Tours/Bologna/Bologna Private Walking Tour
Viator · Private tour

Bologna Private Walking Tour

5.0(6)Bologna1 hour
VIATOR5.0(2)TRIPADVISOR5.0(4)

Description

Not many know that Bologna dates all the way back to 1000 BC! With a history of almost 3000 years, it has played an important role in the world’s events, and one can only imagine how much there is to tell! On our enchanting private walking tour through the city of Bologna we will visit numerous of interesting and off-the-beaten-path places as well as the major piazzas and monuments of this fascinating town. Bologna is a bustling city displaying beautiful sites and is home to the first university in the world! In fact,still to this day it is a popular city among Italian and international students. Discover this fascinating Medieval town on a Private and Exclusive Walking Tour.

Tour Options

Bologna Private Walking Tour
  • Option 1: 2 hr private tour of the wonderful city of Bologna visits numerous of interesting and off-the-beaten-path places, along with some historical sites. Visit the oldest university town in the world!

Itinerary

30 min

On this enchanting private walking tour through the city of Bologna you will visit numerous, interesting and off-the-beaten-path places. A network of porticos along the streets of the center makes this city unique. Walking under the porticos, protected from the sun and the rain, makes it possible to reach many important museums, galleries, main squares and religious buildings, which holds an unexpected patrimony of works of art.

30 min

The tour commences in the largest square, Piazza Maggiore, located in the ancient part of Bologna. Its medieval buildings have witnessed Bologna’s vibrant public life and intense economic activity for centuries. Nowadays, these historical sites are combined with the latest functional places: Sala Borsa Public Library, the Municipal offices, shops and Cafés.

30 min

This walking tour will obviously be visiting the Basilica of San Petronio and the two "leaning" towers of Bologna. One of the towers was the first seat of the University of Bologna: the Archiginnasio, which still contains unique frescoes and an Anatomic Theater that we also will visit.

30 min

The evidence of Bologna's prestigious history is spread out in many places throughout the center. On the Bologna Walking Tour you will also get the chance to explore the Quadrilatero area with its maze of small streets, and the historical market with its colors and flavors, bringing us back to the ancient times. Let our passionate and knowledgeable guide show you the beauty and captivating history of Bologna.

Highlights

Fontana del Nettuno
Piazza Maggiore
Archiginnasio courtyard
Bologna’s historic University
Municipal Palace
Quadrilatero markets
The “leaning towers” of Bologna
Fully guided experience
Private Tour
Salaborsa
Basilica San Petronio

What's included

Included
Fontana del Nettuno
Piazza Maggiore
Archiginnasio courtyard
Bologna’s historic University
Municipal Palace
Quadrilatero markets
The “leaning towers” of Bologna
Fully guided experience
Private Tour
Salaborsa
Basilica San Petronio
Not included
Food and drinks

Traveller Ratings

5.0
6 reviews
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Important Information

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
  • Offered in: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. Please specify under “Additional notes” if you wish to book the tour in a language other than English.
  • Places of worship have strict dress code requirements for entry. All participants are required to have shoulders and knees covered (no tank tops or short dresses) to enter.
  • Comfortable walking shoes recommended.

Reviews(6)

K
KC C
April 8, 2026
Amazing tour experience with Emmanuel

Amazing experience! Emmanuel was our guide and was the best. So knowledgeable about the history and background and was the best story teller! Would highly recommend Emmanuel!

J
Jeffrey_W
August 9, 2025
Our guide was excellent....

Our guide was excellent. Well versed on the history, food and culture of Bologna. Terrific walking tour.

P
patrickk453
December 28, 2024
An excellent tour!

Elisa gave me my private tour and I had a wonderful time. She was very pleasant, very knowledgeable, and she teaches history like me, a match made in heaven! She began the tour by saying Bologna must be seen from the inside to appreciate the outside and I couldn’t agree more. We saw ruins and churches, and even sat in a dissection suite from a medieval medical school. It was amazing. Then we walked the porticos and discussed the long fascinating history of this beautiful, busy city. I could have walked for another hour! She was a fantastic tour guide and I would highly recommend her.

T
trishhermosa
September 30, 2022
Absolutely best city tour of Bologna

Excellent communication on where to meet Easy to find guide Good english and easy to understand Historical knowledge excellent Great personality of guide We loved both the old library and seeing the walls and walls of books by famous people ( like Galileo). My favorite part of the tour was the “dissecting theatre” where the professors of the medical school and the artists would learn from a dead body. Our guide Sandra was incredible in her knowledge of the oldest university in the world ( and med school) …still functioning today … and her knowledge of Bologna. She showered us with information and we left the tour feeling like we really understood the city from the old families architecture, the church and its history ( fabulous to learn) and the towers etc. We learned why Bologna is considered the best Italian food in Italy! Bologna was such a great city because it offers everything that the popular cities have to see, yet it is not crowded with tourists. Our tour guide showed us so much in 2 hours and suggested local places to eat and I have to say we ate the best meals of our 2 week trip, all in Bologna. Thanks to Sandra! This tour group is reliable and the service and knowledge is guaranteed to be the best! I HIGHLY recommend spending the money on a livitaly private tour. Seeing tours holding flags and microphones with crowds is not the same attention we got. Private tour was the best thing we did as we felt we could then walk and see the city on our own later and get a great perspective from what we learned from Sandra!

Y
Y3846UQgeorgel
September 3, 2022
The Pyramid Di Caio Cestio was fascinating to see !

David was so fun and knowledgeable His explanations of the history kept you interested to want more !!! ******

H
Hiroshi K
September 4, 2017
Our guide was highly professional...

<p>Our guide was highly professional and knowledgeable. We particularly enjoyed the underground museum of City Hall, as well as University of Bologna, the true core of Bologna tour we would say. She made our visit to Bologna very valuable.</p>

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