Livorno Food and Market Tour

We had a great city walking and street food tasting tour with Laila. Our tour group consisted of 7 Americans from three different cruise ships docked in Livorno for the day. We met at the drop off point for the cruise terminal shuttle buses. Our tour started at a local cafe where we drank cappuccino while Laila explained the city’s history to us. Then, we walked by outdoor produce and butcher stands until we came upon a small family-run store specializing in Frate (delicate sugar donuts with a hint of lemon peel) and Scagliozzi (fried Polenta squares which tasted like Fritos Corn Chips). From there we walked alongside the city’s ancient moat to the Central Food Market where we ate several varieties of local cheeses and drink local red and white wines. We then walked to an unmarked store front where we were treated to a Torta di Ceci (Chick Pea or Garbanzo Bean pancake) served with grilled eggplant marinated in lemon and olive oil. From there we walked to Osteria La Barrocciaia for Ponce, a local espresso and rum drink and biscotti and sweet mascarpone cheese dusted with cocoa. Simply delicious! Laila shared her love for her city and Italian culture throughout the tour. It was a most enjoyable way to experience Livorno.

We spent a wonderful morning discovering hidden gems, new flavors, and local characters, under the guidance of the BEST tour guide ever! Don’t pass on this opportunity, really one of the most interesting and fun tours we’ve ever taken.

This tour was a very pleasant surprise since we weren’t sure how interesting Livorno would be. But the fact that it is less touristy, and that Laila was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about her hometown made it a great tour. We love foodie tours because you learn so much about the town and it’s history as well as it’s true local food scene. This one truly took you to the places you would never find on your own - our last stop was to an unmarked doorway with no hint of what was inside. But enter and you are met with a line of locals who have been coming for years for a unique Livorno treat. If you like getting out of the tourist traps and into long established, authentic spots run by locals, often families, do this tour.

We have just completed a tour of Livorno which proved to be the most pleasant of mornings. Although reviews were positive we had not expected a street food experience to be so enjoyable and interesting. Of course it was all down to our guide Laila whose personality and knowledge of her native area were major contributions. Her interaction with the local identities added greatly to the authenticity of the experience. All of the tastings and there were many without being overwhelming were unique and memorable. In the few hours that we had, our understanding of Livorno, its history and its place in Tuscany increased considerably. This tour, if it fits into your program, should not be missed.

My wife and I had a great tour with Laila. Having docked in the Port with our cruise ship, through Viator, we pre arranged to do the street and market tour of Livorno with her. Laila met us at 9:30am at the shuttle bus drop off and took us for a easy walking tour of the city. We did the tour with another couple whom were on the same cruise. Good small group on an intimate tour. I agree with previous posts, just have a light breakfast so you can enjoy the different food on foot. We chose this tour as an alternative to visiting Florence or Tuscany which we had seen before. Laila was amazing and taught us alot about the history of Livorno. We started our tour with a really good coffee and sit down, chatting about the history of the tour. The tour then proceeded to go around the city and then back into the market areas where the food tasting took place. Starting with the best fresh and fluffy lemon zest donut, to the polenta chips, bruschetta cheese salami and local wine, delicious local chickpea and eggplant dish and finishing with a coffee liquior with biscuit. Great morning on tour. We finished about lunchtime and it was a perfect intro to the city with some awesome food. Would recommend this tour to anyone whom wants to see Livorno and check out the sights, Laila was an awesome host.

My favorite guide, Laila was so nice and charming ! We loved all the food tasting plus loads of info about the place ,people and the culture.

Livorno often gets overlooked by cruisers in their dash to get on a bus to the usual Tuscan tourist traps. But dont let the glories of Florence, Siena, Lucca and Pisa blind you to the fact that Italys second most important port has a very interesting history that dates back to medieval times. Like Venice, Livorno attracted a large Jewish community in the 16th century which helped the city become a major trading centre and today it has grown to have a population of 160,000. This tour is led by local guide Laila who is deeply in love with Livorno. She offers much more than a foodie tour - she knows every nook and cranny and is happy to give personal insights into all aspects. What makes it special is that she treats you like friends. We chatted as we went around and she suggested a number of places we could visit during our short stay including Bolgheri and Volterra and even where we could park for free in Pisa. She speaks impeccable English and has an enthusiasm for life which is infectious. Laila seems to know just about everyone she meets along the way and makes you feel like a local as you browse all the fascinating stalls in the open-air fruit and veg markets and the indoor meat and fish stalls. Dont have much for breakfast because you will be sampling loads of tempting morsels along the way relax your dieting for one day in the interests of researching local traditions! You will be plied with coffee, local wine and a sweet, spicy rum ponce to finish. The tour lasts for three hours but you will find time passes very quickly. Laila was the highlight of our stay in Livorno and opened our eyes to all it has to offer. Dont hesitate book it!

Our ship docked in Livorno. No long bus tour to Florence and Pisa for us!! We decided to see what Livorno had to offer. We were so glad we did, if for no other reason than to have met our guide Laila. She was so full of joie de vivre! She brought so much enthusiasm and fun to our tour. We heard about the history of Livorno and its links to the Medicis. She introduced us to local vendors selling wonderful local delicacies so we were seeing a slice of real life - not just tourist sites. The market is in a beautiful 19th century building full of colourful stalls and fabulous food. Laila arranged for plenty of delicious treats throughout the entire tour including coffee, Frati donuts with a hint of lemon zest - freshly cooked, bruschetta with pecorino, sangiovese vino, locally produced soft drinks, torte chickpea pancake and the amazing taste sensation ponche a rum and coffee combo. Livorno Laila was one of the highlights of our entire holiday!! Thank you very much Laila!!

My husband and I really enjoyed this tour. Laila was a fun and dynamic guide and made the morning pass in a flash. It was lovely to know more about Livorno and it's interesting history and to sample the delicious food and drink. Would highly recommend!

We had a fantastic morning with Laila, Livorno is very interesting with its own culture and food inspired by its history. Fun and informative. And a great alternative to the long day trips to Florence