If you’ve always wanted to explore enchanting Venice on foot and from the water, our Venice Walking Tour & Gondola Ride is the perfect introduction to this magical city. You’ll enjoy Venice’s finest sights and hidden gems with a local insider, and to top it off you’ll take a relaxing, all-inclusive gondola ride through Venice’s gorgeous canals.

Your tour starts at the lovely Campo San Giacomo di Rialto where you’ll meet your expert tour guide (always a local Venetian) and head to the world-famous Rialto Bridge. Find out why it was initially considered a very bad idea to build and how it has proved its naysayers wrong. Near the bridge you’ll peek into the Rialto Fish Market to hear about the long fishing history of the city its famous cuisine (with a restaurant recommendation or two). 

Next you’ll dive into the sestiere of Cannaregio, one of the loveliest, most authentic neighborhoods in Venice and home to some of the city’s finest hidden gems.

 

You’ll continue through Venice on foot. Stop to admire the House of Marco Polo, the unique treasure-box design of the church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, and the Campo  San Giovanni and Paolo, home to an incredible statue by Verocchio. You’ll even have time to stop at Campo Santo Maria Formosa, home to a variety of typical Venetian architectural styles and an amusing grotesque!

 

As you wind through Venice’s hidden alleyways, your local expert will regale you with tales of the city’s past—and with what it’s like to live on the island today. From real estate prices to how to get around when the city floods, you can ask your guide almost anything in your small group of no more than 18 fellow travelers. 

Next it is off to the world-famous St. Mark’s Square, taking a moment to appreciate the space before diving into St. Mark’s Cathedral. Here you will get a deep look at the way that Venice built a mercantile empire that once spanned the entire Mediterranean. As you gape at the mosaics and other treasures inside, your expert Venetian guide will explain how the city begged, borrowed, and yes, stole, almost all of them as it grew from a tiny island to one of the biggest powers in the Medieval world. 

 

The highlight of the tour comes at the end with an all-inclusive half hour gondola ride with a professional gondolier. With only 6 people maximum per gondola, your experience will be intimate and relaxing, as you punt through the quieter hidden canals of Venice. This is your time to relax, unwind, and enjoy the city at its best!

Dress Code: Please remember that the basilica is a holy place and attire must be appropriate: Both men and women are asked to wear clothing that covers at least the shoulders and knees. Walks cannot be held responsible for denied entry due to improper dress. Backpacks are prohibited inside of St. Mark's Basilica.