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.

Watch fresh pasta being made from scratch, then sample their best batch
Hear tips on shopping in Bologna for the beloved Parmigiano Reggiano
Learn about the ageing of balsamic vinegar on a visit to an authentic bottega
Find the most interesting stalls at Bologna’s food market, the Quadrilatero

What's Included

Local welcoming sweet
Parmigiano Reggiano
Two 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
Our delicious Secret Dish
A selection of local wines (red and white)
Espresso or macchiato
Local liquor

Hotel pickup
Hotel drop-off
Transportation

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Piazza della Mercanzia, 4, 40125 Bologna BO, Italy
We'll meet at Palazzo della Mercanzia, Piazza della Mercanzia 4, 40125, Bologna, Italy.

End point

Piazza of Santo Stefano
Piazza Santo Stefano, 40125 Bologna BO, Italy
Our Bologna food tour will end in Piazza Santo Stefano (St Stephen Square) Via Santo Stefano, 40125 Bologna BO, Italy. If you need any route/directions advice, feel free to ask your guide at the end of the tour.

What To Expect

Palazzo della Mercanzia

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Quadrilatero

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Basilica di San Petronio

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
We strongly advise wearing comfortable walking shoes to all of our guests. Our tour runs a little over 3 hours.
*Please note: the itinerary and menu is subject to change, based on the locations' availability, weather, and other circumstances.
Due to the nature of creating a well balanced and thoughtful gastronomy experience, many of our tours are unable to accommodate certain dietary restrictions. Please contact us prior to booking your tour to see if we are able to accommodate your dietary needs.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Elena_G

Lovely tour guide Gabriele was delightful. Thankyou the food choices were perfect. I like the small group. Gabriele was great with all the background knowledge of the food.

Reviews

5.0

636 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 636 reviews

Great tour. Highly recommended

FunCho_Y, Apr 2024

Caterina was a great guide. Our tour was absolutely wonderful and everyone in our party really enjoyed it.

Great tour

Karen_W, Apr 2024

Matteo was a great guide. He knew everything about Bologna’s history and the food of Bologna. Very enjoyable and informative.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for sharing your positive feedback, Karen. We strive to ensure our guests have memorable experiences, and it's fantastic to know we succeeded with your tour. We'd love to welcome you on another culinary adventure soon!

Meats & cheeses & wine oh my!

Steven_N, Apr 2024

Very good food tour in Bologna, we had a rainy day but the friendly guide Catarina made the best of it by taking us through the historical town and giving us history while supplying us with plenty of food and drink. Watching the women make the tortellini wad a highlight, it was nice hearing from the source about the famous pasta.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your positive feedback, Steven! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed our Bologna Walking Food Tour despite the rainy weather. We look forward to welcoming you on another culinary adventure soon.

Well worth it if your a foodie

Steve_B, Apr 2024

Our friendly guide chatted us through the city center with plenty of food and snacks with some bonus wine tastings. Fun stories and good information. Even fun in the cold rain

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thanks for joining us, Steve! Don't forget, Secret Food Tours offers experiences like this in over 60 cities worldwide.

Go taste some food!

Karen_B, Apr 2024

Learned a lot about the history of Bologna which was very nice since we have never been there. The food tour was excellent, and the guide was fun and knowledgeable.

Do this!

Cassie_P, Apr 2024

Strolling through the neighborhood and picking up bread here and meets there and then taking them to the public house to “break bread” and sample local wines! Our tour guide Sonia was fantastic!

Lovely tour guide...

Elena_G, Apr 2024

Lovely tour guide Gabriele was delightful. Thankyou the food choices were perfect. I like the small group. Gabriele was great with all the background knowledge of the food.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your kind words, Elena! It's fantastic to know that you appreciated our selections and Gabriele's expertise. We hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon.

Bologna food tour

Mei_Y, Apr 2024

We really enjoyed our tour with Gabriele as our guide. He was very friendly and exceptional in his knowledge. The food was also very tasty!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We strive to provide exceptional culinary experiences in Bologna, Mei, and we're grateful for your positive feedback. Wherever you go next, we're here to explore with you!

Foodie fun!

Michael_O, Apr 2024

Our guide Stefania was excellent! She told us lots of history about Bologna as well as the unique food traditionally served in the city. We enjoyed seeing the city at night, too.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your wonderful feedback! Nighttime tours definitely offer a unique perspective - showcasing the city's charm under the stars. Hope to see you again soon!

Bologna - secret food tour is a must

Nathalie_S, Apr 2024

Mattia was very insightful and the tour was very interesting and yummy! We visited some unique places and saw how tortellini is made.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you, Nathalie, for your kind words. We'd love to welcome you to our food adventures once more whenever you're ready for your next culinary journey!

Great tour, great guide

Emma_I, Apr 2024

Absolutely fantastic tour today. Great food and drinks, with a really knowledgable tour guide Marco who made it a highlight of my trip to Bologna

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We appreciate your 5 star review, Emma. Marco is indeed incredibly knowledgeable, and we're delighted he made your experience a highlight of your trip. Thank you for choosing Secret Food Tours!

Worth it!

Hallie_Z, Apr 2024

Good amount of time to explore many areas of Bologna. Nice variety of foods and host was extremely knowledgeable and fun to talk to!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We're glad you enjoyed exploring the diverse culinary offerings of Bologna with us, Hallie. We look forward to welcoming you on another gastronomic adventure soon!

Food Adventure

Tanisha_J, Apr 2024

As a family, we were able to enjoy great food from Bologna. My husband enjoyed tasting the balsamic vinegar. My niece likes the food accommodation. My two youngest ones enjoyed watching people making pasta and eating pasta, and my oldest son had fun tasting the wine. This was an excellent way to understand and try some Italian cuisines. My family enjoys this and wasn’t hungry afterward. Gabriel fed us with a wealth of knowledge during our tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you, Tanisha, for sharing your wonderful experience. We're delighted to have left your family with lasting memories of Italian cuisine. Looking forward to welcoming you to our tours in over 60 cities worldwide!

Caterina, you rock.

Joelle_G, Mar 2024

Caterina was a great tour guide with some interesting facts and places to show us. She even gave us a list of recommendations for the area. I highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in learning about the beautiful city of Bologna.

Fantastic Food Tour!

Inna_H, Mar 2024

Gabriele was very knowledgeable! We enjoyed our tour and got a lot of useful information. He also helped us out with dinner reservations!

Sonia was a great tour...

Michael_H, Mar 2024

Sonia was a great tour guide. Loved being in the pasta factory and learning about the deep history of Bologna.

Tasty tour.

Angie_T, Mar 2024

Our family of 5 had a great time on this food tour in March 2024. We were able to taste a variety of foods while walking through the streets of Bologna. We tried a sweet ravioli treat, visited a pasta lab to watch a team make fresh pasta, tasted a variety of cold cuts from the region while tasting some regional wine, had a delicious pasta lunch with wine, sampled balsamic vinegar, a traditional dessert and gelato. We all enjoyed the city and the food. Claire, our guide was wonderful with lots of information about the city and the different foods that we tasted.

Highly recommend- amazing!

Monica_B, Mar 2024

Gabriele was an amazing tour guide- friendly, engaging, and passionate about Bologna and its food. Highly recommend- Bologna was our favorite stop of our trip, and a big part of that was this tour!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your review, Monica. Our guides are indeed passionate about showcasing the best of local cuisine and culture, and it's fantastic to hear that it was a highlight of your trip. We look forward to welcoming you back on another food adventure!

Great tour with a gastric guide

Kelsey_S, Mar 2024

The tour was a fantastic way to see the city and taste some of the culinary highlights that Bologna has to offer. Our guide, Claire was absolutely amazing. She is extremely knowledgeable, personable, and accommodating. Regarding the food, everything we sampled was delicious and it was very filling. Make sure you bring your appetite.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Your feedback is greatly appreciated, Kelsey, and we look forward to welcoming you on another adventure!

Fantastic Tour and Guide

Jennifer_M, Mar 2024

Caterina was a FANTASTIC guide. She was so knowledgeable about all things Bologna and it was a pleasure to experience so many new things. From pasta, to pastry, to gelato - everything was delicious. Highly recommend this tour and Caterina as your guide!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for choosing us to explore Bologna's vibrant food scene, Jennifer! We'll be sure to share your compliments to Caterina. We'll always be here to guide you through another delicious journey!

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