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Things to do in Bologna

This northern Italian city combines rich local cuisine, iconic luxury cars, and stunning towers and porticoes.

Our most recommended things to do in Bologna

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.

From Bologna: Roundtrip San Luca Train Ticket & Food Tasting

2. 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

3. 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: Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class at Local Home

4. Bologna: Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class at Local Home

Learn the secrets of Bologna’s most famous pasta dishes and tiramisu in a local home, and then taste the fruits of your labor for lunch or dinner accompanied by regional wines. During a private cooking lesson from a friendly local host, learn how to prepare 2 distinctive pasta recipes and a tiramisu dessert from scratch. Your expert cesarina host will reveal the tricks of the trade behind these iconic dishes during a fun and informative experience.  Challenge yourself by putting your cooking skills to the test and impress your friends and family once home with a delicious Italian meal.

Bologna: Ferrari VIP Experience with Test Drive and Museum

5. Bologna: Ferrari VIP Experience with Test Drive and Museum

Live a whole day immersed in the Ferrari legend. This incredible tour will take you to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, where you will have the opportunity to relive the history of the Prancing Horse and experience the Ferrari F1 Simulator. Followed by a guided shuttle tour of the Ferrari Citadel in which the guide will share information about the factory, the history of the Fiorano racetrack and the entire Ferrari Citadel, which still retains the original entrance door to the factory. After this journey through the history of the brand, it's time to feel the power of the Prancing Horse! Enjoy a test drive with a Ferrari on the streets of Maranello for an unforgettable experience. To conclude the day, enjoy a complete lunch at the "Cavallino" restaurant, by the renowned chef Massimo Bottura.

Bologna: Torre degli Asinelli Entrance Ticket & Food Tasting

6. Bologna: Torre degli Asinelli Entrance Ticket & Food Tasting

Take in the incredible views from the tallest leaning medieval tower in the world, built between 1109 and 1119. The panoramic view from the Torre degli Asinelli will take your breath away.  After the tower visit, enjoy a food tasting of Bologna's typical products in the city center.

Bologna: Red Bus City Tour and Local Food Tasting

7. 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

8. 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.

From Bologna: Parma Cheese & Ham Factory Tours and Tastings

9. From Bologna: Parma Cheese & Ham Factory Tours and Tastings

This tour of Parmesan excellence starts from the Bologna train station where our staff will provide you with tickets for the train from Bologna to Parma and back. Once in Parma you will meet outside the Parma train station with our staff who will will welcome you and make you sit on our minibus or Van. The first stop will be the producer of Parmigiano Reggiano where it will be possible to directly witness the processing of Parmigiano Reggiano. The tour begins at the dairy, a room where the milk is cooked in the so-called "caldere" from which the wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano are then extracted. It will then be possible to visit the brine room and the maturing warehouse in which it will be possible to try to "beat" the Parmigiano Reggiano as the experts of the Consortium do. At the end of the tour there will be a tasting of Parmigiano Reggiano of different ages accompanied by typical mustards and local red wine. We then continue to the ham factory, where the famous Parma ham is born. The visit starts from the rooms where the fresh pork meat is processed and where only the best legs are selected for Parma ham. We then continue in the maturing cellars where the "sugnatura" will be explained and where the Parma hams will be "tapped" in the presence of visitors to discover their aromas and evaluate their goodness. At the end tasting of ham and wine from the hills and then return to the city.

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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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

4.5 / 5

based on 1,348 reviews

This class really was superb. Alessandra is extremely friendly, knowledgeable and patient also :) My wife and I had a great time making (and consuming) three different types of pasta along with some lovely sparkling wine. Alessandra also had a great 80s playlist playing in the background which I enjoyed very much :) We learned so much about Bologna, the origins behind the pasta we were making; I can't recommend Alessandra and the class itself highly enough.

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 :)

Hello, the castle and the gardens are magnificent. The queue of around 2 hours under the sun is human, to the point that when we arrive inside we are stressed, tired and we appreciate it moderately. Moreover, a little disappointment when visiting the rooms which look more like a museum in a row than 1 castle as we dream of it.

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

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