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How to Spend 3 Days in Bologna
16 Tours and Activities
From its medieval town center to its legendary culinary scene, Bologna is one of Italy’s most beloved cities. Explore the city by bike, join a local guide for a food-themed tour, or get outside the city to learn about the regional tradition of luxury cars on a racetrack during a visit. Here are our top choices for three days in Bologna.
Day 1: Welcome to Bologna
Learn about Bologna’s history and architecture during a walking tour including major landmarks such as Piazza Maggiore and Basilica di San Petronio. Opt for a cycling tour to cover ground quickly, or customize a private tour according to your interests and see the city’s ancient canal system and historical palaces. Explore—and sample—Bologna’s vibrant food scene with a culinary-themed walking tour and visit markets, bakeries, and traditional food stores including a pasta maker. Finish the day with a Vespa rental and cruise through the city at your own pace to check out the glow of the city’s landmarks after dark.
Day 2: Hot-Air Balloons and Cheesemakers
Start the day with a hot-air-balloon ride above Emilia Romagna to view vineyards, valleys, and castles. Continue an adventure outside the city center with a food experience, either a Parmigiano-cheese-and-balsamic-vinegar-themed tour or an itinerary that also includes prosciutto and a local winery. These gourmet culinary experiences include multicourse meals at authentic trattorias and wine tastings from local vineyards. Return to the city center of Bologna with a much greater understanding of its culinary traditions.
Day 3: Drive on a Racetrack
Learn about the art and design of Ferrari and Lamborghini during a tour that includes their production lines and museums displaying a variety of powerful cars and sports bikes. Slip into the driver’s seat on a tour that includes a test drive or a driving experience on a racetrack for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the production of some of Italy’s most famous sports cars. Travelers that aren’t interested in luxury cars can opt for other day trips including to the charming city of Modena, known for its food and a quieter atmosphere than Bologna.

How to Spend 2 Days in Bologna
12 Tours and Activities
In Bologna, one of Italy’s top food cities, set out on a market tour, sample locally made wines, and learn about where famous foods are made. To work up an appetite, see the historic sights and explore by bike. Here are our tips for how to spend 48 hours in Bologna.
Day 1: Classic Bologna: Sights, Markets, and Wine
**Morning:**See the classic sights of Bologna during a morning introductory tour. Choose between a walking tour, a Segway tour, or a bike tour and learn about the city’s history, architecture, and culture from your guide. Both small-group and private tours are available.
**Afternoon:**Taste your way through Bologna with a food-themed walking tour to vibrant markets, traditional food shops, and bakeries. Sample Bolognese specialties including cheese, cured meats, baked goods, gelato, and more. Meet the local people behind restaurants and cafés during your stroll.
**Night:**Join a local guide for a private wine-themed tour. The itinerary can be customized according to your preferences and includes a wine tasting with local winemakers. The tour also includes a visit to the Old Vinegar Works to see where the area’s famous traditional balsamic vinegar is made.
Day 2: Beyond the City Center: Hot-Air Balloons and Food at the Source
**Morning:**See Bologna from a new perspective with an early morning private hot-air balloon flight. Soar over the hills, castles, and towns of Emilia Romagna in the basket of a hot-air balloon during this scenic journey. Learn about what you’re seeing from the pilot and toast the adventure with a glass of sparkling wine.
**Afternoon:**Explore beyond the Bologna city center with a themed tour. Choose a food experience that includes factory visits to see where cheese and balsamic vinegar are made plus wine tastings or a Ferrari-themed tour that includes a visit to the Museo Ferrari and a gourmet lunch.
**Night:**Zip through the city streets like a local with a Vespa rental. A stylish Italian scooter allows you to maximize time in Bologna and cover ground quickly. You can explore independently or join a guide for a Vespa tour and see the city by night.

How to Spend 1 Day in Bologna
12 Tours and Activities
With its medieval town center and legendary food, Bologna beckons for several reasons. Explore the city by bike, stroll through markets with a local guide, or rent a Vespa to maximize time in the city. Here are our tips for how to get the most out of one day in Bologna.
Morning: Bologna Basics
Get your bearings in Bologna with a city sightseeing tour. Choose between a small-group or private walking tour and set out on foot with your guide to see popular landmarks including Piazza Maggiore, the Neptune Fountain, and Basilica di San Petronio. To cover more ground, opt for a Segway or bike tour and learn about the history and culture of Bologna as you cruise. Themed sightseeing tours are also available, such as a street art–focused bike tour that exposes travelers to the city’s vibrant contemporary art scene.
Afternoon: Flavors of the City
Discover the traditional tastes of Bologna, a city with a serious reputation for food. Bring your appetite on a food-themed walking tour through the city and visit markets, bakeries, pasta makers, and traditional food shops for samples of cheese, cured meats, gelato, and more. Some food tours have themes, such as pasta, mortadella, and chocolate, while others connect visitors with hungry locals eager to share tips for their favorite off-the-beaten-path restaurants and cafés. Meet the makers behind tortellini and pizza as you explore the city on foot.
Night: Climb Aboard a Vespa
Zip through the medieval town center on a Vespa. Choose between exploring independently with a Vespa rental or joining a guide for a scenic ride throughout Bologna. See the city lit up after dark and step into the shoes of a city resident that uses a Vespa for daily transportation. For a less adrenaline-pumping option, enter a local home for a traditional cooking class complete with dinner. Learn some of the secrets behind Bolognese cooking, roll out fresh pasta, and feast on the dishes you prepared along with new friends.

Maranello and Ferrari Tours from Bologna
10 Tours and Activities
There are few sports cars as iconic as Ferrari, and as the vehicle's official home, the small town of Maranello is a place of pilgrimage for Formula One fans. Less than an hour from Bologna, it’s a popular choice for a day tour—here are your options.
Museum Tours
Discover the history of Ferrari and Italy’s Motor Valley with a visit to the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena and the Ferrari Museum (Museo Ferrari) in Maranello. Book a skip-the-line ticket, with or without an audio guide, and enjoy the interactive exhibitions, including Formula 1 simulators and an impressive collection of original cars. For a more personalized experience, opt for a private tour and combine it with a visit to the Ducati, Lamborghini, or Pagane museums; souvenir shopping at the Ferrari factory store; or an Italian-style lunch.
Driving Experiences
There’s no better way to experience the power of a Ferrari than getting behind the wheel for a test drive. Get your adrenaline pumping as you zip around the country lanes of Emilia-Romagna, or put your foot down and pick up some speed as you drive on a real racetrack under the supervision of an expert driving instructor.
Things to Know
Maranello is located in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, 28 miles (45 kilometers) west of Bologna, or about 45 minutes away by road.
Most full-day tours include entrance fees, round-trip transport, and lunch.

Food Lover's Guide to Bologna
11 Tours and Activities
The Emilia-Romagna region is Italy’s gastronomic heartland and its capital, Bologna, is the perfect place to discover the country’s rich culinary heritage and overindulge on delicious Italian cuisine. Here are our favorite Bologna food tours and experiences.
Must-Try Dishes
Many of Italy’s most famous delicacies hail from the Emilia-Romagna region— Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (Parmesan cheese), Parma ham (prosciutto crudo di Parma), mortadella sausage (the origin of the processed stuff we’ve come to know as bologna), culatello (cured meat), piadina (flatbread), and balsamic vinegar.
Affectionately known as La Grassa (“the Fat One”) among Italians, Bologna is also renowned for its hearty and delicious cuisine. Signature dishes include tortellini, tagliatelle alla Bolognese (pasta with meat-and-tomato sauce), and lasagna, which you can pair with a glass of Lambrusco, then cap it all off with a scrumptious dessert like zuppa inglese (a trifle-like custard and sponge cake) or sweet ravioli pastries.
Must-Do Experiences
Visit a Parmigiano-Reggiano factory, a traditional balsamic vinegar producer in Modena, and a prosciutto factory on a full-day tour of Bologna’s legendary food valley.
Sample delicacies including ragù, mortadella, and gelato on a walking tour of Bologna’s local markets and foodie hot spots.
Learn to make fresh pasta and tortellini from scratch with a home-cooking class at a country farmhouse.
Hunt for wild truffles in the forest, then dine on Michelin-starred cuisine at a traditional trattoria on a Bologna truffle tour.

Notable Porticoes in Bologna
Almost 25 miles (40 kilometers) of porticoes, or shaded arcades, line the streets of the Italian city of Bologna. Simultaneously functional and architecturally beautiful, the porticoes provide outdoor promenades that are protected from sun and rain. Here’s where to find the best examples throughout the center of Bologna.
Piazza Maggiore
Dating back to the 13th century, this square has porticoes on three sides. Each side has its own architecture and character, reflecting the era in which they were built and the style of the designer.
Via dell'Indipendenza
Dating back to 1888, the porticoes along Via dell'Indipendenza are relatively new compared to other historic walkways in Bologna. Connecting Piazza Maggiore to the railway station, this road is lined with shops, and the wide walkway offers shelter from the weather.
San Luca
Stretching almost 13,125 feet (4,000 meters), the porticoes along Via San Luca and Via Saragozza were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. This covered walkway was considered a religious route and leads to a church, the Madonna of San Luca (Santuario Madonna di San Luca).
Via Marsala
Some of the oldest examples of this architecture style can be seen in the wooden porticoes of Via Marsala, dating back to the 13th century.
Via Zamboni
You can see porticoes from different eras in history along Via Zamboni, once the home of many noble residences now belonging to offices and universities. A range of architectural styles and intricate details are displayed here.
Piazza Santo Stefano
Two sides of this square are lined by porticoes dating back to different moments in Bologna’s history from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Craftsmanship on the columns and arches is especially noteworthy.
- Ducati Museum (Museo Ducati) Tours & Tickets
- Bologna Piazza Maggiore Tours & Tickets
- Two Towers (Due Torri) Tours & Tickets
- Fountain of Neptune (Fontana del Nettuno) Tours & Tickets
- Basilica of Santo Stefano (Basilica di Santo Stefano) Tours & Tickets
- Bologna University Quarter Tours & Tickets
- Ferrari Museum (Museo Ferrari) Tours & Tickets
- Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca (Santuario della Madonna di San Luca) Tours & Tickets
- Basilica of San Domenico (Basilica di San Domenico) Tours & Tickets
- Lamborghini Museum (Museo Lamborghini) Tours & Tickets
- San Petronio Basilica (Basilica di San Petronio) Tours & Tickets
- Anatomical Theatre of the Archiginnasio (Teatro Anatomico dell'Archiginnasio) Tours & Tickets
- National Gallery of Bologna (Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna) Tours & Tickets
- Marconi Museum (Museo Marconi) Tours & Tickets
- Oratory of Santa Cecilia (Oratorio Di Santa Cecilia) Tours & Tickets