Bologna Private Highlights & Hidden Gems Tour with a Local
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Bologna, Italy
- 2 to 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
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.
- An insider’s tour of Bologna with a local host and personalized itinerary
- Focus on the city’s history and sights or venture off the tourist track
- Choose the tour length and start time to suit your travel schedule
- Hotel meetup to avoid having to find your guide in a crowded square
What's Included
- Private and personalized walking experience with insider tips from a passionate local
- Online Personalization Form sent after booking to tailor your experience
- Get picked up (on foot) at your accommodation if it's central
- Flexible durations and start times - Pick your preferred duration when you book
- Direct communication with your host for itinerary planning and local recommendations
- Food, drinks and tickets to any attractions
- Transportation (primarily a walking experience, public transport may be used at an additional cost)
- Gratuities (optional)
- Hotel drop off
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
Bologna (Pass By)
Basilica di San Petronio (Pass By)
Mercato delle Erbe (Pass By)
Le Due Torri Shopping Center (Pass By)
Fontana del Nettuno (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private City Unscripted experience: real people, real connections
- After booking, you'll receive a short online Personalization Form to share your interests, preferences, and must-sees. Your City Unscripted guide will personally reach out to craft a fully customized itinerary that suits your style—whether you love history, food, hidden gems, or cultural experiences.
- This private tour is a walking experience. A private vehicle is not included.
- Public transportation or local taxis may be used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with your host after your reservation is finalized.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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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
4.9
based on 417 reviews
Margaret_S, Jun 2026
Nicola was a fantastic guide, showing us all the interesting & historical parts of Bologna at a gentle pace. We never could have done it by ourselves. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
We're delighted to hear that you had such a wonderful experience with Nicola and that you enjoyed exploring the interesting and historic parts of Bologna at a comfortable pace. It is especially rewarding to know that Nicola helped you discover aspects of the city that you may not have found on your own.
Anna_B, Jun 2026
Paolina, our guide, gave an extensive and thorough historical tour of Bologna. A worthwhile tour. Would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
We’re so glad you enjoyed such an insightful and thorough introduction to Bologna! It’s wonderful to hear that the experience brought the city’s rich history to life in a meaningful way — thank you for sharing your recommendation.
Keith_G, Jun 2026
Very informative and fun. Let us kind of give our nyerest and the. Tailored the trip to us. Very nice day
Response from Host, Jun 2026
We’re so glad you had such a fun and informative experience! It’s wonderful to hear the day was tailored to your interests and gave you a chance to explore the city in a way that felt personal and engaging — thank you for sharing this lovely feedback.
Shannon_K, May 2026
Christiano was an excellent tour guide and showed us many sights of Bologna. The history and tension between Bologna and the papacy/Rome was very interesting. He also showed how intertwined the University is with the city. Teens, parents and a grandparent - everyone stayed engaged and learned a great deal about a city we'd never seen before this trip.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted that you enjoyed your time in Bologna with Cristiano and that he was able to bring the city’s history, its relationship with the Papacy and Rome, and the University’s deep connection to life in Bologna to life for your family. It’s especially great to know that guests of all ages — from teens to grandparents — stayed engaged and had such a meaningful experience in a city you were discovering for the first time. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share this, and we hope to welcome you again on another experience in the future.
Manning_M, May 2026
You will learn a lot of interest facts about Bologna. Our guide Paulina was able to give a unique perspective since she was born in America but has spent so much time in the area. We chose the 2 hour tour due to our own time constraints, but I recommend at least 3 hours because there is so much to see
Response from Host, May 2026
We’re so glad you enjoyed discovering Bologna’s history and character from such a unique local perspective! It’s wonderful to hear the experience left you wanting even more time to explore the city — thank you for sharing this thoughtful recommendation.
Colleen_P, May 2026
Nicola was an excellent guide. ………………………………………………………………..,…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Response from Host, May 2026
We’re so glad you had such a great experience! Thank you for sharing this wonderful feedback and recommendation about Nicola.
Sandra_O, May 2026
Claudio was an excellent tour guide! We were only in Bologna for a day but felt like we received a good overview of the city, its history and some of the lesser known areas of the city. Would highly recommend this trip and Claudio!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re so glad that Claudio made your short time in Bologna so meaningful and that you were able to get a great overview of the city, its history, and some of its hidden gems. We truly appreciate your recommendation and will be sure to pass along your kind words to Claudio. We hope to assist you again in your future travels!
Lorie_P, May 2026
Nicola was great. My husband and I loved that it was just the two of us and customized to us. We were interested in the history of Bologna and Nicola was extremely knowledgeable. He showed us all over the city, helped us with must see’s and food recommendations. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting Bologna.
Response from Host, May 2026
We’re delighted to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the personalized nature of the experience and that Nicola helped make your time in Bologna so memorable. It’s wonderful to know that his knowledge of the city’s history, along with the recommendations and local insights, added so much value to your visit.
Libby_G, May 2026
Luciana, was a breath of fresh air. We learned a lot about the history of Bologna with her beautiful humor. She is very knowledgeable of the town she was born in with such pride. Grazie!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled that Luciana brought her humor and passion for Bologna to the tour—she’ll be delighted to know how much you enjoyed learning from her. Grazie for your kind words, and we hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!
Jonah_B, May 2026
Claudio was an amazing guide, showing us the big hits, hidden gems, and all of his restaurant recommendations. He knows everything about Bologna and we feel so privileged to have spent time learning about his city. Thank you Claudio!!
Response from Host, May 2026
We’re absolutely delighted to hear that you had such a great experience with Claudio in Bologna and that he was able to show you both the iconic highlights and hidden gems of the city. It’s wonderful to know that his local knowledge, recommendations, and passion for Bologna helped make your time so special and memorable.
Jenny_T, May 2026
Diego showed us around Bologna. We would not have found some of these places unless with a local. Loved going to the oldest Osteria in the world.
Response from Host, May 2026
Oh, that's fantastic to hear! So glad you got to see your chosen spots. Thanks for
recognizing Diego's efforts.
Hugh_C, May 2026
Our host was Nicola. Communication prior to our experience was excellent and he arrived at our hotel on-time. He was pleasant, knowledgeable and his English was very good. We very much enjoyed walking around the centre of Bologna and now have a good understanding of the history and key places to visit. We were very happy with this experience. Thank you Nicola.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your kind review! It’s great to know that Nicola's communication, knowledge, and punctuality helped make your visit enjoyable, and that you left with a deeper understanding of the city’s history and highlights. Such a positive experience in Bologna, it is. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in the future!
jeanne_a, May 2026
We did a three-hour Hidden Gems walking tour in Bologna with our guide, Cristiano, and it was excellent. We explored all around the city and learned so much about the history, architecture, and culture of Bologna. Cristiano did a fantastic job bringing the city to life, including showing us great historical pictures of the many towers that once stood throughout Bologna, which really helped us visualize how different the city looked centuries ago.
What we appreciated most was that this wasn’t just a surface-level tour. We walked away with a much deeper understanding of the city and also discovered places, shops, and areas we absolutely would have missed on our own — including several we went back to later. Cristiano was knowledgeable, engaging, and easy to spend time with. A great guide, and we would definitely tour with him again. Much better than a large group tour!
Response from Host, May 2026
Such an excellent experience exploring Bologna. It’s fantastic to know that Cristiano's knowledge, storytelling, and historical insights helped bring the city to life and gave you a deeper understanding of its history, culture, and hidden corners. We’re especially pleased that you discovered places you were able to revisit later — exactly the kind of meaningful local experience we hope to create. Thank you for your wonderful review and we’d love to welcome you on another experience in the future!
emma_t, May 2026
Our guide, Andrea, was welcoming, funny, and a true local, which made the experience feel authentic and personal. It was interesting to hear how his own family history and life in Bologna were woven into the tour, it really brought the city’s stories to life.
Before the tour, we were able to email Andrea to tailor the experience to what we were most interested in, and that flexibility made a big difference. He even took us to some hidden, secret spots, we never would have discovered on our own.
If you want more than just a standard sightseeing walk, something that feels personal, insightful, and genuinely local, this is the perfect choice!
Response from Host, May 2026
We’re so glad you enjoyed such a personal and authentic way of discovering Bologna! It’s wonderful to hear how the local stories and hidden spots brought the city to life — your recommendation truly means a lot to us.
Theresa_K, May 2026
Beautiful, pleasant, casual and intimate tour with Paolina today - even though it was raining the porticos served us well - we thoroughly enjoyed the historical facts, insights, highlights and some perspectives of the culture and foods development of Bologna and the region. Paolina really brings to point, to view things through a step back look
Up look down look all around kind of perspective.. we almost felt like it was a bit of an exploration… we highly recommend…she’s a very passionate, personable and genuine soul!
Response from Host, May 2026
We greatly appreciate your recommendation and are delighted that the experience felt like a genuine exploration. We hope to welcome you again for another memorable experience.
Clare_G, Apr 2026
Claudio is a friendly, helpful and knowledgeable guide. He is very enthusiastic about Bologna and he ensured he showed us many places during our tour. Claudio sent us follow up messages with restaurant, cafe, bar, sight and church recommendations. Lovely to meet you Claudio and thank you for making our tour a memorable experience !
Response from Host, Apr 2026
We’re so glad you had such a memorable and enjoyable time exploring Bologna! It’s wonderful to hear how much you appreciated the local recommendations and enthusiasm — thank you for sharing this.
Tom_B, Apr 2026
Paolina was a fantastic guide, who really brought the city to life. Incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and approachable. It was great fun to see the city with her.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Your positive review is incredibly valuable to us and Paolina. Thank you sincerely!
Heather_B, Apr 2026
Nichola was great! He was so knowledgeable about the history and design of the city and it's buildings. He gave us awesome recommendations for food ,Gelato and things to do after our tour. Most importantly he walked at our pace and stopped whenever we needed!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
We’re especially pleased he was able to tailor the experience to your pace and make you feel comfortable throughout. We hope to welcome you again in the future.
Paul_H, Apr 2026
Really enjoyed it. Claudio was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide and it was the perfect amount of time.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
We truly appreciate you choosing to explore Bologna with us, and we hope to welcome you again in the future.
Linda_M, Apr 2026
Antonia was amazing. She took me to many hidden gems that i would of nevet seen on my own and her history of bolonga was exceptional but not boring. There were very few tourists around and she suggested other activities to do. Her english was fantastic and she had a sense of humour.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're really glad that you had such a great experience with Antonia. It’s fantastic that she was able to show you hidden gems and share Bologna’s history in such an engaging way, while also keeping the experience fun and personal. We're also happy to hear her recommendations, English, and sense of humour all added to your time together. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share this, and I’ll make sure Antonia receives your kind words. We hope to welcome you again on another experience in the future!
RussellScott_S, Apr 2026
Very informative, I learned a lot about Bologna! Nicole had lots of interesting information to share
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Think of us next time you travel, we have a network of over 1,200 hosts around the world.I am so happy to hear you had a great time with Nicole! Your words are cherished!
Scott_C, Apr 2026
The tour was one on one. The tour guide tailored the tour based on what we wanted to see and learn about.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
We’re so glad you enjoyed such a personalized, one-on-one experience tailored to exactly what you wanted to see and learn! It truly means a lot to know it made your time so meaningful.
Jodi_S, Mar 2026
Jonathan was a fantastic guide. He went above and beyond to make our time in Bologna extra special. We loved his passion, history and story telling. His. Lunch recommendation was delicious as well! I would highly recommend this experience!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
We’re thrilled to hear that Jonathan made your time in Bologna extra special with his passion, storytelling, and local recommendations. It’s fantastic that you enjoyed the lunch spot he suggested as well!
We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Jonathan—he’ll be delighted to hear them. Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience, and we hope to host you on another City Unscripted adventure.
David_W, Mar 2026
Andrea gave a brilliant historic overview of Bologna. We covered a lot of ground in 3 hours. Just the right amount of detail. Recommended.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback! We’re so glad that Andrea provided a brilliant historic overview of Bologna and that the 3-hour tour was just the right amount of detail for you. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you on another tour in the future!
Ariadni_B, Mar 2026
Great experience and very knowledgeable guide.A very nice way to kick off your visit of Bologna! Highly recommended
Response from Host, Mar 2026
It truly means a lot to us to know the experience helped start your visit on such a positive note. We hope to welcome you again in the future.
Miles_B, Mar 2026
This was a fun and informative walking tour around the center of Bologna - with plenty of fun history and food facts. We loved it!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re so glad that you enjoyed the walking tour of Bologna and found the history and food stories fun and informative. It was a pleasure having you on the tour! We hope to see you again on another adventure soon.
Randall_E, Mar 2026
Cristiano our local guide was awesome. He curated the tour to our liking and he threw in some hidden gems one would not know about without a private guide. This I would recommend to anyone who has 3-5 hours to spend in Bologna.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
We’re so glad your time in Bologna felt perfectly curated with those extra hidden gems along the way! It means a lot to know the experience made the most of your few hours in the city. Thank you for the recommendation!
Cynthia_P, Feb 2026
New to Bologna, we asked for a three-hour, slow-paced introduction to the city, sites, and foods. Our guide was Nicola, who studied the details of our request and delivered with great accuracy. Nicola has a master's in History and was not only knowledgeable about Bologna's history, but was passionate about the stories he shared. Per our request, we started with a quick stop at a coffee shop and confirmed our loose agenda for the tour. He was very flexible. He pointed out a nice mix of places to go see on our own later, we stopped in little specialty shops, and he arranged for a delicious Balsamic Vinegar tasting. We learned about the towers, the porticos, and the Basilica, among other things. Afterwards, he sent us links to places we discussed for more touring and great eats. A couple of days later, we ran into Nicola in this historic district and it was like seeing an old friend! I highly recommend the walking tour!! And Nicola. :)
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We’re so glad your slow-paced introduction to Bologna was everything you hoped for! From coffee and balsamic tasting to history, porticos, and those thoughtful follow-ups, it sounds like such a rich and personal experience. Your recommendation truly means so much to us! :)
Kristin_P, Feb 2026
This was a very nice tour. Our guide Nicola was very informative and knew the history well. He met us at the train station and then walked us back. Nice time!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback! It’s great that the meeting and walking logistics worked smoothly for you as well. We're happy you enjoyed your tour and found Nicola to be informative and knowledgeable. We really appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you on another tour in the future!
Amanda_B, Feb 2026
Nicola was really knowledgeable and used photos to help us better understand the area we were in and what it looked like like in the past. He gave us lots of local recommendations and tips and spent a lot of time getting to know us which made the experience feel like a fun trip with friends.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We’re so glad to hear this experience felt both insightful and personal, especially with those photos bringing the past to life in such a meaningful way. Knowing it felt relaxed and friendly while giving you great local tips makes it especially memorable, thank you for sharing your feedback.
From $75.16
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