Kickstart Bologna: Private & Custom Tour With a Local Guide
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
Experience Bologna through the eyes of a local host who helps you settle into the city with a personalized introduction shaped around your interests, pace, and travel style. Designed as a relaxed and flexible experience, this private walking tour combines Bologna’s historic landmarks, elegant piazzas, arcaded streets, and everyday atmosphere to help you connect with the city from the very beginning of your trip.
Over two hours, you may stroll through medieval streets, browse historic market districts, relax in atmospheric squares, or stop for a coffee or aperitivo while learning more about local life and culture.
Before your experience, you will receive an online personalization form so your host can tailor the route around your interests and preferences. Your itinerary remains flexible throughout the experience, allowing you to adjust plans naturally as you explore.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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.
What To Expect
Bologna
Discover Bologna with a local host who introduces the city through its historic streets, elegant piazzas, market culture, and relaxed local atmosphere. From iconic landmarks to quieter corners loved by residents, your experience is tailored around your interests and preferred pace. Here are some highlights your host may include during your experience:
Basilica Di San Petronio
Admire one of Bologna’s most important landmarks from Piazza Maggiore while learning about the city’s medieval history and architectural heritage.
Options
2-hour Bologna Walking Tour
Duration: 2 hours Pickup included
What‘s Included
Online Personalization Form sent after booking to tailor your experience
Flexible start times - Pick your preferred time when you book
Get picked up (on foot) at your accommodation if it's central
Private and personalized walking experience with insider tips from a passionate local
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
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
8 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Claudio is a great guide for history culture and insider information on anything you might be interested in.
John S,Sep 10, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00From start to finish our first day in Bologna could not have been better thanks to our tour guide Claudio. He gave us a great overview of the city, shared history , local culture and gave us a great list of restaurants, jazz clubs, museums and special events. . He helped us with reservations with an amazing restaurant we never would have found otherwise! Claudio made our short time in Bologna fantastic!. We feel we now know the city well, thanks to him. We will definitely come back to Bologna again!
Excellent guide!
Elizabeth W,Jul 9, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a great and really enjoyed meeting Alberto. He was knowledgeable and super nice. An excellent overview of the city, gave us ideas for things to explore in more depth.
Fabulous tour
Hollie P,Dec 9, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00Claudio was by far the nicest tour guide we've had in our 8 days of exploring Italy and all of them have been lovely people! He was extremely accommodating and showed us the highlights of Bologna and explained a lot of the area's history. He's a very talented musician so we left not only with wonderful memories of Bologna but also with beautiful music we can listen to at home via his band's website (oceanina.com). We've been listening to it on the train rides to other cities and it's perfect background for the beautiful Italian countryside! We spent less than 24 hours in Bologna but between Mattia and his Delicious Food tour and Claudio with his private kickstarter tour, we felt we saw all the important sites and experiences the best the city has to offer!
The perfect way to experience a city
145JulieH,Oct 4, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We spent a half day and more with our new “best friend” Andrea who was very careful to study our profile and design a walking tour perfect for our requests, but managed to learn more about us and add spots he knew would interest us ( a couple from USA). City Unscripted is a wonderful way to get to know a local, design your own itinerary, and we will seek out this experience in other cities they serve. A word of caution, if you require the exact dates of a buildings’ construction, or historical accuracy, perhaps you should pay up for licensed guiding service....but if you want exposure to a new city and learn about the cultural mores and idiosyncrasies of a place, then give City Unscripted a try....and lucky you if you should “ match up” with Andrea.
Great intro to Bologna
Dontsearchforme12,Sep 30, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great time with Gabriele walking around Bologna this week. Gabriele clearly knows and loves his city and it was a pleasure to learn from him. It felt very easy to get along and we got to see so much in so little time without having to waste time in crowded spots.
Half day private guided walking tour of Sapporo
maribel i,May 20, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00Robinn asked our preference ofvthe places to see and actually followed our suggestions. Was glad to have explored the city using their public transport. Would have been better if Robinn shared info and facts about the places we visted though. But appreciated that he brought us to this amazing soup curry resto-Garaku! Got hooked to soup curry!
Tour of Bologna
Larry G,Mar 7, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a perfect choice for anyone visiting Bologna. Elisabeth was a great guide and her knowledge was incredible. She was the perfect choice/companion for this tour. The tour was tailor made to my requests with a few hidden secrets added. Thank you Elisabeth
A great start to Bologna
Vicref,Jul 7, 2018
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Antonia met us at the hotel and my wife and I clicked with her right away, being shown around the sights and history of the centre of Bologna, including many places away from the tourist crowds through some of the more back streets, stopping half way for a macchiato at a wonderful spot, and showing us some very good places for lunch and dinner, some of which we tried and were not disappointed. A great start to Bologna and we highly recommend Antonia as the guide.
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