Experience Bologna
Beyond the Guidebooks

Claudio Natale was a great tour guide and host. He has a lot of interesting stories about Bologna to share, was very flexible and focused on our points / areas of interest. He accommodated the itinerary to our requests. He is a very nice and friendly person. It was a great few hours which allowed me and my wife to discover a lot of interesting things about Bologna. Highly recommended to spend some time with Claudio in Bologna :)

Claudio a été un guide exceptionnel et très sympathique, avec des connaissances incroyables sur sa ville! Nous avons passé de superbes heures ensemble et le referons à notre retour. Claudio was an exceptional and very friendly guide, with incredible knowledge of his city! We spent a wonderful time together and will do it again when we return.

We were in Bologna for a few days visiting a university student and booked a tour with Claudio for the last day. It was fantastic and would have been really helpful to do early in our visit. The tour was perfectly crafted based on the interests we expressed. The guide really listened to what we wanted, had excellent knowledge of the area and a strong command of the English language. He was well prepared with recommendations and suggestions and we felt like insiders!

We were visiting our daughter studying in Bologna and decided to book a personalized tour of the city. Claudio was fantastic! He listened well to what we wanted and tailored the time towards our interests. He was super well prepared with recommendations and a wealth of knowledge on all subjects Bologna from history to architecture to local culture and music. We experienced nooks and crannies of the city we never would have come across on our own. Wish we would have done this tour at the start of our stay to glean from all the recommendations Claudio provided. After this experience we immediately booked a similar tour in Florence.

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!

It’s a very good tour and we’re so grateful for the help. We got to explain how we can park that was a big concern of our driving for the first time in Italy you made it so easy. We parked and walked 10 minutes and we met you perfect timing. What a great day we had After work. We enjoyed lunch glass of wine and walked around the city some more before departing. We had a great time.

Excellent tour. Antonia our guide was very knowledgeable. She showed us some of the best sites in Bologna and gave lots of information on its history. She also gave lots of pointers on other things to do and best places to eat during our stay. Thank you Antonia!

Antonia gave me a warm welcome to Bologna. She showed me many interesting sights and shared a lot of information about the city’s past and present. She answered my questions and helped me enhance my visit.

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.

Nicola was very personable and made the effort to customize our interests. He was able to meet us at closer location, which was very convenient for us. Very interesting facts about Bologna were offered to us and he made us think! Loved the tour.

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!

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.

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.

Alex was great! Very knowledgeable and personable.

Alex covered the history and culture of Bologna in a clear and insightful manner. He answered all our questions in as much depth as we required and never rushed us along. He is a good advocate for Bologna and we finished the tour with a much more rounded understanding of city. Would definitely recommend.

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.

Delightful, knowledgable host.

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 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

We had a fantastic and unique experience with Diego. First of all, he met with us personally at our hotel and provided a thoughtful gift in celebration of our vacation and honeymoon. Diego took us to museums, churches, and local food venues which we would not have known about otherwise as people new to the city. We enjoyed getting to know Diego and learning about the culture of Italy. Not only this, but he took a sincere interest in learning about us. We did not only leave Bologna knowing more about the city and culture, but we made a new friend which is more invaluable to our experience here.

Diego was a perfect guide. He arrived early, and stayed longer than we had booked him for, because he was so excited to show us more. He is very passionate about his city Bologna, and his passion is infectious. We truly loved every minute of our tour with Diego, and highly recommend him. We listened to his suggestions and gave him our input, and the result was a fabulously customized and memorable experience. We left Bologna with a great understanding of its life and culture, and a hope that we will soon return for more.

We had a wonderful experience with Diego and can't recommend him highly enough! This wasn't just a tour--it was a true experience, like suddenly making a cool local friend who loves his city and wants to show it off. The tasting experience was well designed and thoughtfully curated, and it came with lots of local history and culture, plus the personal touch that came with Diego's style and personality. This is the right tour, book it and have the Bologna experience of your dreams!