Overview
Join New York Times bestselling author, television host, and culinary historian Katie Parla for an immersive six-day exploration of Rome that goes far beyond the guidebooks. After spending more than two decades decoding the city’s foodways, history, archaeology, and urban fabric, Katie opens doors that remain closed to most visitors, offering unrivaled access to Rome’s most influential chefs, bakers, gelato makers, cheesemakers, winemakers, and market vendors.
Through exclusive tastings, hands-on workshops, vineyard visits, and meals at some of the capital’s most beloved tables, you’ll experience the city through the people who shape its culinary culture today. Along the way, Katie weaves together stories of ancient markets, vanished slaughterhouses, imperial monuments, neighborhood evolution, and contemporary Roman life, creating a richly layered journey that reveals how food, history, culture, and the city itself have evolved together over more than two millennia.
* Day-to-day itinerary subject to slight variations.
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Discover Rome: Day-to-Day Itinerary
Welcome to Rome
- Private transfer to Fortyseven Hotel, a charming, sustainable boutique hotel steps from the Circus Maximus and our home in the city
- Welcome cocktails on the terrace overlooking the ancient ruins of the Foro Boario
- Dinner of classic Roman dishes at the landmark Cesare al Casaletto, which may just be the city’s most perfect trattoria
ROME’S EDIBLE HISTORY
- Buffet breakfast at the hotel before making our way through the historic cattle market district and Circus Maximus
- Walking tour through Rome’s food archaeology, from ancient produce markets to Testaccio’s slaughterhouse ruins
- Lunch at Sora Lella, a classic trattoria nestled inside a 13th-century tower on the Tiber Island
- Free time to explore Rome at your leisure before a group aperitivo
- Dinner at Armando al Pantheon to cap a day of classic Roman dishes.
Markets and Gelato Making
- Discover how the working-class district of Testaccio transformed into a culinary hotspot thanks to its historic slaughterhouse
- Eat your way through the Testaccio Market in a tour so stuffed with tastings you won’t need lunch
- Enjoy an exclusive gelato-making workshop with Marco Radicioni, one of the city’s most celebrated gelato artisans
- Pizza dinner at L’Elementare, known for its thin, Roman pies and fried appetizers
Into the hills of Lazio
- Travel to the Castelli Romani for a day immersed in the culinary traditions that make the hill towns a favorite destination for Romans looking to escape the city
- Sip on natural wines and nibble on locally sourced meats and cheeses in the vineyard of ICARO, a project by four young Romans to carry on the area’s nearly three millennia-old tradition of winemaking
- See how traditions are evolving with lunch at Frascati’s DLR DopoLavoroRicreativo, which blends the convivial spirit of a fraschetta with the ambition of a contemporary trattoria
The Other Side of Rome
- Visit Mercato Trionfale, one of Rome’s largest covered markets, where locals shop for their groceries, a stone’s throw from the tourist throngs at the Vatican
- Enjoy lunch on the go at Panificio Bonci, chef Gabriele Bonci’s neighborhood enclave that boasts one of the world’s best slices of pizza
- Take an afternoon stroll through the Esquilino, home to Rome’s largest multicultural market. Here, artichokes and okra rub elbows to weave a story of contemporary Rome
- Dinner at Roscioli, one of Rome’s most sought-after tables
Cheesemaking Adventure
- Travel to Castel Giuliano, a charming hamlet of Bracciano, a medieval lake town an hour north of Rome
- Participate in a cheesemaking workshop at the Gentili family farmhouse, where you’ll have a hand in creating a variety of sheep’s milk cheeses
- Enjoy a picnic of snacks and cheeses in a pastoral setting surrounded by oak and olive groves
- Return to Rome for an optional stroll through Trastevere
- Final dinner at SantoPalato, where modern sensibilities and classic Roman cuisine merge
Alla prossima, Roma!
- Private transfer to the airport to wherever your journey takes you next
Frequently Asked Questions
The price includes airport transfers to and from Fiumicino or Ciampino airport, accommodation at Hotel 47, all meals and tastings except where noted, culinary tours, hands-on workshops, logistical management, ground transportation to select tours and meals.
The price does not include airfare, additional nights at the hotel, gratuities, personal expenses, visa and passport fees, optional activities, and travel insurance.
In an effort to be as low-impact as possible – and because you really get to know Rome by walking it – there is a fair amount of walking each day. Car transportation will be limited to trips out of town and transfers to dinners across town. There may be days of extended walking on uneven roads and cobblestones, as well as extended periods of standing. While efforts will be made to accommodate mobility needs, we ask participants to assess their own fitness to participate.
Yes, there is a single room supplement of $1,800. If multiple single travelers sign up, we’re happy to put you in touch to see if you’d like to room together.
Yes, we welcome guests no matter their dietary needs. When booking, you will be asked to share any dietary restrictions and allergies and a reasonable effort will be made to address them. These needs will be kept in mind when organizing evening meals and lunches. During group tastings, an effort will be made to include ample samples to meet the needs of every group member. For any hands-on activities, if there is no way to adapt to the particular restriction, we will be in touch to discuss the situation. We cannot guarantee that every aspect of the trip will be able to accommodate restrictions.
If Parla Tours must cancel the trip due to low enrollment, extraordinary circumstances of force marjuere, or for safety or operational reasons, you will be entitled to a replacement tour of comparable value or a full refund. Note that this refund does not include airfare, visa and passport costs, or additional hotel nights.
All cancellations must be made in writing. Cancellation charges apply as follows:
- More than 90 days before departure: loss of deposit
- 60–89 days before departure: 50% of total tour price
- 30–59 days before departure: 75% of total tour price
- Less than 30 days before departure: 100% of total tour price
Please see our full terms and conditions for further details.
Katie’s Deep Dives feature a strong alcohol component, with wine tastings and other spirits to accompany the experience. The pacing is also rigorous, and therefore we limit these experiences to people 18 years and older.