Top Bologna Unique Experiences

Follow one of our friendly hosts around the walled medieval city as they show you the best of what their home has to offer. You’ll feel as if you’re exploring the vibrant piazzas and cobbled stone streets with a friend as you pop into stores, marvel at the towering turrets of the Due Torri and enjoy a creamy gelato. Whether you want to tick off the most famous attractions like Piazza Maggiore, San Petronio Church, Mercato di Mezzo and the Fontana di Nettuno or simply amble down the sidewalks and follow your feet, the day is yours! Within 24 hours after booking you'll receive a short questionnaire about your personality and interests. Based on your responses, you'll be assigned a like-minded host. Your host will communicate with you directly to suggest an itinerary to help you discover what makes the city unique. You will also agree on a meeting time and place. Your itinerary is flexible, so during the experience, you can always change your mind about what you want to do.

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.

Discover the secrets to Bolognese cuisine in a local’s home with this half-day private cooking class. Learn how to prepare fresh stuffed pasta including tortellini and tortelloni during this hands-on class. After the pasta workshop, relax over a meal to sample what you prepared alongside local red and white wines.

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.

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.

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.

Get a feel for Bologna on an intimate private walking tour. In addition to navigating and translating, your guide customizes the day’s itinerary according to your interests, planning stops at top landmarks and hidden gems loved by locals. Leave with an inside perspective on the city and a handle on its layout and transit system.

Discover the delights of Italian home cooking with this private dining experience at a Cesarina's home in Bologna. Enjoy a 4-course meal that consists of an appetizer, pasta, main course with a side dish, and dessert, and try a selection of wines from Tuscany. Finally, receive a keepsake souvenir from your welcoming host to take back home.

Learn to make fresh pasta from scratch with a small-group cooking class in a home kitchen, where you’ll sip a glass of wine or beer as you make batches of tortellini and tagliatelle. When you’ve prepared the fresh pasta, sit down to the gourmet meal you’ve created, joining a group of fellow food-loving travelers for a hearty dinner.

Immerse yourself in a private pasta-making class at the Cesarina's home, learn the secrets of the region's most famous pasta dishes and taste the fruit of your labour accompanied by a glass of local wine. You'll have a fully equipped workstation with utensils and ingredients and your local host will reveal the tricks of the trade of 3 authentic regional pasta recipe, handed down by generations of mammas and nonnas. After the class, sit down at the table with your Italian family and taste everything you have prepared accompanied by a selection of local wines. This experience is held by Cesarine, Italy’s oldest network of home cooks and wine experts. Cesarine are passionate and welcoming hosts that open the doors of their own homes to curious travellers for immersive culinary experiences. Every host is reviewed for authentic culinary traditions.

If you go to Bologna, you have to try the fresh pasta the city is famous for: tiny handmade tortellini!. Let a local explain the art of pasta-making to you! We are the “Cesarine”, the Emperors of the kitchen, Italy’s oldest network of home cooks. We have seen our mothers and grandmothers prepare these dishes every Sunday, we have cooked them over and over again for our families, and now we share our skills with curious travellers like you. Come to our homes and immerse yourself in a hands-on cooking class. Learn how to make an egg “fontana”, knead elastic pasta dough, stretch it until it becomes almost transparent and prepare fresh filling with local ingredients. Sip some wine while you learn and chat with new acquaintances. After the cooking class, let’s taste the fruit of our labour: We share the freshly made pasta around the table in a comfortable home and have an Italian style meal. Dessert, local wine and espresso at the end of the meal are included! Buon appetito!

Get out of the stale tourist restaurant scene and into your host's kitchen and pasta workshop with this private cooking class. Learn how to roll, cut, and cook pasta—from tagliatelle to tortellini to passatelli. Cook for about an hour with your host, who may include some Pugliese dishes in addition to local ones in the mix, and then sit down to enjoy your creations. A great way to learn about Italian cuisine and culture from a local.

Learn the secrets behind traditional recipes from Bologna during this private cooking class, complete with a local market visit. Get tips for selecting the best ingredients at the market and then settle into the chef’s home in the Bologna city center for a cooking class. Prepare three courses and then feast on everything you cook alongside a variety of local red and white wines.

Experience Bologna your way on a custom private 8-hour tour. A bespoke itinerary is created just for you, based on your unique interests. Visit iconic attractions, like Piazza Maggiore and the Fountain of Neptune, or discover the hidden corners of a particular neighborhood. Whatever you decide, your Bolognese guide is with you every step of the way. Leave with exclusive recommendations on things to see, do, and eat with the rest of your trip.

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.

You’ll join one of our friendly hosts and explore the plant-based side of Bologna, which few visitors taste! Begin your experience by strolling through the Botanical Gardens, getting a feel for the indigenous plants that grow there. Afterward, you might like to try out one of the innovative vegan bistros in the city, like Botanica Lab or Centro Natura. All dishes are made with fresh, seasonal products and will suit all tastes. Within 24 hours after booking you'll receive a short questionnaire about your personality and interests. Based on your responses, you'll be assigned a like-minded host. Your host will communicate with you directly to suggest an itinerary to help you discover what makes the city unique. You will also agree on a meeting time and place. Your itinerary is flexible, so during the experience, you can always change your mind about what you want to do.

Italy's Cesarina program connects travelers with local "home cooks," known as cesarinas, in an effort to promote the Mediterranean country's rich culinary traditions. With this experience, you'll get to join a ceserina as she shops in a local market, watch her make typically Bolognese preparations, and sit down to dine on a four-course meal, served with local wine.

Opt for a more intimate experience of Bologna’s legendary cuisine during a private pasta making masterclass in a local home. Rather than sharing your guide with a group, you’ll receive undivided attention as you make classic Italian dishes such as tagliatelle al ragu, a variation of spaghetti bolognese.

Have you ever been to a local market and traditional food shop in Italy? This is your chance to visit a market with a local expert, choose your most inspiring ingredients, and create and name your very own two recipes.  Go food shopping with your host and choose 3-5 staple ingredients that capture your imagination before immersing yourself in a private cooking class at their home. With their expert guidance, you will learn how to prepare your chosen ingredients and make your own two Italian creations. Cultivate your creativity and confidence in the kitchen by adding an Italian flair to your dishes. Then, taste everything you have prepared accompanied by a selection of red and white local wines. This experience is held by Cesarine: Italy’s oldest network of 1000+ home cooks all over the country in more than 500 cities. They are passionate and welcoming hosts that open the doors of their own homes to curious travellers for immersive culinary experiences.

Have your kids had enough of museums?  Take a tour that you the whole family will enjoy. With a private guide, you’ll learn about the history and culture of the city in a way that’s fun for both kids and adults. Take in the local parks, while your kids burn off some energy. Everyone will also be treated to complimentary gelato. Finally, get recommendations for kid-friendly restaurants and activities in Bologna.

Take the train from Bologna to explore the historic town of Modena with a local host. Visit landmarks including the Piazza Grande, which together with Modena Cathedral and Torre Civica hold UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Have lunch at a local restaurant that fits your style and budget, sampling the balsamic vinegar and Lambrusco wine the region is famous for. The experience is completely customized to your interests.

Discover why Italians call Bologna “La Grassa” (the fat one) on a 100% personalized private food experience with a local host hand-picked to suit your interests. Experience the city’s decadent cuisine and Emilia-Romagna’s fantastic produce as you share antipasti followed by two courses and two drinks per person at an authentic restaurant locals love. Leave with insider foodie tips to see you through your stay.

One of Bologna’s culinary treasures is the tortellino, but it takes a deft hand to turn out the perfect pasta morsel. Bring a bit of Bologna home with you by learning how to make this traditional dish with a local “cesarina”, or home cook, during this private cooking class. Prepare fresh pasta, roll out the dough, and stuff and shape each tortellino. Sample your handiwork during a festive meal with your host.

Soar up, up and away on a hot air balloon ride over the hills of Emilia-Romagna. The experience includes pickup and drop-off from Bologna, and the ride takes in sights of the region’s vineyard-speckled valleys and castles such as Castello Estense of Ferrara — a moated fortress with a drawbridge. Cap the experience with a glass of sparkling wine, and then relax on the journey back to Bologna. The hot air balloon holds up to five people in addition to the pilot.