Best Of Bologna In One Day : Food, Architecture, Art And History

It is a long tour full of information. Riccardo is one of the best tour guides we’ve ever had anywhere in the world. If you really want to know Bologna and its history as well as food, then this is the tour for you. Don’t go hungry, this is food but you will walk many steps before that so fuel up! We absolutely loved this tour with Riccardo and will suggest it to our friends. Denise and Troy

One of the most complete and in depth presentations from Ricardo that I have had EVER! He is prepared, passionate, focused and has a great sense of humor. This man studies his history. He could be termed a Renaissance man in his knowledge base and varied topics with which he very well- versed. He is able to "extract" so much from the architecture, art, history and food. If you think 6-7 hours is too long, let me say... it seemed like it was over in a flash! Ricardo made a point to point out hidden gems that speak volumes in and of themselves about Bologna's status and purpose throughout the "periods" in history. He fielded questions and made sure we had plenty of time to see it all. We were 4 women, with various orthopedic hindrances, but he kept the pace perfect. His comment about this city of Bologna rang in my ears.... "there is not another city that has maintained the number of towers, buildings, churches from as far back as 1079 to today. We were literally walking among "Dinosaurs" if you will. No, the buildings don't date back to dinosaurs, but the architecture is some of the oldest in the world, and still being used for everyday life and business. All of it seen within a 6-7 day including lunch, tea/coffee break and bathroom breaks. But wait, tgere is more..... Ricardo did save the BEST FOR LAST... I don't want to spoil it,but I got "goose bumbs" and was moved to tears. You will not find a better tour than this. Bologna is an amazing and endearing town, made more incredible by a man who respects it's history and marvels. Ricardo....."DON'T CHANGE A THING", you are not the "Count" of the tourguide world in Bologna, you are the "KING"!

We had a wonderful experience with Riccardo. On our first day in Bologna, we wandered through the streets, admired the architecture, and enjoyed the incredible food, but had very little context for the history and significance of what we were seeing. After taking this tour, we were genuinely amazed by just how much history, culture, and fascinating detail we had walked right past without realizing it! The tour brought Bologna to life in a way we never could have experienced on our own. It was a fantastic combination of history, architecture, local traditions, and delicious food, all thoughtfully woven together. We left with a much deeper appreciation for this beautiful city. Highly recommend taking this tour early in your visit so you can appreciate everything Bologna has to offer!

We did not do all of the things listed on the tour….pasta making wasn’t mentioned. We did not eat lunch until 2:30 and it was a sit on the curb take out meal. Our guide was a history professor and very passionate, but at times he was too loud, opinionated and we felt we were being lectured on being in Bologna for the wrong reasons! We appreciated his knowledge, but after a while he was exhausting. The tour was not as described.

Riccardo was incredibly knowledgeable and poured his heart into showing us around Bologna. We were able to see remarkable buildings with architecture that takes your breath away. Riccardo tools us down routes with little traffic and we were able to avoid large crowds. We were absolutely blown away and couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide. We would 100% do this tour again!

Ricardo was amazing as he is so passionate about the history and the architecture in Bologna. The tour lasts a good 6 hours or more with stops for coffee and lunch. Have a decent breakfast before you start. You will see many things that other tours do not have access to. If you can handle walking and love history and architecture, then this tour is for you. Make sure to request Ricardo.

Ricardo was a wonderful tour guide. We learned so much about the history and the architecture of Bologna as well as wonderful food tastings at the end.

Ricardo is AMAZING… offered so much information in such a delightful way! Recommend this tour as a must do! 100% DO IT!

Tour was wonderful. Ricardo is excellent! He shares passion, knowledge, history, stories, and laughter throughout the day. Fantastic experience. Would highly recommend this tour.

Just the right amount of history and local knowledge. Isabella was an excellent guide! We enjoyed our day.

We learned a lot about the city, architecture and history. Some of the food choices weren't great. But we did love the balsamic vinegar tasting! Our tour was much shorter than what the description stated and we missed some of the advertised sights.

Riccardo is amazing and so knowledgeable about the art, history and architecture of Bologna. We completely enjoyed the wonderful history of this incredible place. There is a lot of walking on this tour but we stopped several times throughout our tour for tastes of classic Bolognese specialties. He also gave us lots of ideas for places to go around Emilia Romagna which we did go to later on our trip. Without his knowledge we. Would never have discovered these areas on our own . Very excellent !

Riccardo is an excellent guide. He is very knowledgeable about the city and all the history. He took us to several hidden gems and went out of his way to ensure we understood all the information. He also went out of his way to make sure we made it back safely to our train. We highly recommend him as a guide.

Our guide Ricardo had a powerful background and knowledge of some of the craziest and unique things from a history perspective we have seen all over Europe. Bologna is a sleeper on history museums, and this tour was just a small part of what’s available here. He can be a little much to start out the day, but stay with him and you’ll get to experience something nobody else really does, including some great unique food at the end.

Riccardo is passionate about the history of Bologna, with an encyclopaedic understanding and knowledge of the city and the region. Super keen to share that with you, you will not regret taking this trip, we thoroughly enjoyed it

This experience was amazing, taking us through and to parts of Bologna that the general visitor would not find. Our tour guide Riccardo was passionate about his city and extremely well versed in its history and clearly explained where Bologna's is place in history of this region. We had up close access to places the general public/tourist would not experience. It was a long day of walking but the surprises around each turn made the tour absolutely worthwhile. Thank you Riccardo for an unforgettable experience. Carmel & John

My husband and I are Italian-Americans who have traveled rather extensively through Italy, and Riccardo is by far one of the best guides we have had the pleasure of meeting. He brought Bologna to life and taught us so much about history, art, architecture, Bolognese culture and food. He is very high energy, so have a caffè and wear good walking shoes, and enjoy the absolute pleasure of the day!

Riccardo made our trip to Bologna unforgettable! His high-energy, fast-paced walking tour is the perfect mix of art, history, and incredible food, and the 6-7 hours went by so quickly. He is a wealth of historical knowledge and effortlessly shares facts and dates. We especially loved the tastings at Bruno e Franco - La Salumeria and the sweet treats at Paolo Atti & Figli. Riccardo truly went above and beyond for us—an absolute 'Best of Bologna' experience. Thank you Riccardo!!

We had a wonderful time in Bologna . Our guide was Riccardo, whose erudition and enthusiasm was amasing. We are grateful!

Very comprehensive and hugely informative day with Riccardo. He has vast knowledge of the history of Bologna, it's buildings, art and frescoes.

Ricardo is the most knowledgeable guide I have ever had, in any country well beyond the standard history and dates, his depth of architectural knowledge, relative history from around the world, historical foods etc There was a lot to take in but we understood in advance it was going to be an intensive day and it was worth it I would recommend this tour for anyone who doesn’t have issues walking and the desire to learn a lot about Bologna, the uniqueness and influence its architecture had and its prominent role in Italian history I would try to use Ricardo again for any other tour I plan in this region

Riccardo is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about medieval history. He’s enthusiastic and shows you a lot of wonderful sites. Only thing to know is that because he is a true expert, there may be times things go over your head —- you really have to listen on this tour to absorb it all and be an active participant. If that’s you, then this is the perfect tour for you!

Riccardo Bacchi is a very intellegent and verbal man. His knowledge about art, arcitecture, religion and history of Bologna and Italy was very inspiring. I think I have never had á better guide.

This tour really blew our minds. Riccardo is incredibly knowledgeable. It seemed like Everywhere we looked he had something cool to tell us about something we were seeing. We left it feeling like Bologna is one of the most valuable cultural cities in Italy — and the fact that it was not swarmed with tourists, made it all the more wonderful! We saw sculptures by 19 year-old Michelangelo and breathtaking examples of architecture from the 1100s and up. Ricardo is an art historian of the highest caliber. I really wish that I could take a whole semester long course with him, but his tour will have to do! At the end of seeing all that art, we had a lovely tasting of some real bologna delicacies. If you have a chance to do this tour, you should do it! (PS wear comfortable walking shoes!)

This was the most fabulous guided tour we’ve ever taken! Ricardo had extensive knowledge about the architecture and culture of Bologna and its place in Italy’s past and present. It was a rich, vibrant history lesson - he even sang a medieval song! Ask him about The Game of Towers.

This was an amazing tour! My guide, Riccardo, was incredibly knowledgeable and really showed me some amazing sites, including some off-the-beaten track. That I learned so much more about Bologna than I could have by myself is an understatement. Grazie!

The tour was great. Ricardo was so knowlegeable and passionate about Bologna, the history and the art. He filled our heads with an enormous amount of interesting information. There was alot of fast paced walking and stairs. The little meal was cute and it came at a time that I needed a break. Highly recommend the tour and Ricardo.

Everything was great / it was a lot of information to digest! Riccardo is very knowledgeable guide!!

Riccardo is an excellent guide for this in-depth experience. He is personable, easy to understand, and has a real passion for art, history, and his city! This was a great way to see many of the best sites in the city in a single day, but he also gave me detailed recommendations of what to do on my second day. Thanks, Riccardo!

Riccardo has encyclopedic knowledge of Bologna, and has access to many private sites that go beyond the usual walking tour. I learned a tremendous amount about the city, from ancient times through to the rennaissance. A surprising highlight was the anatomy school. Would highly recommend this tour and guide.

Ricardo was great, very passionate and knowledgeable. I loved finding some off-the-beaten path secrets.

Ricardo was an amazing guide. He asked about my trip and preferences, and made sure to point out sights relevant to my particular interests, including a lot of science and medical history. I saw so much of the city in just a few hours, and went to places i never would have known about without Ricardo! He is very knowledgable and made sure to point out nuances or small details that I would have overlooked. He also gave some tips on photo opportunities. I definitely recommend this tour. It's a fairly fast pace so wear your trainers!

Fabulous tour. Well worth the cost. Riccardo has an incredible depth of knowledge of the history of this area. He is a great teacher and communicator. A pleasure to spend the day with. He has a very unique view that skillfully intertwines art, history and food. We would definitely hire Riccardo when we return to Bologna.

Fabulous day. Worth the cost. Riccardo is a fabulous teacher/communicator. His depth of knowledge is unparalleled. He provides an unusual perspective as he weaves art, history and food together. A most enjoyable day. We hope to get back to Bologna again and we will certainly take another tour.

We booked the tour knowing we had only about 2 days in Bologna. This tour opened our eyes to the history and beauty of the city. Riccardo was amazing. We have taken many walking tours but Riccardo was one of the most knowledgeable and engaging guides we have ever encountered. He showed us places that we would never have seen. Lots of hidden gems. The history of the city as explained by Riccardo was very interesting. He also introduced us to several foods at shops where locales used. The foods were wonderful and fills. We highly recommend this tour. Well worth the price.

Ricardo is extremely knowledgeable of Bologna history, architecture, and food. I’m pretty sure we were able to get into some privately owned buildings that don’t usually allow tours because of his knowledge of the area and people. Wish we explored more of the food area. It is all walking so wear comfortable shoes!

I booked my tour based on an online art appreciation course. I was anxious to see it all in situ. Bologna is amazing 👏 Riccardo Bacchi is a brilliant guide, keeping me interested and intrigued for the entire day. I

This tour was amazing. Way more than we expected. Its easier to refer to Ricardo as Google than describe his depth of knowledge about bologna art, history and food. He is much more than just a guide. His passion for the subject matter was very obvious all the way through the day. More importantly the way he structured the tour and the information was really easy to understand and follow. I would definitely recommend this tour as a must do. Thank you again Ricardo for a fantastic day.

Fantastic tour of Bologna! Ricardo is an amazing guide with great knowledge of the city & Italy. Ricardo showed us some amazing works of art, architecture, and places that can be easily missed. The food market he brought us to was great. It gave us a good sampling of bologna food. Highly recommend.

Amazing day spent in Bologna with Emilia and Ricardo. Saw many sites with detailed descriptions and history. Good food tasting at lunch of local favorites.

This was an absolutely wonderful experience. Riccardo is an amazing guide! He is a college professor who uses his background to do a great job of providing important context and an excellent overview of many highlights/must-see historical sights in Bologna. It is absolutely worth hiring him as a guide for a day, or longer if possible, as he offers different tour experiences depending on your interests. He was indispensable!

First trip to Bologna, and this tour showed us how important a great tour with a great guide is when a city doesn’t promote itself as much as other Italian cities. Riccardo is passionate, knowledgeable and brings the story of the city to life. He single-handedly made us walk away rating Bologna as one of the top places we visited of the ten stops this trip. A truly great city, but one that requires an amazing guide to truly see.

Hands down … best tour we have ever been on. Riccardo is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history, architecture, art, and cuisine of Bologna, surrounding regions, and Europe in general. He will personalize your tour and show you not only the usual sights but also the hidden gems that no one else knows about. Riccardo genuinely loves the place he calls home and this is what sets his tour apart from all others. If you want to enjoy learning and understand the millennia of history that surround you in this beautiful city, this is the tour for you. Grazie Riccardo!!

Very informative. An excellent history lesson while exploring the areas I may have visited but not understood. The tour of the markets was an added benefit.

The most amazing experience and fascinating facts I had learned so much about art, history, music, and food unique to Bologna. Riccardo is great at pointing out all of the hidden gems and explaining everything so easy to understand Highly recommended!

Ricardo was an amazing guide. He is incredibly knowledgeable, interesting and engaging. He made us want to come back to Bologna

It was an excellent experience. The guide, Riccardo, dispite of being very young, has a lot of knowledge about history and art and he shares it in a very nice way. I learned very much. If I come back to Bologna to see what I couldn't see, I would ask if he can be my guide again. Grazzie milla Roccardo!