Bikes in Lucca are a must. You'll feel like a local as you head off on a journey sure to be relaxing and memorable. Take a sights-packed ride around the city walls, stopping to explore hidden corners and learn more about one of Italy’s most prosperous regions. Taste some local delicacies along the way. Pass by little squares with magnificent ancient church facades and noble Renaissance palaces. Lofty medieval towers still feature prominently here; one of the most famous landmarks in Lucca is the beautiful Guinigi Tower. Pass by this one and many more with plenty of Instagram-friendly stops along the way.  Enjoy your first food stop at a local-favorite shop. Taste the delicacies the area is famous for, including pecorino cheese, cold cuts, and extra-virgin olive oil. Cruise through different corners of the city center, admiring narrow alleys and ancient churches before reaching the lowest one: San Frediano Basilica. Continue exploring the lesser-known east side of the town, getting a real feel for local life. Hop aboard your bike and climb back toward the city walls and the historical center through Piazza Grande. Settle in for a final, extra sweet stop at the oldest ice cream shop in Lucca: prepare to taste some gelato you'll never forget (pastry in colder months). Finally, return to the meeting point knowing that you experienced the city like a real local.

Explore the city of Lucca on an insightful walking tour and get a taste of local cuisine with delicious samples. Stroll around the main squares, come across the city walls, and admire the imposing architecture. Enjoy a sweet treat, coffee, and traditional cured meats. Start your tour at the very spot that welcomes most visitors to the city: the Lucca train station. From there, head through the majestic city walls and reach the beautiful Cathedral Square, giving you your first taste of life in Lucca. To truly sense the city, you need to put your taste buds to work. Italians never start the day without their espresso fix, so do as the locals do and savor a cup of coffee. And because a good espresso goes best with a delicious treat, you’ll taste a traditional delicacy: rice cake. Alternatively, replace this with a gelato stop at the end. With caffeine and sugar fueling you, head to the main shopping street of Lucca, admiring the medieval and Renaissance architecture and the signs of the old shops that testify to the city’s ancient artisan traditions: shoemakers, knife grinders, and silk merchants.  Then, it's time for more food as you get to know aspects of the local gastronomy. Learn about local recipes that you will also taste. Take in wonderful views from the heart of the city as we wander along medieval alleys. Be brought to Roman times in the Piazza della Anfiteatro or Amphitheatre Square. For lunch, be introduced to some authentic food and wine, like maybe some Bazzone cured ham, finocchiona salami, or Pecorino cheese produced in the Garfagnana mountains. To wash it all down, toast with a glass of good local wine or beer. 

Uncover the secrets of Italian family recipes on your travels, Your guide, or Cesarina will share their wisdom, which has been passed down in their families for generations. Go food shopping like a local with your host, enjoy the distinctive Italian local market and learn how to recognize the best produces from the land.  Immerse yourself in a private cooking class at your guide's home. Learn the secrets of the most famous dishes of regional cuisine and taste the fruit of your labor accompanied by local wines. During the lesson, the Cesarina will reveal the tricks of the trade of 3 authentic local recipes. Have fun putting your cooking skills to the test. Participants will have a workstation equipped with utensils and all the ingredients to make the dishes. Then, taste everything you have prepared accompanied by a selection of red and white local wines. Instead of loading your suitcase with souvenirs, take home Italian cooking skills that'll stay with you for life.

Savor a taste of Tuscany and try local specialties like Buccatello and tordelli on a walking tour within the walled city of Lucca. Learn about each dish you taste while visiting local restaurants, cafes, and historic eateries, discovering all the local cuisine has to offer. Tastings on your tour will depend on the day's best produce, the availability of vendors, and the group's preferences. Your food-loving guide is here to lead the way on an unforgettable food journey through Lucca. Nibble on Buccellato, a typical sweet bread made from simple ingredients. This baked product with ancient origins, originally with a circular and ring shape, has recently given way to oval versions that are more convenient to pack and transport. At another stop on your walking tour, you can try cecina, a typical thin focaccia made with a mixture of chickpea flour, water, salt, and olive oil. Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, this a must-have dish when visiting Tuscany. Another typical Tuscan dish to try is tordelli, a pasta stuffed with all kinds of goodies including meat, cheese, chard, and mortadella, dressed with meat sauce or with oil and cacio cheese. Tordelli is a unique specialty that you can only find in Lucca. Tuscany is famous for its cold cuts and Lucca is certainly no exception. Your food tour includes a stop to taste the best cold cuts in the area accompanied by a glass of local wine. Your food tour ends at your 4th stop where you sample a selection of chocolates exclusively made in Tuscany, or an ice cream treat.

On this tour, you can go food shopping like a local with your "Cesarina", enjoying the distinctive Italian local markets and learning how to recognize the best produce from the land. Then, attend a private cooking demo where your Cesarina will share the secret of her/his family cookbook while finishing one of the dishes in front of you. Sit at an authentic Italian table and enjoy a 4-course seasonal menu including starter, pasta, main course with side dish and dessert with drinks (water, selection of red and white wines from regional cellars and coffee). Feel the warmth of Italian hospitality as you connect with local people.