• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

The way to a city's heart it's through its food! And on this private food tour, you'll get to know Bologna through its cuisine and the tastings favorite of the locals. A local food expert is ready to give you a taste of the real Bologna satisfying your cravings for local food and city highlights.

Destination

Bologna, Italy

Category

Food Tours

Duration

2 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Italiano, Dansk, Español, Français, 日本語, Română

Included

• Private Guide
• 6 Local Food & Drink Tastings
• Vegetarian Options Available
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 7 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at In front of 'Pollo e Patate Pollomino' - Bologna to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Food Introduction

   This culinary kickstart tour is short and sweet! A perfect way to get acquainted with the local cuisine, its best tastings, and where to find them - all with the help of a local food expert

4. Locals’ Favorites

   Kickstart your time in Bologna by discovering the local cuisine. Try some of the ultimate locals’ favorite food treats like local cheeses and piadina picked by your local host and hear why the locals love them so much!

5. City Highlights

   This tour is more than just food; it’s a cultural experience! In between food stops, discover city highlights for a well-rounded experience that will satisfy your appetite for Bologna. Check out Basilica di San Domenico, Due Torri and more city highlights along the way

6. Food Recommendations

   With this private food tour, you’ll be set to keep enjoying the most authentic food and drinks in Bologna. Your food expert host knows where to go and what to order and will give you recommendations based on your likings and dietary preferences

7. Special Diet or Allergies?

   If you follow a special diet or have an allergy to a specific food, let your host know! They’ll make sure to consider that so you can have an enjoyable and safe experience

8. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Sarah-jane🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Jason)

3 March 2025

We had an incredible experience with Jason in Bologna! The food tour was a true highlight of our trip—Jason was knowledgeable, passionate and friendly. We got to taste a variety of authentic local dishes, from rich pastas to delicious cured meats, all while learning about the city’s rich culinary history. The pacing was perfect, allowing us to savor each stop without feeling rushed. It felt like a personal journey through Bologna’s food scene, and we left with a deeper appreciation for the local culture and flavors. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Bologna!Great intro to beautiful Bologna

Vicki🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Marco)

3 December 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed Marcos tour. Took us to places that we would have never found. From the markets where we met him to our final coffee stop each place was so interesting. Our highlight was Osteria del sole…..we have never experienced anything like it. So much history and we loved the concept of taking your own food. The balsamic tastings was a new level for us. Marco was the best. Highly recommend him.Foodies delight

Laura🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jason)

19 November 2024

Jason was very passionate about his city and teaching us everything we needed to know. We did the food tour and it was fantastic. If you are going to understand Italian food, you must go to Bologna and do this tour. The tortellini will never be the same in the states again. I would come back to Bologna just to eat for a few days. Don't sleep on this town and don't sleep on Jason. Also - some reviewers said they didn't feel there was a lot of food - I have to disagree - go on this tour HUNGRY. I expected just a few bites but could easily make a meal out of this tour, unless you actually think that the food they serve at Olive Garden is "italian" and that their serving sides are normal... Jason was the Best

Sinead 🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Marco)

4 October 2024

Marco was a great tour guide and brought us to some amazing places! He also gave us some brilliant tips for our time in Bologna. Thanks Marco! Great tour!

Isak 🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local Marco)

13 September 2024

We had a really nice time with Marco! We got a lot of local insights and fun stories and Marco took us to some really great places for delicious food. We can definitely recommend it!Fun and informative tour with Marco!

Robert 🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Luca)

21 July 2024

Very pleasant private food tour with Luca! We learned things we would never have known about Bologna and its wonderful food and ate some really nice things along the way. I'd recommend that if you try something nice, like the Formaggio di fossa cheese, buy it there and then! very informative

Unknown

(About local Luca)

9 July 2024

We scheduled our tour with Luca for soon after we arrived in Bologna. That proved to be a great decision. Luca introduced us to the local markets and specialty foods as well as gave an excellent overview of things and recommendations for restaurants and sites of interest. After the tour when we were looking for a place to watch F1 racing, he responded to our message and sent to the right place. Top level. I highly recommend Luca. Luca is great

Cherita🇺🇸 United States

(About local Frederik)

24 June 2024

Frederik was so knowledgeable and excited to share his city with us. He gave us some history and took us to a great little local shop for wine and several dishes. He kept us away from the tourist traps and the owner of the shop, Paulo, was very welcoming. I definitely recommend this tour. Fantastic tour!

Roy🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Luca)

30 April 2024

Luca is a great storyteller, he knows as much from food and his city Bologna. We loved the combination of history and food on our first day (with a real local guide). It makes us feel home. Thank you Luca for the amazing kickoff.(Food)Storyteller

Denise🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Luca)

14 March 2024

Luca is an exceptional guide who was able to pass on an insider’s knowledge of the city. We like Bologna before the tour - but we loved it afterwards! You will be able to find the best places to eat and visit with a personalised map with suggestions provided by Luca afterwards. Do yourself a favour and book a tour with locals. We highly recommend Luca.Wonderful insight into food and culture

gillian 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Luca)

14 September 2023

We though Luca was a great guide and had a we really appreciated the information about the City and the food .Great experience!

Liam

(About local Frederik)

18 February 2025

The perfect guide. Great insider knowledge of Bologna, flexible and great fun. Highly recommended. Fantastic!

Edward🇺🇸 United States

(About local Riccardo)

16 February 2025

Riccardo's academic knowledge of the architecture, history and art of Bologna was astounding. I hardly felt worthy being tutored by him with his profound breadth of expertise in all things cultural in magnificent Bologna. He is a professor and personally helped to identify hundreds of things that are now protected as a world heritage items. His enthusiasm and love of his city is infectious and it deepened our appreciation of it profoundly. We are so thankful to have had Riccardo make our visit so educational and unforgettable.Incredible Ambassador of Bologna

Sally

(About local Paolo)

19 January 2025

Paola was wonderful! He was so knowledgeable & very friendly. We enjoyed our tour with him very much! Highly recommend! Paolo was a fantastic tour guide!

John

(About local Marco)

12 January 2025

Marco is larger then life, both in personality and stature. His knowledge of the food scence in Bologna and surrounding areas is matched with his love and passion for it. Lucky this is a walking tour, because we needed. Each meal was amazing. Marco was also adaptive with his itinerary, as we told him we had already done a city walking tour, so he took as to other locations in the city, which we didn't explore previously.I'm still full!!!

Ron🇺🇸 United States

(About local Frederik)

29 December 2024

Fredrick, is a great guide. He is fun, knowledgeable, organized and connected to the city. Our tour was fantastic. Highly recommend Fredrick. RonFood Tour Bologna

Michelle🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marco)

27 December 2024

Marco is a special character and we thoroughly enjoyed our day with him. He showed us lots of places the locals go, was full of great tips, very knowledgeable, and of course the food samples were spot on. We’d do it again just to peel a layer deeper. Thank you Marco! Great day with Marco

Miriam🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jason)

27 December 2024

Jason was a pleasure and full of great information. My two adult sons and teenager all enjoyed his tour. It was a holiday so lots of places were closed and yet Jason figured it all out for us. Great Tour

Charles🇺🇸 United States

(About local Frederik)

21 December 2024

Frederick was an enthusiastic and expert on Bologna. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with him. Enthusiastic and expertise

Kim🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jason)

20 December 2024

We’ve done several tours through WithLocals both as a couple and with friends. Jason’s kickstarter tour of Bologna is the best we’ve done. It was exactly what you would expect of a kickstarter tour. Jason’s deep knowledge of the city and its history gave us the insight to know exactly where we wanted to spend our limited time in Bologna. He gave us the story behind each of the city’s landmarks and great suggestions on what to do, see, and eat while in Bologna. Don’t miss this tour!Don’t Miss Jason’s Tour

Joe🇺🇸 United States

(About local Luca)

9 December 2024

We had a wonderful day eating our way through Bologna with Luca. He is really a wonderful guide and was very accommodating of us traveling with our toddler. Highly recommend a tour with Luca if you're in Bologna. Awesome Day Eating our Way Through Bologna

Nina🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jason)

7 December 2024

Jason was a joy to go on a walking tour with. He was incredibly informative and very knowledgeable as well. It was a very well worth it 2 hour tour!! Do not miss this opportunity.Great Day in Bologna

Hilary🇺🇸 United States

(About local Paolo)

2 December 2024

We had an amazing time with Paolo for a food tour of Bologna. He took us to real gems that highlighted the local products and gave us a great overview both of the culinary history of the region and Bologna in general. We learned a lot and left with full bellies and greater appreciation and understanding of the rich cultural and historical heritage of the area. I am still dreaming of the perfect Tigella treats and that ultimate espresso! Grazie Mille, Paolo!Deep knowledge of culinary delights!

Els

(About local Jason)

30 November 2024

Panos🇬🇷 Greece

(About local Frederik)

24 November 2024

Professional and friendly

marykthornton12🇺🇸 United States

(About local Luca)

20 November 2024

Our tour with Luca was fun, personal, and interesting! He knew a lot about the city and food and took us to some great spots. Great time in Bologna with Luca!

Molly

(About local Marco)

9 November 2024

Marco was a lot of fun and introduced us to many local off the beaten path places!

michael🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Marco)

1 November 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our food walking tour with Marco this week. Marco was an excellent guide providing us with a blend of information about regional produce and the history of Bologna. He is clearly someone who has a deep knowledge and love of local foods and wines. His manner was relaxed but his talk full of insight and humorous anecdotes whilst patiently answering our questions. The three hours of our tour passed quickly, and we particularly enjoyed the visits to the herb market where we tasted samples of balsamic vinegar and local hams, and the atmospheric Osteria Del Sole. This tour was not cheap, but Marco made it good value. Tom Sarah and Michael Tastes of Bologna Oct 24

Nancy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Frederik)

1 November 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Frederik. He is personable, informed and extremely passionate about Bologna. We learned so much about the history and culture of the city and experienced aspects that we couldn't have done without his guidance. We recommend him highly and will book tours with him when we return! Fantastic tour

Steve🇳🇴 Norway

(About local Marco)

29 October 2024

Marco was a great host, very personable and full of information. We really enjoyed a nice evening with him and a lot of wonderful food. He took us to some great spots that we would not have found as tourists and made us feel very welcome. Great food and wine. It seems everyone in bologna knows Marco too, and that was really nice and added to our experience. Our only regret is that we should have done this tour on our first night here instead of the last. Highly recommend this tour, definitely worth a little extra money to book this instead of via tour. Fantastic evening with Marco

Stefany🇨🇴 Colombia

(About local Jason)

27 October 2024

Great tour with clear information and excellent restaurant recommendations. However, the pace was a bit fast, and we didn't have enough time for questions.Great Tour!

Thomas E🇺🇸 United States

(About local Riccardo)

23 October 2024

The depth and breadth of Riccardo's knowledge is remarkable. Combine that with his passion and friendly personality and you've got an amazing introduction to Bologna. If you want to begin to understand the wonders of this city, he's your guy. Astonishingly good guide

Thomas E🇺🇸 United States

(About local Paolo)

20 October 2024

A terrific intro to Bolgnese cuisine. Personable, knowledgeable, interesting. Got some great restaurant recommendations, too.Worth doung!

MarieAnne🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Riccardo)

19 October 2024

I have worked with many guides over the years and Riccardo was one of the very best. His knowledge is expansive and he drew so many sociocultural connections for my group in such an engaging way. Few guides are so knowledgeable about both history and art history. My group absolutely adored him.Superb guide

Laura🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jason)

18 October 2024

We highly recommend booking Jason’s tour at the beginning of your visit to Bologna. His knowledge of the city and information about restaurants, other tours and points of interest are invaluable to making the most of your experience. We enjoyed spending the time with Jason, and believe you will too!Excellent way to start our time in Bologna

Lina🇺🇸 United States

(About local Riccardo)

17 October 2024

Riccardo had a lot to say about everything and every place we visited from Bologna to Modena to the Acetaia for a balsamic vinegar tour and back to Bologna! He brought us to the market in Modena, the church and a great restaurant, UVA D’Oro where we had the best Tagliolini with truffles in a butter Parmesan sauce- over the top. He is knowledgeable and full of facts and details- he doesn’t skip a beat. Then we set out for Villa San Donnino where they make and process balsamic vinegar for a tasting. What a great day. If you are going to Bologna, be sure you book Riccardo for any day trip - you will love him!Great Day!

Sandra

(About local Frederik)

16 October 2024

We signed up for a 3 hour tour of regional foods. What we got was a 2 hour tour. Frederick provided us with 5 pieces of meat and cheese each. We asked for some gluten free substitutions. Rather than provide gluten free pasta he served olives and crackers. For "regional" dessert he took us to a gelato shop. This was a cheap alternative to true Bolognese dessert. I requested to purchase some local items. He made excuses that they were not in season inspite of having seen them in stores. The whole experience seemed like a cheap rip off.Con Artist

Maree🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Luca)

16 October 2024

Luca was a wonderful extremely knowledgeable guide who shared so much history and information about the food and drinks in Bologna. He also provided a wealth of follow up information which was so valuable during our stay. Bologna is a beautiful fascinating town to visit.Bologna Drinks and Bites

Norman🇺🇸 United States

(About local Riccardo)

16 October 2024

Riccardo is full of passion and knowledge about the complex history and evolution of Bologna. A fun and interesting experience!Passion for Bologna

Margaret🇺🇸 United States

(About local Paolo)

15 October 2024

I signed up for a basic food tasting tour with Paolo, but got so much more! Paolo is a wealth of information about bolognese food as well as a historian. He explained the 3000 year history of the city concisely and hit high notes! He was patient with questions and never rushed us. I would spend a day with Paolo even if there was no fabulous food involved! Wonderful Tour

Erin🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Frederik)

13 October 2024

Frederik is amazing. My spouse and I had the pleasure of joining a walking tour of Bologna led by Frederik, and it was an outstanding experience. From the moment we met, Frederik's passion for the city was evident. His knowledge of Bologna’s history, architecture, and culture added depth to every stop on the tour. The pace of the tour was perfect, allowing us to soak in the sights without feeling rushed. Frederik also recommended local eateries and hidden gems, enhancing our overall experience in the city. Overall, I highly recommend this walking tour for anyone wanting to explore Bologna. Frederik is a fantastic guide who truly brings the city to life!Bologna’s Best

Carole

(About local Frederik)

10 October 2024

We signed up for this tour based on the advertised agenda and picked our guide based on reviews. The day of the tour we received a note that the guide and the location of the tour had been changed. That was not an issue. We met Frederick at the new spot and proceeded on the tour. He is very nice and has a lot of historical information to offer. We appreciated that, but since we had signed up for a food tour with 10 tastings and gelato at the end and were bringing our grandson, the itinerary was not what we wished for. We understood that he wanted to provide “quality over quantity”, but the experience was long and hard for us at the beginning because we did not ever stop for tastings. We finally arrived at the shop of Paolo, who was wonderful. We then had a small portion of lasagna and a platter of meats and cheeses along with a glass of wine. That was the tasting. Paolo did provide Nutella for our grandson. That was a hit with him, but again since we had paid the prices we did for the experience, we were disappointed with the reality. All in all an interesting experience, but not as advertised. Informative, but not as advertised

Randy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Luca)

1 October 2024

Luca is articulate, organized, personable, and passionate about his city and its food. He has spent years in the US and understands our peculiarities. He is flexible, and geared our tour towards foods we had not yet sampled. Highly recommend Luca!Intelligent, passionate and fun

Barbara 🇺🇸 United States

(About local Luca)

27 September 2024

Luva was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable about the city of Bologna, its food and culture. He was very adept at integrating information about the city and its history as we walked to different stops to taste many foods native to the area. He took his time with us and was very helpful to suggest what else to see in the city in our own. He gave us directions to get back to the train station that included a stop at a great place for gelato. The group was very impressed with Luca Excellent

Elaine

(About local Luca)

26 September 2024

Gregory

(About local Jason)

25 September 2024

What a delightful morning. We visited a cluster of lesser known churches with great history then many of the local hot spots. Visiting the market was great and we have enjoyed some of his food recommendationsJason is perfect for a Bologna tour

Richard

(About local Frederik)

19 September 2024

Hi - we did a tour with Frederick last week in Bologna; he is very friendly and educated about not just the food in this city, but also the history. He answered all our questions and was very easy to talk to and get along with. However, here are several issues we have with the tour - 1) The tour was scheduled for 1130AM - I was asked to move it to 1230 which was fine, we re-arranged our schedule. But the guide was 15 minutes late and showed up at 1245pm. 2) The tour was scheduled for 3 hours on the booking, but it was barely 2 hours. We learned a lot in the 2 hours, but with the costs of this tour, it really shouldn't be advertised for 3 hours if it's not going to be? 3) Maybe most disappointing, was the lack of food tasting/served. We toured around the old part of the city to different places to learn about Bologna's history and food, which was great but no food in this part of the tour. Then we walked a little bit to one shop, where we sampled a very small piece of lasagna and then was offered a few meats and one cheese on two boards, with a glass of wine. For how this tour is advertised, only one food eating stop and so little food to sample? I've been on many food tours worldwide, and this was by FAR the smallest amount of variety of foods I've been able to sample and taste on a tour. Again, we liked Frederick, but due to the shortened tour, complete lack of food variety to taste.. with what you pay for the tour, I don't think I would do it again. Calling it "10 local food and Drink tasting" is downright false advertising, apologies. Good tour but falsely advertised

EDWIN

(About local Luca)

18 September 2024

Our group of four had a great time with Luca. He’s got a lot to teach on local food and drink as well as the history of the city. I like that he has multiple stops set up. He has an easy manner and does a great job of making you feel welcome in this truly unique city. Get out there and sign up for this one….you won’t be sorry! Great experience in Bologna

Yvonne 🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Paolo)

18 September 2024

We enjoyed a personalized 3 hour food tour with Paulo which was fantastic. His local knowledge of all the foods and the history of Bologna was first class and delivered in an interesting and relatable way. Paulos English is excellent so we felt lucky to have spent the time with him and now feel we have a rich understanding of Bologna. Strongly recommend 10

Zoe🇺🇸 United States

(About local Riccardo)

18 September 2024

Riccardo was an amazing tour guide. One of the most knowledgeable and experienced guides we've ever had. He is a treasure trove of knowledge and taught us so much about the rich history of Bologna. His passion for the city is inspiring and I highly recommend a tour with him. He showed us so many "hidden gems" that we would have just walked past obliviously without a second thought. Our visit to the city would just have not been the same without him. He accommodated our request and catered the tour to our interests and we have such great conversations with him. Thank you Riccardo for such a great tour and an amazing experience! Can't wait to come back to Bologna to visit again!We learned so much on this amazing tour!