Voyaggora
Top sights in Bologna
- Piazza Maggiore – Square in Bologna, Italy
- Two Towers – 12th-century buildings in Bologna, Italy
- Fountain of Neptune, Bologna – Water well
- Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca – Church building in Bologna, Italy
- Porticoes of Bologna – Architectural heritage site in Bologna, Italy
Well-known landmarks, each checked against Wikidata (CC0), which also supplies the one-line descriptions. The bookable tours below are the second layer: guided ways to see them.
Top-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.
Hotel map by our partner Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Best time to visit Bologna
The most comfortable months in Bologna are April to June and September to October, with average daytime highs of 64 to 84°F (18 to 29°C) and 7 to 13 rainy days a month. July is the hottest month, averaging 89°F (32°C), and January the coolest at 46°F (8°C). May sees the most rain, around 13 days, while February is the driest with about 5.
Jump to a month: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain (about, mm) | Rainy days | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46°F (8°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 40 | 7 | Shoulder: 46°F (8°C), 7 rainy days |
| February | 54°F (12°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 60 | 5 | Shoulder: 54°F (12°C), 5 rainy days |
| March | 59°F (15°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 50 | 8 | Shoulder: 59°F (15°C), 8 rainy days |
| April | 64°F (18°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 50 | 10 | Best: 10 rainy days |
| May | 71°F (22°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 60 | 13 | Best: 13 rainy days |
| June | 84°F (29°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 50 | 7 | Best: 7 rainy days |
| July | 89°F (32°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 40 | 6 | Shoulder: 89°F (32°C), 6 rainy days |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 40 | 8 | Shoulder: 88°F (31°C), 8 rainy days |
| September | 78°F (26°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 60 | 8 | Best: 8 rainy days |
| October | 69°F (21°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 70 | 8 | Best: 8 rainy days |
| November | 56°F (13°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 80 | 10 | Shoulder: 56°F (13°C), 10 rainy days |
| December | 48°F (9°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 50 | 10 | Shoulder: 48°F (9°C), 10 rainy days |
Average daily high and low, and days with rain (a day with at least 1 mm), from Open-Meteo ERA5 records for 2019-2024. Highlighted rows are the pick above. Verdicts use only these numbers.
Rainfall: NASA POWER monthly normals.
Plan the rest of your trip to Bologna
More destinations in Europe
Closest guides to Bologna
Planning guides
Right now in Bologna
Is it safe to travel to Italy right now?
Official US, UK and Canada travel advice for Italy, side by side, with each source and the time it was checked. See today's advisory for Italy
Bologna: common questions
- When is the best time to visit Bologna?
- The best time to visit Bologna is April to June and September to October, when average highs run 64 to 84°F (18 to 29°C) with 7 to 13 rainy days a month. July is the hottest month at 89°F (32°C) on average, and January the coolest at 46°F (8°C).
- What is the rainiest month in Bologna?
- May, with roughly 13 days of rain. The driest is February, with about 5. A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain; figures are averages from 2019-2024 records.
- How warm does it get in Bologna?
- July is the warmest month, averaging 89°F (32°C) by day and 69°F (21°C) at night. January is the coolest, at 46°F (8°C) by day and 33°F (1°C) at night.
- What is the rainy season in Bologna?
- The wettest months in Bologna are April to May and November to December, with 10 to 13 rainy days a month. February is the driest.
- How many days do you need in Bologna?
- 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.
- How do I get around Bologna?
- 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.
- Is it safe to travel to Italy right now?
- Voyaggora shows the official US, UK and Canada travel advisories for Italy on one page, with the source and the time each was last checked. Open the live advisory for Italy before you book.
- What other places are near Bologna?
- The closest Voyaggora guides to Bologna are Florence (50 miles), Verona (70 miles), Venice (80 miles).
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