Food tours in Bologna

Bologna is the capital of Emilia-Romagna, the Italian region behind Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma and mortadella. A food tour there is a guided walk through the old centre around Piazza Maggiore, with stops at shops, stalls and small bars. Four operators are compared here. Their entry tours cost 69 to 89 euros per adult and last two to three hours, and all four say their guides speak English.

Four tours, four schedules

• Eating Europe has the lowest adult price, from 69 euros, with 60 euros for ages 13 to 17 and 51 euros for ages 4 to 12. The tour is for ages 4 and up, led by English-fluent Bologna locals.
• Secret Food Tours keeps it short: the Express tour covers the Quadrilatero market area in 4 stops. Its standard Bologna tour lasts 3.5 hours and costs 89.99 euros. Children of 2 or under go free.
• Delicious Bologna runs its aperitivo tour from April to October, except in August, for 9 people at most, in English. Its Daylight and Nightfall tours cost 90 euros.
• Taste Bologna charges from 49 euros for children aged 4 to 10, and under-4s go free. Its classic tour, longer than the sunset one, starts at 95 euros.

Morning or aperitivo

The clearest dividing line is the hour. Eating Europe leaves at 10 or 10:30 in the morning, a good fit for a day that continues with sightseeing. Delicious Bologna and Taste Bologna start late in the afternoon, at aperitivo time, the Italian pre-dinner drink with small bites, and end in the evening. Secret Food Tours’ Express format fits into two hours and a half at most.

For the lowest price, Eating Europe (from 69 euros) and Secret Food Tours’ Express (69.99 euros) are almost level. Of the group caps published, Delicious Bologna’s 9 people is the smallest.

What to taste in Bologna

• Tortellini, small rings of stuffed pasta, served in broth.
• Tagliatelle al ragù, flat egg pasta with the slow-cooked meat sauce known abroad as bolognese.
• Mortadella, the large, finely ground pork cold cut that carries the city’s name.
• Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto di Parma, both made in Emilia-Romagna.
• Lambrusco, the region’s sparkling red wine.

Practical tips for food tours in Bologna

• Getting there. Bologna Centrale station is on the high-speed line between Milan, Florence and Rome. The Marconi Express monorail links it with the airport. Piazza Maggiore is a walk or a bus ride from the station.
• Mind the season. Delicious Bologna’s aperitivo tour does not run in August, nor from November to March.
• Dietary needs. Bologna’s table leans on pork and cheese: tell the operator before booking if you are vegetarian or have an allergy.
• Prices change. The figures here were read on the operators’ own sites on 29 September 2026.

Elsewhere in Italy

Fast trains from Bologna reach Florence and Rome. This guide also compares food tours in Rome and in Naples, further south.