Private Half-Day Genoa Food Tour and Pesto Class

Meet your guide at your hotel in Genoa's city center or at the railway station to begin your delicious walking tour of the city.

Genoa's Medieval center is one of the largest in Europe. Follow your guide through the maze of narrow alleys, picturesque squares, and painted palaces to discover secret corners and historic shops that preserve the authenticity of Italian culinary traditions.

See old chip shops, called friggitorias, serving friscieu (fried croquettes filled with herbs), farinata (a famous thin, unleavened pancake), and fried fresh seafood eaten at the counter or to take away. Visit traditional bakeries preparing the delicious Genovese focaccia and a tiny spice shop that still preserves the atmosphere of the old port town. Enjoy a stop at the 200-year-old confectionery loved by Giuseppe Verdi, plus more charming spots that you won’t find in any guide book.

Arrive at an historic market where you'll learn the history and recipe of the city's famous pesto. Together, you will choose the best basil from the market’s stalls and learn to prepare the perfect pesto using the traditional mortar and pestle. It’s important to use the correct ingredient sequence and the right pestle rhythm, all of which you'll learn.

Your efforts will be rewarded, because at the end of the lesson you will taste a delicious portion of 'trofie,' the traditional local hand-made pasta, served directly in the mortar with pesto, along with other local specialties accompanied by a glass of Ligurian wine.