- Tours
- Music Festivals
- Cruises
- Solo travel
- About us
Serralunga d'Alba, Province of Cuneo © Luis van den Bos via Unsplash
Saline di Mozia, Marsala, Sicily © Antonio Sessa via Unsplash
Gastronomy tours in Italy
Our food and wine tours of Italy dive deep into the country's culinary soul. From the mountain cheeses of Piedmont to the Arab influences of Sicily’s dishes, each region of Italy presents a distinctive culinary language.
Led by experts in the field, we connect the traveller directly with artisans, producers and chefs, contextualised within not only gastronomic history, but architecture, landscape and people.
Browse our gastronomy tours in Italy
Explore our Gastronomy tours to Italy
From local markets and artisan food producers to Michelin star restaurants, our gastronomic tours of Italy offer a spectrum of culinary experiences from rustic authenticity to refined excellence.
A true food lover’s paradise, our guided tours explore a range of Italian regions, from Piedmont’s celebrated Slow Food revolution to Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s central European influences and Sicily’s colourful market foods. This regional focus allows the traveller to gain a nuanced understanding of how geography, history and climate shape distinctive culinary traditions.
There is no equivalent to placing oneself at the heart of culinary tradition, innovation and passion, guided by experts such as acclaimed food writer, Marc Millon, or Cynthia Chaplin, professional sommelier and expert on Italian wine and culture.
Although the primary focus of these small-group tours is gastronomy, their focus is broader in scope, also exploring the wealth of artistic treasures and architecture heritage that characterise the regions of Italy visited.
Gastronomy highlights in Italy
Meet the experts behind our gastronomic tours in Italy
Ms Cynthia Chaplin
A professional sommelier and Vinitaly International Academy certified Italian Wine Ambassador. Born in the USA, Cynthia moved to Europe in 1990 and subsequently lived in Spain, Belgium, England and Italy. It was here that she settled, centring her career in the Italian food and wine sector. A member of Le Donne del Vino and a Professor of Italian wine and culture, she is a regular judge for wine and sake competitions and also consults with restaurants and wine shops, developing comprehensive wine lists and excellent food pairings.
Mr Marc Millon
Wine, food and travel writer. Born in Mexico, he was raised in the USA before studying English Literature at the University of Exeter. Together with his wife, he has pioneered a series of illustrated wine-food-travel books including The Wine and Food of Europe, The Wine Roads of France, The Wine Roads of Italy, The Food Lover’s Companion to France and The Food Lover’s Companion to Italy. He is also the author of The Taste of Britain and lives in Devon, where he is closely involved with the food scene of the West Country. Marc is a certified Vinitaly International Italian Wine Ambassador and has a weekly show “Wine, food and travel with Marc Millon” on Italian Wine Podcast. His latest book, Italy in a Wineglass - the Taste of History, was published in spring 2024.
Dr R. T. Cobianchi
Art historian and researcher specializing in Italian art and architecture of the Renaissance and Baroque. His interests also span from the iconography of the late Middle Ages to the sculpture of Neoclassicism.


What do others say about Martin Randall Travel?
A stimulating and meticulously planned exploration of the rich culture and exceptional cuisine of the Basque region of Spain.





Blissful week of Handel's music in Malta





A remarkable musical experience





Entertaining and Educational





Highly informative and well planned





An Italian art lover's dream





An unforgetable experience and an expertly organised tour





Cotswold Choral Festival





Intelligent tour aimed at well-educated adults.





Extremadura - culture and history





Frank Lloyd Wright Architectural Tour of US





A delightful stay in Tuscany





Why travel with us?
Leading expertise
Since 1988 we have been the most influential organisation in the field of cultural travel. Our expert speakers are a key ingredient in our tours. Academics, curators and researchers, they are selected not only for their knowledge but also for their ability to communicate clearly and engagingly to a lay audience.
Privileged access
Special arrangements are a feature of our tours – for admission to places not generally open to travellers, for access outside public hours, for private concerts and extraordinary events. In innumerable ways, we lift our clients’ experience far above standards which are regarded as normal for tourists.
Small groups
Most of our tours run with between 10 and 24 participants. Our travellers are self-selected by common interests and an endorsement of our ethos, and you are highly likely to find yourself among link-minded companions.
Value for money
The price includes nearly everything, not only the major ingredients such as hotel, the costs of the lecturer and manager but also tips and drinks with meals. You can secure your booking today with a 15% deposit. We provide full financial protection for our package holidays.
Joining a Martin Randall Cultural Tour
Between 10–22 participants can usually join our small group tours, though the upper limit can be lower dependent on the tour.
Solo travellers are certainly welcome on all small group tours to Italy and often make up a majority of our participants. Our experienced tour managers will make sure everyone is properly introduced. There’s a lot to share, and conversation comes naturally as a result.
Read more about solo travel with Martin Randall Travel.
All of our Italy tours are led by experts in the field, including historians, archaologists and journalists.
A confirmation e-mail is sent as soon as possible (it will take longer if you book over the weekend and/or have selected to receive documentation by post).
Your final balance is due eight weeks before the tour departs. A reminder is sent a few weeks in advance of this, along with an itinerary for the first day of the tour.
Final Documents are sent two to three weeks before the tour departs – the full itinerary, a participant list and any background notes. These will be posted to you (unless you have informed us otherwise); if you live outside the UK, they will be given to you on the first day of the tour.
Yes. At least, we can get a quote from the hotel. Bear in mind though that it is not unusual for hotels to offer a price better to individuals than to tour companies, especially close to departure, so you may be better off booking independently.
As featured in:





Other European destinations
Request your free magazine
To receive your free copy of our 52-page magazine, please press the link below.
Request your free magazine
To receive your free copy of our 52-page magazine, please press the link below.
My Wishlist
Sign up to our e-newsletter
E-newsletter recipients are the first to hear about our future plans and our tours as they come on sale.



