Top Bologna Unique Experiences

Skip the set itinerary and script of an organized tour and explore Bologna with a local host for a fully customized visit tailored to your pace and interests. Take in blockbuster attractions like Piazza Maggiore and the Due Torri plus delve into the parts of the city known only to locals to discover unique sights, favorite eateries, and little-known gems.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bologna is famous for its fresh pasta and with this private lesson you'll learn the tricks to turning out flawless tortellini, tagliatelle, and other handmade pastas like a local with a Bolognese home cook. Roll up your sleeves and prepare three traditional types of pasta under the guidance of your host in her home kitchen, then sample your creations at a family-style meal complete with wine.

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.

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.

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.

Bologna is famous for its luscious tortellini, so there’s no better place to learn how to make these stuffed morsels of fresh pasta. Join a local in her home kitchen to try your hand at kneading and rolling out dough and hand-shaping each tiny round bite with a small group. Then gather around the table for a family-style meal featuring the tortellini you’ve made together followed by authentic tiramisù.

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.

Italians have been producing wine for thousands of years. Get a unique insight into the wine-making experience on a visit to a family-owned winery. Explore the vineyards and cellars, then sample three of their finest wines paired with food on a terrace with views of wine country. Choose between morning and afternoon tours.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bologna is the epicenter of Italy’s food scene so there’s no better city to pick up tips for preparing Italian dishes than this culinary capital. Join a local host for a shopping trip through the neighborhood market, where you’ll choose ingredients that catch your eye. Then head to your host’s home kitchen to create two dishes using your market bounty under her guidance and sample your handiwork served with regional wines.

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.