1–1.5 hours
2 languages
Instant confirmation
Private tour

Highlights

Are you looking for a way to explore Bologna without joining a tour group? Explore at your own pace with this affordable walking tour. • Stroll through the ancient – and more recent – past of Bologna, a place that art critic John Berger once called “an improbable city.” • Hear from producer Frank Bures, an award-winning author who spent time in Bologna as an exchange student in the 1990s, • Do it all in an hour or linger at stops along the way with complete control over when you start and finish • Get unlimited use before your booking date and after it • Use the virtual tour option at home Once you’ve booked, you’ll receive a ticket with instructions and a unique code listed under “Before You Go”. Then simply install the VoiceMap app and enter your code. The app displays directions to the starting point, and when you’re in the right place, just pop in your headphones and tap start. VoiceMap has automatic GPS playback, with turn-by-turn directions. It also works offline.

Inclusions

What's included

Lifetime access to this tour in English or Italian
VoiceMap app for Android and iOS
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata

What's not

Smartphone and headphones
Transportation
Food and drink

Itinerary

Bologna is home to some of the best food, the most sublime beauty, and the richest history in all of Italy. Yet it’s rarely on the tourist radar. On this walking tour, award-winning author Frank Bures will give you a taste of authentic Italian culture, show you the city’s many historical sites, and tell you the stories most travelers don’t hear.
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Starting at the Neptune Fountain, you’ll walk through Piazza Maggiore to San Petronio Basilica where you’ll see the world’s largest sundial.
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Starting at the Neptune Fountain, you’ll walk through Piazza Maggiore to San Petronio Basilica where you’ll see the world’s largest sundial.
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Starting at the Neptune Fountain, you’ll walk through Piazza Maggiore to San Petronio Basilica where you’ll see the world’s largest sundial.
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Along the way, you’ll also have the chance to see the Roxy Bar, which was featured in the Italian superstar Vasco Rossi’s song Vita Spericolata (The Reckless Life).
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You’ll then make your way to the Two Towers, one of which garnered a mention in Dante’s Inferno, and stroll beneath the famous porticos that became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2021.
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You’ll then make your way to the Two Towers, one of which garnered a mention in Dante’s Inferno, and stroll beneath the famous porticos that became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2021.
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You’ll then make your way to the Two Towers, one of which garnered a mention in Dante’s Inferno, and stroll beneath the famous porticos that became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2021.
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Along the way, you’ll also have the chance to take in the “Seven Churches” of Santo Stefano.
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On this tour, you'll stroll pass Santa Maria della Vita.
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On this tour, you'll see and learn about the Portici di Bologna.
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Along the way, you’ll also have the chance to discover how the world’s oldest university got its start.
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Cancellation

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Reviews

3.8

Ratings come from 5 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

Meeting point: Before arrival, please install the VoiceMap mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. This is a self-guided audio tour that you can start, pause, or restart at any time and complete at your own pace. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.
Pickup: Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
Ticket type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operated by: VoiceMap Audio Tours

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please note: You won't be guided through any museums or other attractions mentioned en route. If you choose to enter and visit such places, you'll need to pay for it independently of this tour.

How it compares in Bologna

Its from-price is 96% below the median of the 470 experiences we list in Bologna.
It is shorter than most of them.
By number of reviews it ranks 161 of 470.

About Bologna

Bologna, capital of Emilia-Romagna, is a red-roofed university city of arcaded streets, leaning towers and some of Italy's richest food.

Bologna has a university founded in 1088, one of the oldest in Europe, and students fill the medieval centre. Miles of porticoes shelter the streets, and Piazza Maggiore is the main square, with the Basilica of San Petronio and the Fountain of Neptune. Two leaning brick towers, Asinelli and Garisenda, rise from the old crossroads, and the Asinelli can be climbed.

Top-ranked sights in Bologna: San Petronio Basilica (Basilica di San Petronio), Bologna Piazza Maggiore, Two Towers (Due Torri).

See all 470 experiences in Bologna