Experience Bologna
Beyond the Guidebooks

Claudio was our host and guided us through an informative and enjoyable tour of Bologna. We found him attentive and accommodating to our interests as we walked through the city learning history, visiting cultural places and then enjoying the wonderful and unique food available there. As the tour concluded we agreed that we enjoyed our time with Claudio.

Claudio was very attentive to our interests and expertly guided us through and informative and enjoyable journey through the history and hidden gems of Bologna. We recommend this to others visiting the area!

Exceptional. I cannot say enough about what a delightful tour this was, and how amazing Claudio was as our guide. He is responsive, flexible, and accommodating - pivoting to our interests and needs. More than that, he was kind and warm - like we were being guided by a family member. His wealth of knowledge and fun facts allowed us to explore many hidden gems and main historical sites. Would do it again in a heartbeat!

This was an incredible experience, I couldn’t recommend it enough! This is a great way to learn about Bologna. Claudio was a wonderful tour guide. He was so warm and knowledgeable. It was such an amazing time seeing the city from a locals point of view. We definitely saw things we wouldn’t have known to see without Claudio. It felt like we spent the day with our friend, it was so nice!

Our walking tour of Bologna was very professionally organised and was both insightful and very enjoyable.

This was a fantastic tour of Bologna. Antonia, our tour guide, led us around Bologna unveiling many secret locations and revealed to us the history of Bologna in shaping how it looks. We enjoyed all parts of the tour.

Antonia treated us like friends. Showed us so many hidden gems and we tasted many delicious delicasies.

We had an amazing food tour in Bologna with Antonia to celebrate our husbands' 60th birthdays! Antonia was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate, taking us to charming local spots we wouldn’t have found on our own. We savored delicious tortellini and enjoyed a delightful balsamic vinegar tasting and homemade pasta, all while soaking in Bologna’s vibrant atmosphere. Antonia made the experience fun and personal, sharing fascinating stories along the way. It was a memorable day filled with laughter, great food, and wonderful company. This tour is a must for anyone visiting Bologna!

Nicola was a great guide! We discovered so many things that we would have never known had he not been with us. He also took time to give us further recommendations for the rest of our trip!

Our tour was a fantastic intro to our visit to Bologna. Nicola was our tour guide and his passion for history was evident as he shared all the background of our stops along the way. He did a great job curating the tour to our family’s interests to keep it interesting for everyone, as well as giving us so great recommendations for gelato and dinner. We appreciate Nicola’s time and highly recommend him and this tour!

Great sense of humor and a very likeable guy. Nicola was very flexible, and we were so impressed by his knowledge of Bologna history. We appreciate his willingness to get us to the train station via taxi. We would definitely ask for Nicola for another tour.

Having a private tour with Nicola was very special and he accepted our invitation to lunch with us. This made it more personal and unique. Nicola is a very nice young man.

Andrea was a wealth of information of "the history of Bologna old city" (specifically what I was interested in). We talked about many other topics as well. His presentation welcoming and informative. The development of the city throughout the ages including transportation of goods and materials, building styles and modernisation. I very much enjoyed his tour.

Great walking tour of Bologna. We covered most of the city and sights. Loved hearing about the rich history.

We loved our guide, Andrea. He was informative, friendly and professional. Terrific!

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.

We enjoyed the practical stories and the knowledge of the area without the long history lessons.

Lorenza was a delightful lady and showed us the less known paths of Bologna along best sightseeing. We’ve spend 3 hours together in a personalized experience as we’ve asked for. Thanks for that .

This was a great way to get to know the city from a locals perspective. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful. She answered all of our questions and gave us tips on things to do after our tour.

On our first day in Bologna, we had the pleasure of taking a 3-hour personalized tour with Lorenza, and it truly set the tone for the rest of our trip. She was incredibly warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable—bringing the city’s rich history to life through engaging stories and fascinating insights. Throughout our stay, we kept recognizing places she had shown us, often recalling the fun facts she shared with a smile. Thanks to Lorenza, we experienced Bologna through a much deeper and more meaningful lens. One of the highlights was learning about the history of the porticos and how they symbolize the city’s spirit of hospitality—something she herself embodied with her magnetic personality and thoughtful approach. An outstanding experience from start to finish. 5 stars—highly recommend!

Gabriel’s was a fantastic tour guide! He showed us so many highlights of Bologna, and he also made sure to take us everywhere we wanted to go. He was extremely knowledgeable and engaging, and he answered all of our questions. We are American, and his English was excellent! He also gave us great recommendations for places to eat, things to do, etc. At the end of our tour, he walked us to a restaurant we had seen earlier that we wanted to go to. I highly recommend this private tour with Gabriele!

We have a great time with Gabriele in the beautiful city of Bologna! He showed us all of the main sights. Highly recommended!

I would highly recommend him for any traveler looking for a good guide to Bologna.

A delightful tour of Bologna given by Gabriele whose pride and passion for his home town shone through . He was friendly and informative and led the tour at a lovely pace giving us opportunity to ask questions on the way . He advised us of a great place for lunch ( Simoni ) and have further suggestions for meals during our stay . It was the perfect start to the city break because it gave us the chance to get to know the City . We would not hesitate in recommending this tour - especially if you get Gabriele as your guide . Thanks Lele

People should try not to book on a Sunday because the markets are not open. Gabriele is great!

Wonderful!!

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

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

We learned so many interesting things about the city in such a short time. Guide made it super engaging for our 8 year old- playing games to find different decorations, towers, etc. We had a great time.

Great tour, enjoyed our time. Family friendly and our guide was accommodating with the heat making sure we mostly stayed in the shade:) She was also great with communication.

Our guide paulina made us feel very special by spoiling us with kindness making our wedding anniversary memorable. Paulina made sure our tour showed wonderful history and lifestyle of the people of Bologna. One of the best days of our holiday.

Great experience! We had a local with us and our guide showed us things that surprised the local! It was a great way to spend a morning,

There were so many great vegan places we ate. We had smoothies with pasta straws, tortoloni, mini pizza, stuffed aubergine, lemon drink and more! Plus we visited several vintage shops and I purchased things at 3 different location. We ended in a beautiful garden where there’s a café.. (highly recommend the stuffed aubergine). I was also excited to see the Street Art by the university too

Claudia was awesome! She was so knowledgeable About the city. We got to experience a version of the city that would have been impossible without a local’s perspective. We also got to try many wonderful Bolognese dishes. Highly recommend.

Claudia was amazing. She has so much knowledge of Bologna. Not only did she show us the main points of interest, but she also took us around the not so known places that were fantastic. I highly recommend this tour and especially Claudia.

We scheduled a three hour tour with Claudia the first morning of our stay in Bologna, and it was such a fantastic experience! Claudia was very communicative with us prior to the tour, asking about what we would like to see, and she delivered perfectly on this! She took us to various corners of the city to see World War II partisan memorials (an interest of ours), independent bookshops, street art, and more - all things we never would have seen without her guidance. She pointed out so many sights, shops, and restaurants that we were able to return to and experience over our next four days in Bologna. We learned so much about the city from her, and felt that we were truly given an insider's look at this amazing place. We fell head over heals with Bologna and cannot wait to return - the most favourite city we have been to! Thank you Claudia for such a great day, and we hope to see you again in Bologna. ~ Sarah and Ben

My guide Chiara was very well informed and lovely to tour with. She explained the history the monuments and buildings of Piazza Maggiore, the University, the Two Towers and the seven churches. I learned a lot about Bologna’s history and was guided by Chiara towards other activities to enjoy. I thoroughly recommend this tour, very interesting and enjoyable.

Claire was a great guide for my Bologna tour. She took me round Piazza Maggiore, into the church and the city buildings, to the two towers, the University and the Seven Churches. She was knowledgeable and informative and explained the history of the amazing monuments very well. I really recommend this tour

Claire took me to several major Bologna landmarks: Piazza Maggiore, inside the city building and the church on the square, to the University building, the two towers, and the seven Churches. She was very well informed, was able to tell me the history of these amazing monuments, and also what she loved about the city and its citizens. It was a great tour, and has set me up very well for an enjoyable stay here.

Chairs was knowledgeable, attentive, kind and informative. She did a great job and it was a wonderful tour!

it was great! we really got to see a lot of things we wouldn’t have otherwise and our guide was extremely nice! highly recommend.

What an incredible experience. Alex was very knowledgeable and knew historical facts that were very specific to each site. We went off the beaten path to several local spots included an awesome beer garden at the end of the day. I would highly recommend getting a tour guide like Alex to lead you through Bologna. It was truly memorable.

Alex did a great job showing us Old Town Bologna. The tour was a mix of historical sites and present-day life. It was exactly what we were looking for.

Marina is a delightful and knowledgeable local. We wanted a slower pace with opportunities to sit, enjoy coffee, observe and talk. Very accommodating and we ended up walking further than we thought we could since she was so engaging. Highly recommend!

I had a fabulous experience with Marina. It was great to see both the typical tour spots (but maybe from a different angle) as well as the off-the-beaten path sites- that were customized to my interests. Experiencing a city is always more memorable when accompanied by an insider's perspective. Marina also gave me ideas for what I could explore more in depth on my own- and gave us spectacular dining recommendations.

Like walking around town with an old friend. Nothing more needs to be said!

Marina gave us a cultural and historical walkabout in old town Bologna that was very interesting. We recommend her highly.

Jonathan was an incredible host, so knowledgeable of the area

Jonathan gave us a great tour, entirely at our own pace, taking in many of the sites and pointing us towards others we could visit later. He gave us tips about shopping, transport, food & dining as well as historical context and stories. We can highly recommend Jonathan as your guide to Bologna! He also took charge of the wheelchair so my husband could walk and I could take photos. A very kind man. P.s. he knows a super gelateria.

Entire experience was memorable, including a selection of shoppes and experiences only known to locals.

What a fabulous way to spend an afternoon! A great introduction to the city, Marco was knowledgeable and engaging with exactly the right combination of history and local culture. Thank you for introducing us to your beautiful city!

Marco brought the city’s culture to life for us through fun and interesting stories about the Bologna‘s past and what life is like today!

Marco was informative from a historical perspective but he also brought the city culture to life for us which made it a fascinating walking tour. Thanks Marco! we would highly recommend your tour!

Diego was a passionate and wonderful guide, providing many historical and local insights, a great tour

Excellent guide, host, Diego was a pleasure to hangout with, informative and showed us the traditional bologna.

Diego was a wonderful and interactive host / guide, was awesome having a personalised tour and also being able to enjoy the locals cultural experience.

Diego was an excellent communicator before the tour. Arrived on time. As we were staying in Bologna for an extended stay he showed us around the important historical locations. We covered a lot of territory. He was friendly. We enjoyed our morning tour. Highly recommend