Top Bologna Half-day Tours

Bologna is home to one of the best cuisines in Italy—where favorites like tortellini and were created—but it can be a challenge for travelers to find down-to-earth meals in the restaurant circuit.  With this tour, a guide takes you to at least half a dozen restaurants and cafes serving dishes away from the tourists. It’s an immersion in local gastronomy with pasta, salumi, pizza, wine, and gelato.

With a large historic center that was built over millennia, Bologna is rich in important architectural and cultural monuments. Be sure to see all the highlights with this guided walking tour that touches on the Cathedral and Fountain of Neptune in Piazza Maggiore, the city’s two most famous medieval towers, and the university—the oldest in Europe—along with other important attractions.

A great tour for first-time visitors, you’ll see the city with a local guide who has a passion for Bologna. The tour is completely customizable—visit a cafe for a snack based on your dietary preferences (or maybe some grappa), indulge in a bit of shopping, or check out a few art galleries. Learn about the city’s Medieval and Renaissance history and explore the plazas and old buildings downtown.

A historic university city, culinary capital, and hub of architectural beauty, Bologna offers no shortage of attractions—and this zippy bike tour through town gives you the perfect opportunity to explore. Get up close and personal with the sights, from the bustling Piazza Maggiore to the Basilica of San Domenico and the modern Manifattura delle Arti district. As you go, hear about the city’s long history from your guide.

Follow a local to their favorite places in Bologna with this best kept secrets walking tour. See contemporary street art, trendy bars, quirky boutiques, and innovative restaurants during your stroll. Explore neighborhoods that are loved by locals for their vintage markets and contemporary art galleries. Discover a side of Bologna that's not in guidebooks.

Follow your senses on a full-day culinary tour of Bologna’s famous food region. Visit local factories and family-run producers for a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of products enjoyed around the world, including Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Modena balsamic vinegar, prosciutto, and wine. Enjoy samples of fresh, hand-crafted products along the way and indulge in breakfast and multi-course Italian lunch with wine pairings. It’s a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the sights, smells, and tastes of Emilia-Romagna!

A classic walking tour together with a private guide through the streets of the center of Bologna visiting the major cultural attractions of the city and the history of local gastronomy to discover all the secrets of the city that our guide will tell you. At the end a small tasting of local products in a historical shop.

Motor Valley is home to some of Italy’s most iconic car manufacturers, but the factories and museums are hard to get between. Save hours with this tour that takes you to three of the top destinations for sports car enthusiasts in Emilia Romagna: the Ferrari Museum; Lamborghini Museum and Factory; and Pagani Museum and Factory. Stop to taste the area’s famed traditional balsamic vinegar and relax over lunch.

See a side of Bologna that many visitors overlook—and enjoy unparalleled views of the city—with this electric bike tour. Pick between morning and afternoon tour times, and set off with just a small group for company. You’ll visit photogenic green spaces like the Parco Giardini Margherita and Parco di Villa Ghigi, will admire city panoramas, and will even bike to the hilltop Sanctuary of San Luca.

See Bologna, with its narrow streets, crooked medieval towers and miles and miles of arcaded walkways, from a different perspective: from a Segway. Cruise around this handsome Italian city on a Segway, learning about the history of each place, and seeing major landmarks, such as the five-hundred-year-old Fountain of Neptune, the Basilica di Santo Stefano, and much more. This small-tour is limited to just eight participants, which means you’ll get plenty of attention from the local guide.

Bologna is known as a culinary hotspot, and this walking tour offers an excellent overview of the city’s food scene. Visit a historic center with local food boutiques in addition to several cafes. Sample the city’s culinary offerings including wines, cheese, pasta, espresso, and either gelato or cake depending on the season.

Treat your hungry self to a food tour of Bologna, and discover why the city is known for its love of gastronomy. With a local guide, you’ll savor breakfast, then sample fresh pasta, balsamic vinegar, cheese, wine, gelato, and even a secret dish—to be revealed on the tour. Explore the city by foot in between tastings, and learn about Bologna and its food heritage through the tour. Just let the local supplier know in advance if you have special dietary requirements.

Explore the culinary traditions of Bologna with this half-day food tour. Join a guide for a small-group walking tour and taste local specialties such as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Bolognese ragu, and mortadella. Begin the tour with a gourmet coffee, visit markets, and meet artisans at work to see how tortellini are made. Lunch at a historic osteria and a gelato tasting are included.

Feel like you're exploring Rome with a local friend who knows all the best places to go, see and eat on a private half-day walking tour. Get introduced to the layout of the sprawling city and its major sights, plus explore historic bridges, hidden squares, and lively neighborhoods not on the typical tourist path. Learn what it's like to actually live in the ancient capital, and get personalized tips on how to make the most of your Roman holiday.

Eat your way through Bologna's culinary scene on a private food tour. Go on a delicious journey as you try 10 of the best food items beloved by the locals: from savory to sweet and local drinks; this tour will leave every foodie satisfied! Enjoy tastings typical of the local cuisine and hand-picked by a local guide passionate about food like Tortellini fritti and Formaggio Bianco Bologna. But that's not it! This tour is more than just food; it's a cultural experience! In between food stops, you'll also find city highlights making this experience a well-rounded tour that will satisfy every foodie. Withlocals The 10 Tastings Private Food Tour™ is one of Withlocals' signature tours available in major cities worldwide. We work with passionate local guides who earn a fair fee. We support local economies by only offering local produce and prevent over-tourism with only small non-intrusive groups. Our tours are carbon-neutral and away from the standard tourist routes.

Follow your senses — and a gourmet guide — around Italy’s culinary capital on a private food tour in Bologna. Remove the guesswork from choosing eateries and let a local show you the best delis, cafes, markets, and bakeries scattered through the historic city center. Sample Bolognese specialties like tortellini and mortadella, discover new favorite dishes, and rest your feet over an aperitif at an open-air market.

Explore the historic streets of Bologna with a private guide leading the way during this walking tour. See top landmarks including Piazza Maggiore, taste espresso under the famous portici (arched colonnades), and wander through the Montagnola Market. The itinerary can be customized according to your interests.

Take home little pieces of heaven one bite at a time. Walk with our guide through the center of Bologna, tasting the culture and tradition of the culinary art of Bologna Between stories of history and tastings of Bolognese specialties you can taste every specialty of the region. Explore the historic markets of the city and with our guide discover the typical aromas and flavors of the Bolognese culinary tradition

The city of Bologna is a rich tapestry of art, culture, cuisine, and music—a UNESCO–listed gem in the heart of Italy. On this morning or afternoon walking tour, follow your guide through Bologna’s medieval streets and find out what makes the city special. Hear the stories behind top attractions including Piazza Maggiore, the Quadrilatero, and the 14th-century San Petronio Basilica, and gain insight into Bologna’s colorful past.

Discover Bologna through a literary lens on a 3-hour private walking tour. Follow your local guide to the city’s world renowned libraries, along with charming independent bookstores. Learn about the archeological site on which the university library stands today and see special spots in the city which inspired some of its most famous authors. Bookworms, history nuts, and Italophiles alike, are sure to find the personalized tour an enriching experience.

This walking tour was created for those who are in the city and do not want to miss the chance to admire the beauties of Bologna but at the same time savor the flavors of typical products such as salumi, crescentine and good wine. Piazza Maggiore, Palazzo Daccursio, Via d'azeglio, Archiginnasio, are just some of the destinations you can admire. The market of the quadrilateral will welcome you with its ancient perfumes where you can taste the authenticity of high quality products Absolutely not to be missed

This is not just another city tour; this is the best of Bologna from a unique perspective! Get to know Bologna on a city tour that gives you the perfect overview, with city highlights, hidden gems, storytelling, and a local treat - this tour has it all! Forget about big touristy groups and the crowds; it's time to see Bologna at its best but from the eyes of a local. Check out main landmarks like Piazza Maggiore, Quadrilatero, Due Torri and uncover hidden gems and city secrets with the help of a knowledgeable local guide. And the cherry on top, a local treat is included. Withlocals Highlights & Hidden Gems Private City Tour™ is one of Withlocals' signature tours available in major cities worldwide. We work with passionate local guides who earn a fair fee. We support local economies by only offering local produce and prevent over-tourism with only small non-intrusive groups. Our tours are carbon-neutral and away from the standard tourist routes.

Bologna’s traditional cuisine is so important to the city’s identity that it is known affectionately as “La Grassa”, or “The Fat Lady”. With this walking tour, explore both the cultural and culinary highlights of this vibrant city, taking in its main square, churches, and towers, as well as strolling through the historic market to sample local specialties and wines—all while learning about their history and significance with a guide.

A walking tour dedicated to the secrets of the Bolognese hill. In the monasteries and in the cenobies of the hill the communities of friars who hosted the pilgrims going to the city met, the bishops many centuries later built their villas here, and the great hydraulic projects to bring the fresh water of the hill took place in this wild corner and wooded in the city. Our itinerary touches some of the wonders preserved in this part of the city, where nature and architecture come together in a unique union. The red and yellow colors of the villas, Renaissance churches and medieval cenobies (ancient medieval monasteries) blend with the light yellowish and white colors of the badlands and clay. Large wooded gardens are the setting for these architectural wonders.