Genoa Food Tour

Your best first bite of Genoa

About the experience

Explore the highlights of Genoa with me, a local food writer and cook instructor, visit many food shops & hidden gems and enjoy delicious traditional dishes!

We’ll discover together ancient, family-run food shops hidden in the historical center and talk about Liguria’s culinary traditions while tasting more than 7 delicious traditional foods.

By the end of your Genoa food tour, you’ll feel like a local and be fully equipped to explore Genoa and Liguria on your own. I’ll make sure you have all the tools you need to navigate the region and its restaurants with confidence.

Tour details

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Location

Genoa city center

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Language

English

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Duration & time

2,5 hours in the morning

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when

Check available dates

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Type & size

Open small group tour (max 8 people)

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price

starting from € 97 (tax exempt) per person

Book the experience

Past guests say…

"My wife and I had the pleasure of having Enrica guide us on her insightful and delicious tour of the best food and shops in Genoa this past Valentines Day. Enrica's combination of warm, engaging style, perfect English, historical insight and deep understanding of the food and flavor offered in Genoa today and yesterday, made this the best tour of it's kind we have ever experienced. We plan on following up with Enrica's zoom class -learning to cook Genoa's top recipes. Thank you Enrica!"

Chris Tucker

"No one can walk you through the beauty of Genoa, Enrica has blended taste of foods with locations that only a true local could cultivate. I enjoyed the tour very much. The pace was good, much variety in the foods you sample, Enrica's knowledge of her city is fascinating. I wish I had taken her cooking class too. If you want the best tour of Genoa take this one. I’ve taken food tours all over the world, this will be the best."

Saoirse Moore Mishler

"My grandparents were born near Genoa and I grew up with the flavors so beautifully described in Enrica's blog posts. The highlight of my recent trip to Italy was her Genoa Foodie Tour. I thought I'd never find these treasured family tastes and memories again, but Enrica's tour was fantastic and educational and fun! I hope to return to study the cuisine in more depth. Mille grazie."

Susan Carter

"The best experience we had in Genoa- Enrica is an excellent guide and had fantastic enthusiasm and knowledge! We learnt a lot about the fabulous food of the area and some wonderful stories about its origins. The food we sampled was delicious and we visited shops we would never have known about. A real highlight! Thanks very much Enrica :)"

Ruth Wall

"This is the second time that we have done the walking food tour with Enrica. Once again we absolutely loved every minute. She has a great knowledge of the local food and interesting facts about the city. This time we were a group of two families, the youngest being 13. The children (teenagers!) loved it, as it was a great way to walk around the city with distractions of tasty nibbles here and there! A great tour for both Vegeterians and Meat eaters . Highly recommended."

Moira Vandoros

"My family and I went on Enrica's food tour in Genova today. It was really great! Enrica is very passionate and knowledgeable about genovese cooking, culture, and history. We tried a variety of snacks, from pastries, Gelato, salami, and even dunking focaccia in cappuccino like the genovese do. I would recommend Enrica's tour. You will have a great time!!!"

Graham Kowal

"My family had a remarkable time with Enrica in Genoa. She clearly loves her job (and food) and her enthusiasm is evident. We had a number of "bests" during our food tour: best cappuccino; best salami; as well as our introduction to semifreddo. Along the way, Enrica explained some of Genoa's food history and we stopped at some little shops that are run by mutliple generations of Genoans. If you are in Genoa, you should get in touch with Enrica and take her food tour. This is an excellent tour for cruise ship passengers because the food tour takes place within walking distance from the cruise terminal."

Tim Tozer

"Unbelievable food tour of Genoa! We loved hearing the fascinating stories of the origins of the sweet and savoury delights in Enrica’s fun and engaging manner. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for the local cuisine is infectious. She also passed on many cooking tips to my enthusiastic daughter. She is so friendly, we want to come back next year for a cooking class. Would highly recommend!!"

Harry Sheridan

"This was the highlight of our Italy trip! Enrica is so knowledgeable and friendly! Her home is warm and inviting and filled with love. It is clear she is passionate about food and teaching others. We loved walking through the market learning about foods and the culture of the area. And can we talk about the meal we prepared?! WOW! It was incredibly delicious. My husband said this was the most he saw me smile in the 8 days we had been in Italy. Highly recommend!!!"

Jessica Huston

Pursuant to art. 22 paragraph 5 bis of the Consumer Code, Enrica Monzani guarantees that the reviews published on her website come from people who have actually purchased her services. This is because it is only to the actual purchasers of her services Enrica requires a feedback on their experience. With reference to the reviews on the Google My Business platform, being it a freely accessible platform, Enrica Monzani cannot guarantee the authenticity of all the reviews there written

Tour highlights you will enjoy

See the landmarks of Genoa and its food scene with a local food writer and cook instructor by your side.
Learn about Liguria and get to know what locals eat and drink and where they eat and shop.
Ancient food shops family run for even more than a century.
Traditional Genoese gelato.
Freshly baked focaccia.
Basil pesto freshly made in the mortar.
Local cheeses and salami, street food and much more!

Included / not included

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a walk in the heart of Genoa

Two and a half informal tour of Genoa food shops in the historic center.

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food tasting

The many samples (sweet and savory, at least 7) that will be tasted during the tour.

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Tales, informations, smart tips

My passion for Ligurian cuisine and culture.

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Good time together

An accountable amount of fun and laugher during the morning.

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Not included Beverages and wine

Why choosing this experience

A culinary adventure you won’t forget!

Welcome to my Genoa food tour: it’s a wonderful way to experience the rich history and traditions of Genoa, all through the delicious lens of food.

Together, walking, we will discover the first confectioners’ shop in Italy, one of the oldest chocolate factories, the ancient spice shops where time has stopped a century ago and the historical veggie market of the city. We will learn how to choose and eat the best focaccia, where to take a liberty Italian coffee or taste the best “panera” ice-cream.

Along our way, between a “sciamadda” and a “friggitoria”, I will tell you why Genoa can be considered the cradle of pasta, of street-food and of the Mediterranean diet. I will reveal you the origins of many famous Genoese dishes – from pesto to Recco cheese focaccia, from farinata to pansoti with walnuts sauce – and the legends that often accompany them.

It will be a journey in the local costumes and food culture, a morning walk in the Italian Riviera cooking heritage where the “augmented reality” will be the many samples we will eat during the path.

My Genoa food tour is perfect for solo travelers, couples, friends, families…in short, anyone who wants to discover a place through its typical flavors and make an unconventional custom experience out of the tourists’ routes. If you fall into any of these categories, you have found the perfect way to explore the beautiful city of Genoa!
The tour is good also for vegetarians, as most Ligurian specialities are meatless.

Read all the FAQS

baci di alassio kisses recipe in the making

baci di alassio liguria recipe ingredients

“Food is a lens for culture”

Dana Goodyear

Book your experience

Join my tour groups for a relaxed, personal, and local experience with a small group of people. Spots fill up quickly, so make sure to book in advance to avoid missing out on the fun!

Check availability

Premium packages

Add more magic to your experience

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PRIVATE TOURS for your friends or family

It’s actually a popular option for larger groups! All you need to do is let me know by filling out the contact form. Once you do, we can work together to create a tour personalized to your unique taste of Genoa.

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PESTO MAKING CLASS

Are you searching for a more engaging food experience in Genoa?
You can consider to add a Pesto making cooking class at the end of the tour. After the tour, we will move to my kitchen and, aprons on, we will prepare pesto in the mortar as tradition rules. Then we will enjoy it with a wonderful dish of local fresh pasta and a good local wine.
The additional price starts from € 90 per person. If you are interested, let me know when you fill the contact form for reservation.

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LIGURIA WINES TASTING

Not just food! If you are also a wine lover, I can organize for you a wine tasting at the end of the food tour. You will taste 3 different Ligurian wines representing at their best this Region with the assistance of a certified sommelier.

Additional price starts from € 40 per person. If you are interested let me know when you fill the contact form for reservation.

Join this tour

Genoa Food tour_ premium package_asmallkitcheningenoa-1

Policy & faq

Payments and refunds

Once you’ve made your reservation, I’ll send you the final price, along with directions on how to pay for the tour.

You can easily make payments using your credit card also via PayPal without even needing to register.

No worries if you need to cancel your booking more than 48 hours before your tour starts: I’ve got you covered and you’ll get a full refund. Unfortunately, I can’t offer any refunds if you cancel within 48 hours of the tour departure.

Dietary restrictions

I do everything I can to accommodate all dietary restrictions. I can easily arrange alternative options for vegetarian, pescatarian and vegan guests.

If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, let me know when you book and I will accommodate you the best I can. Unfortunately, though, I can’t guarantee anything about the allergens that may be present in the food sold by third parties.

Kids and mobility

The walking distance in my Genoa Food tour is approx. 2 km or 1,2 miles. We will not sit down in restaurants but the tour is usually slow paced, as we are exploring the city as we go and eat.

My tour is perfect for everyone, including children! You don’t need any special training to participate, so everyone can join in on the fun.

As this is a walking tour, tough, it may not be the best choice for those with mobility restrictions. I want to make sure everyone has a great time and stays safe. Nonetheless, I can arrange for a private food tour without walking that much!

Kids under 12 pays € 60. Kids under 5 are free.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I’m not a tourist guide. For a cultural, historical, architectural or artistic tour of the city (with visit to sites, museums or monuments of particular historical, artistic, archeological or natural interest) you shall address to professional authorized local tourist guides.