Bologna Food & Market Tour: Tastings, Pasta & Wine

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1/16

Duration2h–3h 30m

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Mortadella, fresh pasta and balsamic vinegar the way Bologna has made them for centuries.

A guided food tour through Bologna's Quadrilatero market district and oldest food shops, tasting regional cold cuts, handmade pasta, aged cheeses and local wines over two to three hours. You choose between a private tour or a small group departure, and the itinerary includes a welcome dish, multiple tastings at historic venues, and a visit to the market itself to sample different ages of Modena balsamic vinegar. Walking is substantial and comfortable shoes matter; gluten-free and vegan diets cannot be accommodated.

2h–3h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Bologna food and market tasting tour

Start at Palazzo della Mercanzia
Introduction by the guide
Taste traditional Raviola with Mostarda
Visit oldest Salumeria to learn about meats and pastas
Enjoy Parmigiano, Prosciutto, Mortadella with local wine
Taste handmade pasta at local Trattoria with wine
Visit Quadrilatero food market
Taste different balsamic vinegars from Modena

The Experience

The tour starts at Palazzo della Mercanzia, the 14th-century palace that anchored Bologna's trade for centuries, where your guide sets the route through the city's food quarter. From there you move into the Quadrilatero—the rectangular grid of medieval streets where the market still operates—and the stops unfold as a sequence of tastings rather than a walking lecture. You'll taste a traditional Raviola with Mostarda alla Bolognese at the start, then move to one of the city's oldest Salumeria to learn how the region's cold cuts are made and aged.

The heart of the tour lands at the oldest Osteria in the world, where you taste Prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella di Bologna, and aged Parmigiano Reggiano with a glass of local wine. Next comes handmade pasta made fresh at a local Trattoria—two types, each with wine (or coffee if you prefer). The final stop is the Quadrilatero market itself, where you sample balsamic vinegars from Modena, tasting how the vinegar changes across different ages to understand why this tradition still runs deep in the region. A traditional digestif and espresso close the tour.

You'll walk a fair amount through narrow streets, so wear shoes that won't tire you out. The tour runs two hours for the express version or three hours for the full small-group departure; a private option is also available if you want the same route with just your group. Your guide speaks English and leads you through each stop, so you're not navigating the market alone or trying to order in a language you don't speak.

What’s included

Artisan mortadella sandwich and tigella with lasagna verde.
two types of handmade pasta.
Prosciutto di Parma, aged Parmigiano Reggiano, and balsamic vinegar tasting (aged 8–25 years).
one glass of local wine with the main course and additional local red or white wine at other stops.
traditional welcome treat and artisanal dessert.
digestif and espresso to close.
a live English-speaking guide leading all stops and tastings.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Secret Food Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the private tour if you want the same route and tastings with just your group and no strangers. The small-group option works better if you're traveling solo or with one or two others and don't mind sharing the experience—it costs less and moves at the same pace through the same stops.