Private Half Day Bologna Food and Art Walking Tour
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Of all the cities in Emilia Romagna, Bologna is perhaps the most open and convivial. It’s hard not to fall in love with its porticoes, its main square and alleys dense with trattorias and restaurants. Strolling through the center with your guide, you’ll discover why Bologna has deserved recognition as a "fat" city as well as a "learned" one since the Middle Ages. You’ll see some of Bologna's most important historical buildings. You’ll discover the history and legends of the Bolognese tortellino, the versions of the broth, the variants of the filling. There will be plenty of curiosities and anecdotes about local street food, tigelle, fried crescentine, mortadella, cured meats and traditional desserts. After a delicious tasting of the finest chocolate produced by the oldest Italian chocolate house and artisanal gelato, you’ll have a clearer understanding of what has made Bologna a gastronomic capital, a motherly and welcoming city, a crossroads of excellently elaborated experiences.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Minimum drinking age is 18 years
Please advise of any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Vegetarian options available with prior notice, please advise when booking
A moderate amount of walking is involved (2,5 km)
It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes without high heels
What To Expect
Piazza Maggiore
This guided tour will take you on a discovery of art, history and food and wine traditions. You will see some of Bologna’s most important buildings. You will visit Piazza Maggiore, the city’s main gathering place, inaugurated in the 13th century with its famous statue of Neptune, the Basilica of San Petronio, the medieval market, the Two Towers and the Archiginnasio, the first permanent home of the University.
Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vita
You will see the exterior of Santa Maria della Vita.
Options
Private Half Day Bologna Food and Art Walking Tour
What‘s Included
Professional local guide
Bottled Water
6 Food and Wine Tastings / 5 Stops
Bologna Hills Wine
Traditional Fresh Homemade Pasta (2 types): Tagliatelle and Tortellini
Rice pudding
Chopping board of cold cuts: Mortadella, Salame, Prosciutto di Parma, Caciotta, Parmigiano Reggiano
Artisanal Gelato
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
Tasting of Artisanal Chocolate
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Reviews
6 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Bologna Food Immersion
712dawneh,Jun 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did a half day Bologna Food and Art walking tour and it did not disappoint. Lisa was a talented and learned tour guide. From the start we were energized by her enthusiasm and love of Bologna’s food traditions. The tour began with a tasting of pastries- raviole con la mostarda and rice pudding made at one of the oldest pastry shops in the city. Majani was the next stop where we enjoyed an out of this world tasting of 3 types of chocolates! Lisa explained the history of this chocolate family and how it has grown and endured. Bolognese tortellini and a first hand experience of how it is made along with many other types of pasta followed. We enjoyed a tasting of 3 pasta dishes and a lovely glass of Bolognese white wine. Listening to Lisa impart anecdotes of the importance of tortellini and pasta making and how it bonds families made us fall in love with it even more! As if this wasn’t enough on to an informative and tasty sampling of cold cuts and cheeses and great Sangiovese wine. We concluded our tour with a balsamic vinegar sampling and then a refreshing gelato. We were now a “family “ together at our tasting table with our fabulous Artemilia guide and friend. Kudos to you Artemilia for having the best tours and guides we have ever experienced!!!
Excellent Bologna tour for food lovers
Ailsa H,Apr 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide was excellent! Very knowledgeable and passionate about traditional local food and its history, and also the general history of the city.
Bologna Tour exceeds all our expectations!!!!
davidsC7953CQ,Feb 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a wonderful tour of the Bologna food scene (and city). Our guide , Lisa Torres was exceptional. Her knowledge from a historical perspective was excellent and from the moment we met her we knew the tour would be wonderful. Lisa was engaging and provided an exceptional experience. The pasta, cheese/meat, balsamic, sweets/chocolate and gelato tasting was perfect. We were in Milan all week for the Winter Olympics and this private tour of Bologna was an amazing way to end our Olympic trip to Italy. We highly recommend this tour and if possible, ask for Lisa - you will have a wonderful experience. A best in class tour.
Fantastic Foodie and Art Experience in Bologna
FLTravelGurl,Oct 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This group of foodies loved Bologna and the Food and Art Walking Tour! From watching how different pasta's are made to a wonderful pasta tasting featuring the areas famous tortellini and broth, a walk to the food market area, and a special meat and cheese tasting with wine. Can't forget about the special desserts too! We had a terrific half day learning about, seeing and tasting our way thru Bologna.
Do not visit Bologna without Artemelia!
R9056INluciag,Apr 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband and I just finished a second day touring with Ursi in Bologna. Yesterday, the day we arrived, we met her to do a two hour walking tour and today we just completed a three hour food and art walking tour. Ursi was wonderful! She lives in Bologna and went to university here. She is incredibly knowledgeable, explaining the amazing history with lots of fun facts about this beautiful city. There is no way we would have learned so much without her! And the food! I have not eaten meat for 17 years, but decided before coming that I would here. OMG! Am I glad I did. We were treated to fresh pasta with ragu and tortellini in broth, (and of course met the pasta maker first and watched the process!); mortadella, prosciutto and other meets and cheeses at Tamburini, where we were greeted by the owner and skipped the long lines; to tastes of balsamic vinegar aged 12 and 25 years made by the Guisti family run by the 17th generation!; and finally finished with outstanding gelato. A truly magnificent experience over two days! While the food has been great and is the majority of this review, the history part was the best. We will experience Ravenna and the Parma region in the coming days. I will either update this review or write separate ones. So happy we found Artemelia and Ursi!
Outstanding Food Tour of Bologna
MrDarcyAndElizabeth,Dec 18, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was our second experience with Artemilis tours and I couldn’t be happier. Cecilia was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. My partner and I loved how she wove bits of history of the city and architecture into the tour. The food stops were all thoughtfully curated from savory (cured meats and cheeses) to sweet (gelato and chocolate). By far the standout of the tour was watching a demo of traditional pasta making — and trying our hands at folding tortellini. Of course, eating the tortellini en brodo and tagliatelle alla Bolognese was great, too. Everything was simple, from booking to meeting up in the city center. I would highly recommend Artemelia and Cecelia any food-oriented traveler.
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Operated by ARTEMILIA Guided Tours