Bologna to Imola Day Trip: Circuit and Senna Memorial (2026)
Imola is about 30 minutes from Bologna by train, and the main reason to go is the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Formula 1 is not racing at Imola in 2026, but the circuit still runs guided tours and Open Days, while the Ayrton Senna Memorial can be reached through Parco delle Acque Minerali.
If you arrived looking for tickets to a 2026 Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, there is no race. Imola’s Formula 1 agreement ran through 2025, and the official 2026 calendar does not include Imola. Madrid appears on the calendar in September 2026.
The trip still works well for motorsport fans. Ayrton Senna died at Tamburello on 1 May 1994, aged 34, during the San Marino Grand Prix. A bronze memorial by Stefano Pierotti was installed in Parco delle Acque Minerali in 1997, close to Tamburello, and fans continue to leave flags, photographs, and messages along the circuit fence.
Your Bologna base: Where to Stay in Bologna: Best Neighborhoods and Hotels
Getting There: Train from Bologna to Imola
Route: Bologna Centrale to Imola station
Journey time: About 30 minutes on many direct regional services
Frequency: Several connections per hour
Fare: Check Omio for the current fare for your travel date (Omio adds a service fee, shown before you pay)
Trenitalia sells Digital Regional tickets until five minutes before scheduled departure, so you do not need to book weeks ahead. Check the departure you want before leaving Bologna, especially around events at the circuit.
From Imola station to the circuit: The main entrance is about 1.6 km from the station. The walk takes you through the historic center along Via Andrea Costa, Via Appia, Via Mazzini, and Viale Dante.
For more day trips that work by rail, see Best Day Trips from Bologna by Train: Journey Times and Prices.
The Circuit in 2026: What to Expect
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari remains an active motorsport venue. Its 2026 calendar includes international and national racing, while the car circuit itself measures 4.909 km.
The circuit is named for Enzo Ferrari and his son Dino. It runs through a compact area beside the Santerno river, with Parco delle Acque Minerali inside the circuit perimeter.
The Guided Circuit Tour
Price: €35 per person, €25 for children aged 6–12, free for children under 6
Duration: About 1 hour 15 minutes, with a shorter format possible from November to March
What’s included: Two laps of the circuit by shuttle or minibus, stops on the starting grid and at Tamburello, the Ayrton Senna Memorial, Race Control, and the podium
Booking: Through the Imola Faenza Tourism Company at imolafaenza.it
Timing: Tours run on available dates during breaks in track activity, usually around lunchtime
Arrive at the Info Point 30 minutes before the booked departure. The exact program can change when track activity requires it.
The strongest part of the tour is access. You can step onto the starting grid, stop at Tamburello, enter Race Control, and reach the podium. These areas are normally restricted during race activity.
Open Days: On designated dates, the circuit opens free of charge to pedestrians or cyclists. Check autodromoimola.it before traveling because dates and access can change.
The Senna Memorial at Tamburello
The Ayrton Senna Memorial is not limited to guided-tour access. It sits inside Parco delle Acque Minerali, which is normally open to the public and closes only for certain major events.
The bronze monument was created by Stefano Pierotti and installed in 1997. The fence beside the circuit is covered with flags, photographs, messages, and other tributes left by fans.
The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend, in which Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna died, became a major turning point in Formula 1 safety. Tamburello was later reconfigured, so the corner you see today is different from the flat-out bend shown in footage from 1994.
Parco delle Acque Minerali
Parco delle Acque Minerali covers about 11 hectares inside the circuit. Its history predates the racetrack: sulfurous springs were identified here in 1830, and Imola developed the area as a public park in the 19th century.
The park also contains the Senna Memorial. It is normally open even when the circuit itself is not open for an Open Day, although major events can temporarily restrict access.
Imola Beyond the Track
Rocca Sforzesca: Temporarily Closed
The Rocca Sforzesca is temporarily closed to the public. No reopening date has been announced. Do not build your day around museum entry here.
You can still see the fortress from outside while walking through central Imola, but the former ticket price and museum visit should not be part of a current itinerary.
San Domenico Museum
Location: Via Sacchi 4
Entry: €5 full price, €4 reduced
Opening hours: Friday 15:00–19:00; Saturday and Sunday 10:00–13:00 and 15:00–19:00
Museo San Domenico occupies a former Dominican convent and holds more than 600 works in the city’s art collections, including paintings, sculpture, drawings, ceramics, and medals. The same complex also houses the Giuseppe Scarabelli Museum, with archaeological and natural-history collections.
Palazzo Tozzoni
Location: Via Garibaldi 18
Entry: €5 full price, €4 reduced
Opening hours: Friday 15:00–19:00; Saturday and Sunday 10:00–13:00 and 15:00–19:00
Palazzo Tozzoni is the most practical museum substitute while the Rocca is closed. It preserves the rooms, furnishings, and collections of the Tozzoni family in a historic residence.
Piazza Matteotti and the Historic Center
Imola’s center is compact enough to cross on foot between the station, San Domenico, Palazzo Tozzoni, and the circuit. Piazza Matteotti is the main central square and works naturally as part of the walk rather than as a separate excursion.
Food in Imola
Imola sits where Emilia meets Romagna, so local menus can include both fresh pasta and Romagnola dishes such as piadina. This guide does not name a restaurant because no specific dining recommendation could be verified.
If lunch matters to your schedule, plan it around the circuit tour time. The standard shuttle tour usually runs around 12:30 or 13:00 on available dates.
Optional Extension: Dozza
Dozza is about 6 km from Imola. Its historic center has over 100 mural works on building facades and walls, created through editions of the Biennale del Muro Dipinto.
The Rocca Sforzesca in Dozza houses the Enoteca Regionale dell’Emilia Romagna, with more than 800 selected regional wine labels available to taste and purchase. Transport is the limiting factor for a same-day combination, so check current bus or taxi options before adding Dozza to an Imola day trip.
Imola vs. Modena: Two Motor Valley Days
Choose Imola if: Your priority is the circuit, Tamburello, and the Ayrton Senna Memorial. The day is tightly focused on motorsport history.
Choose Modena if: You want a broader Motor Valley day with the Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena, the Ferrari Museum in nearby Maranello, and more food-focused options.
Bologna to Modena Day Trip: Ferrari Museums and Food
For the wider Motor Valley context, see the Bologna Museums Guide: Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Ducati. To plan Imola together with Ferrari, Lamborghini and Ducati, read our Motor Valley from Bologna guide.
Sample Day Itinerary
This itinerary works best on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, when Museo San Domenico and Palazzo Tozzoni have regular public opening hours. Build the middle of the day around the circuit tour time shown on your booking.
| Time | Activity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | Train from Bologna Centrale | Check current fare |
| 09:30 | Walk through the historic center | Free |
| 10:00 | Museo San Domenico or Palazzo Tozzoni | €5 |
| 11:30 | Walk toward the Autodromo Info Point | Free |
| 12:00 | Check in for a 12:30 circuit tour | Included |
| 12:30 | Guided circuit tour | €35 |
| 13:45 | Lunch | Varies |
| 15:00 | Parco delle Acque Minerali and Senna Memorial | Free |
| 16:30 | Walk back toward Imola station | Free |
| 17:00 onward | Train to Bologna | Check current fare |
If your tour starts at 13:00, shift the morning and lunch accordingly. On Monday through Thursday, replace the museum stop with more time in the historic center because the two main civic museums are normally closed to individual visitors.
Practical Tips
- Book the circuit tour around the track calendar. The schedule depends on track activity, and the program can change. Use imolafaenza.it for tour details and autodromoimola.it for the circuit calendar.
- Check Open Days before leaving Bologna. These dates provide free access to the track for pedestrians or cyclists, but the calendar can change.
- Know the Info Point hours. The schedule is Monday to Friday 09:30–18:00 and Saturday to Sunday 10:00–17:00. In January and February, weekday closing moves to 17:30 and the Info Point is closed on Sundays.
- Wear comfortable shoes. The station-to-circuit route is about 1.6 km, and a full day can involve several additional kilometers on foot.
- Treat Dozza as an extension, not a default stop. It is close to Imola, but adding it requires extra transport planning and makes the day less flexible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there still an F1 race at Imola in 2026?
No. Imola is not on the official 2026 Formula 1 calendar. Its previous Formula 1 agreement ran through 2025, while Madrid appears on the 2026 schedule.
Can you visit the Imola circuit without an F1 race?
Yes. Guided tours cost €35 for adults, €25 for children aged 6–12, and are free for children under 6. The standard tour lasts about 1 hour 15 minutes and includes two circuit laps, the starting grid, Tamburello, the Senna Memorial, Race Control, and the podium. Open Days provide free pedestrian or cycling access on selected dates. Check autodromoimola.it for the current schedule.
How long is the train from Bologna to Imola?
About 30 minutes is a practical planning figure for direct regional trains, with several connections per hour. The circuit entrance is about 1.6 km from Imola station. Check Trenitalia for the current fare and your exact departure time.
What is the Ayrton Senna Memorial at Imola?
It is a bronze monument by Stefano Pierotti, installed in 1997 in Parco delle Acque Minerali near Tamburello. Fans leave flags, photographs, and messages along the fence beside it.
Is Imola worth visiting without an interest in Formula 1?
It can fill a half-day with the historic center, Museo San Domenico, Palazzo Tozzoni, and Parco delle Acque Minerali. However, the strongest reason to choose Imola over other day trips from Bologna remains the circuit and its motorsport history.
What else is there to do in Imola besides the circuit?
Museo San Domenico costs €5 and holds more than 600 works in the city’s art collections. Palazzo Tozzoni also costs €5 and is open on the same Friday-to-Sunday schedule. The Rocca Sforzesca is temporarily closed. Dozza is about 6 km away if you have time and transport arranged.
Plan Your Day Trip
- Best Day Trips from Bologna by Train: 9 Destinations and Logistics
- The 3 Best Day Trips from Bologna: Shortlist
- Bologna to Modena Day Trip: Motor Valley Alternative
- Best Time to Visit Bologna: Planning Regional Day Trips
- Where to Stay in Bologna
- Bologna Trip Cost 2026: Full Budget Breakdown
- Bologna to Ferrara Day Trip: another short regional train trip
Every destination within easy reach of Bologna is collected in Day Trips.
