It’s no secret that Italy is known for its world-class food, but you’d be remiss if you didn’t visit one of the country’s culinary hotspots: Bologna.
This gastronomic gem is renowned for its rich hulinary heritage and mouthwatering dishes carefully prepared with fresh produce, aged cheeses, succulent meats, and handmade sauces.
However, if you really want to get a solid grasp on their authentic cuisine, it isn’t likely to fall into your lap at one of the most popular restaurants.
I recommend instead going on one of the 7 top Bologna food tours that I’ve carefully curated on this guide, that are all worth your time and money. Let’s jump right in!
Best Food Tours in Bologna
| Bologna Food Tour from a Local Perspective | Bologna Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours | Bologna Food Experience: Factory Tours & Family-Style Lunch | |
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| Location: | Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, P.za di Porta Ravegnana, Bologna | Piazza della Mercanzia, 4, 40125 Bologna | Piazza XX Settembre, 40121 Bologna |
| Start: | 10:00 AM | Between 9:45 AM to 3:30 PM | 7:00 AM |
| Duration: | 4.5 hours | 4 hours | 8.5 hours |
| Includes: | Small-group tour, Food tasting at six stops and taste more than 20 local specialties, Lunch, Breakfast, Tour escort/host | Parmigiano Reggiano, 2 traditional types of homemade pastas, Prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella Bologna and many more regional cold cuts, Artisanal gelato, A selection of local wines | Round-trip transport to and from Bologna, food tastings, lunch with paired wines, breakfast, driver/guide, coffee and/or tea, alcoholic beverages |
Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated Bologna Food Tours For 2024
- Bologna Food Tour from a Local Perspective
- Bologna Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours
- Bologna Food Experience: Factory Tours & Family-Style Lunch
- The Award-Winning PRIVATE Food Tour of Bologna: 6 or 10 Tastings
- Classic Bologna Food Tour
- Bologna Gastronomic Experience with a Local
- Bologna Traditional Food Tour – Do Eat Better Experience
Bologna Food Tour Reviews
1. Bologna Food Tour from a Local Perspective
- Duration: 4.5 hours
- Departure: Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, P.za di Porta Ravegnana, Bologna
- Departure Time: 10:00 AM
- Includes: Small-group tour, Food tasting at six stops and taste more than 20 local specialties, Lunch, Breakfast, Tour escort/host
Sure, you could explore Bologna’s culinary scene by doing some research and creating an itinerary from your own findings. However, I’m willing to bet that you’ll taste much more authentic food and have an all-around more enriching experience if you let a professional guide do it for you.
That’s just a part of what you’ll get with the Bologna Food Tour from a Local Perspective, where they plan a delicious breakfast and lunch during the day for you.
Starting off by meeting your guide around 10:00 am, this tour is a great way to try a couple of fantastic meals, learn about the local food, and still be back in time for afternoon and evening plans.
Our guide was very friendly and did a great job of answering all of our questions, taking us to a couple of little hidden gems along the way. We started things out with a delicious Italian breakfast consisting of a cappuccino and cornetto, which is essentially like an Italian croissant.
Our first stop of the day was at this charming little pasta workshop where we got to see how they handmake their pasta using centuries-old techniques and traditions! I can see why they haven’t needed to change things over hundreds of years – it was incredible!
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They even have a little shop inside (do not miss this!) where they sell all kinds of phenomenal cold meats and aged Parmigiano Reggiano which I purchased and actually had shipped home!
Next up, we visited Italy’s oldest market which is a foodie paradise, bustling with all kinds of interesting artisanal crafts and food stalls that not only offered tasty food, but insight into how things were during medieval times!
Afterward, we strolled on over to the Piazza Maggiore, which is Bologna’s main square filled with interesting architecture, art, and plenty of stories!
This tour wouldn’t be complete wtihout a mouthwatering lunch consisting of 3 types of handmade pasta and some of the best wines in the country, all while learning about the techniques that make each one so great!
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. Bologna Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours
- Duration: 4 hours
- Departure: Piazza della Mercanzia, 4, 40125 Bologna
- Departure Time: Between 9:45 AM to 3:30 PM
- Includes: Local welcoming sweet, Parmigiano Reggiano, 2 traditional types of homemade pastas, Prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella Bologna and many more regional cold cuts, 8-12-25 year old Aged Balsamic vinegar from Modena, Artisanal gelato, Delicious Secret Dish, A selection of local wines (red and white), Espresso or macchiato, Local liquor
Something that I love about Italian food, is that you can almost taste the warmth and hospitality that’s gone into each aspect of a dish.
The Bologna Walking Food Tour with Secret Food Tours experience really highlights that, along with the city’s love for gastronomy and tradition. Our local guide was perfect for the tour, offering up a warm personality, knowledge of food and Italian culture, and plenty of enthusiasm!
This tour kicks off at the Palazzo della Mercanzia, setting the tone for an afternoon full of learning, seeing, and tasting Bologna’s culinary scene.
Dating back to the 14th century, the central square boasts historical significance and architectural grandeur, with its San Petronio wooden statue offering a certain allure referring to the city’s deep-rooted religious heritage.
We learned all about how it was once the central hub for Bologna’s economic and commercial activities, and how the city was one of the most important for rade and commerce during that time.
Right next to it is the famous Quadrilatero neighborhood known for its captivating medieval streets, traditional porticoes, and busy markets filled with locals haggling over fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and many other artisanal delights.
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The vibe is definitely a sensory overload, but it’s also a must-visit for any foodie interested in trying traditional bites, as well as the history behind them.
I think the market does a great job of encapsulating the vibrant spirit of Bologna while letting us learn about the cooked and cured meats, and the history behind some of their most famous foods.
I definitely ate more than I comfortably should have, but the combined historical facts, fun atmosphere, and obviously amazing food made it hard to resist!
I was grateful for our walk over to the Basilica di San Petronio which gave us the opportunity to digest and appreciate one of the largest, most beautiful churches in the world. Overall, it was a fantastic way to spend a few hours in this legendary city, with some of the best company I could ask for!
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Bologna Food Experience: Factory Tours & Family-Style Lunch
- Duration: 8.5 hours
- Departure: Piazza XX Settembre, 40121 Bologna
- Departure Time: 7:00 AM
- Includes: Round-trip transport to and from Bologna, food tastings, lunch with paired wines, breakfast, driver/guide, coffee and/or tea, alcoholic beverages, air-conditioned vehicle
If the other tours have caught your attention but you’re looking for something a bit more extensive, look no further than this next tour!
The Bologna Food Experience: Factory Tours & Family-Style Lunch is an all-day adventure that will take you to the gorgeous Emilia-Romagna countryside to experience some of the best cheeses, cakes, and other traditional foods from this area!
It’s a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and get out into the fresh air to enjoy hundreds of years of flavors that have been meticulously perfected over time.
In order to make the most of the day, our tour started early in the morning with a convenient pickup right from our hotel lobby.
We had a private minivan take us and the rest of our party out to the countryside, with our guide driving expertly and regaling us with all kinds of fun facts and historical knowledge as we drove along.
I learned that Parmigiano Reggiano is also only made early in the morning, and by arriving early we were actually able to see the cheesemakers take us through every step of making it in real-time!
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Oh, and they weren’t so cruel as to just let us watch and learn – we actually got to touch and sample the delicious cheese as well as an array of aged samples!
Next up was Monteveglio where we went to a prosciutto factory to try the buttery, savory treats. I actually admit that I wasn’t previously a fan of prosciutto before this trip, but trying the best of the best along with a wonderful glass of Lambrusco completely changed things for me!
One of the highlights of this tour was arriving in the beautiful Modena to try their traditional balsamic vinegar, along with salami, mortadella, homemade bread, cake, wine, and coffee!
The hosts were super friendly and evidently very passionate about what they do, sharing their valuable knowledge with us and answering all of our questions. If you’re looking to really dive in deep into the nuances and history behind this incredible cuisine, this trip is well worth it.
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. The Award-Winning PRIVATE Food Tour of Bologna: 6 or 10 Tastings
- Duration: 3 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: Check with tour operator
- Includes: Private Personalized Tour 6 or 10 food & drinks tastings of high quality local products – depends on option booked, Vegetarian alternatives – please message your host to advise of any dietary requirements, Sustainable carbon neutral experience (B-Corp), PRIVATE multilingual local foodie guide
If you’re looking to go out on the town to try some new food and drink in Bologna, you may be better off doing something a bit more immersive!
The Award-Winning PRIVATE Food Tour of Bologna: 6 or 10 Tastings is the perfect alternative, providing you wiht a foodie guide to show you and your private group the best of the best. You’ll get to visit some of the best eateries in the city, sampling 10 local gems as you learn about the artistry and history behind each one.
Something that intimidated me a bit when I first arrived in Bologna was the language barrier, and how I simply didn’t have enough knowledge of the language to know exactly what I was ordering.
Not only that, but there are many gastronomical terms in Italian that can be challenging, aside from the basic food terminology.
This tour gave me all the peace of mind in the world, knowing that my guide had my back and was there to guide us through every step of the way – all we had to worry about was figuring out what to eat first!
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At Piazza Maggiore, we met up with our guide and went through a quick little walking tour of the beautiful architecture and sculptures that made up the central plaza.
We then made the short walk over to Quadrilatero, where we got to see how this very old market operated all the way back to medieval times! We tried so many samples of everything you could imagine, from tortellini fritti and formaggio bianco – a great way to try many things you may not otherwise know you like!
As we ate, we learned about the dishes, ending up in the Piazza del Nettuno where we headed to a couple of other incredible eateries. He even took us to his favorite gelato shop and a delicious balsamic tasting, which actually tasted almost like dessert, too!
This was such a fulfilling, stomach-filling experience that I’d recommend it to literally any friends or family members!
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Classic Bologna Food Tour
- Duration: 4 hours
- Departure: Bar Romano, Via de’ Pignattari, 1c, 40124 Bologna BO
- Departure Time: 9:30 AM
- Includes: Breakfast with gourmet coffee, different tastings including cured meat, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar and more, artisan gelato tasting, local English-speaking guide, tortellini or tortelloni
If it’s your first time in Bologna and you’d like to dive right in to the very best the culinary scene has to offer, this tour is for you. It’s a wonderful way to gain some instant favorite spots, with plenty of hidden gems that you likely wouldn’t have discovered without your local guide!
The Classic Bologna Food Tour is a no-frills, all delicious food experience with a small group that makes it easy to socialize and ask questions.
The tour starts out by meeting your guide at Bar Romano, which is located centrally and should be easy for anyone to get to. Our guide was very friendly and clearly knowledgeable not only about the food of Bologna, but about the city’s history and traditions.
Not only that, but he was actually a professional chef who offered an endless stream of interesting facts and stories about different dishes. One of my favorite parts of the tour was being able to see how they make and learn how to make tortellini ourselves, from clear experts.
It gave me a whole new appreciation for pasta, and the time and love that goes in to making it!
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The sampling of parmigiano Reggiano cheese (both young and aged), Bolognese ragu, and mortadella was also appeasing to my tastebuds.
I had a fantastic time at the succulent lunch that we had after in the bar with a lively atmosphere, friendly locals, and attentive staff who were there to help us, making the time fly by!
The tour was a great balance of exploring on foot, learning about history and traditions, as well as actually sampling the food and drinks, and learning what we like. If you’re new to Italian food or would simply like to delve in deeper, please give this one a go.
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
6. Bologna Gastronomic Experience with a Local
- Duration: 3 hours
- Departure: Fontana del Nettuno, Piazza del Nettuno, 40124 Bologna
- Departure Time: 10:00 AM & 5:00 PM
- Includes: Dinner, lunch, alcoholic beverages
I can’t count how many times I’ve been in a foreign city and wish that I had a local friend to take me around to all their favorite spots, hidden away or off the beaten path.
I’m someone who always tries to do as the locals do, enjoying a place the way I believe it was meant to be – but it’s not always so easy! That’s why there are tours like the Bologna Gastronomic Experience with a Local tour, where they’ll take you out to the best places only locals know about!
If you’re looking to go to a nice restaurant for a meal, I highly recommend trying out this tour, instead. It’s a few hours long, so a bit longer than what you’d likely spend at a restaurant, however, you get to try a lunch and dinner with an expert there to guide you.
This gastronomic journey is anything but a one-note, taking you through an impressive tasting of 15+ different foods and wine!
Our guide was such a lovely person: right off the bat she was warm, knowledgeable, and fun, doing a fantastic job of describing the food and the history surrounding it.
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I am a history buff, so I really enjoyed the way she intertwined it all so I didn’t have to go and take a separate tour for that, alone! We started things off by trying the traditional pre-aperitivo, la Tigella, which is a kind of flatbread with deliciosu meats and cheeses in the middle!
After that, we headed to a stunning market to buy and taste a wide array of different cold cuts, cheeses, and breads, offering some nice insight into the expanse of Bolognese flavors.
Oh, and it would be sacrilige to not pair them all with some of the best wines from the oldes Osteria of Bologna! To wrap things up, we took a casual stroll about the old towne centre, trying 2 delicious homemade pastas paired with more wine, with some of the best gelato around as dessert!
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
7. Bologna Traditional Food Tour – Do Eat Better Experience
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Departure: Feltrinelli Librerie, P.za di Porta Ravegnana, 1, 40126 Bologna
- Departure Time: 12:00 & 6:30 PM
- Includes: Bottled water, dinner, food tasting, snacks, lunch, coffee and/or tea, alcoholic beverages
Last but certainly not least, is the Bologna Traditional Food Tour – Do Eat Better Experience! This 3.5-hour excursion is perfect if you’ve just arrived in Bologna for the first time and want to dive headfirst into the thriving culinary scene.
It’s not one of those cookie-cutter, big group experiences where it just feels impersonal and like the guides are rattling off the same old facts.
Rather, this tour is a much more personalized, intimate experience with a small group size to ensure everyone receives adequate attention and a more authentic time.
After all, you’re not going to see locals moving about the city in a huge mob! The restaurants are often quite small as well, so to make everything feasible, a small group tour is ideal.
After meeting our local expert guide, we started off by passing the beautiful Fontana del Nettuno and trying the fresh Ragu alla Bolognese Tagliatelle with Parmesan Cheese, which was definitely not like anything I’d tried at Olive Garden.
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We learned why this dish was so quintessentially “Bolognese”, before trying some locally-made Tigelle, which is the perfect street food to munch on while exploring.
After that, we had a veal meat in a rich and tasty sauce made wtih cream and parmesan cheese and topped with smoked ham, which is then baked in an oven.
Despite how mouthwatering everything was, my favorite part was definitely the yummy artisanal gelato for dessert, which had a billion different flavors! It’s a great way to learn more about local culture, cuisine, and history, in just a few hours!
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Foods Tasted
Tour Guides
Value
The Bologna Food Tour from a Local Perspective is our Editors Choice the best Bologna food tour
