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Food tours in Bologna

Bologna Food Tours Guide 2026

Eating your way through Bologna: guided tours, hands-on classes, and self-guided routes that deliver.

By Updated

This guide covers 5+ food tours and culinary experiences in Bologna — Taste Bologna: Classic Bologna Food Tour, Bologna Welcome: Taste of Bologna Food Walking Tour and Eating Europe: Eating Bologna Food and Wine Tour top the list. Every recommendation carries its practical details: typical costs, the best time to visit, and what to know before you commit.

Bologna travel guide: where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

Top food tours

Guided experiences that show you Bologna through its food.

Food tour

Taste Bologna: Classic Bologna Food Tour

4 hoursfrom EUR 95 (~$109) per adult; from EUR 49 (~$56) for children 4-10; under 4 free

Small-group walking food tour (maximum 10 guests) starting at 10:00AM on weekdays and 9:30AM on Saturdays, Monday to Saturday; Sundays are private only.

Includes: Breakfast, handmade pasta and a full lunch across a four-hour walk through the Quadrilatero · Capped at 10 guests, so conversation with shopkeepers is easy · Tastings of Parmigiano Reggiano, cured meats and balsamic vinegar with organic local wine · Foodie map with 20+ local spots to revisit after the tour
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Food tour

Bologna Welcome: Taste of Bologna Food Walking Tour

2 hoursEUR 55 (~$63) per adult; EUR 35 (~$40) for children 5-11; under 5 free

Two-hour guided walk through the market streets with three tastings; groups of up to 20; not suitable for celiac guests.

Includes: Three food tastings and a sweet-treat voucher on a two-hour guided walk · Starts at the Neptune statue in Piazza del Nettuno, the heart of the old town · Certified tourist guide booked through Bologna Welcome · Lower price point than most Bologna food tours, at EUR 55 per adult
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Food tour

Eating Europe: Eating Bologna Food and Wine Tour

3 hoursfrom EUR 69 (~$79) per person (resellers list higher prices)

Group tour of up to 12 guests across five stops in the Quadrilatero, Santo Stefano and the university district.

Includes: Five food stops with food and drinks included over three hours · Route spans the Quadrilatero, Mercato di Mezzo, Santo Stefano and the university district · Limited to 12 guests with a professional local guide · Pasta, cured meats, cheeses and local wine as the core menu
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Food tour

Do Eat Better Experience: Bologna Food Tour

About 3.5 hoursfrom EUR 89.95 (~$103) per person

Group tour of 2-12 guests in English and Italian; vegetarian option available; free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Includes: Starts beneath the Asinelli and Garisenda towers at Piazza di Porta Ravegnana · Tagliatelle, tortellini, tigelle or mortadella cone, cotoletta and gelato in one tour · Small groups of 2-12 guests in English and Italian · Water, wine and espresso included, with a vegetarian option
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Food tour

Taste Bologna: Modena Food Tour and Balsamic Tasting

About 3.5 hoursfrom EUR 99 (~$114) per person; children 4-10 EUR 49 (~$56)

Morning tour (10:00AM, Monday to Saturday) limited to 8 guests; regional train from Bologna Centrale costs about EUR 3.50-4 (~$4-$4.60) each way.

Includes: More than five tastings of traditional balsamic vinegar DOP at different ages · Parmigiano Reggiano tasting plus gnocco fritto and tigelle with Lambrusco · Limited to 8 guests starting at Piazza Grande beside the Pietra Ringadora · Torta Barozzi dessert to finish a five-stop morning in Modena
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Tour formats

Different ways to experience Bologna's food scene.

Format

Street food tours

Bologna is best explored on walking food tours: mortadella, tigelle, fresh pasta and gelato in the Quadrilatero and around Piazza Maggiore.

Format

Market tours

Mercato delle Erbe, Mercato di Mezzo and the Quadrilatero shops show the cured-meat, cheese and fresh-pasta trade.

Format

Restaurant tours

Tastings combine pasta, cured meats and wine at several stops in the old town.

Format

Specialty tours

Pasta classes teach the sfoglia: hand-rolled egg pasta for tagliatelle, tortelloni and tortellini; Modena day tours add balsamic vinegar.

Cooking classes

Take a piece of Bologna home with you.

Class

Taste Bologna: Bologna Cooking Class

About 3 hoursfrom EUR 115 (~$132) per adult; children 4-10 from EUR 59 (~$68)

Beginner-friendly pasta class for up to 12 guests, in English or other languages on request.

Class

Bologna Welcome: Tortellini Cooking Class

2 hoursEUR 54 (~$62) per person; optional aperitif EUR 10 (~$11.50), lunch or dinner EUR 15 (~$17.25)

Two-hour tortellini class with optional aperitif and meal; refund possible up to 24 hours before.

Class

Cesarine: Market Tour and Cooking Class at a Home Cook's House

About 4 hoursEUR 189 (~$217) per guest; children EUR 94.50 (~$109)

Home-cook experience for up to 10 guests with a market visit and a shared meal at the host's table.

Class

Cesarine: Cooking Class Only at a Home Cook's House

3 hoursEUR 145 (~$167) per guest; children 4-8 EUR 72.50 (~$83)

Shorter version without the market tour; children under 4 free.

DIY self-guided food tour

A self-guided food walk through the historic centre of about 3 km, all on the flat under porticoes. Budget about EUR 60-85 (~$69-$98) for all stops. Many shops close on Sunday afternoon, so do the route Monday to Saturday.

  1. 1

    Stop 1 (8:30AM): Paolo Atti & Figli, Via Caprarie 7: bread, pastry or a slice of traditional cake with coffee.

  2. 2

    Stop 2 (10:00AM): Mercato delle Erbe, Via Ugo Bassi 25: browse produce, cheese and fish stalls (produce stalls wind down around 2:00PM).

  3. 3

    Stop 3 (11:30AM): Tamburini, Via Caprarie 1: a mortadella and Parmigiano plate or a tagliere from the counter (open daily 11:00AM-10:00PM; salumi counter closes about 7:30PM).

  4. 4

    Stop 4 (12:45PM): Sfoglia Rina, Via Castiglione 5/B: fresh tortellini or tagliatelle (walk-in dine-in; arrive before 1:00PM for a seat).

  5. 5

    Stop 5 (3:00PM): Gelateria Gianni, Via Montegrappa 11: a cone of artisan gelato.

  6. 6

    Stop 6 (5:30PM): Osteria del Sole, Vicolo Ranocchi 1/D: a glass of wine; buy cured meats and bread at Salumeria Simoni, Via Drapperie 5/2, and carry them in (cash advised).

  7. 7

    Stop 7 (8:00PM): dinner at Trattoria Anna Maria, Via delle Belle Arti 17/A (book ahead on +39 051 26 68 94).

Foodie tips

Get more out of every meal.

Tip

Book 2-3 days ahead in spring and autumn; group tours are capped at 8-12 guests and classes at 10-12.

Tip

Arrive hungry: the 3-4 hour walks replace a meal.

Tip

Tell the operator about allergies or celiac disease at booking; fresh pasta is wheat-based and the Bologna Welcome walk is listed as not suitable for celiac guests.

Tip

Prices on third-party sites vary by reseller and date; the figures here are approximate and converted at 1 EUR = $1.15.

Tip

Meeting points are usually Piazza Maggiore, Piazza del Nettuno or the Two Towers (Piazza di Porta Ravegnana), all in the historic centre; Bologna Centrale station is a roughly 20-minute walk or short bus ride away.

Tip

Check the booking confirmation for the exact meeting spot and the operator's phone number; resellers of the Eating Europe tour list differing meeting points.

Tip

Day tours to Modena start from Bologna Centrale by regional train (about 35 minutes, about EUR 3.50-4, ~$4-$4.60, each way); Taste Bologna runs its Modena tour at 10:00AM Monday to Saturday.

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