payment schedule is set up accordingly.
For full booking terms, cancellation conditions, and refund policies, please review our booking terms and cancellation policy. Full booking terms and conditions are also provided and formally accepted via electronic contract during the booking process.
No, travel insurance is not included.
As you are booking with a registered Spanish travel agency, your booking is insured in accordance with Spanish regulations in the event of company insolvency. This coverage does not include personal travel, medical expenses, trip interruption, or cancellation.
We strongly recommend that all guests purchase comprehensive travel insurance for peace of mind.
Yes. We are happy to work with travel advisors and agencies. Agents may contact us directly for commission details, booking support, and collaboration inquiries.
