People enjoying lunch on Pescherie Vecchie street near famous food markets and shops
People enjoying lunch on Pescherie Vecchie street near famous food markets and shops

Classic Bologna Food Tour, Bologna

Overview

Discover the city of Bologna with your taste buds on a food tour. Enjoy some of the best coffee in Italy, explore a vibrant food market, meet food masters at work, and indulge in the classic Italian tastes and flavors like a local! Your guide will carefully select each stopping point, focusing on the historical significance and exceptional gastronomy beloved by locals and specialists.

You’ll start your day with a gourmet espresso made by Alessandro, known as the best barista in Bologna.​ Relax with your java and learn why Italy is so famous for its coffee. Continue to Quadrilatero and Mercato delle Erbe, the foodie heart of the city. ​You’ll shop as the locals do, wandering through different stalls and family stores. Stop to chat with the old ladies, masters of pasta, and watch how they make their famous tortellini, tortelloni, and tagliatelle.

Tutti a tavola! “Let’s sit all at the table!” It’s time to enjoy the delicious flavors of Bologna with lunch at the oldest osteria in Italy. Taste dishes like pasta with bolognese ragù and traditional cured meats, such as mortadella and salame rosa. Pair your bites with Parmigiano Reggiano and other local cheeses, plus the famous balsamic vinegar of Modena. As you eat, relax and chat with fellow foodies, discuss the tastes of the day, and sip a glass of Pignoletto, Sangiovese, or Lambrusco wine.

No lunch in Italy ends without a sweet treat! Aside from its savory delicacies, Bologna is also the city of gelato. You’ll make your way to a special gelateria and learn the secrets behind its taste, creamy texture, and how it differs from typical ice cream. ​Warning: it’ll be challenging to find pistachio gelato as good as in Bologna!

Discover more unique and interesting culinary experiences in Italy.

Itineraries with Classic Bologna Food Tour

Food & Wine in Italy: Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome & Amalfi Coast- 14 Days

Indulge in a 14-day culinary odyssey across Italy's foodie hotspots. Begin in Venice with local cicchetti, and venture to Bologna for 11th-century architecture and the best parmigiano and prosciutto. Admire Florence's Renaissance masterpieces and savor Tuscan Chianti with traditional farm-to-table fare. Conclude your trip in Rome and the Amalfi Coast, where you'll master the art of Neapolitan pizza and savor the Eternal City's famous street food and pasta dishes.

Food & Wine in Bologna & Milan - 5 Days

Take a trip through the food and wine region of Emilia-Romagna with this 5-day itinerary. Delve deep into Bologna's historic city center, visiting the iconic university and the Quadrilatero district. Spend a day in Parma to learn about the production processes of prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano and, of course, taste the final products. Learn from an Italian chef in Milan as you prepare fresh pasta and mix cocktails at a guided cooking class.

Best of Mediterranean Food & Wine: Athens, Santorini, Crete, Rome, Tuscany, & More - 21 Days

Indulge in the best of the Mediterranean region's food and wine on this comprehensive three-week getaway. Start the trip in Athens, home to both the famed Acropolis and the bustling Varvakios Market. Spend a few days island-hopping for winery tours and some of the world's best olive oil, before catching a flight to the south of Italy. Enjoy the best of Italy's cuisine, from pizza in Naples to parmesan in Bologna as you eat and drink your way through the country.