Hidden Venice Half-Day Walking Tour

Discover the side of Venice that many visitors don't see on a leisurely paced, 2-hour walking tour, packed with historical anecdotes, quirky stories and little-known facts! With a local guide, knowledgeable about Venice's past, explore the Rialto, Carampane and San Polo neighborhoods. Learn of the Venetian 'courtesans' while walking through the historical red light district, see a palace where tax evaders were once imprisoned (outside only), and visit the Frari church to see Renaissance art by Giovanni Bellini, Antonio Canova and Tiziano Vecellio (aka Titian).

Skip the Line: Venice Walking Tour with St Mark's Basilica

Skip the line at St Mark's Basilica and explore St Mark's Square and lesser-known Venice on this 2-hour walking tour. Stroll around St Mark's Square as your guide explains its buildings and Venice's history as a major maritime power during medieval times. Bypass the queues at St Mark's Basilica to ogle its incredible interior, and delve into the quieter, less-visited side of Venice. Walk along small canals past palaces, squares and bridges; see where explorer Marco Polo once lived, and learn about daily life in the city past and present.

Skip the Line: Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries Tour

See the best of Doge's Palace in Venice on a 2-hour skip-the-line tour! With a priority-access ticket, you won't waste time standing in line. Walk right past the long queue with your guide, and enjoy a tour that combines the palace's magnificent public rooms with rare access to the Piombi attic prison and the Bridge of Sighs. See Italian Renaissance artwork and learn about the darker deeds of the city's former rulers on this Doge's Palace tour with a difference!

Your tour begins at St Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco), from where you'll stroll over to the elegant Doge's Palace with your expert guide. Conveniently, your skip-the-line Doge's Palace tickets offer fast-track entrance, so you'll walk straight past the long lines outside.

Easily Venice's most famous building, Doge's Palace (or Palazzo Ducalo in Italian) is a mesmerizing example of Venetian Gothic architecture at its finest. Created in the 14th century for the doges of Venice, the rulers of the former Venetian Republic, the palace contains elaborately decorated public rooms alongside darker hidden chambers.

Start your 2-hour Doge's Palace tour by exploring these ornate public rooms, where you'll see how the successive doges made their palace even more impressive with art by 15th-century Italian Renaissance artists. Gaze at Tintoretto's magnificent ceiling frescos, and see Veronese masterpieces such as the Virtues of the Republic. As you walk through the Trial Chambers of the Council of Ten, your guide will point out the vibrant ceiling panel, Juno Bestowing her Gifts on Venice, and the room's dark corner where accusations of treachery were passed to the secret service.

Next, it's on to the Piombi, the ancient attic prison that traditionally held Venice's upper-class inmates under a lead-cased roof. The Piombi is rarely open to members of the public; enjoy an exclusive walk around these eerie chambers, and see where Casanova, Venice's legendary lover, was cruelly imprisoned.

By the 16th century, the attic prison cells were replaced by the New Prisons, although these horrifying chambers hardly fit the name by today's standards! The New Prisons were joined to Doge's Palace by the Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri), named to signify the prisoners' sighs as they caught their last glimpse of beautiful Venice. You'll walk across the Bridge of Sighs independently and explore the New Prisons at leisure before your tour ends.

Special Offer - Book before March 31, 2014, to travel anytime in 2014, and save 20% on the recommended retail price. - Book Now!

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Evening Wine Tasting Experience in Venice

Visit a traditional 'enoteca' (wine bar) in Venice, and enjoy a 1-hour wine tasting, led by a knowledgeable local sommelier! Learn all about the prestigious Veneto winemaking region, and sample four different varietals of local wine including the sparkling prosecco. Bite-sized delicacies known as cicchetti are also served alongside each wine to complement the flavors.

Meet your sommelier inside the enoteca, a lively square popular with locals, and take a seat for your 1-hour wine tasting. Throughout your session, your sommelier will serve four varieties of wine from around the Veneto area, the popular winemaking region that surrounds Venice.

Protected from the harsher climate of northern Europe by the Alps, the Veneto region is known for producing easy-to-drink reds and light, fresh whites. Hear of well-known Veneto wine such as Soave, and sample popular varietals including prosecco, the sparkling white wine that's loved all over the world. Try the dry white ribolla gialla, and compare the flavors of the rich, warm refosco red with the full-bodied tones of a ripasso, a red made from partially dried grape skins.

Alongside the wine, enjoy some cicchetti, the small delicacies that are considered a Venetian speciality. Each tapas-like portion of cicchetti is paired with a complementing wine and, while the dishes vary each time, you can expect delicacies such as arancini (rice balls), fried zucchini flowers or baccala (traditional salt cod).

After your 1-hour tasting session, you can stay in the bar to enjoy more Veneto wine and food at your own expense. Alternatively, ask your sommelier for recommendations of different wine varietals to try on a later occasion.

Please refer to 'View additional information' to see map of the meeting point.

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Dolomite Mountains Small Group Day Trip from Venice

Escape the city and spend a day in the Dolomite Mountains on a full-day trip from Venice! With an expert driver-guide to tell you all about the region, you'll see two of the area's finest lakes, Lake Santa Caterina and Lake Misurina, headed up by the heart-stopping Tre Cime di Lavaredo peaks. Enjoy lunch in a traditional ‘trattoria' (own expense), soak up the scenery on a bracing mountain walk, and then enjoy free time to explore the chic ski resort town of Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Numbers are limited to 8 on this small-group tour, ensuring you'll see the best of the Dolomites with personalized attention from your driver-guide.
Meet your driver-guide in central Venice and then leave the city by luxury minivan, traveling north through the Veneto countryside and into the Sesto region in the Dolomite Mountains. Stop for a coffee (own expense) in Pieve di Cadore, a gorgeous little village known for being the birthplace of the Renaissance painter Titian, and then continue to Lake Santa Caterina.

Stretch your legs on a quick stroll, admiring the lakeside scenery, and then continue by coach to Lake Misurina -- known as the ‘Pearl of the Dolomites.' Have your camera poised, ready to capture breathtaking shots of the lake against the backdrop of Tre Cime di Lavaredo - the Dolomite's three distinctive peaks. Travel toward the peaks by coach, stopping at a vantage point to soak up the serene mountain views.

Rest at a local trattoria for lunch (own expense), and then choose to either take a walk or stay at the restaurant and relax. If you opt to do the walk, follow your guide's explanations and walk along one of the gentler mountain trails to see more of the area's sublime scenery, as well as its mountain flora and fauna.

Leave the foothills of Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the afternoon and travel by coach to the swanky ski resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, where affluent Italians go not just to ski, but to see and be seen. Stop for photos at a panoramic viewpoint and drink in views of the bustling town encircled by towering mountains.

Enjoy free time in Cortina to do as little or as much as you want. Perhaps browse its elegant boutiques, or visit one of the street-side cafés for a coffee (own expense). Meet your driver-guide back at the pre-arranged time, and return to Venice, passing the peaks of the Dolomite bathed in the late-afternoon sun. Your tour finishes at the start point in the early evening.

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9-Night Italy Tour from Venice: Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Umbria and Rome

Succumb to the allure of Italy on a 9-night tour that starts in Venice, finishes in Rome and visits the highlights of the regions wedged between them! Two nights of comfortable 2- or 3-star accommodation is included in Venice, Levanto (near the Cinque Terre), Florence and Perugia plus one night in Rome, as well as train travel between each destination. Enjoy guided activities like a pesto-making class in Levanto and a trip to the Venetian island of San Giorgio, alongside plenty of free time to get to know Italy at your own pace.

Spend nine nights discovering the best of Italy on this exciting tour that takes in Venice, the Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Umbria and Rome. Accommodation in comfortable, centrally located guesthouses or hotels is included, as is standard-class train transport between each destination.

Travel with a guide, and in between excursions, make the most of ample free time to sightsee independently. Aside from breakfast, all meals are payable at your own expense and your guide will recommend restaurants and set time aside for you to have meals.

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5-Day Best of Italy Trip

See the best of Italy in five days on this must-do tour from Rome, and fall in love with Assisi, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Padua, Venice and Montepulciano - places so captivating that you won't want to go home! Enjoy a mix of guided tours and free time to discover world-class attractions like Florence Duomo and St Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco), and enjoy four nights of 3- or 4-star hotel accommodation - two nights in Florence and two nights in Venice.

Leave Rome and explore the delights of central and northern Italy on this 5-day Italy trip - taking in top cities in breathtakingly beautiful regions like Umbria, Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and the Veneto. Learn about the different regions - their history, art, cuisine and sights - from your guide during walking tours, and enjoy free time to explore at your own pace, too.

There are many activities and sites to explore in Florence and Venice, so handily, these places act as your bases throughout your trip. You'll spend two nights in Florence, followed by two nights in Venice before returning to Rome. Your hotels in each city are centrally located for maximum convenience, and you'll have a choice of a 3- or 4-star hotel for your time in Venice. In Florence, your accommodation is a 4-star hotel.

Please note: Rates do not includes city taxes. City tax will be paid directly at the reception hotel desk at the arrival or at the check out according to the local city board procedure. City tax will change according to hotel category.

Hotels are subject to availability at time of booking. In the rare event that the mentioned hotel is unavailable, you will be accommodated in another centrally located hotel of the same star rating.

Please note that during high season this tour operates in English only.

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10-Night Italy Tour: Rome, Florence, Venice and Sorrento

Explore Italy on a 10-night tour from Rome, with hotel accommodation, transport, city tours and excursions included! With the cities of Rome, Florence, Venice and Sorrento as your bases throughout, the tour also includes excursions to must-visit towns and sites like Naples, Capri and the UNESCO-listed archeological site at Pompeii.

Discover the cultural differences between these fascinating areas of Italy, and visit must-see attractions like St Mark's Basilica in Venice and the Pantheon in Rome.

Your 10-night Italy tour visits the regions of Lazio, Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Veneto, Campania and the Amalfi Coast: areas that boast sights, scenery, history and impressive culture.

Stay in each of the region's main towns or cities – Rome, Florence, Venice and Sorrento – in hotels that are centrally located and close to all the action. Choose from standard accommodation (3-star hotels or 4-star hotels with basic facilities) or superior accommodation (luxurious 4-star hotels).

Please note: Rates do not includes city taxes. City tax will be paid directly at the reception hotel desk at the arrival or at the check out according to the local city board procedure. City tax will change according to hotel category.

Hotels are subject to availability at time of booking. In the rare event that the mentioned hotel is unavailable, you will be accommodated in another centrally located hotel of the same star rating.

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Murano Glass and Burano Lace Tour from Venice

Discover the Venetian islands of Murano and Burano on a half-day trip from Venice! With your expert guide, you'll learn about the age-old handcrafts that brought these little islands fame, and you'll see quality Murano glass and Burano lace being made first-hand. it's the perfect afternoon trip from Venice for those seeking a combination of history and behind-the-scenes action!

After meeting in central Venice, your full-day tour starts with a short ride to Murano by boat. Famed for it'stunning Murano glass products, the cluster of little islands that comprise Murano are as popular for their glassmaking heritage as they are for their attractiveness.

With your friendly guide, head straight to a glassblower's workshop for an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at a Murano glassmaker in action. As the craftsman goes about his daily business, you'll learn how finished glass is carefully prepared and made. Watch the silica sand turn to glass, discover how the bright colors (typical of Murano glass) are achieved and hear all the highs and lows of working as a glassblower in Murano!

You'll have time to spend at leisure on Murano - a great opportunity to browse the workshop's impressive glass art collection or simply explore on your own.

Next, head to the neighboring island of Burano, where you'll be greeted by its vibrantly colored fishermen's houses that line the streets. Just as Murano is famous for its glassmaking, Burano is famous for its lacemaking. Visit a local workplace to see the island's craftswomen at work. Almost exclusively made by women, Burano lace is the finished product of a painstakingly precise textile craft. As you watch, your guide will talk about the history of this exquisite Venetian lace and explain how the handcrafted finery is sadly becoming a dying art.

Before your half-day trip comes to an end, you can independently visit the fascinating Burano Lace Museum (Museo del Muretto), a modern museum that showcases this age-old craft, or spend time exploring the island. Stroll through the colorful little streets, take photos or browse the shops for a lace keepsake to take home!



Get a sneak peak of the Murano Glass and Burano Lace Tour from Venice with this Viator video.

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Private Tour: Venice Grand Canal Evening Boat Tour

Take a romantic evening cruise along Venice's canals aboard a modern Venetian boat. This evening tour by comfortable boat takes you along Venice's famous Grand Canal, and allows you to explore further than a traditional Venice gondola allows. You can choose to speed along for one or two hours with your very own boat and personal guide.

This Grand Canal cruise follows an ideal itinerary for lovers of architecture, taking you from the Byzantine and flamboyant Gothic periods to masterpieces of the Renaissance and Baroque eras.

The tour begins at the church of Madonna della Salute and returns along Giudecca's Canal, where Palladio's masterful churches of the Redentore and S. Giorgio Maggiore will dramatically reveal themselves.

Soak up the atmosphere and history of magnificent Venetian palaces and churches including Ca' Venier, Ca' Foscari, Ca' Rezzonico, the famous Rialto Bridge, Ca' d'Oro, Ca' Pesaro, Ca' Vendramin-Calergi and many more!

This is a private boat tour. Book now and get the most out of your visit to Venice with a personalized tour led by an English-speaking guide who is passionate about the magical city of Venice.



Get a sneak peak of the Venice Private Grand Canal Evening Boat Tour with this Viator video.

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5-Day Italy Trip: Florence, Pisa and Venice from Rome

Spend five days exploring three of Italy's most romantic city's: Florence, Pisa and Venice. This classic multi-day trip is ideal for those seeking to combine aspects of Italy's rich culture: art, history and authentic cuisine.

Departing Rome, you will travel among Tuscany's rolling hills en route to Florence. Once in Florence, you can devour the galleries and museums but don't limit your viewing to paintings and sculptures alone - do as the locals do and people watch as well! Florence has many vibrant public squares where you can relax in a cafe and people watch.

Formerly a maritime town, Pisa's biggest attraction remains its Leaning Tower, but delve deeper to discover more architectural delights all easily accessible on foot.

Next, you will travel to Venice where you can choose to navigate the canals by gondola or simply lose yourself down winding streets. Your tour concludes in Venice.

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Venice Day Trip from Milan

Experience the beauty and glory of Venice for yourself on a day trip from Milan. If your time in Italy is short, this tour is the perfect way to add the romantic city of Venice to your Italian itinerary. Your full day tour includes a walking tour as well as a boat trip along the Venice lagoon.

With it'singing gondoliers, exotic architecture and mysterious canals, Venice has been a fabled holiday destination for centuries. See this legendary city for yourself as you take in the sites by boat and on foot, exploring the maze of canals and laneways until you arrive at the incomparable St. Mark's Square.

While in Venice you'll enjoy a boat trip on the Venice lagoon and take a two-hour guided walking tour. As you stroll, your guide will point out the significant buildings and monuments you'll pass.

After stopping for lunch and some people watching, the afternoon is free for you to set off on your own Venetian adventure, exploring tucked-away medieval streets before transferring by boat and coach back to Milan.

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Private Tour: Murano, Burano and Torcello Half-Day Tour

Explore the famous islands of the Venice lagoon - Murano, Burano and Torcello - on a private half-day trip. You'll watch glass-blowers at work on Murano, shop for lace on Burano and visit Venice's first church on the tranquil island of Torcello. This private tour ensures you'll enjoy personalized attention from your guide, and experience the magic of Venice's famous islands on one tour.

Boarding a comfortable motor boat, you'll speed along the Venetian lagoon to Murano, famous for its glassware. During the visit you'll explore shops, factories and watch the skilled glass-blowers as they create works of art. You'll also have time to visit a museum showcasing the world-famous Murano glass.

Re-board your motor boat you'll journey to the island of Burano to admire picturesque fishermen's houses painted in bright pastel colors, and, of course, the famous lace. You can visit a museum dedicated to the craft of lace, and purchase the beautiful lace at local shops.

The last island stop is Torcello, the earliest center of civilization in the Venetian lagoon. You'll see the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in the 7th century, and the excavated remains of the circular baptistery in the church of Santa Fosca.

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Venice Photography Walking Tour: Twilight Sunset Tour

On this unique photography tour you will move around Venice not as a tourist but as a Venetian photographing some of the most famous places in the world and understand from a photographic point of view, the Venetians' life, their markets, the bars and the mysterious and hidden places.

This in-depth private photo walking tour is hosted by an expert photographer. Please list any special interests you have at the time of booking to alert your photographer-guide, so they can prepare for your private tour.

You will also learn how to approach people and capture the spontaneous emotions, expressions and interactions among people that tell the story of Venice and the people who celebrate it with you. Places visited will be Saint Mark Square, Doge's Palace, Lagoon, Ponte della Paglia (in front of) Ponte dei Sospiri The Bridge of Sighs and surrounding area. There are photo opportunities on every corner and each location we visit offers its own unique photographic challenges and we will explore different styles of reportage story telling.

Your Venice Photography Walking Tour ends at St Mark's Square.

Some of the things you will learn from your photographer guide:

• How to incorporate lighting conditions to create dramatic photos
• How to capture the atmosphere of a particular scene
• How to compose a photograph to get the maximum effect

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Venice Gondola Ride and Serenade with Dinner

For the quintessential Venetian experience, take a serenaded gondola ride on the canals of Venice then enjoy dinner at Hostaria Ai Coristi Restaurant, near La Fenice Theater. You'll swoon to the magic of Venice on your evening gondola ride, then enjoy dinner at a Venice restaurant.

Likely to Sell-out! Serenaded gondola rides on the canals of Venice regularly sell out weeks in advance. Book ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

You'll be captivated by the glamor and elegance of Venice as you glide in a gondola on Venice's canals. One of the gondoliers will play music and sing songs throughout the 35-minute ride.

At the end of the gondola ride, disembark at Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, one of the most famous squares in Venice. From here, continue to Hostaria Ai Coristi Restaurant, near La Fenice Theater, for a two-course dinner.

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