Emilia Romagna, also known as “Italy’s food valley”, is a wonderful region in northern Italy known for its incredible cuisine, stunning landscapes, and beautiful cities.
Even though you could easily spend a week discovering all that Emilia Romagna has to offer, 3 days will give you enough time to see the best of the region.
In this 3 day Emilia Romagna itinerary, you’ll enjoy some of the best regional foods in Parma, taste your way through Italy’s food capital in Bologna, and learn about incredible 5th century Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna.
Read on to discover all you need to know for your 3-day trip to Emilia Romagna. Let’s get started!
Where to stay in Emilia Romagna?
Wondering where to stay in Emilia Romagna? You have a couple of options.
The first option is to spend all 3 nights in Bologna, which is in a fantastic central location. You can easily take day trips from Bologna to both Parma and Ravenna, as it takes one hour by train to get to both cities from here.
This is a great way to have a home base without worrying about moving around and having to check in and out of hotels.
Alternatively, you could spend one night in each city and then move along to the next. This option will save you money, since you won’t have to book round trip train tickets for the two day trips.
Either option works well for this itinerary – it’s really up to your personal preference.
A Piazza in Bologna
How to get around Emilia Romagna
The best way to get around for this 3 day Emilia Romagna itinerary is by train. The regional trains are reliable, timely, frequent, and convenient. The train stations are located just outside of the city center, and you’ll only have about a 15-minute walk from the station to the main sites in each city.
The easiest way to book your train tickets is through the Trenitalia website or app. You can book your tickets the night before since these trains are rarely sold out. You can also purchase your tickets at the train station.
If you want to have more flexibility, then you can rent a car in Bologna or Milan for your 3-day Emilia Romagna trip. You may want to book your hotels outside of the city center because parking can be hard to find and a bit expensive in the city center.
What food is Emilia Romagna known for?
Emilia Romagna produces some of the most sought-after Italian dishes and ingredients in the world, including pastas, meat-based sauces, Parmesan cheese, traditional balsamic vinegar, mortadella, and Parma ham.
When it comes to pasta, you’ll be delighted by the variety of egg-based pastas, from stuffed pastas like tortellini and tortelloni to classic tagliatelle noodles. You may be wondering if there’s a difference between tortellini and tortelloni and the answer is yes: Tortellini is a stuffed, ring shaped pasta, while tortelloni is a larger version. Meanwhile, tagliatelle is a long noodle that is usually served with a ragu sauce. This sauce is usually made from slow cooked tomatoes, vegetables, pork, and wine. This creates a rich and flavorful sauce that pairs perfectly with tagliatelle.
A delicious plate of tagliatelle with ragu sauce
Parmesan cheese and Parma ham are produced in, well you guessed it, Parma! Parmesan, or Parmigiano Reggiano, is protected with PDO status. This means that it can only be produced in this region using certain techniques. The same rules apply for Parma ham, also known as prosciutto di Parma.
Traditional balsamic vinegar is made near Modena. This centuries-old process takes a minimum of 12 years using small, wooden barrels. During your trip, you can visit an acetaia to meet with a local producer and learn about the process of making this kitchen staple.
3 Day Emilia Romagna Itinerary
Day 1: Parma
Parma is the perfect introduction to Emilia Romagna. It’s a wonderful city that’s home to two of the world’s most beloved foods – Parmigiano Reggiano and Parma ham!
The best way to discover the delicious cuisine in Parma is to take a food tour where you can meet with local producers first-hand.
On this food tour, you’ll have the opportunity to see how Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma ham, and traditional balsamic vinegar are made. You’ll start with a visit to a Parmigiano Reggiano factory where you’ll discover the months-long process of making this divine cheese.
Afterwards, you’ll head to a Parma ham producer to learn about this product from the producers themselves. This is followed by a visit to an acetaio where you’ll get to taste your way through the different ages and flavors of traditional balsamic vinegar.
This truly is the best way to discover some of the most fantastic Emilia Romagna foods. Of course, food tours like this take the entire day, which leaves you with little time to discover the city of Parma itself.
If you prefer to spend the day exploring instead of taking a tour, here are a few of the top things to do in Parma.
Parma, Italy
Other Top Things To Do In Parma
Start your day off at the duomo and baptistery. The Parma duomo is a wonderful example of Romanesque architecture, with its impressive facade and ornately decorated interiors. Next to the duomo, you’ll find the baptistry, a 12th century structure that features incredible frescoes by Renaissance artist Antonio da Correggio.
From here, head over to Da Pepen for a little snack. You can try one of their famous horse meat sandwiches, which is a very popular thing to eat in Parma. If you’re not into horse meat, then try out the carciofa pie.
Afterwards, make your way to the Palazzo della Pilotta. This impressive palace is home to several museums, galleries, and a library.
The highlight of the palace is the 17th century Farnese theater. The theater is built entirely out of wood and is elaborately decorated with beautiful sculptures and paintings depicting scenes from classical mythology. You can walk around and appreciate the work that went into building such an impressive structure.
Plan on spending at least a couple of hours at the palace.
Now that you’ve visited the major historical sites in Parma, you can take a leisurely walk through the streets, or alternatively, head to the Parco Ducale for a nice walk through the park.
For dinner, dine at Ristorante Cocchi, one of the best restaurants in the Parma. Here you can taste many classic regional dishes like anolini in broth and tortelli with pumpkin.
Day 2: Bologna
Bologna is the capital of Emilia Romagna and is also known as the “food capital of Italy.” You could easily spend 3 days here, but with one day, you will have enough time to eat at a couple of delicious restaurants and see the main sites.
Start your day off at Caffe Terzi for a stuffed brioche and cappuccino. From here, make your way to the Asinelli tower, one of the two towers standing tall in the city center.
One of the best things to do in Bologna is to climb up the 498 steps to the top of the Asinelli Tower for amazing panoramic views of the city. From here, you can see the entire city and the hills surrounding it.
After enjoying the incredible views, head to the Piazza Maggiore, the center of the city. Here you’ll find the San Petronio basilica, which is a half-finished 14th century church. You can briefly visit the interior of the church for free.
Next to the Piazza Maggiore is the Quadrilatero, the city’s oldest market. Wander around the market stalls and then grab some lunch at Salumeria Simoni for a tasting of some of the best cured meats and cheeses in the region. You’ll also find vendors selling fresh pasta at the market, if you have somewhere to make these you should definitely get some.
Fresh pasta available at the Quadrilatero
After lunch head visit the University of Bologna, one of the oldest universities in the western world. You can purchase tickets on the second level of the Archiginnasio palace.
Take a self-guided tour through the palace and discover the old lecture halls and the Teatro Anatomico.
You’ll need gelato at this point in the day. Luckily for you, Bologna is known to have some of the best gelato in the world. Treat yourself to a delicious double scoop at Cremeria Santo Stefano, the best gelato shop in Bologna. Two of the most popular flavours are caffe bianco and crema libanese.
Spend the rest of your afternoon wandering around the city and admiring the city’s UNESCO World Heritage porticoes.
End your day with dinner at All’Osteria Bottega, which serves some of the best food in Bologna.
Day 3: Ravenna
On your third and final day, head to the Adriatic coast to visit the beautiful city of Ravenna. The city is renowned for its 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites. These sites all feature stunning mosaics that date back to the 5th century.
In one day, you’ll have time to visit all of the UNESCO sites, plus enjoy a stroll around the city.
To visit the churches with mosaics, you can either buy your tickets online, or in person. We recommend buying them online to guarantee entry and your preferred time slot.
Here’s the order in which we suggest visiting the churches:
- Basilica di San Vitale
- Mausoleo di Galla Placidia
- Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
- Battistero Neoniano (o degli Ortodossi)
- Museo Arcivescovile e Cappella di Sant’Andrea
It takes about a half-day (3-4 hours) to visit all of the churches. You should plan to arrive in Ravenna by 9-10am. Getting there at this time will allow you to see all of the sites and enjoy a wander around town.
To learn about the history of the Byzantine mosaics you can book a 3-hour walking tour. These tours will take you to the most famous sites and are usually led by experts..
Piadina
For lunch in Ravenna, make sure to try a piadina sandwich. This local specialty is made with a flatbread that is stuffed with delicious cheeses, meats, and vegetables. Try out Profumo di Piadina “Laboratorio del Palato” for one of the best in the city.
For dinner, head to Antica Trattoria Al Gallo 1909 for a taste of some local dishes.
Final Thoughts: 3 Day Emilia Romagna Itinerary
This 3-day Emilia Romagna itinerary is the perfect introduction to this underrated region in Italy.
From exploring Bologna’s medieval streets and tasting some delicious regional foods in Parma, to admiring the stunning Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna, you’re in for a real treat!
With so many foods to try and beautiful cities to discover, you’re sure to have an unforgettable trip that will leave you wanting to come back and explore the region even more!
Huge thanks to Jenoa from The Travel Folk for this guest post. Jenoa is a travel writer based in the United States. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe and shares all of her insider tips on the best destinations, eats, and hotels in Europe on her site.
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I spent a day in Bologna and would love to explore more of it and the surrounding region.
Italy is on my list of next places to go and this post will really help with planning.
Italy is a beautiful country. Every region is wonderful. I have a post about Italy on my blog. I’m wondering if you could link to it.
Wow this looks like an incredible trip! And the food looks amazing! I’ll have to add this to my bucket list.