Bologna is always a very personal trip for me (Giulia), having spent 1 and a half years there during university. It was an amazing experience and I love to rediscover everything with Darek. I feel like a local with the eyes of a traveller: with this in mind, here is our practical guide for a smart Bologna itinerary in 2 days!
Are you a foodie? Check out our advice on what to eat in Bologna! Satisfaction guaranteed.
If you have one more day in the area, consider spending 24 hours in Florence, you won’t regret it.
Where is Bologna?
The capital of the Region of Emilia-Romagna, Bologna is a city of some 375000 people, located in the southern part of northern Italy, close to the Appennini mountains.
The way it was described in the Middle Ages is still valid: “la dotta” – the learned one, because of the University that was established there in 1088, the oldest in the Western world; “la grassa” – the fat one, a very wealthy town with lots of meat in its typical dishes; “la rossa” – the red one, always leaning to the left side of politics, but also almost completely built with red bricks or painted in the tones of orange and red. Lately, also the home of some excellent “red” Ferrari, Ducati, Lamborghini, and Maserati.
Flights and trains
Ryanair, Wizzair and plenty of other airlines fly to Bologna airport “Guglielmo Marconi” (map here). The BLQ bus takes you straight to the city centre in 30 minutes for 6 euros (although a cab ride could be even cheaper for 2 people or more).
Bologna Train Station “Bologna Centrale” (map here) is conveniently located at the edge of the old town. It’s well connected with fast trains to all major Italian cities, like Venice and Padova, Milan, Florence and Rome. Check Trenitalia and ItaloTreno.
Bologna fits perfectly with a Tuscany holiday. Check out this Tuscany itinerary for a week!
Best places to stay in Bologna
Everything you need to see, except for the Sanctuary of San Luca, is inside the old city walls, so make sure you book your accommodation there: everything will be within walking distance, saving you time and money for public transport. Airbnb provides plenty of choices, and if you search accurately you can find some incredible flats inside ancient buildings!
How to get around
The bus network (there is no metro) is well-organized and efficient, but the only ride you may need is bus 33, which takes you around the old city walls, now a beautiful ring avenue where the gates to the city (in Italian, “porta”) still stand. Buy tickets at Tobacco shops.
Porta Saragozza, Bologna 
Porta San Felice, Bologna
When to visit
Any time of the year is good to visit Bologna: Christmas lights make it magic, the porticoes protect you from the rain and keep you cool from the heat, there’s plenty of festivals to keep you entertained. Keep in mind that it can snow a lot in the winter, and it can be melting hot in the summer!
Tips to visit Bologna
The info point is in Piazza Maggiore square, under the porticoes opposite the basilica of San Petronio.
The usual closing day of museums is Monday and small shops close for lunch from 12.30 to 15.00.
There is a public wifi network, but it’s not very reliable; many bars and restaurants have wifi. Otherwise, it’s very cheap and simple to buy an Italian sim card with data on it.
Things to do in Bologna
A city break in Bologna is the most relaxing choice ever, because what you must do is very simple: walk and eat.
The feeling that Bologna transmits is accessibility: the city centre is small, the porticoes provide plenty of space for pedestrians, the alleys cut between the trafficked main roads, bars and cafés await you with tables in the streets with delicious local food.
Originally, the porticoes were built to allow for more space in the apartments above, now they make you feel as if you are walking inside a majestic, ancient building, the size of a city!
But most of all, the warm tones of orange, red and yellow of almost every building make you feel at home and welcome.
I love the warm colours of Bologna! 
A typical portico in Bologna, in Via Rizzoli
One day in Bologna: walking tour
If you have only one day in Bologna, we recommend the itinerary we followed, as it covers what to see in Bologna and the main tourist attractions. But do not fear: if you’re more into off-the-beaten-path attractions, we list a few of them too, which you can enjoy if you have two days in Bologna.
The app Giracittá Bologna, a great purchase for only 5 euros (for iPhone), guided us around the city and provided plenty of interesting stories and information. Just remember to take your earphones and a power bank with you 😉
Landmarks of Bologna: part 1
Start your first day in the heart of the city, Piazza Maggiore.
The main sight is the unique gothic Basilica of San Petronio, the largest Church built in bricks in the whole world; opposite, the Palazzo del Podestá, and behind it the larger Palazzo Re Enzo (government buildings); on the long side, the Town Hall, the city library Sala Borsa and the fountain of Neptune. Most of the history of Bologna, of its values and philosophy, is palpable here.
Nowadays, solitary citizens with something to complain about fire up debates just by climbing on a chair and starting a speech. During the summer, the Cinema Festival “Il Cinema Ritrovato” (The rediscovered cinema) shows old movies on a huge screen, filling the square for magical summer nights.
San Petronio basilica in Piazza Maggiore square 
The interior of San Petronio basilica
Take your time to visit the interior of the Basilica. Not only the outer facade is incomplete, also the interior decorations were stopped halfway, making it a remarkable sight. Our favourite feature is a tiny hole in the roof on the left side, which lets through one single sunbeam, once a year, to illuminate a long, thin, metallic mark inlaid in the paving: a meridian line calculated and designed by astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini.
The city hall and the Sala Borsa library are welcoming and accessible places where you can wander around for a bit, exploring the contrast between the Medieval and Renaissance structures, the modern usage of the spaces and the occasional art exhibition.
When we visited in 2016, the fountain of Neptune was not visible because of restoration works. Luckily, we asked for information at the info point (under the porticoes nearby) and got ourselves a great tour with a bilingual guide. We were able to enter the working area and slowly climb up the scaffolding, look at the restorers cleaning and fixing the imposing statue of Neptune, learn lots of details about the relationships between Church and city, artists and lords, beauty and functionality. As magnificent as it is unveiled, this was definitely a much more intimate experience.
When we visited again in 2020, the restoration was complete! The Neptune was in perfect conditions.
Pssst! I mention a secret about the Statue of Neptune in this Instagram post, check it out!
Take via Rizzoli to the two towers of Bologna, Garisenda and degli Asinelli, built in the 1100s, and don’t be scared of how much Garisenda Tower is leaning. Imagine that more than 100 towers were present in the Middle ages!
Climbing up the 498 steps inside it is an experience itself, and the view from the top is an unmissable sight. Oh, the iconic Italian red roof tiles! They make the scenery so beautiful and harmonious, in contrast with the green rolling hills behind. Definitely one of my favourite city landscapes in the world!
Landmarks of Bologna: part 2
From here there are two choices, two circles that form an 8 with the Towers in the middle.
First itinerary (map): facing the Towers, to the right, walk down Via Santo Stefano to Saint Stephen’s square. Here, the unique Basilica with 7 interconnected churches and cloisters of different ages and styles deserves a visit.
After the church, turn right on Via Farini, the clean and tidy fashion street with a cluster of high-end boutiques in the Galleria Cavour; turn right onto Piazza Galvani, where you can admire the unfinished Basilica San Petronio from the back.
When you reach the main square Piazza Maggiore, turn again right to Via Clavature. Together with the parallel Via degli Orefici and Via Pescherie Vecchie, and the cross street Via Drapperie, this small cluster of alleys forms the Quadrilatero, the old market, nowadays a lovely combination of small grocery stores with produce in the open, family-run delis selling cold cuts and hand-made pasta, and of course coffee houses.
A church that goes unnoticed is Oratorio di Santa Maria della Vita (Oratory of Saint Mary of Life), a must-visit because of the Compianto (3 euros ticket, well spent), a set of statues that compose a very intense and theatrical scene of Mary, John, Mary Magdalene and other characters in shock and grief over Jesus’ body. A true secret masterpiece of craftsmanship of human emotions: the movement, energy and emotion that they portray was revolutionary in the 15th century and is still shocking today. Just think of how rigid and stony-faced (no pun intended 😛 ) is any other statue that comes to mind from those times.
Down the street and to the left, or back on the main street Via Rizzoli, you will find again the Two Towers.
Second itinerary (map): facing the Towers, to the left, take the tiny alley next to the bookstore, Via de Giudei, literally Jews’ Alley.
The triangular maze in front of you, between Via Oberdan to the left, Via Zamboni to the right and until Via Marsala that connects the two, is the former Jewish ghetto of the 16th century, now a quiet and charming area of artisan workshops, tall buildings pressed up against each other, narrow alleys, and a special combination of Jewish and Christian history. The Synagogue is instead located in Via de Gombruti 9.
In Via Marsala or Via delle Moline, take the right to reach Via Zamboni and the University District – Literature, Law, Economics and many more. The heart is Piazza Verdi, a clash of high-end citizens attending the Opera at the Teatro Comunale (the City Theatre) and broke students, sitting on the ground in the middle of the square, drinking beer and smoking joints. Established in 1088, originally in the Archiginnasio buildings by Piazza Maggiore, this is the oldest university in the Western world!
It is such a special feeling to walk down this street, to poke inside the buildings, and imagine the amount of knowledge that has been transmitted throughout the centuries. You may have to focus a little to perceive the centuries behind us: as a modern university, all walls are painted with graffiti, the occasional protest takes place, and you will receive offers for weed and bicycles.
Museum geeks: check out the science and natural Museum of Palazzo Poggi!
Walk back up Via Zamboni to get back to the Two Towers.
If you are spending 2 days in Bologna, there is so much else you can see.
There are plenty of museums, churches, synagogues to visit in Bologna, and don’t get me started on the avenues and alleys to stroll along, or cafés where to take a relaxing break. When we visited, however, the weather was glorious, so we chose some outdoors activities for our second day in Bologna.
The Seven Secrets of Bologna
If you have two days in Bologna, we recommend you unleash the urban explorer in you by discovering the seven secrets of Bologna.
I (Giulia) love to play with the whispering walls nearby the info point in Piazza Maggiore! But I have to admit that the Hidden Canal (map here) is absolutely charming. Even more enchanting is the view from the balcony of Opera Caffé e Tulipani coffee house, perfect for a short break.
The funniest secret is, without doubt, the virility of Neptune’s statue in Piazza Maggiore: find out more here on Instagram!
Walk to San Luca Church
Did you know about the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca? Mark off from your bucket list “Walking under the longest porticoes in the world” by starting from Porta Saragozza and hiking up the hill to the Church of San Luca, for some 3 kms, under 666 arches (weird, uh?). As the legend goes, students walk on their knees to ask for help to pass their exams, or after passing them thanks to some miraculous intervention.
We have to admit that it was a bit demanding for us, but still worth it; as you climb, the beautiful panorama of the surrounding hills becomes visible, we felt admiration for all the family names etched in the stone who donated to restore the porticoes, and the sense of accomplishment on the top was very pleasant!
A bus can take you down but it’s not very frequent; we were lucky enough to find a couple of ladies who gave us a hitch back to the edge of the centre. It took us a whole afternoon (an hour from Porta Saragozza to the top) and a nap to recover afterward.
The longest portico in the world! 
The Church of San Luca, Bologna
Get lost in Bologna
The city of hidden details. You will wish you had another couple of eyes, to catch the street art on the walls (unfortunately there’s also a lot of random graffiti), to admire the frescoed ceilings through the windows of private flats, and to recognize arches and columns and windows that don’t match, after centuries of renovating and adapting them to new inhabitants.
Take your time to lose your way, turn random corners, look at centuries-old wooden gates, iron rings where horses used to be tied to, stone letterboxes, curtains that lost their colour to years of sun…
And then stop by for a quick coffee, pop inside the design stores, sniff the cold cuts and aged cheese in the delis, find frescoes hidden inside bars.
We loved the southern part of the city centre: Via del Pratello and the Cathedral of San Francesco, Via Saragozza and Porta Saragozza (the street and the gate).
But most of all… follow our suggestions and eat and drink as much as you can!
The best souvenirs in Bologna
Leave the fridge magnets! Get the coolest souvenirs instead. Shop for designer Italian and international stuff you don’t need but you can’t resist at Fabrica Features, or get an original cooking tool from Antica Aguzzeria del Cavallo.
Are two days in Bologna enough?
Bologna truly is an underrated destination in Italy.
As usual, it would be easy to spend a whole week there. If one day is barely enough to see the best sights, two days in Bologna could be enough to get a feeling of the city. A weekend in Bologna, or a city break, is perfect to recharge your batteries.
How did you like Bologna? Is there anything unmissable that we didn’t mention? Leave us a comment 🙂
