If you are a gelato-lover, LivTours Semi-Private Gelato Making Class in Florence is for you! During this experience, you will visit a family-owned and run Gelato Academy, yes Italy has academies for gelato making! In the company of a gelato maestro, you will learn all the ins and outs of gelato making from a true professional. Explore the differences between gelato and ice cream, and learn about how it is made, the ingredients used, and the special process that makes it so creamy and delicious. You can even make your very own flavor from scratch! You will become an honorary Italian gelato maker after this class as you will be learning everything from the ingredients that can be used, all the way to scooping like a pro. This hands-on family-friendly experience is great fun and the perfect way to spend your time in Florence – which some say is the gelato capital of Italy!

LivTours semi-private group tours are a maximum of six people per group, which we believe gives travelers more opportunity to engage with their guide and local artisans, encouraging a more personal experience. This is especially important when it comes to workshops and classes so that you can get the full gist of the experience and truly learn techniques and skills which you can take back home with you.

If you are wondering about the difference between ice cream and gelato, we will help you to set the record straight! Just like ice cream, gelato contains milk, sugar, and flavorings such as fruit or nuts, but, and there is a big difference, it has less cream than ice cream and usually no egg yolks. Amazing considering it tastes creamier than ice cream! You might think this is a ‘new’ Italian dessert, but ancient Roman emperors reportedly ate very similar desserts, and this dessert is said to be one of many culinary inventions that Catherine de’ Medici is said to have taken from Florence to Paris in 1533 when she married the King of France. There is no written proof of that, but we do know for certain that in 1686, Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, a Sicilian fisherman and chef from Palermo, made the first gelato machine and took it to Paris!