Tower of Asinelli

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.

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.

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.

Meet the local guide at your Bologna accommodation and head out on a 2, 3 or 4-hour walking tour to explore the city. You’ll be in good hands with a knowledgeable local who is eager to share all the tips and tricks that will help you make the most of your visit. Start by getting familiar with the neighborhood where you’re staying. Hear about the best places to eat and shop and learn the easiest ways to get around. On this customized tour you’ll see some of the top attractions and hear about more that you can visit on your own after the tour. By the end of the tour, you'll feel more comfortable navigating the city and confident you have all the information you need.

Start the tour at Archiginnasio Palace, which serves as the main office building for the oldest university in the world – the University of Bologna. After, walk to Piazza Maggiore, where the Basilica of San Petronio is located, known for its imposing facade. Continue to Piazza del Nettuno, which is surrounded by three important administrative buildings: Palazzo d'Accursio, Palazzo del Podestà, and Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo. Afterward, continue to the base of Bologna's iconic towers, the Asinelli Tower and the Garisenda Tower. Learn about the history and features of these imposing structures. Next, continue to the wooden arch of Corte Isolani and see the Oratory of Santa Cecilia. Admire the exterior of the church of San Giacomo Maggiore, before concluding the tour in the area of Quadrilatero, which is home to many markets and shops.

This experience is essential to anyone who is serious about exploring the best of Bologna. With your savvy local host you can rediscover the original charm and lively character of this extremely vibrant city. You could start the day with a short and strong espresso in one of the bars under the “portici," just how the locals like it. Walk up one of the main streets and past one of the most important theatres to end up at the Montagnola Market. Explore the narrow streets of the Jewish ghetto, where you can admire the tiny windows typical of the houses in this part of the city and come out right under the two towers, which are the icons of Bologna. Stop for a quick pizza by the slice in one of the places which normally get busy with the students from the university, which is the oldest university in the world. Take the afternoon to breathe in the culture and discover the Santo Stefano area, where contemporary and ancient art meet. There are many hidden gems which the locals love and are difficult to find on a map. If the weather allows, treat yourself to a refreshing gelato. Pop in to some of the nicest independent antique shops to see unique items and discover curiosities, then join one of the many local favorite bars for aperitivo and sip a nice glass of Prosecco while you get recommendations for restaurants and maybe note down a couple of traditional recipes. Book this meet-up with a Bolognese and you will be contacted within 24-hours with questions about your preferences and interests. 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. Replicate the experience of spending time in a city with a friend who lives there as the best travel moments come from going beneath the surface of a destination and discovering it through local lens.  Based on the things that you would like to see and do, a personalized and bespoke itinerary will be built just for you. Please note that this will be outlined but flexible. During the exploration, if you feel like changing direction, or if your local host believes that you'd enjoy a sight or different experience, they will suggest and discuss with you changes to the itinerary. You will be able to arrange a meeting point and time with your host in the most convenient place for you.  Enjoy discovering amazing spots in Bologna that you don't know about and are difficult to find in any guidebook or on the internet as they are lesser-known to the crowd but loved by locals. Let your private local host show you the Bologna you will love.

Book this private 2 or 3 hour tour and the operator will contact you to learn about your interests and preferences. You’ll be matched with a like-minded local, who will become your guide. 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. Keeping in mind your personal answers, a customized itinerary will be designed just for you. If during the tour you feel like changing direction, or your guide believes you might enjoy something in particular, changes to the itinerary are certainly possible. Discover amazing spots in Bologna that would be difficult to find without the help of a knowledgeable local. The day will revolve around your wishes so enjoy your private tour and let your local guide show you a Bologna you will love.

Experience the historic “Bologna delle acque” (Bologna of waters) through a tour that touches on the places that still allow you to see the ancient canals built in the 12th century to feed the city's many mills, tanneries and spinning mills and that contributed to the prosperity of local manufacturing, making Bologna the leading textile center in Italy. With a tour guide ready to tell anecdotes and curiosities, you will go through the rich history of the Bologna waters that to this day flow beneath our feet. PROGRAM: Meet your guide at Ristorante Irnerio10 at 8:30 am and enjoy breakfast. Afterwards, set off on a bike tour with stops at: o Finestrella of Via Piella o Piazzetta della Pioggia o Old Port of Bologna o Cavaticcio hydroelectric power plant o Opificio delle acque o Portico of Saragozza o Chiusa medioevale sul torrente d'Aposa o San Domenico Square o Santo Stefano Square o Two Towers o San Martino Square o Irnerio10 Restaurant

From art to history to good food, discover Bologna in all its aspects on this private trip with round-trip private transportation from Florence. Enjoy a guided walking tour through the city, a 2-course restaurant lunch, and tickets for the iconic San Luca Express. The private transfer will pick you up directly from your accommodation in Florence and take you to Bologna’s city center, from where you will start your tour in the city. You will be greeted by a staff member upon arrival, who will introduce you to your private guide. With your guide, discover the center of Bologna, admiring some of the most beautiful and important buildings of the city. Visit the Church of San Petronio, patron saint of the city, which was the seat of some important historical events, such as the imperial coronation of Charles V in 1530. From there, move on to admire the courtyard of the Archiginnasio, one of the oldest and most relevant libraries in the city. The guide will then take you to the historic market, also known as Quadrilatero, where the street names still echo the old crafts of the past: Via Caprarie, Via Pescherie, and more. Witness time that has stopped in these history-rich spots. Continue toward the Asinelli Tower, the symbol and bulwark of the city, of which the guide will tell you stories and anecdotes. If walking also makes you hungry, after your journey through the streets of Bologna, you’ll settle in a typical inn where you can relax while enjoying a 2-course lunch in the name of tradition: cold cuts and a typical dish of your choice, accompanied by a glass of wine and water. After lunch, set out to discover the famous hills of Bologna aboard the San Luca Express. Sit back on this classic train as it takes you to the Basilica of San Luca. This imposing complex has dominated the city since 1195 and has become a symbol of home for locals. The train will then take you directly back to the city center, from where you’ll be picked up once again via private transportation to head back to Florence after your full day in Bologna.

The bike tour designed to show you the best of Bologna in two hours: from the oldest university in the world to the grandiose Piazza Maggiore, up to pedaling under the Two Towers, we will discover the most significant places of this magnificent city. The Bologna that we will tell you about in this private bike tour is a city that has ancient origins, the guardian of an exceptional historical, artistic and cultural heritage.