Bologna itinerary: 1 to 4 days
Plans for one to four days in Bologna, day by day: San Domenico, the Archiginnasio and its anatomical theatre, San Petronio, Piazza Maggiore, the Neptune fountain and the Two Towers first, then the music museum, the Pinacoteca, the Certosa and the hilltop sanctuary of San Luca as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Bologna in 1 day
Day 1
Basilica of San Domenico
The church holding the tomb of Saint Dominic, with small statues carved by a young Michelangelo.
Basilica of Santo Stefano
A cluster of linked medieval churches known as the Seven Churches, with a peaceful cloister and a courtyard that feels far from the city streets.
Archiginnasio of Bologna
The 16th-century seat of the old university, its walls covered with thousands of student coats of arms; now a library.
San Petronio Basilica
One of the largest churches in the world, its façade left unfinished, with a long meridian line set in the floor.
Piazza Maggiore
Bologna's main square, framed by San Petronio, the town hall and the Palazzo del Podestà.
Quadrilatero market streets
The medieval lanes behind Piazza Maggiore, lined with delis, fishmongers, bakeries and osterie selling tortellini, mortadella, Parmigiano and fresh pasta.
Fountain of Neptune, Bologna
Giambologna's bronze Neptune of the 1560s, standing over a fountain in the square beside Piazza Maggiore.
Towers of Bologna
The Two Towers, Asinelli and Garisenda, leaning medieval towers that are the symbol of the city; the Asinelli climb has been closed since 2023 while the Garisenda is made safe.
Bologna in 2 days
Day 1
Basilica of San Domenico
The church holding the tomb of Saint Dominic, with small statues carved by a young Michelangelo.
Archiginnasio of Bologna
The 16th-century seat of the old university, its walls covered with thousands of student coats of arms; now a library.
Fountain of Neptune, Bologna
Giambologna's bronze Neptune of the 1560s, standing over a fountain in the square beside Piazza Maggiore.
Quadrilatero market streets
The medieval lanes behind Piazza Maggiore, lined with delis, fishmongers, bakeries and osterie selling tortellini, mortadella, Parmigiano and fresh pasta.
Towers of Bologna
The Two Towers, Asinelli and Garisenda, leaning medieval towers that are the symbol of the city; the Asinelli climb has been closed since 2023 while the Garisenda is made safe.
Day 2
Palazzo d'Accursio
The town hall on Piazza Maggiore, with frescoed halls, the municipal art collections and a clock tower.
Piazza Maggiore
Bologna's main square, framed by San Petronio, the town hall and the Palazzo del Podestà.
Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica
A music museum in Palazzo Sanguinetti with old instruments, scores and portraits, including Padre Martini's collection.
Basilica of Santo Stefano
A cluster of linked medieval churches known as the Seven Churches, with a peaceful cloister and a courtyard that feels far from the city streets.
San Petronio Basilica
One of the largest churches in the world, its façade left unfinished, with a long meridian line set in the floor.
Bologna in 3 days
Day 1
Basilica of San Domenico
The church holding the tomb of Saint Dominic, with small statues carved by a young Michelangelo.
Archiginnasio of Bologna
The 16th-century seat of the old university, its walls covered with thousands of student coats of arms; now a library.
San Petronio Basilica
One of the largest churches in the world, its façade left unfinished, with a long meridian line set in the floor.
Quadrilatero market streets
The medieval lanes behind Piazza Maggiore, lined with delis, fishmongers, bakeries and osterie selling tortellini, mortadella, Parmigiano and fresh pasta.
Fountain of Neptune, Bologna
Giambologna's bronze Neptune of the 1560s, standing over a fountain in the square beside Piazza Maggiore.
Towers of Bologna
The Two Towers, Asinelli and Garisenda, leaning medieval towers that are the symbol of the city; the Asinelli climb has been closed since 2023 while the Garisenda is made safe.
Basilica of Santo Stefano
A cluster of linked medieval churches known as the Seven Churches, with a peaceful cloister and a courtyard that feels far from the city streets.
Day 2
Certosa di Bologna
A former Carthusian monastery of 1334 turned into the city cemetery, with arcades of 19th-century sculpture.
Piazza Maggiore
Bologna's main square, framed by San Petronio, the town hall and the Palazzo del Podestà.
Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica
A music museum in Palazzo Sanguinetti with old instruments, scores and portraits, including Padre Martini's collection.
Day 3
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna
The national picture gallery, with Bolognese painting from Giotto to the Carracci and Guido Reni, plus Raphael's Saint Cecilia.
Palazzo d'Accursio
The town hall on Piazza Maggiore, with frescoed halls, the municipal art collections and a clock tower.
Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, Bologna
A hilltop basilica reached by a portico of 666 arches, with views over the city and the hills.
Bologna in 4 days
Day 1
Basilica of San Domenico
The church holding the tomb of Saint Dominic, with small statues carved by a young Michelangelo.
Archiginnasio of Bologna
The 16th-century seat of the old university, its walls covered with thousands of student coats of arms; now a library.
San Petronio Basilica
One of the largest churches in the world, its façade left unfinished, with a long meridian line set in the floor.
Quadrilatero market streets
The medieval lanes behind Piazza Maggiore, lined with delis, fishmongers, bakeries and osterie selling tortellini, mortadella, Parmigiano and fresh pasta.
Fountain of Neptune, Bologna
Giambologna's bronze Neptune of the 1560s, standing over a fountain in the square beside Piazza Maggiore.
Towers of Bologna
The Two Towers, Asinelli and Garisenda, leaning medieval towers that are the symbol of the city; the Asinelli climb has been closed since 2023 while the Garisenda is made safe.
Basilica of Santo Stefano
A cluster of linked medieval churches known as the Seven Churches, with a peaceful cloister and a courtyard that feels far from the city streets.
Day 2
Palazzo d'Accursio
The town hall on Piazza Maggiore, with frescoed halls, the municipal art collections and a clock tower.
Piazza Maggiore
Bologna's main square, framed by San Petronio, the town hall and the Palazzo del Podestà.
Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica
A music museum in Palazzo Sanguinetti with old instruments, scores and portraits, including Padre Martini's collection.
Giardini Margherita
Bologna's largest park, with lawns, ponds and shaded paths just outside the old walls, where locals walk, jog and picnic on Sunday afternoons.
Day 3
Certosa di Bologna
A former Carthusian monastery of 1334 turned into the city cemetery, with arcades of 19th-century sculpture.
Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, Bologna
A hilltop basilica reached by a portico of 666 arches, with views over the city and the hills.
Day 4
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna
The national picture gallery, with Bolognese painting from Giotto to the Carracci and Guido Reni, plus Raphael's Saint Cecilia.
Orto Botanico dell'Università di Bologna
The university's botanical garden, founded in the 16th century, with greenhouses and a small wooded area.
Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna
MAMbo, the modern and contemporary art museum in a former municipal bakery, including the Museo Morandi.
Watch: Bologna in 3 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Bologna
April to June and September to October are the best months, with mild weather for walking under the porticoes and eating outdoors. July and August are hot and humid, and some family restaurants close for summer holidays in August. Winters are cold and often foggy, but the city has few tourists then.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Bologna on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Bologna on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Bologna on GetYourGuide or on Viator
- From the airport: a private transfer in Bologna with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Bologna with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Bologna
- Bologna's porticoes run for many kilometres; you can walk most of the centre under cover, even in the rain.
- The longest portico climbs to San Luca: allow at least an hour each way on foot, or take the little tourist train.
- Many museums, including the Pinacoteca and MAMbo, close on Mondays.
- The historic centre is a limited-traffic zone; leave the car outside and walk.
- Eat in the Quadrilatero market streets near Piazza Maggiore: tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini and mortadella are the local classics.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Archiginnasio of Bologna: sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Basilica of San Domenico: Georges Jansoone, CC BY 2.5
- Basilica of Santo Stefano: MenkinAlRire, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Certosa di Bologna: Desyman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fountain of Neptune, Bologna: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Giardini Margherita: Lorenzov79, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna: Velthur, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica: Justlettersandnumbers, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orto Botanico dell'Università di Bologna: Nicola Quirico, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palazzo d'Accursio: No machine-readable author provided. G.dallorto assumed (based on copyright claims)., Attribution
- Piazza Maggiore: unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna: sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Quadrilatero market streets: Rodrigo Pereira da S…, CC BY-SA 3.0
- San Petronio Basilica: No machine-readable author provided. ZeWrestler assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain
- Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, Bologna: Puscas Vadim (Nebbius), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Towers of Bologna: Toni Pecoraro, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
