Bologna Food Tour: Explore Historic Markets & Delis

Embark on a private food tour in Bologna with a local foodie and explore the city’s tastiest treats. Discover historic markets, delis, bars, and specialty stores, and indulge in an aperitivo at the Mercato delle Erbe.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Il Quadrilatero - Join a host and discover Bologna’s incredible food culture whilst tasting classic Bolognese dishes and produce, like mortadella in the old Bologna food market known as Il Quadrilatero
    IMPORTANT: As this is a private and personalized experience, the places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host…
What's Included
  • Hotel meet-up (available on request for central locations)
  • 3 hours walking tour, exploring highlights and hidden gems
  • 6-8 tastings of local delights, and 2 drinks from 2-3 local eateries
  • Private and personalized walking tour with a passionate local
What's Not Included
  • Additional food and drinks
  • Transportation (primarily a walking experience however public transport may be used)
  • Tickets to any attractions
  • Gratuities (optional)
Additional Information

Join your guide on a culinary journey through Bologna, the food capital of Italy! Explore historic markets, delis ‘salumerie’, bars, and speciality stores, as well as Mercato di Mezzo, the city’s oldest market. Experience the prominence of seasonal produce as you take in the smells and tastes of sun-kissed fruit and fresh herbs travelling from one…

Location
Comet
Via IV Novembre
After booking, you can adjust the meeting point to fit your preferences with the help of our Experience Planners.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(35 Ratings)
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Stuart_g
Jun 23, 2025
The walking tour was... - The walking tour was great. Learned a lot about the history of Bologna and the present as well. Andrea was informative, funny and introduced us to some cured meats that we had not tried before. A nice way to spend the morning.
Review provided by Viator
John_s
Jun 9, 2025
Great food walking tour. - Nicola was a great guide and showed us true Bologna food gems that we would not have found on our own.
Review provided by Viator
Bryan_w
May 22, 2025
Our host, Antonia, was... - Our host, Antonia, was exceptional. She made our afternoon in Bologna a wonderful adventure. We sampled a variety of traditional dishes native to Bologna and received a great orientation to the food culture and an introduction to the history of the region. We highly recommend for a new visitor to the region. Thanks for a wonderful afternoon!!!
Review provided by Viator
David
Apr 5, 2025
Amazing Experience! - Claudio was absolutely outstanding! From the moment we met him in Bologna, he was kind, attentive, and clearly passionate about creating a memorable experience. He thoughtfully tailored our time together to match our interests, weaving in fascinating historical details and vibrant touches of local culture. The food and wine selections were nothing short of incredible—each stop felt like a hidden gem. Claudio’s knowledge and warm personality made this experience truly special. Highly recommend!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susan_b
Dec 20, 2024
Be ready to eat and learn... - Be ready to eat and learn the history of Bologna! Andrea was great as a guide and his love of Bologna shined through.
Review provided by Viator
Samantha_f
Oct 28, 2024
An experience to remember - An absolutely incredible tour given by Gabriele! Walking around the city we got to experience so much of Bologna’s history. Gabriele was very kind and extremely knowledgeable. We had many laughs and amazing food. His recommendation for our dinner later was absolutely perfect and delicious. We couldn’t ask for a better way to be introduced to this lovely city. 10/10
Review provided by Viator
Elvira_d
Sep 30, 2024
Excellent - It was excellent. Our guide Gabriele was incredible, very knowledgeable. He also told us a lot about Bologna.
Review provided by Viator
Carolyn_h
Jun 1, 2024
Great History, Sights and Street Food tour of Bologna - We had a wonderful tour of Bologna with Nicola in mid-May 2024. Nicola is a PhD student studying history, and my husband and I were history majors, so this was a great match for us. We had a wonderful tour of the major sights in Bologna's main square, as well as the amazing shields and crests at the Archiginnasio Library. The tour was less food-focused as it was on sights until the last part of the tour, which was fine with us; we had Bolognese street food with Nicola of Mortadella panini as well as Tigelle - with a special local delicacy thrown in, pig lard mixed with parm cheese - not an every day eat but it was super interesting and we were happy to try it. Nicola has an extensive list of Gelateria that he loves and we went to one that had "whipped cream" gelato - it was unbelievable. If you love history and want some local street food flavor thrown in, this is the tour for you. Grazie, Nicola!
Review provided by Viator
Debbie_s
Sep 30, 2023
Great tour and food - Elisa was a great guide who made learning about Bologna very enjoyable. We had a lovely gelato and then a meal of ragu and bruchetta, cheeses, meats, spreads and breads. Topped this off with an aperol spritz. A great tour.
Review provided by Viator
Joseph_d
May 29, 2024
Not a foodie tour….a good tour with a little food. - Would have liked a day filled with popping in and out of markets tasting many foods unique to Bologna. As foodies ourselves, we could have done what the guide did without her. Sara was a very nice person who was very knowledgeable about the history and sights, but we were expecting and exciting food experience, not just ordering food and eating in the local market, which is what we did.
Review provided by Viator
From $129
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).