Emilia Romagna Day Trip: Museo Ferrari with Optional Test Drive, Balsamic Vinegar Tour and Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Factory

Leave Siena and discover three highlights of Italy’s must-visit Emilia Romagna region: Museo Ferrari, a Modena balsamic vinegar estate and Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Factory in Modena. Learn all about the country’s favorite sports car on a tour, and then upgrade to include a 10- or 20-minute Ferrari or Lamborghini test drive, if you wish! Spend the rest of the trip learning about Emilia Romagna’s much-lauded culinary heritage, and sample prestigious balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese from Modena.

Meet your guide in central Siena and travel by air-conditioned coach north through Tuscany and Emilia Romagna to Maranello – a small town just south of Modena. Head inside its star attraction, Museo Ferrari, and explore it on a walking tour, learning about Italy’s favorite sports car – the Ferrari. The sleek exhibition space is home to brand new Ferrari models, big screen showing films about the cars, and interactive tools that explain everything Ferrari related -- from the history of the cars to their place on the Formula 1 circuit.

Head inside the museum’s Galleria del Vento – a Renzo Piano-designed wind tunnel that acts as a Ferrari-driving simulator – and find out how the aerodynamics of the cars are tested inside it. If you want to experience driving a Ferrari or Lamborghini for yourself, then upgrade to include a test drive. Select a 10-minute or 20-minute drive, hop in the driver's seat (next to an instructor), and then speed around the outdoor track, feeling the engine roar beneath you!

After your tour, travel by coach to a nearby balsamic vinegar producer to learn about the production process of Modena’s famous balsamic vinegar. Made from grape pressings that haven’t been allowed to ferment into wine, the dark and syrupy-sweet vinegar matures in wooden kegs, adding a unique depth of flavor to the finished product. After touring the estate, sample some of the house specialties, and then browse the vinegars to buy, if you wish.

Stop for lunch in a local restaurant, trying out some of the best Emilia Romagna dishes – where balsamic vinegar and cured hams feature heavily – and then spend your afternoon inside the Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Factory in Modena. More like an artisan workshop than a factory, the place produces the finest quality Parmigiano-Reggiano -- the hard and flavorsome cheese that’s often grated over pasta dishes. See how the milk is mixed in large vats, and learn about the lengthy aging process that gives the cheese its tangy taste.

Return to your coach and relax on the journey south to Siena. Your day trip finishes in the early evening, at a convenient location in central Siena.

• Transport by air-conditioned coach
  
• Professional guide
  
• Entrance fee to Museo Ferrari
  
• 3-course lunch
• Tour of a balsamic vinegar estate and Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Factory
• Samples of balsamic vinegar and cheese
• Ferrari or Lamborghini test drive (if option selected)
  

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Gratuities (optional)