Why is Turin famous for chocolate?

Turin has been a chocolate powerhouse since the 18th century and gave the world gianduiotto — the hazelnut-and-chocolate treat born when cocoa was scarce — as well as bicerin, the layered coffee-and-chocolate drink. The city is still lined with historic chocolatiers, which is why guided chocolate tastings are one of its signature experiences.

What is an aperitivo in Turin?

The aperitivo is a pre-dinner drink with snacks, and Turin is its spiritual home — vermouth, the fortified wine at the heart of the ritual, was created here in the 1780s. A vermouth tasting or a sunset food-and-drinks tour is the best way to experience it, though these run in smaller numbers than the chocolate and street-food tours.

Are Turin food tours suitable for a full meal?

Yes. Street-food, market and gourmet tours include enough tastings to add up to a meal, so come hungry and skip lunch beforehand. Cooking classes end with a full sit-down meal of the dishes you've prepared, usually with wine included.

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Chocolate & food · Turin itinerary

Turin Chocolate, Aperitivo & Food Tour Itinerary

Turin is Italy's chocolate capital and the birthplace of both vermouth and the aperitivo ritual — a serious food city that flies under the radar. This tasting-led itinerary moves from silky gianduiotto and the classic bicerin to a vermouth bar, the stalls of Porta Palazzo and a hands-on cooking class, with the best-rated Turin food experiences to book for each.

At a glance

1Chocolate tasting & bicerin
2Vermouth & aperitivo ritual
3Porta Palazzo street food
4Cook with a local host

Turin, Italy's chocolate capital

Chocolate is woven into Turin's history: this is the home of gianduiotto, the hazelnut-chocolate ingot, and of bicerin, the layered coffee-chocolate-cream drink poured in its historic cafés. Guided chocolate walks and tastings hop between century-old confectioners and modern chocolatiers, and some pair the sweets with local wine. It's the perfect, gentle way to start — come with an appetite for the city's sweetest tradition.

Vermouth and the aperitivo ritual

Turin invented vermouth in the late 1700s, and with it the civilised habit of the aperitivo — a fortified-wine drink and nibbles before dinner. A historic vermouth tasting explains the botanicals behind Cinzano, Martini and Carpano, while sunset food-and-drinks walks settle you into the city's café terraces. Inventory here is smaller than for chocolate, so book the vermouth experiences a little ahead to secure a spot.

Street food and market flavours

For a savoury counterpoint, dive into Porta Palazzo — one of Europe's largest open-air markets — on a street-food or market tour. Guides lead you between stalls and holes-in-the-wall for tastings of cheeses, cured meats, fried treats and Piedmontese specialities. Gourmet and sunset food tours widen the net across the city, turning a walk through Turin's arcades into a rolling, multi-stop feast.

Cook like a local

Round off the food trail hands-on, in a Turin home or studio kitchen. Cesarine hosts and local cooks run pasta-and-tiramisu classes, farm-to-table market-and-cook sessions and quick express workshops, almost all ending in a shared, sit-down meal with wine. It's the most personal way to understand Piedmontese cooking — and you leave with the recipes and techniques you need to recreate the flavours long after you're back home.