VoyaggoraTop-rated tours in Bologna
Planning your trip to Bologna
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October bring comfortable weather for walking under the city's long porticoes. July and August are hot, and in August some family-run shops and restaurants close for the summer holidays. Winter is cold and can be foggy, but the food and the covered streets make it a good city in any season.
How many days you need
One to two days covers Piazza Maggiore and the Basilica of San Petronio, the Two Towers, the Archiginnasio and its anatomical theater, the market streets of the Quadrilatero and the long portico walk up to the Sanctuary of San Luca. Add days for Modena, Parma, Ferrara or the mosaics of Ravenna, all easy trips by train.
Getting around
The historic center is compact and walkable, and the porticoes keep you out of rain and sun. An automated shuttle connects the airport with the central station, and buses cover the rest of the city. Fast trains link Bologna with Florence, Milan, Venice and Rome.
What to skip
Check in advance whether climbing the towers is open, as access can be restricted. Don't drive into the historic center's limited-traffic zone, where cameras issue fines. The local specialty is tagliatelle al ragù rather than spaghetti bolognese, so look for that on menus.
Where to stay in Bologna
Hotels and vacation rentals around Bologna with live prices from the big booking sites. Pick your dates on the map to compare.
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Best time to visit Bologna
The most comfortable months in Bologna are April, June and September to October, with average daytime highs of 64 to 84°F and 7 to 10 rainy days a month. July is the hottest month, averaging 89°F, and January the coolest at 46°F. May sees the most rain, around 13 days, while February is the driest with about 5.
Average daily high / low and days with rain, from Open-Meteo ERA5 records for 2019-2024. Highlighted months are the pick above.
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Bologna: common questions
- When is the best time to visit Bologna?
- The most comfortable stretch is April, June and September to October, when average highs run 64 to 84°F with 7 to 10 rainy days a month. July is the hottest month at 89°F on average, and January the coolest at 46°F.
- What is the rainiest month in Bologna?
- May, with roughly 13 days of rain. The driest is February, with about 5. Both are averages from 2019-2024 records.
- How warm does it get in Bologna?
- July averages 89°F by day and 69°F at night, and January averages 46°F and 33°F. In the southern hemisphere those two are reversed.
- How do I book tours, a hotel or an airport transfer in Bologna?
- Everything on this page books through our travel partners: top-rated tours and tickets, hotels, car rental, airport transfers, an eSIM and travel insurance. Voyaggora earns a commission on some bookings at no extra cost to you, and our AI concierge can put a day-by-day plan together first.
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