10 Best Food and Wine Tours of Lucca

Tuscan gastronomy is as varied as it is delicious and Lucca is the perfect place to sample it, including some typical local dishes. Pastas, meats, cold meats and cheeses, accompanied by a good local wine, are the protagonists of authentic recipes and preparations that you won't be able to resist.

You can try these delicacies on your own, but one of the best things you can do in Lucca is to join a guided tour of its gastronomy. You'll discover typical osterias, establishments where you can sample street food and wine cellars where you can take part in tastings. There's more, I'll tell you about it below.

On this tour you can immerse yourself in the best of Lucca. On the one hand, in its charming historic centre. On the other hand, in its rich gastronomy. An expert guide will accompany you on the tour and you will discover all the secrets of the city: the ones you can see and the ones you can taste.

This is one of the best tours in Lucca because you will be able to taste some of the typical delicacies of Tuscany. To get the tour off to a good start, some start with a breakfast where you can try a classic espresso or cappuccino, accompanied by a pastry or cake. If you get the chance, try the buccellato, a sweet bread typical of Lucca.

Next, discover the beauty of Lucca's Duomo, the church of San Michele in Foro or the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, the true heart of the city and the perfect place for an aperitif or lunch. What's not to be missed? For example,** Tuscan cured meats and cheeses, especially the pecorino of Gargagnana**, which is produced near Lucca.

Interesting details

• Price: this gastronomic tour costs around 70 euros per person.
• Duration: the tour usually lasts about two and a half hours.
• Advantages of this option: on the tour you will see the main sights of Lucca and you will have the opportunity to taste the most typical of its gastronomy.
• Disadvantages of this option: in most tours there is no time to visit Lucca's monuments.

If there is a typical landscape in Tuscany it is that of endless vineyards covering hills as far as the eye can see. You can join one of the excursions from Lucca to visit the Chianti wine-growing area. But you don't have to go far to visit a winery and taste delicious wines.

On these tours you will have the opportunity to stroll through the vineyards near Lucca and learn about the winemaking process in a local winery. This is an artisanal process that has been carried out in this area for centuries. An expert oenologist will explain all the secrets.

Afterwards, of course, you can take part in a wine tasting to discover the aromas and nuances of these wines that are internationally renowned for their quality. Wines that you can accompany with a small aperitif with cold meats and cheeses from the area, which are also delicious.

Details of interest

• Price: the tour costs approximately 92 euros per person.
• Duration: this experience lasts around five hours.
• Advantages of this option: you will not have to go far from Lucca to get to know all the history and wine tradition of Tuscany.
• Disadvantages of this option: they are usually full day tours, so if you don't have enough time to see the whole city it would not be recommended for you.

You can't visit Lucca and leave without experiencing one of the most deeply-rooted Italian traditions: the aperitivo. If you want to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the city and feel like a local, this experience is perfect for you.

You can see Lucca in a day and then enjoy the aperitivo. The time is one of the peculiarities of this custom. The aperitivo is taken in the afternoon, when the sun starts to set. This is when the streets and bars fill with life and lively gatherings.

Not only in the city, but you can also have an aperitif in a bodega on the outskirts of the city, while you watch the sun go down over the horizon. It's a perfect plan if you prefer to get away from the hustle and bustle of the historic centre.

What will you try? Above all, the traditional crostini, which are appetizers served on a slice of toasted bread. You can also try the traditional salami of the area or the pecorino cheese, typical of Tuscany. Of course, all accompanied by a good wine produced in the cellars of Lucca.

Interesting details

• Price: this experience costs around 57 euros per person.
• Duration: about two hours.
• Advantages of this option: it is one of the most fun activities to learn about the city's deep-rooted traditions.
• Disadvantages of this option: you will not taste the most typical dishes of Lucca, it is only an approximation to the gastronomy of the area.

Pasta is almost an art in Italy. If you like cooking, you will surely enjoy learning how to make it in the traditional way, as the mammas have been doing for centuries. You will learn all the secrets of the typical cuisine so that the result is that pasta that everyone loves.

In this experience you will learn how to prepare at least three authentic recipes of different types of pasta in the Lucca style. And the best thing is that you can do it in the home of a local, so the experience will be much more authentic.

The reward is not only that you get to take these recipes home with you so that you can prepare them and surprise your guests. You'll also get to eat the dishes you've prepared at home with your family and learn a lot about cooking, traditions and other interesting facts.

Interesting details

• Price: the class and tasting costs around 150 euros per person.
• Duration: this experience lasts about three hours.
• Advantages of this option: in addition to tasting some of the typical Tuscan dishes, you will learn how to prepare them.
• Disadvantages of this option: the whole experience takes place in an enclosed area and does not include a tour of Lucca.

One of the best ways to immerse yourself in the local gastronomy is to visit the markets. Accompanied by a local, you will get to know the most typical products of Lucca's cuisine: vegetables, cold meats, cheeses, meat and, of course, pasta.

You will also enjoy the lively atmosphere of the markets and discover the local way of shopping. After shopping, this activity includes a cooking class at the home of the host of the experience. You will learn how to make some of the most delicious dishes of Lucca's gastronomy.

What can you learn to make? It will depend on your tastes, but among the possibilities are Lucca tordelli, a half-moon-shaped pasta filled with meat, vegetables or cold meat; or matuffi lucchesi, a dish in which layers of polenta and ragout of various meats alternate.

There's no shortage of sweet treats. In addition to the traditional tiramisu, you can learn how to make bucellato, a traditional sweet bread, as well as desserts whose main ingredient is chestnuts, which are highly prized in Lucca.

Interesting details

• Price: the cost of the experience is around 190 euros per person.
• Duration: about four and a half hours.
• Advantages of this option: it is a fully immersive experience that allows you to learn not only about the recipes, but also about the origin and quality of the ingredients.
• Disadvantages of this option: you will need half a day, so if you are only going to be in Lucca for a short time, it may condition and greatly reduce the rest of the visit.

If you like everything related to oenology, in Lucca you can learn a lot about the elaboration of Tuscan wines. Accompanied by an expert, you will learn to differentiate the nuances of the different wines of the area: whites, reds, rosés and prosecco, a sparkling wine used to make a very typical cocktail: the spritz.

You can taste these wines on a short tour of the city with a stop at a typical bar in the historic centre. The ideal is a guided tour, as only an expert can take you to the best establishments, advise you on the most appreciated local wines and show you why they are special.

Interesting details

• Price: the experience costs around 15 euros per person.
• Duration: around an hour and a half.
• Advantages of this option: this is an essential experience for wine enthusiasts.
• Disadvantages of this option: it is a basic and quick tour, you will only get to know some of the wines of the area.

If you want to get to know Lucca's gastronomy in depth, you should not only try its typical dishes, but also its street food. You will be surprised by its variety and quality. Throughout the historic centre there are a good number of places where you can taste it and feel like a local.

If you opt for a guided tour, you will also learn a host of interesting facts. An expert guide will explain the most traditional dishes and how they are made. He or she will also tell you about the places you pass through.

You can try authentic paninis and focaccias. I also recommend you try the typical Lucca sausages, such as biroldo, which is a kind of black pudding. And if you have a sweet tooth, don't miss the necci, a kind of chestnut flour pancakes filled with virolo or ricotta.

Interesting details

• Price: this tour starts at around 90 euros per person.
• Duration: about three hours.
• Advantages of this option: during the tour you will taste various dishes, both sweet and savoury, which represent well the flavours of Lucca's cuisine.
• Disadvantages of this option: the experience can be tiring.

Near Lucca, in San Miniato, the world's largest white truffle was found almost seventy years ago. It weighed no less than 2,520 kilos. You can try your luck and go in search of this delicacy as you explore the woods in the area.

You will be accompanied by an expert and specially trained dogs to find these truffles, which give a special flavour to dishes. Dishes which, by the way, you will also be able to taste, as this is also a gastronomic experience. In fact, they usually offer a gourmet lunch accompanied by a good local wine.

Interesting details

• Price: this experience costs around 170 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately three hours.
• Advantages of this option: it is an experience that allows you not only to enjoy exquisite flavours, but also to stroll through beautiful natural areas.
• Disadvantages of this option: it depends on the weather, although if the weather prevents you from doing it, you can change the date or ask for a refund.

One of the most famous products of Tuscany, apart from wine, is oil. This liquid gold is the protagonist of many of the traditional recipes of the region's cuisine. In the area around Lucca there are also olive groves and olive oil mills where oil is produced in the traditional way.

One way to immerse yourself in this tradition is to visit one of these farms. But without leaving the historic centre of Lucca you have the chance to get to know it in another way: by tasting it. You will learn to distinguish all its nuances and appreciate the differences between some oils and others.

In some cases, these experiences are also combined with a tasting of some of the local wines. In this way, you will learn all the secrets of these two products, wine and oil, essential on any table in Lucca.

Interesting details

• Price: about 100 euros per person.
• Duration: about two hours
• Advantages of this option: you will learn to differentiate the aromas and flavours of the oil from a professional.
• Disadvantages of this option: no elaborate Tuscan dishes are tasted.

Italian gelato is different. On a stroll through Lucca you can eat them in one of the traditional gelato shops. You will appreciate that special taste and, above all, that texture that makes them unique, but do you know how to get those characteristics that make them irresistible?

One of the sweetest experiences you can have in Lucca is to learn how these gelatos are made in the traditional way. And you will do it with a master gelato maker who will teach you the keys to distinguish the authentic Italian gelato from copies and from those others that are industrial.

Interesting details

• Price: around 60 euros per person.
• Duration: around 45 minutes.
• Advantages of this option: it is a short experience, perfect if you are not going to be in Lucca for a long time.
• **Disadvantages of this option: you will only learn the secrets of a dessert, not of other sweets or typical dishes.

The first tip is not to give up on enjoying the flavours of Lucca. If you are not going to be in the city for long, you always have the opportunity to go on short tours where you can try some typical dishes, such as aperitifs or street food.

If you are staying for more than a day, choose a longer tour. Some will allow you to get to know the city while discovering its gastronomy. Others will take you to enjoy the fantastic Tuscan landscapes that also surround Lucca and are spectacular.

Especially in high season, it is important to book well in advance. This way, you will be assured of a place on your chosen tour and you will be able to plan your stay in the city much better so as not to miss any of its charms.

Whether you are going on a gastronomic tour through the streets of Lucca or a visit to a vineyard, don't forget to wear comfortable shoes. In the case of the historic centre, some of the streets are cobbled and sometimes difficult to walk on.

You can organise your own food tour of Lucca, but it is very easy to overlook some of the best places to sample the local food and wine. Keep in mind that the most touristy is not always the most authentic.

On a guided tour you will always be taken to the places where you can taste the authentic cuisine of Luc ca and its best wines. And all of this is accompanied by the explanations and commentary of expert guides who will help you to better appreciate all the flavours and aromas. And, by the way, you will also get to know the city better.

And, in addition to all this, there are some gastronomic experiences that you cannot book on a private basis, which are only possible as part of a guided tour.