Aperitivo Tour of Florence:
Experiencing Italy’s favorite culinary drink ritual
“An extraordinary way to drink your way through the history of Florentine cocktails”- CN Traveler
Aperitivo is considered the "Italian happy hour" but you'll learn on this small-group Florence Aperitivo tour that it means much more! Our Apertivo food tour in Florence immerses you in our favorite Italian culinary drink ritual with quality drinks ranging from Franciacorta bubbles, artisanal Tuscan wines to appetite-stimulating cocktails like Spritz, Americano and Negroni served with small plates to “sgranocchiare” nibble on! Tailor-made private tour options available.
Soak up Italy's tradition of Aperitivo on Curious Appetite’s premium food tour in Florence (paired with traditional aperitivo drinks) in like-minded company with fellow curious, culture enthusiasts led by sommelier guides & Italian culinary experts. All while visiting the city’s top ranked bars and enotecas with exclusive tastings and meeting the locals who run them.
We partake in this Aperitivo tour at a dolce vita pace (like the Italians), getting to know Florence’s respected spots away from the viral lines and crowds while spending time with industry insiders to learn the nitty gritty of Italy’s famed cocktails, their spirits, amaros and bitters.
This is Florence’s original Aperitivo-themed food tour and has been recommended by Conde’ Nast Traveler, Frommer’s and Lonely Planet. Our social aperitivo food tour in Florence visits both soulful, historic and chic bars and lounges paired with some of the best foods in Florence.
What this tour will not do: Herd you around in big groups of 10+ sticking out like tourists that claim to be small groups, take you to obvious places you could find on your own, make you stand in the street eating dinky bruschetta with bag in box wine, quantity over quality hit & go bucket list pub crawls (no no, we have standards), mediocre free-poured drinks of hangover-inducing subpar quality, stale snacks and pedestrian flavors.
Pick between joining others on a small group (no more than 8) format or booking out a private slot for you and your travel companions. Whether shared or private, this tour is a quality-driven experience that covers the history of every sip and bite.
Get to know Italian aperitivo culture with a fun & knowledgable local guides (sommeliers, culinary professors, Italian culture historians, etc).
Join us as we indulge in sommelier-selected Italian wines paired with gourmet delicacies like truffle slathered panini, peak season tomato bruschette with Tuscan olive oil, slow cured Tuscan meats and flavorful aged cheeses. Our 3-hour aperitivo tour includes an unforgettable immersion with Florence’s famed Negroni, meeting the pros who craft them and chef-prepared bites to match.
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• Fun, quality-driven cultural Italian food & drink tasting tour with a local sommelier guide
• Small group (no more than 8) to not stick out like a tourist group, while allowing visits to unique hidden gems spots
• Recommended by Lonely Planet and Conde Nast Traveler, developed by published writer & sommelier Coral Sisk
• Leisurely 3 sit-down food & drink stops (sparkling wine from sparkling Franciacorta, still Tuscan wine flight, Italian craft aperitif cocktails like Negroni)
• Break from the crowds with exclusive behind-the-scenes visits (e.g. underground Renaissance dining rooms & secluded tastings in wine cellars)
• Gain invaluable knowledge from local experts you’d not be able to meet on your own- the value extends beyond just consuming food & drinks or being rushed around to multiple overdiscovered bucket list bars
• Experience the culture of local pre-dinner night life off Florence’s buzzing boulevards and hidden corners
• Every drink flight paired with high quality bites & small plates walking in between stops to take in the sights (i.e. mini truffle panini, cured meats & local cheeses and seasonal appetizers)
• Get a lay of the city's food & drink scene with your friendly, knowledgable guide
• Taste iconic Italian craft cocktails like the Negroni and creative variations
• Meet award-winning professional bartenders & mixologists (another perk of the exclusive small-group format)
• Informative lesson on key Italian alcoholic products ranging from aperitivo bitters, Medieval elixirs, Italian gin from local distilleries, digestive amari and their history
Duration: 3 hours
Inclusions: All drinks, food pairings and personable, bilingual guide.
Premium sparkling wine (Franciacorta) kick-off, 1 stop for a sommelier-guided wine tasting and 1 craft cocktail stop, 3 stops total all with traditional Italian pairings (i.e. cured meats & cheeses, nuts, crostini, truffle bites, etc).
Pricing will display once correct # of guests have been selected. If you selected a PRIVATE tour, please make a note in your booking if you’d like to focus on more cocktails (spritz, Negroni, amari, etc) or more interested in wine tasting.
Optional add-ons: (for a fee) Hands-on cocktail lesson with one of the mixologists.
If you are in a group of larger than 8, please contact us for custom quote options.
Not included: Travel insurance, transport, additional tastings and trip cancellation insurance.
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PRIVATE TOUR Buyout fee: 1-2 guests: $385 pp, 3 guests: $295 pp, 4 guests = $229 pp, 5 guests = $189 pp, 6 guests = $169.
*Optional artist designed tote-bag add-on at check-out: $30 (delivery method: in-person on tour)
If you have a group larger than 6, please contact for a custom quote via “Request Additional Info” button
PRIVATE TOUR Day/time: Start time: 5:30pm (flexible upon request), Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays
If you’d like to arrange a private tour on an evening in which a small group tour is scheduled, we require a buy-out of the time slot (8 ticket total, regardless of group size)
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SMALL GROUP TOUR Cost: $155USD per adult, (8 max)
*Optional artist designed tote-bag with a travel-friendly Ernesto Negroni sample included
Add-on at check-out: $25 (delivery method: in-person on tour)
SMALL GROUP TOUR Day/time:
Mondays at 5:30pm (*April-Oct only)
Thursdays at 5:30pm (*in high season months only)
Fridays at 5:30pm
Highlights: Soaking in Florence at golden hour, learning about Italian champagne-style wines, tasting truffle delicacies, sommelier-led Italian wine tasting with artisanal food pairings and craft Negroni experience at an exclusive lounge
If you’d like a different day, please select the PRIVATE option and you’ll have the undivided attention of the guide, flexibility throughout the experience to go at your pace and exclusive access to where we stop to imbibe.
Besides delighting in the best Aperitivo in Florence, we’ll saunter through the Renaissance pearl’s buzzing backstreets before stopping in at stunning spots during aperitivo hour on this curated culinary drink tour in Florence.
Thanks to the small group format, you’ll experience how neighborhoods feel by exploring Florence’s fashion districts, the artistic Oltrarno and catching sunset along the river in between Italian wine & craft cocktail tasting stops.
If you’re an Italian amaro or bitter cocktail enthusiast- this tour is a must for you. Prepare your appetite to discover storied liqueurs like Alchermes, craft versions of Campari bitters from special producers hard-to-find outside Italy and creative interpretations of the Negroni with over a century of history.
You’ll leave this tour with a better understanding Italian craft cocktail culture, filter out the mediocre traps and meet charming spots locals love to mingle at. We also introduce you to tucked away gems away from the crowds where accolade-winning bartending pros toil ardently crafting their own elixirs putting free poured mixed drinks to rest.
Taste the culture of Italian "Aperitivo" on this leisurely, food and drink tour with style.
*Please note pricing may be provided in EU€ for reference but final payment is charged in USD$. Click on "Tour Pricing & Schedule" to view Private or Small Group pricing details. Standard CC processing and ticketing fees for both are applied at check-out.
Curious for a memento of Florence’s iconic flavors to take home?
Add one of our artist designed tote bags and a complementary travel-friendly sample of Ernesto, a low-ABV Negroni made in Florence by Curious Appetite to your experience at check-out!
Additional notes:
We can accommodate virtually any food lifestyle. Just let us know how we can help. If you would like to start later or earlier than the times listed OR have a party larger than 8, please send us an inquiry via REQUEST INFO.
Still curious? Consult these FAQs
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Yes, we are happy to accommodate vegetarians on both group and private tours. In place of the cured meats, depending on the tour format, we typically offer vegetarian bruschetta, dry snacks and a variety of local cheeses.
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Yes! On our private tour format, for a supplemental fee, we have the flexibility to replace one of our standard stops to dedicate to an amari tasting.
When you book with us, please indicate your preferences in the required questionnaire to be filled out at checkout and we’ll reach out to share additional information.
Please note even the small group join-in tour provides a general overview of these products.
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Yes, for an additional fee, we can offer customizations like Amari tastings and/or a hands-on cocktail-making lesson component. Make sure to note on your booking questionnaire. Please note add-ons or bespoke personalizations are only available for private bookings.
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Our tour typically ends at 8:30pm, the ending location depends on the day of the week and tour format. Plan on it ending either near Ponte Vecchio or near Santa Croce. The tour itinerary is concentrated in the historic city center of Florence with stops in the Oltrarno. Florence is small and very walkable. Please write to us to know more.
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If you are still feeling peckish after the tour and plan to dine in the historic city center afterward, we recommend booking for 9:00/9:30 PM. Reach out to us for more specific details and for restaurant recommendations close to where your tour will end.
