Booking choice: The musical Parma walk, from $23 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Every stop on this walk lies in Parma's historic centre or just across the river in the Oltretorrente district, a short stroll from the next. Parma station is about 15 minutes on foot from the Teatro Regio, where the walk begins.
Below: the route in order with opening days and prices, each stop in turn, and the guided alternatives if you would rather follow someone.
The quick answer
Start at the Teatro Regio (visit EUR 12, Tuesday to Sunday), step next door to the Palazzo della Pilotta for the Teatro Farnese (EUR 18 Pilotta ticket), pass the Verdi monument in Piazzale della Pace, cross the river to Toscanini's birthplace (EUR 4), come back to Piazza Garibaldi and end at the Casa della Musica (EUR 4). Go from Wednesday to Sunday so everything is open, and allow half a day.
What is on the Parma opera walk?
Six stops: the Teatro Regio, the Teatro Farnese in the Pilotta, the Verdi monument, Toscanini's birthplace, Piazza Garibaldi and the Casa della Musica.
Hours and prices from Parma Welcome and the museums, checked in September 2026. Each leg is a short walk through the centre; the time to allow is our suggestion.
| Stop | Where | Open | Price | Allow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Teatro Regio | Strada Garibaldi 16/a | Tue to Sun, a visit every hour | EUR 12 | 30 minutes |
| 2. Teatro Farnese | Palazzo della Pilotta, next door | Check the Pilotta's site | EUR 18 Pilotta ticket | 1 hour or more |
| 3. Verdi monument | Piazzale della Pace | Always | Free | 10 minutes |
| 4. Toscanini's birthplace | Borgo Rodolfo Tanzi 13, Oltretorrente | Wed to Sun, 10:00 to 18:00 | EUR 4, free under 19 | 30 to 45 minutes |
| 5. Piazza Garibaldi | The main square | Always | Free | A coffee |
| 6. Casa della Musica | Piazzale San Francesco 1 | Wed to Sun, 10:00 to 18:00 | EUR 4, free under 19 | 45 minutes |
Where does the walk start?
At the Teatro Regio, Strada Garibaldi 16/a, about 15 minutes on foot from Parma station.
Take the theatre's own guided visit if the times suit you: about 30 minutes, every hour from 9:30 on Tuesday to Saturday and from 10:00 on Sunday, for EUR 12. An early slot leaves you the rest of the day for the other stops. Times move with rehearsals, so call +39 0521 203995 first. Details: the guided visit guide.
How do you see the Teatro Farnese?
It is inside the Palazzo della Pilotta, right next to the Regio, on the EUR 18 ticket for the Complesso Monumentale della Pilotta.
The Farnese is the Regio's great ancestor: a wooden court theatre built in 1618, two centuries before Maria Luigia's opera house. The Pilotta and Teatro Farnese tour ($26, 2h 15m, rated 4.2 from 17 reviews) adds a guide and the Galleria Nazionale.
Parma's older theatre with a guide who knows its story: the Teatro Farnese and the Galleria Nazionale.
Check dates for the Pilotta and Teatro Farnese tourWhere is the Verdi monument in Parma?
In Piazzale della Pace, the lawn in front of the Pilotta. What stands there today are the remains of the monument of 1920.
Look for the dark carved relief in its white stone frame, with the brick bulk of the Pilotta behind. It is free and always open, and a good place to pause before you cross the river.
Prefer a guide? The musical Parma walk covers the Farnese, Toscanini's birthplace and this monument, in Italian, from $23.
Check dates for the musical Parma walkHow do you visit Toscanini's birthplace?
Cross the river to Borgo Rodolfo Tanzi 13, in the Oltretorrente. The house where Arturo Toscanini was born on 25 March 1867 is a museum, open Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, for EUR 4.
Its small, low-ceilinged rooms hold memorabilia, documents and objects from the conductor's homes, with a section on the tenor Aureliano Pertile. Reduced tickets cost EUR 3, and under-19s go free. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and in July and August 2026 it closed at 14:00 at weekends, so check the summer hours.
Why stop in Piazza Garibaldi?
It is the heart of Parma, a few minutes from the Regio, and the meeting point for the private food walk and the private opera day.
Back across the river, take a coffee at one of the cafe tables and look up at the clock tower. Then head east through the centre to the last stop. If the walk has made you hungry, the private food and drink walk ($129, 3 hours) starts here, at Caffè San Pietro.
End the walk at the table: five tasting stops with a private guide, starting from Piazza Garibaldi.
Explore the private food and drink walkWhat is the Casa della Musica?
Parma's house of music, in the Renaissance Palazzo Cusani at Piazzale San Francesco 1: a multimedia museum of opera in Parma, 'L'opera in scena', with archives and concert halls, for EUR 4, Wednesday to Sunday.
It is also the home of the Club dei 27, the Verdi lovers' club founded in 1958, whose 27 members each stand for one Verdi opera; they have met here since 2006, in the covo verdiano, the Verdi den. Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month, and a Casa della Musica visit gets you the reduced EUR 8 price at the Regio.
Is there a guided opera walk in Parma?
Yes: the musical Parma walk, in Italian, from $23. The only tour that also goes inside the Regio is a private $318 day, and it is non-refundable.
The musical Parma walk ($23, 1h 30m) meets at the main staircase of the Pilotta, goes inside the Teatro Farnese and Toscanini's birthplace, and passes the Regio and the Verdi monument; it follows a barrier-free route and is new, with no reviews yet. Check whether the entry tickets are included. The private opera day ($318, 7 hours) adds the Regio, the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Casa della Musica with every ticket, but it cannot be cancelled or changed. For a cheaper self-guided version, the $7 audio guide includes a 30-minute stop at the Regio; the ticket is extra, and the theatre charges EUR 12, not the EUR 10 the listing gives.
Parma's opera story with a licensed guide, in Italian: inside the Farnese and Toscanini's birthplace, past the Regio and Verdi.
Explore the musical Parma walkFrequently asked questions
How long does the Parma opera walk take?
About half a day with the visits inside. The walking itself is short, as every stop is in or near the centre.
Which day is best for the opera walk?
Wednesday to Sunday. The Regio has no visits on Mondays, and Toscanini's birthplace and the Casa della Musica close on Mondays and Tuesdays.
How much does the opera walk cost?
About EUR 38 with every ticket: EUR 12 for the Regio, EUR 18 for the Pilotta, and EUR 4 each for Toscanini's birthplace and the Casa della Musica. The monument and the squares are free.
When was Toscanini born?
On 25 March 1867, in the house at Borgo Rodolfo Tanzi 13, now a museum.
Ready to book
Choose your day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Musical and Theatrical Parma Walking Tour
- Guided walk in Italian with a licensed local guide
- Teatro Farnese and Toscanini's birthplace inside
- Teatro Regio from outside, and the Verdi monument
Guided Tour of the Pilotta and Teatro Farnese
Parma's other great theatre, next door
Parma Walking Tour with Audio and Written Guide
Your own pace, with a stop at the Regio
