A Bologna-based tour operator running food, wine and cultural tours in Bologna, Florence, Venice, Verona and Ravenna.
Photo © Italian Days
Why go
Italian Days is a licensed travel agency and tour operator based in Bologna. It offers food and wine tours in Bologna, Florence, Venice, Verona and Ravenna, from factory visits with tastings to walking tours and private boat trips.
The company grew out of a family project that began in 2008, led by owner Alessandro Martini. Its Bologna factory food tour has hosted between 5,000 and 6,800 guests a year, and a tasting room and shop opened in 2021.
Main services
Services from the official website.
Bologna Food and Wine Factory Tour
A full-day tour with pick-up by minivan, visiting a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy, a balsamic vinegar producer and a prosciutto factory, with tastings and a family-style lunch with wine. Suited to food lovers.
Guided walks with local food tastings in Bologna, Venice, Verona and Ravenna, taking in markets, hidden recipes and the character of each city. Good for visitors who prefer to explore on foot.
Day trips to wine country, including Chianti with the medieval town of San Gimignano and the Valpolicella area near Verona, with tastings and a typical lunch.
Private trips on the Venice lagoon, including a five-hour cooking class on a boat with a private chef and visits to Burano and monastery islands. For families and special occasions.
Walking tours of Ravenna's mosaics, plus options to make your own mosaic souvenir or learn to prepare fresh pasta and piadina during a cooking lesson.
Photo © Italian Days
Services and facilities
Gallery
Photo © Italian Days
Photo © Italian Days
Photo © Italian Days
Photo © Italian Days
Practical information
Piazza XX Settembre 3, Bologna (meeting point, near the train station)
Getting there
From Piazza Maggiore & the Neptune Fountain: 30 m, about 1 min walk.
Nearest station: Bologna Centrale, Via de' Carracci · 1.5 km, about 23 min walk.
Straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors); walking times are approximate.
Around the area
City Guide · Things to do
Bologna landmarks with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
Square
Bologna's living room, watched over by Giambologna's bronze Neptune
Basilica
Bologna’s great Gothic church, with Cassini’s meridian line
Monument
The skyline's twin emblems, one leaning, both under watchful care
Church
Seven sacred spaces in one, Bologna's little Jerusalem
Market
Medieval guild lanes still selling Bologna's best food
Viewpoint
A little window onto Bologna's hidden canal
Library
Walk on glass over Villanovan huts and Roman Bononia
Street
62 km of covered streets, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Church
Bologna's hilltop Madonna, reached under the world's longest portico
On the Bologna map
City Guide · Where to eat
Bologna restaurants with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
Seasonal restaurant
Vegetable-led farm-to-table menu with house-made bread
Emilian restaurant
Family recipes and handmade pasta since 1980
Bolognese restaurant
Family-run since 1955 near Piazza Maggiore: tortellini in broth
Bolognese trattoria
Pasta rolled by hand and grilled meats on Via Piella
Bolognese trattoria
Handmade pasta, cotoletta and grilled meats off Via dell’Indipendenza
Traditional restaurant
Handmade tortellini and tagliatelle in Bologna since 1948
Wine bar / osteria
Wine osteria since 1465: bring your own food
Chef's restaurant
Mario Ferrara's Lucanian-rooted cooking in a 1600s convent
Historic restaurant
Tortellini in brodo and lasagne verdi since 1909
On the Bologna map
City Guide · Where to stay
Hotels, B&Bs and apartments with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
Family hotel
Small family-run hotel by the Two Towers with a panoramic terrace
Hotel
Family-run hotel in the pedestrian heart by Piazza Maggiore
Boutique hotel
22 modern rooms in the historic centre, opened in 2023
Hotel
Homely 3-star near the university district and the main sights
Hotel
4-star with 193 rooms, right opposite the main train station
Four-star hotel
Four-star hotel on Via dell'Indipendenza with a secret garden
Boutique hotel
Boutique hotel built around an inner Garden Court, with the Orangerie
Four-star hotel with spa
Four-star hotel near the station with the Monrif Spa and a large gym
Hostel
A unique 99% handmade hostel in the University area
On the Bologna map
City Guide · Experiences
Tours, classes and guided walks with their own Holiplanet page.
Cooking class
Hands-on pasta class, small groups, near Piazza Maggiore
Balsamic vinegar tour
Free guided tour of the Giusti family museum and ageing rooms in Modena
Car museum / factory tour
Lamborghini museum and production line tour in Sant'Agata Bolognese
City walking tours
Licensed guides' cooperative for Bologna city and themed tours
Bike tours
Guided bike and walking tours plus bike rental
Balsamic vinegar producer visit
Family acetaia in Nonantola (Modena): balsamic tour and tasting, €8
Food market tour
Walking food tour through the Quadrilatero market and centre
For kids & families
Weekend museum workshops for children at Palazzo Fava
On the Bologna map
Questions
By phone or text on +39 338 421 6659, or by email at info@italiandays.it. The site says email replies normally come within 48 hours.
Galleria Ugo Bassi 1, 40121 Bologna, Italy.
The Bologna tour offers pick-up and drop-off from your location in an air-conditioned minivan.
It lasts 4 hours and starts from €97 per person.
Yes, the site invites you to get in touch with special requests, and the private tours can be customised.
