Three days in Bologna was our last stop in Italy before crossing into Switzerland, and it might have been my favorite stretch of the whole trip. I'll admit the one thing I'd change: we ate so much, so often, that I wish we'd booked a proper Bologna food tour on day one instead of just wandering into whatever smelled good. Would've saved us some guesswork and probably introduced us to a few things we missed entirely. If you're planning a 3 days in Bologna itinerary, here's exactly what we did, where we stayed, and what I'd do differently.
Is 3 days in Bologna worth it?
Yes. Three days was enough for one full day of the historic center, one longer active day built around the hike to San Luca, and a slower last morning before we caught our bus out. We arrived by train from Naples (36 euros on Italo, about 4 hours from Napoli Centrale to Bologna Centrale), so if Bologna is part of a longer Italy run, here's how we spent 4 days in Naples just before this. We left by Flixbus to Switzerland for 24 euros, so Bologna worked well as a link between the two rather than a place we had to rush through.
It's also the most walkable city we visited on this whole trip. Bologna is famous for its porticoes, covered arcaded walkways that run along almost every street in the center, so you're sheltered from sun or rain basically everywhere you go. Public transport wasn't reliable while we were there. We just walked instead, and it never felt like a hardship, as it was pretty cooling under the porticoes.
Where to stay in Bologna
We stayed at an apartment called Carbonesi 5, right in the historic center near Piazza Maggiore. It's an easy walk to everything on this itinerary, and it's genuinely across the street from Da Cesari, the trattoria we had lunch at on day one (more on that below). The building itself is an old palazzo with dark wood floors and a quiet, residential feel once you're inside, despite being a few minutes from the main square.
If you're comparing neighborhoods, staying near Piazza Maggiore or just off it puts you within walking distance of basically this entire itinerary. You won't need transport most days. Browsing hotels in Bologna on Trip.com is an easy way to compare options in that same central pocket before you book.
Day 1: Piazza Maggiore, the Quadrilatero, and dinner on Via degli Orefici
Lunch: Da Cesari
We started with lunch at Da Cesari, a trattoria that's been running since 1955 and happens to sit directly across the lane from where we stayed. It's an old-school, sit-down kind of place, the sort you'd want to book ahead for on a weekend, and it set a pretty high bar for Italian food this early in the trip.
Dessert: Cremeria Cavour
After lunch we wandered over to Cremeria Cavour on Piazza Cavour for gelato. Fair warning, there's usually a queue out the door, but it moves fast and it's worth it.
Afternoon: Piazza Maggiore, the Two Towers, and the Quadrilatero
From there we spent the afternoon just exploring on foot. Piazza Maggiore and the adjoining Piazza del Nettuno are the obvious center of the city, all sandstone and open space, and they're free to wander through as many times as you want.
From the piazza it's a short walk to Le Due Torri, the two medieval towers that lean at noticeably different angles. Asinelli and Garisenda, if you want the names. You can see them from a distance, but they're more impressive up close than I expected, standing right at the edge of where several old streets meet.
Then we cut through the Quadrilatero, Bologna's old market quarter, and specifically down Via Pescherie Vecchie, which is narrow, lined with produce stalls and cured meat hanging in shop windows, and honestly one of the more photogenic streets in the city even without trying.
Evening: dinner at Mattarello, dessert at Venchi
For dinner we ended up on Via degli Orefici at Mattarello, a casual sit-down spot known for its handmade pasta, tortellini and tagliatelle mostly, which felt right for a first proper dinner in Emilia-Romagna.
Dessert was a few doors down at Venchi, the chocolate and gelato chain. Both are on the same short stretch of lane, so it's an easy one-two without much walking between them.
Day 2: The hike to San Luca, gelato, and a bit of shopping
Morning: breakfast at Lampadina
We started at Lampadina for breakfast, a proper sit-down brunch spot rather than the usual cornetto-and-espresso standing at a bar. Good to know it's closed on Mondays if you're planning around it.
Mid-morning: granita and some accidental shopping
From there we grabbed granita at Grom on Via d'Azeglio, then wandered up to Kiko Milano on Via dell'Indipendenza for some completely unplanned makeup shopping. Small detail worth knowing if you're into that kind of thing: they'll engrave your products in store if you ask.
Afternoon: the hike to San Luca
The main event of the day was the walk up to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, which took us about 2 hours from the city center. The whole route is covered by a continuous portico, so you're sheltered the entire climb, which is one of those small Bologna details that sounds minor and turns out to matter a lot halfway up a hill in the sun. If you don't want to walk the full thing, bus 58 goes most of the way up too.
Evening: Baba Turkish, then Lasaway for supper
For dinner we went to Baba Turkish Restorant & Kafe, a change of pace from three straight days of Italian food, and later grabbed a takeaway lasagna from Lasaway for a late supper back at the apartment.
If you're around that part of the city earlier in the day, it's also worth swinging by the university quarter, home to the oldest university in the world, even if you only have time to look at the Archiginnasio from outside.
Day 3: A slow morning before the bus to Switzerland
Brunch at Denso
Our last morning was deliberately slow. We had brunch at Denso, a small coffee bar on Via d'Azeglio, closed on Sundays if you're timing this around a weekend.
Lunch: Mo Mortadella Lab
Before catching our bus, we squeezed in lunch at Mo Mortadella Lab, a sandwich spot near the train station built entirely around Bologna's signature mortadella. No seating, just grab it and go, which suited us fine given we were about to sit on a bus for a while anyway.
Onward to Switzerland
From Bologna we took a Flixbus across the border into Switzerland for 24 euros, which closed out the Italy leg of the trip. If you're headed the same way, here's how we did 8 days in Switzerland on a budget right after this.
Is Bologna easy to get around?
Bologna is the most walkable city we visited in Italy. The center is compact, the porticoes mean you're rarely exposed to bad weather, and almost everything on this itinerary is within a 20 minute walk of Piazza Maggiore. Public transport wasn't reliable while we were there, so we just walked most places, including up to San Luca, and it genuinely never felt like a problem.
Should you spend 3 days in Bologna?
I'd do this exact 3 days in Bologna itinerary again, minus one change. I'd book that food tour on day one instead of leaving our eating entirely up to chance. We ate well regardless, but a guided tour early in the trip would've pointed us toward a few more things worth trying before we ran out of days.
Quick links for booking
Everything we used or looked at, in one place:
- Bologna food tour, the one we wish we'd booked on day one. GetYourGuide's app code ALYDIGITAL5 knocks 5% off if you book that way
- Browse hotels in Bologna on Trip.com
- Carbonesi 5, the apartment we stayed in
FAQ
Is 3 days enough for Bologna?
Yes. It's enough for one full day exploring the historic center, one active day built around the hike to San Luca, and a slower final morning, without feeling rushed.
Is 3 days in Bologna worth it?
Yes. Bologna is compact, walkable, and easy to cover properly in 3 days, and it worked well as a stop between Naples and our onward trip into Switzerland.
How long is the walk to the Sanctuary of San Luca?
About 2 hours on foot from the city center, entirely under the covered portico. Bus 58 covers most of the same route if you'd rather skip the climb.
Where should you stay in Bologna?
Anywhere near Piazza Maggiore or just off it. Almost everything in this itinerary is within a 20 minute walk from there.
Do you need public transport in Bologna?
Not really. We walked everywhere over 3 days, including the hike up to San Luca, and never needed to rely on buses or trains within the city.
