Add dates

Bologna Walking tours

Our most recommended Bologna Walking 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: 3-Hour Secret Food Tour

2. 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.

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 guide will navigate you through the history 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: Local cured meats and cheeses with hand-baked bread or platter of mixed pizza - the meal opens with a wide variety of local cured meats and cheeses or with a delicious platter of mixed gourmet pizza.Fresh pasta like Bolognese tortellini stuffed with different types of meat and parmesan cheese. Usually, they are served in meat broth, but our guests will have the opportunity to choose among different options for garnishing their tortellini.Bolognese cotoletta, 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.Brazadela, is a cake prepared in a doughnut shape from a traditional peasant recipe. Since its origins, the recipe has been passed from mothers to their children in order to preserve its simplicity and delicate taste.Espresso coffee is the inevitable conclusion of every Italian proper meal. Espresso will be offered in a historic coffee shop, accompanied by artisanal whipped cream.

Bologna: Taste Local Specialties on a Guided Walking Tour

4. Bologna: Taste Local Specialties on a Guided Walking Tour

Experience the vibrant historic center of Bologna on this walking tour. Admire sights like the Basilica of San Petronio and the Loggia of Merchants. Stop to try specialties at three establishments and enjoy a glass of delectable local wine. Start your tour in Piazza del Nettuno, where your guide will share insights into Bolognese culture with you. See an excellent example of Italian Gothic architecture at the Basilica of San Petronio. Admire the two towers that are the symbol of Bologna. View the Loggia of Merchants, where commercial and trading activities have been overseen in Bologna for hundreds of years. Walk to the vibrant Quadrilatero Market. Wander through the sights and smells in this market that has been around since the middle ages.

Bologna: City Center Guided Wine Walking Tour

5. Bologna: City Center Guided Wine Walking Tour

Discover Bologna beyond its architecture and renowned food with a guided walking tour of the city, focusing on the city's lesser-known wine scene. Taste different varieties, learn from a true wine expert, and explore the city. Embark on a tour of some of the best wineries in the city center, guided by a real local wine expert. Learn about the Colli Bolognesi wine region as you explore. Move from an enoteca to an osteria, where you'll have the chance to taste real wines from the Colli Bolognesi area and the Emilia Romagna wine region. All the wines will be explained and all of your curiosity satisfied. Depending on the length of tour selected, enjoy 2 to 5 different wines produces in the region. If you choose the 3-hour tour, you will also enjoy some local food in the oldest tavern in town.

Bologna: Guided Walking Tour

6. Bologna: Guided Walking Tour

Discover the historic sights of Bologna, starting on Piazza Maggiore where landmarks include the Fountain of Neptune and the Palazzo del Podestà. Learn why the city is known as "La Dotta" ("The Learned"), "La Grassa" ("The Fat") and "La Rossa" ("The Red"). See the medieval Torre Galluzzi and look inside the unique anatomical theater at the Archiginnasio. Stroll along Via Farini and walk to the magnificent porticoes of Piazza Santo Stefano. Discover the covered passageway of the Court Isolani on the way to Via Strada Maggiore. Chat to the locals in the Mercato di Mezzo about why food is so important in Bologna.

Bologna: City History Guided Walking Tour - Small Group

7. Bologna: City History Guided Walking Tour - Small Group

Travel back in time as you explore the history of Bologna on this guided walking tour. View attractions like Bologna University and the tombs of Glossatori. Stroll through squares like Palazzo della Mercanzia, Palazzo Poggi, and Verdi square. Be greeted by your guide and begin your walking tour through the city. Hear about the thousand-year-old history of the Studium. See the monumental tombs of Glossatori and see the oldest university in continuous operation in the world at Bologna University. Stroll the birthplace of Guglielmo Marconi, who was awarded with a Nobel Prize and was the father of the radio communication. Stop outside the Archiginnasio building which hosts the world's biggest coat of arms collection. View a monument to the scientist Luigi Galvani in Galvani Square. Pass through the of the Palazzo della Mercanzia where you can admire the Romanesque-Lombard style of the Loggia dei Mercanti.  Continue to Palazzo Poggi square. Finish your tour in Giuseppe Verdi square where you can see the Municipal Theatre and the Basilica of San Giacomo Maggiore.  Join this easy and relaxing guided walk to quickly retrace the history of the academic development of the city. Please note, total duration of the activity is between 1.30 and 2 hours

Bologna: FICO Eataly World Ticket with Tour & Tastings

8. Bologna: FICO Eataly World Ticket with Tour & Tastings

Visit FICO Eataly World, an Italian food-themed amusement park in Bologna. Stimulate your senses while combining Italian cuisine and fun. Enjoy a guided tour with 4 tastings from many of the dining options available Be greeted by an entrance of farm animals and explore the 7 themed areas dedicated to Italian culinary excellence of salami, cheese, pasta, game, wine, oil, and sweets. Take your tour and enjoy 4 tastings as you're entertained by spectacular scenery full of recreational activities, rides, and food-themed attractions.

Bologna: Olive Grove and Vineyard Tour with Product Tastings

9. Bologna: Olive Grove and Vineyard Tour with Product Tastings

Step into a modern project hinged around the recovery and regeneration of historic buildings, abandoned rural lands, and farmhouses, right in the heart of Bologna. Learn about the estate's olive oil and wine production, and taste a selection of their products, depending on the chosen tour option. Discover a unique site that stretches over 300 hectares of land, with 150 hectares of olive trees and 42 hectares of vineyards. Explore a wide array of products, including 5 types of extra virgin oil, wine, jams, juices, saffron pistils, Goji berries, and salts flavored with medicinal herbs. Taste some of their best products and stroll through the vegetable gardens, a vast orchard, and an original and rare crop of saffron, all in the company of a knowledgeable guide.

Bologna with a Local: Customized Private Meet-Up

10. Bologna with a Local: Customized Private Meet-Up

Experience the best of Bologna on a private tour that can be customized to your interests and preferences, including the booking of tickets or attractions according to your requests. Simply make your booking and your hosts will contact you within 24 hours to ask questions about your interests and what you would like to see and do. They will match you with the right profile, assign a like-minded local to become your guide and put together a bespoke itinerary. You'll be paired with guides that are passionate about the place they call home and who choose to spend their free time sharing it with like-minded travelers matched to them. Benefit from a tour tailored just for you. The itinerary will be outlined but flexible. Meet at a place convenient for you, and feel free to change direction during the day, or follow suggestion from your guide if they think you'd enjoy a sight or different experience, with your permission. Get off the beaten track and see things not normally covered in guidebooks or on the internet but loved by the locals. The entire tour will revolve around your wishes so that you can discover a side to Bologna that you will truly adore!

40 activities found
Sort by:
Page 1 of 3

Frequently asked questions about Bologna

What are the best day trips and excursions from Bologna?

The best day trips and excursions from Bologna are:

Modena

Other Sightseeing Options in Bologna

Want to discover all there is to do in Bologna? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Bologna

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 422 reviews

Palacio genial, cola de tres horas para poder entrar

We had a really lovely tour the afternoon we arrived in Bologna. It was a great way to get an overview of the city center and find out what places we would like to come back to. It was all pretty close together, easy to walk everywhere and the friendly and knowledgeable guide was fantastic. She took her time, gave us some interesting history and facts, and seemed to enjoy what she does :)

It was a great tour. Filippo gave good recommendation of wine and let me taste some wines of the region. I can highly recommend the Tour.

Fabulous private and tailored tour around the historic centre. My guide Claudio was lovely. The two hours were a pleasure.

Our guide Gabriele was fantastic. Knowledgeable and personable he really made the tour special. Would highly recommend.

Great tour of Bologna, the guide was so friendly and could go from Italian to English seamlessly. Really enjoyed it