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BolognaNeighborhood tours

Our most recommended Bologna Neighborhood tours

Bologna: City Center Walking Tour

1. Bologna: City Center Walking Tour

Take a classic walking tour through the streets of the Bologna city center. With this guided tour, discover the history of Bologna and its major cultural attractions. Make stops at the Asinelli tower, Neptune fountain, and the Basilica of San Petronio. Meet your guide and walk through the city streets admiring the architecture and discovering the most-famous cultural attraction. See the towers of Bologna and marvel at their height and significance. Then, stroll through the Quadrilatero Market, and learn important historical facts. Make a wish at the Neptune fountain and see if it comes true. Then, gaze at the Basilica of San Petronio, as your guide shares its story and welcomes you into the city of Bologna.

Bologna: Red Bus City Tour and Local Food Tasting

2. Bologna: Red Bus City Tour and Local Food Tasting

Discover Bologna in comfort via an open top bus, enabling you to admire and photograph all the major attractions of the city.  Upon arriving at the meeting point, staff will welcome you onboard. Choose from an audioguide available in 10 different languages to learn more about the specific landmarks as well as the general history of the city. You will then journey across the city, capturing views of some of the most famous points of interest. Hop on and off at your leisure at some popular spots such as: • Basilica San Petronio • Palazzo dei Notai • Palazzo Comunale • Palazzo di Re Enzo • Palazzo del Podestà, • Tower of Asinelli and Garisenda • Museo Civico Archeologico • Archiginnasio • Palazzo Bevilacqua • Porta Saragozza • Palazzo Bentivoglio • Fontana del Nettuno • Teatro Comunale. After the tour, enjoy a food tour in a historical market in Bologna, where you will try local delicacies.

Bologna: Guided Traditional Food Tour

3. Bologna: Guided Traditional Food Tour

Learn all of the secrets of traditional Italian food culture and items from the Bologna region on this guided food tour. Your food local expert will navigate you through the life in Bologna behind the dishes and their preparation. Experience Bologna from an unusual perspective. Learn why Bologna is known as the wise for containing the second oldest university in Europe, the red because of the red roofs of its houses, and the rich for its food offerings and flavor. Discover the secrets behind Italian gastronomy in the Emilia-Romagna region as a reference due to its historical ties with food and Bologna as a hotspot for Italian culinary excellence. The following are a few dishes that you may try during the tour: - Fresh pasta like Ragù alla Bolognese Tagliatelle topped with local Parmesan Cheese. One, if not, the, quintessential first dish in Bologna. More versatile than the famous Lasagna, this dish will welcome you into Bologna while still leaving some space in your stomach for the following stops. In alternative you may be served Tortellini, served in broth, as the tradition commands, which is equally as typical. - A platter of mixed Pizza with Gourmet toppings - try a delicious platter of mixed gourmet pizza in a local market, pizza is hands down the most requested and loved food in Italy and in Bologna it may be topped with delicious local ingredients. - Cotoletta alla Bolognese in the modern version of meatballs. An original version of a traditional dish in Bologna, the Boltoletta is a new way to taste the Cotoletta alla Bolognese. A veal meat served with a rich sauce made with cream and parmesan cheese and topped with smoked ham. The traditional recipe requires that the meat is fried, then served in meat broth. Finally, it is briefly baked in the oven and served covered in melted cheese and ham. - The best artisanal Italian ice cream in Bologna with delicious flavours or alternatively Torta degli Addobbi: a rice cake with very ancient origins; it was prepared in Bologna, already around 1400, on the occasion of Corpus Domini, the end of May; a time when balconies and windows were festively decorated with coloured drapes and this cake cut into diamond shapes was offered to relatives and friends! - Espresso or a Macchiato (very different from the American Macchiato) is the inevitable conclusion of every Italian proper meal. Espresso will be offered in a local coffee shop.

Bologna: 3-Hour Secret Food Tour

4. Bologna: 3-Hour Secret Food Tour

Head to the Quadrilatero area, the vibrant heart of Bologna, to start your 3-hour food tour. Step off the beaten paths, discover unexpected sights and hear amazing stories about the origins and traditions of the city. First, make your way to a small trattoria to sample traditional Ragù alla Bolognese (Bolognese sauce). Sample and learn why a five-year-old Parmigiano Reggiano is so special, and sip 12 to 24-year-old balsamic vinegars from Modena. Enjoy a carefully selected charcuterie sampler from Emilia-Romagna and see how homemade, fresh pasta is created by Bologna's very own sfogline (pasta-makers). Upgrade your experience to indulge in an ammazzacaffé, a coffee-liqueur beverage. As you end your savory stroll through the city, enjoy the best artisanal gelato in town. Your entire Italian-gastro experience is infused in the heart of this medieval town at some of the best secret spots where locals eat, off the tourist paths.

From Bologna: Roundtrip San Luca Train Ticket & Food Tasting

5. From Bologna: Roundtrip San Luca Train Ticket & Food Tasting

The Basilica of San Luca is one of the symbols of the city of Bologna. Situated on the Monte Guardia, the Sanctuary connects to the city center through the longest continuous portico in the world, made up of 666 arcades. At the meeting point, you'll receive a map and a timetable of the return train, which is available every 45 minutes. You’ll also receive a voucher for the food tasting.  This tour departs every day and will help you discover the city from aboard the San Luca Express train, where the audio guides, available in 8 languages, will tell you about the city until your arrival at the Basilica of San Luca. Here, you can visit the Basilica at your own pace and decide what time to return by consulting the schedules on the map. On board, you will find a member of staff who'll welcome you and provide any information you may require. When you return, you will get to taste typical products in one of the historical markets.

Bologna: Tastes and Traditions Food Tour with Market Visit

6. Bologna: Tastes and Traditions Food Tour with Market Visit

Your gastronomic journey around Bologna starts off in true Italian style with a coffee and a slice of torta di riso. Enjoy it at one of the oldest pastry shops in the city, where you'll marvel at the delightful treasures on display and get ready for an unforgettable day of dining in Italy. Next, immerse yourself in the vibrant spirit of this city with a visit to the food market. Get introduced to local cheese stalls, where you'll sample different varieties and watch them prepare parmigiana with balsamic vinegar. Then savor a tasty panini with mortadella while your guide shops for cold cuts that you'll enjoy later with a glass of Italian wine in Bologna’s oldest wine bar. Your unique food tour of Bologna continues by experiencing the Italian culinary tradition up close and personal. Sample freshly-picked tomatoes from the market, watch as local artisans craft fresh pasta in all shapes and sizes, and enjoy the delicious taste and textures of handmade tortelli. You'll fall in love with Italy's simple yet hearty cuisine in a truly authentic way. Even after leaving the market, more of Bologna's delicious delights await. You'll visit traditional trattorias and contemporary bistros as you sample some iconic dishes such as tagliatelle bolognese, montanarina and more. At the end of this immersive foodie experience, you'll be left with a newfound appreciation for Italian cuisine and unforgettable memories that will stay with you forever.

Bologna gastronomic experience with a local

7. Bologna gastronomic experience with a local

We'll take you through a gastronomic journey which will make you discover what are the hidden places and food that only the locals knows and that you must try! The goal is to share with you what exactly our typical day would be, the classic outing we do with our friends and family, surprising your appetite and taste buds with + 15 foods and wine tastings! We'll start with a proper Italian breakfast in the best pasticceria in town! Then we will move on directly purchasing and tasting cold cuts, cheeses and breads, many different types but all belonging to the Area of Bologna, always accompanied by local wine. Then walking through the old town centre, we'll try two iconic homemade pasta in a classical Osteria Bolognese, always paired with another local wine. We will conclude with the best gelato in town! There will be a surprise tasting in the middle of the experience, which will give you the opportunity to taste another emilian tradition. Of course, being local, will share with you some historical and interesting anecdotes about the city and it's cuisine! To give right expectations, our cuisine it is not historically and properly indicated for vegetarian diet but of course we'll do our best to accomodate all yours requests !

Bologna: Wine Tasting Tour in One of the Oldest Inns

8. Bologna: Wine Tasting Tour in One of the Oldest Inns

Enjoy a unique wine-tasting experience in one of the oldest locandas, Bologna's famous inns. Hear about the local grape varieties and the history of wine production from an expert guide. Taste 3 delicious DOC wines paired with delightful local treats. Discover the quality of the wines produced in Bologna's 3 main wine-growing areas: the Bologna Hills, the area of the Reno plain, and the Imola Hills. Learn about local wines, such as the white grape Pignoletto, and the Sangiovese and Lambrusco red grape varieties. Finish your tour with a delicious tasting of 3 wines, accompanied by typical foods.

Bologna: Self-Guided Historical Audio Tour

9. Bologna: Self-Guided Historical Audio Tour

Explore the reasons behind the many names of Bologna. Admire the red roofs of the city that are the reason for it being called "the red city." Feast on the delectable cuisine that gives Bologna the name "the fat city." Marvel at the forest of over 100 towers that once dotted the landscape of the city, also known as "the towered." Walk the ground of the world's oldest university, the reason that Bologna is sometimes referred to as "the cultured". Learn about each facet of the city on this walking tour, as well as its history and stories, like how the rebellious Bolognese stopped the city from becoming the Vatican. Discover how the Fountain of Neptune's sculptor got away with making Neptune seem particularly well-endowed despite prohibition from the church while at the Piazza del Nettuno. Gaze up at the Whispering Gallery under the Torre dell Arengo while being told about how star-crossed lovers were able to murmur sweet nothings to each other without their other romantic partners knowing. Hear about the legends of Le Tre Frecce and catch a glimpse of how Bologna once resembled Venice with its network of canals and rivers while passing Canale delle Moline. Then, walk down Via Indipendenza and see what it would have been like in the post-Risorgimento period. Have the opportunity to see San Petronio, the largest and most important church of the city before strolling down Via Rizzoli, named after a 19th-century physician. Hear about Giuseppe Garibaldi, the hero of two countries. Pass by Il Pincio, the entrance to Parco della Montagnola, a French style garden commissioned by Napoleon. Take in Garisenda and Asinelli, Bologna’s Two Towers. Stand beside Porta Galliera, where a retreating Austrian army left the city following a rebellion by the Bolognese in 1848. Learn about the city’s history from the Etruscans and the Lombards, including the chaotic factional fighting between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. Discover the Quadrilatero neighbourhood with its cafes and restaurants, and find out about the seven churches of Santo Stefano. Finally, explore the culinary wonders of the city responsible for iconic dishes like lasagna, ragu, and tagliatelle. These recipes were born and fiercely guarded in the chamber of commerce. Then see the cafés, restaurants and shops where you can allow your tummy and taste buds to be tempted by these culinary marvels.

From Bologna: Emilia Excellence Food Tour

10. From Bologna: Emilia Excellence Food Tour

Embark on a unique gastronomic journey in Emilia-Romagna. Take guided tours of a dairy factory, a local winery, and a vinegar production site. See how Parmigiano Reggiano is made, and enjoy a typical lunch. Get picked up at your accommodation in Bologna, and enjoy a scenic drive through Emilia-Romagna. Discover the production phases of 3 renowned products of excellence and their role in the Italian culture: wine, Parmigiano Reggiano, and the traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena. Enjoy 3 guided tours with food and wine tasting directly from the producers. Enjoy a tasty lunch with typical products at the end of the tours.

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What people are saying about Bologna

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 351 reviews

I definitely would recommend this experience. I was able to taste things that I probably wouldn't have tried if I was just going around myself. The value is perfectly reasonable, and it's so nice to be able to just hand the waiter the voucher and not have to do anything else. Everything I had was very tasty and although smaller portion sizes, I was very full after using all the vouchers (within the span of 5 hours, on a day trip). The cold cuts platter with a full glass of wine and the parmigiano sample with balsamic were especially exceptional. It was just such a pleasure to be able to tour around Bologna, walking around and stopping to try different Italian foods and snacks. I would absolutely suggest doing this food tour, which you can completely moderate to your own pace as the vouchers don't expire.

This is such an affordable way to see a city. The tour was interesting, hit so many major spots. The directions are actually so clear and easy to follow you rarely need to look at the map, if ever. Would definitely recommend as a great way of seeing so much of the city and learning more than you would just read in a guide book!

Stella was fantastic as our guide. Her insight and knowledge of Bologna was exactly what we needed as we had just arrived. The tour gave us a great understanding of the area, and places to revisit once the tour was over. Thanks Stella- we had a great time

My family and I had an amazing g experience with Gabriele. We learned the secrets of Bolognese cuisine as well as tasting some of the most famous delicacies. Highly recommend!

Wow! I never knew there was so much unique and interesting history living side-by-side in Bologna! Alberto really made this city come to life in stories!