Bologna City Walking Tour
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Bologna, Italy
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get more out of your visit to historic Bologna when you explore with a guide, all thanks to this time-maximizing highlights tour. Choose an English- or Italian-language tour, and set off with your guide to explore key city attractions, from the Quadrilatero market district to the Basilica of San Petronio. If you wish, upgrade to include three food vouchers, or add on a visit to the Archiginnasio building.
- This tour is a great choice for first-time or time-pressed Bologna visitors
- View many of the city's top historical landmarks, all in one trip
- Discover sights and stories you'd miss if exploring on your own
- Opt to extend your sightseeing with two different upgrade options
What's Included
- Welcome by the Bologna Tour staff
- Certified tour guide
- For those who buy option with Tour Archiginnasio, the visit to the palace will be at 14:10 or 17:00
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Piazza del Nettuno, 40124 Bologna BO, Italy
Meeting point at the Fountain of Neptune, in front of the statue and near the stairs of the Vittorio Emanuele bar.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Basilica Di San Petronio
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Piazza Santo Stefano
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Quadrilatero
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Le Due Torri Torre degli Asinell
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Archiginnasio Di Bologna
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- The tour may be in Italian-English dual language on some days
- On Sundays there is no entry to the Archiginnasio
- To access the Basilica of San Petronio you must have adequate clothing (covered shoulders and trousers / skirts at least up to the knee)
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 815 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Maria_M, Jul 2026
Our tour guide, Tamara was informative yet whimsical. Her enthusiasm for the city was clearly evident. The two hour tour covered many different parts of the city.
Robert_K, Jul 2026
The 2 hour walking tour of the city in the morning was very enjoyable and very educational. Bologna is a fascinating city with a rich (and old) history and our tour guide was excellent in presenting a wealth of information in a very engaging manner. Really new her stuff and was pleasant and funny as well. Also recommend the additional hour in the afternoon which visited the Archiginnassio (old seat of the University). Again, the guide was extremely knowledgeable and professional and the buildings provided a fascinating look at the first university in the world.
Jane_W, Jul 2026
We booked the English walking tour of Bologna and both really enjoyed it!
Our guide was very good and we learnt lots about the history of Bologna.
She was very good at relaying the information and a plus the whispers used were very good and we could hear everything.
Another thing I liked was we moved place to place and she gathered us around her and spoke to us. A lot of the tours we have been on in Europe the guide talks to you as you walk and you lose so much information so thank you for this.
Would definately recommend the walking tour.
I had added the food tastings which I could take or leave.
James_S, Jul 2026
We had a wonderful walking tour around Bologna. Our guide was superb. Clearly very passionate about the city and so knowledgeable. Thank you. We definitely recommend to others
David_A, Jun 2026
Very informative, historical and interesting. Bologna’s history is rich in commercial and scientific enterprise.
Kim_T, Jun 2026
Really inciteful walking tour around the city. Excellent, knowledgeable guide who shared lots of history and facts. Small group so plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Highly recommended.
Gina_F, Jun 2026
Do it! We learned a ton about the city and saw the major sites and monuments that my guidebook had recommended.
Olivia_G, Jun 2026
The walking tour is a nice way to learn about the history of Bologna and see some of the main landmarks. To enter the cathedral, you need to cover your shoulders and not be wearing shorts/dresses that are too short. Plan accordingly. It was our guide's first time doing this particular tour so it was a little less interactive that I had hoped but still very interesting.
David_B, May 2026
Very interesting tour; learned a lot about Bologna and its history and culture. Our guide was not only quite knowledgeable but also very articulate and enthusiastic. She knew so much detail!
Amir_G, May 2026
This is not really a walking tour as for the first 45 minutes you have to stand still in the middle of square listen to somebody rehearse you 2000 years of medieval history twice as fast the speed of a normal speech. The events he described were uninteresting, unrelated and the level of details irrelevant. You could not understand 80% of what he said as he spoke with a strong accent. You could see people getting bored stiff and wondering when this is going to end.
Mike_B, May 2026
The tour was limited. It did not get close to the leaning towers, it did not go to the anatomical theater and did not go to the canal window. Also, our guide struggled with English so it was difficult to know her command of Bologna history
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
We are sorry to hear that the tour did not fully meet your expectations. We would, however, like to clarify a few points for future readers.
All of our guides are fully licensed and certified professionals with extensive knowledge of Bologna’s history, culture, and landmarks. We take comments regarding language skills seriously and will certainly share your feedback with the guide involved as part of our ongoing quality improvement process.
Regarding the itinerary, the tour was conducted as described on the booking platform. The Anatomical Theatre is not included in this experience, and the Canal Window is likewise not listed among the sites visited during the tour. We always encourage guests to carefully review the itinerary details before booking to ensure the experience matches their expectations.
As for the Two Towers area, the tour includes a visit to the historic city center and the main highlights of Bologna, although the exact route may vary slightly depending on operational conditions, crowd levels, and the guide’s management of the group.
We appreciate your feedback and thank you for joining us in Bologna.
Katharina_D, May 2026
Tamara was an exceptional guide. She is personable and made learning about Bologna a fun experience. Our entire group took away the “5 words” so we will always remember our time in Bologna: red, puffy, learned, porticos, and towers. She also engaged the group and kept everyone interested and compelled. One of the best tours I have been on!
Michael_W, May 2026
Very informative tour about church history and plenty of stops on the walking tour. Very knowledgeable tour guide.
Carolyn_W, May 2026
Fabulous . We enjoyed learning about the city, its history and foods. Bologna is interesting. A great place to visit for 3-5 days.
Perla_W, May 2026
The tour itself was okay, it covered the main bits to see but the guide wasn't local and seemed ill-informed about the facts of the city. There were more than a couple things (including some very key facts) that she said that we fact-checked that were slightly wrong or straight up false, and she didn't know how/want to answer any questions. And since the groups are large (~20 ppl), the guide kept walking too far ahead and leaving parts of the group out of mic/earbud range. Additionally, some of the stops were odd... like using a merch window display or a museum model with unrelated narration going on. Overall the tour felt a bit dry, impersonal, and the knowledge shallow but the city was beautiful (even though the tour only cover a very small area of it) and the tour is otherwise good for a broad overview of Bologna I guess...
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the guide didn’t meet your expectations, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. All our guides are certified professionals. Your comments help us better monitor the quality of our tours and improve the experience for future guests.
Johanne_B, May 2026
It was very informative and an easy walk. Our tour guide Victoria was friendly. She went above and beyond for us because Air France lost our luggage and we had to call the Italian airport again. We were very grateful for her kindness
John_S, May 2026
A precise context setter across key themes. Delightfully regaled with a whimsical appreciation of history.
Tim_O, May 2026
A great little walking tour and history of Bologna. Helps find your way around and introduces the city
Judith_A, May 2026
It’s interesting, historically enlightening and the food choices were very good. Warning I shouldn’t have eaten a big breakfast-my fault.our guide Katrina was wonderful.
Julia_B, Apr 2026
Victoria was a great guide - she showed us some of the main sites of interest in the centre of Bologna and passed on lots of interesting information.
Tamara_N, Apr 2026
Tour guide was late, was sick and said she overslept so our first stop was her getting coffee. Lots of store fronts were seen. Not a lot of connection with this tour guide. Have done lots of walking tours and generally enjoy them all, this one was just a big mess because of our guide. After an hour on the tour, I had asked her if we were going to hit any spots on the actual itinerary. She asked me what is on the itinerary? I stated that she is the guide. She is supposed to know the itinerary but showed her anyway. Then we started hitting things very quickly that we were supposed to see. However, we did miss the biggest and best location. We visited it when the tour was over. I honestly can’t believe she skipped best location on purpose, Santo Stefano. There was some light rain, which was her reason, but everyone came prepared w umbrellas. And there are pathways to walk everywhere without getting too wet. Might be a good tour with a different guide.
Response from Host, May 2026
We are truly sorry to read that your experience did not meet your expectations. We would like to reassure you that all of our guides are fully certified professionals. Also note that the itinerary provided is always intended as a guideline and, in some cases, may be subject to adjustments due to exceptional circumstances, such as weather conditions or other unforeseen situations on the day of the tour. Our guides can also tailor the tour to their knowledge and the group's pace.
We are sorry to hear about the issues you experienced, including the delay and the overall organization of the visit. Your comments have been noted with great attention and will be shared internally, as they are extremely valuable in helping us improve both our service and the overall guest experience.
SusanWorley, Apr 2026
Evelina, our guide was a local and very knowledgeable about her city, I learnt some interesting things. I was a little disappointed that we only covered a small area of the city and the tour finished in less than an hour and a half, rather than the 2 hours I expected.
Kurt_S, Apr 2026
It was average at best. The tour guide was very dry, no personal interaction with the people on the tour and it almost seemed as if she had better things to do that day. If you asked her a question it was almost as if you were bugging her so no one asked any questions. There was really no introduction to the tour we just started walking and then she started talking about some random stuff in windows.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the guide didn’t meet your expectations, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. All our guides are certified professionals and they can tailor the experience based on their expertise and the group’s pace. Thank you again for your input – it helps us to improve and provide better experiences for our guests. We hope to welcome you again in the future so that you may have the opportunity to change your impression.
Alison_E, Apr 2026
The tour was provided some great historical background. I do wish we had covered more of the city. We stayed in a very small area. Also at times the guide was very hard to understand due to the level of background noise.
Leslie_B, Apr 2026
A very informative tour that really encompassed the history and important places in Bologna in a short time. The guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. Highly recommended!
Stan_S, Apr 2026
A solid but not exceptional tour experience. Our guide was not native to Bologna or Italy, but a longtime resident. She conveyed less of the essential local/Bolognese story and culture than I’ve seen with similar tours in other cities, and I think should have better mastered her material. We stayed close to the main square, which still offered more opportunity for narrative variety than she may have been prepared to deliver.
When we got to local food, however, she was much stronger. So my review averages a two-star local knowledge and a four star food knowledge.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience. We are sorry that the tour did not fully meet your expectations. Our guides are all certified professionals, and each of them has the autonomy to decide the pace of the tour and the aspects to focus on, based on their own areas of expertise. We will make sure to share your feedback with our team, so that we can continue to improve the service we offer.
Michele_P, Apr 2026
This walking tour was great. Our guide, Victoria, was a few minutes late but she more than made up for it at the end! We enjoyed learning about the history of the city and also walking through the market and learning about the food. A great way to spend two hours getting to know the town.
Elissavet_B, Apr 2026
The tour is comprehensive, designed to give you an overall glimpse of Bologna, its history and landmarks. The system used with the earphones for everybody is good but, as in our case, caution should be exercised by the tour leader that everyone is within range. Our leader did not look back and make sure that everyone had exited the St. Petronius church for example and continued to talk and share information but half the group could not hear. Also, when the leader was speaking and turning her head we could not hear anything. Other than that, the tour is greatly recommended as an introduction to the city.
Omar_M, Mar 2026
The city of Bologna is so beautiful and so historic the tour guide could have delivered it with a lot more enthusiasm
Response from Host, May 2026
We’re sorry that the experience did not live up to your expectations; however, we would like to point out that our tours are always conducted by certified and qualified guides.
Jason_B, Mar 2026
Sadly, the guide was very, very poor. There was no logic to her story telling, and rather than connecting events and places, it was as though she was reciting a poorly written script.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the guide didn’t meet your expectations, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. All our guides are certified professionals. Your comments help us better monitor the quality of our tours and improve the experience for future guests.
From $33.61
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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