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Bologna Local food tours

Our most recommended Bologna Local food tours

From Bologna: Roundtrip San Luca Train Ticket & Food Tasting

1. 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: 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: Red Bus City Tour and Local Food Tasting

4. 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.

From Bologna: Emilia Excellence Food Tour

5. 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.

Bologna: Self-Guided Food Tasting Tour with Vouchers

6. Bologna: Self-Guided Food Tasting Tour with Vouchers

Discover the secrets of the city’s cuisine with a food tasting tour of Bologna. With a map and a set of vouchers for local food samples, taste your way through the city at your own pace. Enjoy a self-guided food tour, wander the narrow streets of the old town, take breaks for photos, and explore the points of interest suggested by the map. Collect tastings of local and traditional food along the way. Try handmade chocolates, delicious ice cream, and the famous Tigellone with typical ragù sauce, while adults will also receive a glass of wine, a coffee, and a parmesan sample. Each voucher says what it includes and where to use it, and you can scan the QR code to follow the path on google maps.

Bologna: Olive Grove and Vineyard Tour with Product Tastings

7. 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: Taste Local Specialties on a Guided Walking Tour

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

9. 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.

From Bologna or Modena: Parma Gastronomic Tour with Lunch

10. From Bologna or Modena: Parma Gastronomic Tour with Lunch

Discover the production of two excellences of Italian cuisine, Parmigiano Reggiano and Parma Ham, on a gastronomic tour from Bologna. After being picked up from your accommodation in Bologna or Modena Learn more about Parma and its local cuisine that is so popular that it often ends up dominating conversations among locals. Visit a historic Parmigiano Reggiano factory where an expert guide will show you the stages of production, and you'll be able to taste some of the cheese made by the factory. Then, discover more about the production of Parma Ham. Learn the secrets of this Italian delicacy followed by a tasting paired with a glass of local wine.  Following your visit to the Parma Ham factory, enjoy a light lunch at a prosciuttificio with typical products and dishes. Finally, head back to your accommodation in Bologna or Modena.

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Frequently asked questions about Bologna

What are the best day trips and excursions from Bologna?

The best day trips and excursions from Bologna are:

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What people are saying about Bologna

Overall rating

4.9 / 5

based on 13 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 tour was a bit of a splurge, but it was a very efficient use of 7 hours on the last day of our vacation. My daughter and I were given private tours at all of the places we went and it was truly an incredible experience. Tasting different ages of parmesan cheese and then getting to sample 50 year old balsamic vinegar. How else are you going to do that?? Just amazing. Also got to purchase everything we tasted at a fraction of the price it would cost in the United States. If you're a true foodie, you need to do this!

Awesome tour that simultaneously covers the food (duh), the drinks, bits of history, and local customs! More than worth it's value, you leave super full and with lots of extra bits of trivia. Our guide Caterina was fantastic and super helpful, it was such a pleasure to listen to her and visit all the little stores and restaurants with her! Definitely recommend!

This was such a great experience. Food was amazing and our guide was very informative. We were shown many things that is traditional of the Bologna area.

One of the best food tours I’ve taken. Plenty of food from local places.