The 11 Best Local Market Tours in Italy

1.Cooking Class and Lunch at a Tuscan Farmhouse with Local Market Tour from Florence

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,831 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $145Our pick

Meet Luca and your group in central Florence for a market walk, tastings, and ingredient shopping. Then ride about 20 minutes to a Tuscan farmhouse, where Erika and the cooking team guide you through pasta, bruschetta, roast pork, potatoes, and tiramisu, served with wine.

“A wonderful family fun experience. Both Luca and Erica were fantastic hosts and chefs! A way to be a part of an Italian family.”

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2.Street Food and Local Market Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 540 reviews · 3 hours · from $81

Walk Palermo’s Capo and Vucciria markets with an English-speaking local guide such as Angelo, Simona, or Vinz. Taste arancina, panelle, sfincione, pani ca’ meusa, seasonal dessert, and three drinks while learning about Sicilian food, history, and daily life.

“Loved this tour! Alexandros was very informative and just an all round great guide. The food was amazing and well worth the money! Thoroughly enjoyed this tour, thanks Alexandros.”

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3.Pasta and Tiramisu Cooking Class with optional Local Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 515 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $83

Meet at Cucineria La Mattonaia in central Florence for a hands-on class in fresh pasta and tiramisu. Chefs such as Giulia, David, Gui, Alain, and Andrea guide small groups of up to 12. Morning bookings add Sant’Ambrogio Market and tastings.

“Best activity of our trip so far. Andres was the chef and he was amazing, strongly recommend! Everytning came out delicious too.”

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4.Cooking Class at a Tuscan Farm & Local Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 354 reviews · 6 hours · from $94

Join Walkabout Tours for a six-hour English-language food experience with market guide Luca or another guide, then travel from Florence to a Tuscan farmhouse. Make pasta, ragù, bruschetta, roast pork, potatoes, and tiramisù, then eat with regional wine and take home recipes.

“It was awesome … our guide Luca was a lot of fun . Very entertaining and we learned a lot as well ! The company is very lucky to have him in our opinion . Was a wonderful day ! Thank you”

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5.Florence Cooking Course with Historic Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 151 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $95

Meet at Piazza San Lorenzo, tour Mercato Centrale with a chef, taste Tuscan products, then walk to a cooking school for a four-course meal and wine. Guides such as Francesco, Greta, Katarina, Noemi, and Stefano lead the sessions. The class is hands-on, but menus and group sizes can vary.

“We did not get to participate in the cooking class we paid for because the trip operator would not give us the address of the cooking class. We hit bad traffic because of a road closure on the way into Florence. We called ahead to inform them we would be late. We understood we wouldn't be able to tour the market with the group due to the difficulty of them walking around the market, but it is unacceptable that the operator would not provide the address of the actual class. I would not suggest this tour to anyone as the company was unsympathetic to a condition caused by the city…”

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6.Farmers’ Market Shopping with Cooking Class and Pasta Making

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $217

Meet a chef at Campo de’ Fiori, choose fresh ingredients, and cook a three or four-course Roman meal in a historic palazzo near Piazza Navona. Guides such as Roberto, Davide, Sara, Max, and Filippo tailor the menu when possible. Wine, antipasti, lunch, and recipes are included.

“I would highly recommend doing this course. Davide was a lovely person, very professional, who gave us so much information, brought us around the food market which was lively with fabulous organic produce. We were made feel very welcome and relaxed back at the school which was in a beautiful palazzo and all the staff were friendly and welcoming. Cooked a meal of our choice and enjoyed it with some prosecco and wine. Can't wait to try it all at home now. Suitable for any age or standard of cooking knowledge. Would do it again next time in Rome. Go with an appetite!”

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7.The Spanish Quarters, Street Art and Local Market

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 59 reviews · 2 hours · from $35Best value

Meet your English or Italian-speaking guide outside Gran Caffè Gambrinus for a two-hour walk through Naples’ monumental center, Spanish Quarters, and Pignasecca Market. Expect Maradona murals, hanging laundry, narrow lanes, historic churches, and one sweet or savory street-food tasting.

“La guida è stata molto gentile e simpatica, ma il tour guidato non ha nessun valore aggiunto rispetto a un tour fatto da soli.”

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8.Street Food, Local Market and Hidden Gems Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $119

Spend 3.5 hours walking from Trastevere into Testaccio, tasting maritozzo, supplì, cheese, wine, and Roman pasta. A local guide, including Giulia, leads a group of up to 10 through the market, former slaughterhouse district, Monte Testaccio, and a traditional trattoria.

“Really enjoyed the farmers market portion, although all of it was great! Our guide Julia couldn’t have been more informative or pleasant!”

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9.Tasty Trionfale Farmers Market Food Tour and Local Wines Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 43 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $82

Start at Mercato Trionfale with guide Christiano, sampling Italian foods and local wines among more than 200 stalls. Then walk through Prati, Borgo, the Vatican Walls, and Passetto di Borgo, ending at St. Peter’s Square after about two hours.

“Great knowledge of history of Rome. Willingness to assist us in finding what we liked to eat. We would not have found the market without Christian and he was personable and gracious.”

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10.Vatican Street Food and Wine Tour with Farmers Market

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · 2 hours · from $79

Meet your English-speaking guide at Santa Maria delle Grazie al Trionfale for two hours of Roman food, wine, history, and market life. Taste pizza, cheeses, cured meats, fried rice balls, pastries, and regional wines, then finish near Piazza del Risorgimento. Vegetarian options require advance notice.

“Our guide was Martina and she was super friendly and knew a lot about what she was talking about. My Boyfriend gave me this tour as a birthday present and we had a great time. We would definitely do it again and can’t recommend it enough. Love from Germany and Brazil”

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11.The Spanish Quarters, Street Art and Local Market Tour in Naples

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $36

Walk from Piazza del Plebiscito into Naples’ Spanish Quarter with guides such as Georgia or Gianluca. See Maradona murals, laundry-lined lanes, and street art, then finish at Pignasecca Market with a sweet or salty Neapolitan snack. The English tour lasts about two hours.

“Very competent and helpful guide, without a narrator you do not appreciate so much the Spanish neighborhoods.Auto-translated”

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