How Much Are Tour Guides in Venice?

Escape the tourist crowds and fast pace to uncover Venice's hidden charms down winding back canals and streets.
Written By: Andrea Spallanzani
Reviewed by: Rick Orford
How & Why We Created This Article

This article has been written, reviewed, and fact-checked by Rick and I. We live in Italy and travel throughout the country to help you make the best choices for your trip. We wrote this piece to help you have the best trip possible on your next trip to Italy. Portions of this article have been written using assistive AI tools to help with tasks like research, spell-checking, grammar, and translation.

Last Updated March 22, 2024

In this article, you'll learn how:

  • Private tours in Venice allow you to customize your itinerary and guides to your interests like art, food, or architecture.
  • Boat tours visit Murano and Burano islands to witness glassblowing and lacemaking craft demonstrations firsthand.
  • You can explore Venice's historic Jewish Ghetto area and remaining signs of its past like synagogues, shops, and memorials.

Venice is a magnificent city with unfathomable beauty. It is a location where alluring bridges and winding waterways connect gothic and marble palazzi. The lagoon’s blue waters, which shine in the sunlight, encircle everything. Venice’s inventive and vivacious personality has enchanted visitors for years. But, how does one prepare for a trip to Venice? By checking out this guide, of course!

It’s simple to get sucked into the charm of this Italian city as the gondolas glide around the canals and the magnificent domes frame the views. Despite being a favorite of starry-eyed lovers, Venice is not just for couples. The vibrant neighborhoods and warm Italian hospitality will attract solo travelers. While families or groups of friends can immerse themselves in the social atmosphere, conversing over delicious Venice food while sipping bellinis.

Although Venice might be one of the most excellent Italian places to visit, its beauty has a cost. The sheer number of tourists who flood the floating city’s winding streets represents this cost. The city’s austere beauty is unaffected by the large concentration of tourists. You just have to allow yourself to become lost to locate the hidden gems of Venice. If you’re considering a trip to Venice, check out this article on the cost of tour guides in Venice.

Venice Private Tours

Private tours are the way to go if you want a trip that is just for you, your loved ones, or your friends—no other people. You may decide where and when you want to go, what you want to see and do, and who you want to travel with along the way, creating a customized travel experience.

Discover The Best Of Venice With A Private Walking Tour

Venice Piazza San Marco

With a private walking tour of Venice, you may see and do precisely what you want while on vacation. Follow your local guide to discover the ins and outs of the city, and you’ll feel nearly like a local yourself when you’re finished. You will also have full of interesting and useful information.

You will meet your guide there, then leave on your walking tour to discover this lovely city. Follow your guide’s directions and pay attention to their advice so you may get the most out of your trip.

To obtain a true sense of the area, start by becoming familiar with the neighborhood where you are staying. Find the best spots to eat and shop, and discover the simplest routes.

Tell your tour guide about some of the famous sites you want to see, and ask what else you may see when your trip is complete. You can feel more at ease navigating the city and assured that you have access to all the necessary information. If you’re looking for a private tour, check out this private tour with a local tour guide for an afternoon in Venice.

Take A Private Tour Of A Murano Glass Factory And Design Your Own Souvenir

yellow and blue ball on brown wooden fence

With this private tour, you can take a private lesson from a renowned Venetian craftsman who will assist you in creating your unique piece of glass using traditional Murano techniques.

The master craftsman will guide you through each stage of the process so you may create your one-of-a-kind glass piece while listening to him expertly explaining Venetian art’s history and trade secrets.

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the traditional glass-making processes. Venice’s most well-known work of art is regarded as a universal symbol of beauty. You can take your creation home as a unique souvenir after the demonstration. You can save 10% on the glass artwork in the shop. If glass blowing is interesting to you, be sure to check out this private lesson with a local artisan.

Venice’s Best Evening Tour: Wine, Drinks, and Dining

Typical lunch in Venice

In one of the best neighborhoods in town, the Cannaregio district, Venice comes to life as the inhabitants head outside to decompress. Visit three of the greatest places to enjoy a drink and a dish from the neighborhood, like Cicchetti or Ombra. Visit stunning locations with nightlife and a local guide.

As you move from hotspot to hotspot, enjoy regional drinks like wine, beer, cocktails, or non-alcoholic drinks, along with delectable nibbles typical of the area. Every taste is catered for with vegetarian options.

Get to know Venice by participating in its exciting nightlife with your tour guide.

An Evening Tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace

On a late-afternoon guided tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, you can avoid the crowds and learn about two of the symbols of Venice.

You’ll visit the Correr Museum (Museo Correr), which is located in St. Mark’s Square beneath the portico just outside the museum’s entrance. Then, go inside the Doge’s Palace to discover more about the seat of the Venetian Republic’s sovereignty.

View the opulent residences of the Venetian aristocracy as well as the Great Council Hall’s breathtaking Veronese and Tintoretto frescoes.

Venice Piazza San Marco at night

Learn the untold tales behind the artwork, such as the reason why one of the painted dogs is shrouded in a black veil. Find out how the dukes were chosen and what they accomplished. Investigate the vast armory and eerie prisoners.

Discover why it isn’t exactly as romantic as you would have expected when you cross the Bridge of Sighs from the inside.

After resting, visit St. Mark’s Byzantine basilica’s gold-plated embellishments. Ask a church custodian to unlock the doors for a doge-like experience. Admire the altarpiece’s gemstones, the Pala d’Oro.

Visit the crypt where St. Mark’s remains are purportedly stored. Enjoy the mosaics’ gentle sparkle as the sun sets while learning about Venetian art and history from your Venetian guide. We like the St. Mark’s Basilica & Doge’s Palace Evening Tour as it’s an affordable and comfortable way to see some of Venice’s most famous attractions.

Guided Tours in Venice

Want to maximize your adventure vacation and complete tasks you otherwise wouldn’t have believed possible? Do you prefer to eliminate the burden of organizing transportation, meals, and logistics? A guided tour is a convenient and stress-free way to see a new place.

This is especially true if you want to explore more isolated areas where food drops are necessary, if you prefer to have a knowledgeable guide nearby to keep you on the course, or if carrying a full pack with all of your camping gear feels strenuous and exhausting.

You can also more fully enjoy and immerse yourself in the local culture with the help of a local guide. Additionally, you’ll get the chance to make lifelong friends with other travelers who share your interests.

Get Away From The Crowds & Uncover Venice’s Hidden Gems

Venice Italy at night

Get away from the crowds and off the beaten path in Venice. With a guide, you may tour the historic center of Venice, including lesser-known locales like the Rialto Bridge.

You can explore the maze-like “calli” and “campi” (little Venetian streets and squares) and discover undiscovered architectural treasures like Marco Polo’s House, a structure thought to be the great explorer’s residence that is currently utilized as a theater and designated by a white plaque.

Continue on to the Fenix Theatre, where many famous composers, including Giuseppe Verdi, presented their works. Pass by St. Mark’s Square, home to numerous historic structures like the Doge’s Palace, Basilica, and beautiful monuments.

Discover Venice’s canals by taking a gondola ride, which is an optional choice. Admire Venice’s top attractions while riding in a gondola, including the Mozart House, the Fenice Opera House, the Grand Canal, and more. The journey will come to a close in Piazza San Marco and the tour is called: Hidden Venice: Unusual Walking Tour.

Venice Murano & Burano Tour by Boat

Burano Venice

In the heart of Venice, experience life as an island of craftsmen known for their time-honored craft techniques that have been passed down through the generations.

Your guide will keep you entertained on the short boat ride to Murano, a glass-making island. Learn about the Murano glass industry, whose artists were forbidden from leaving Venice.

Watch an artisan at work while listening to an English description of the procedure. Learn how silica sand turns into glass and how color is added to the finished product. There will then be time for you to explore the vast collection of glass art and the island on your own.

Visit the tiny island of Burano by boat to witness the tightly packed, vividly painted homes that line the streets and waterways. Visit a building where ladies are still stitching lace to learn about Burano’s centuries-old lacemaking heritage.

Your tour guide will go over the procedure for this extinct craft. Then, you can choose your own souvenir in the manner of Michelangelo. Alternately, stroll the meandering lanes while savoring delectable cookies from nearby bakers. The tour is called From Venice: Murano & Burano Islands Boat Tour and I highly recommend it as a way to see both islands in one day.

Venice Food Tasting Tour with Wine and Cicchetti Dishes

Typical venetian cicchetti

This tour is the ideal way to get to know Venice because it gives you a broad overview of Venice’s history and the taste of Venetian cuisine. Your journey starts in the Cannaregio district, one of Venice’s few remaining residential sections and a favorite gathering place for thirsty locals after work. Your local guide can recommend additional sights and activities for you to see and do while visiting. Take a leisurely stroll about and learn about the area’s 1,000-year history.

You will then cross the Grand Canal like a local as you ride in a genuine, stand-up traghetto gondola. In Rialto, you can go on a food tour! The first visit is at a tiny restaurant close to the market run by a group of young residents who love modernizing classic dishes. Expect to eat things like seasonal veggies, polenta with seafood, and black ink calamari (served in elaborate dishes). For a truly memorable experience, pair your food tasting with high-quality Italian wines. With this tour of Venice’s wine bars and their signature Cicchetti dishes, you can take your palate on a culinary vacation.

The second culinary stop is a historical location where you can learn more about the Venetian tradition of “bacari” and how to take advantage of it when exploring the city by yourself.

Next, the tour guide will reveal a few secret spots near the Rialto, demonstrating the value of moving one block away from the crowds to enjoy Venice alone. The voyage ends at Campo San Bortolomio, surrounded by great restaurants and shops. Your guide will gladly recommend methods to keep having fun or guide you back to your lodging. The tour is called Food Tasting Tour with Cicchetti Dishes and Wine Tour and I like it because, well, who doesn’t like wine!

Speaking of which, here’s the low down on Italy’s drinking age.

Walk Through Venice’s Jewish Ghetto

Venice the Jewish Ghetto

On this stroll through the Jewish Ghetto near the Cannaregio neighborhood, you’ll discover a side of Venice that most tourists miss.

Start your Jewish Ghetto tour at the Cannaregio neighborhood, which is today a wonderful residential area in the city’s north. When you reach this area, you will notice yellow signs pointing you to the Synagogue in Hebrew and Italian. These signs will teach you about the area’s historical Jewish significance.

The best way to experience this quaint neighborhood brimming with artisan workshops, galleries, boutiques, and delis is to take your time.

Enter Campo del Ghetto Nuovo (New Ghetto Square), which was established as a walled island in 1516. You can hear about how the island’s population grew and how the Venetian Jews were forced to live there.

Venice great German Scola Synagogue

The Jewish Ghetto Venice Tour takes you past the Deportation Memorial, the Levantine Synagogue, and the Jewish Museum of Venice.

A collection of bas-reliefs in the Campo del Ghetto Nuovo is one of the most noteworthy features of your Jewish Ghetto Venice tour and a site that most visitors to Venice never get to see.

Learn how Napoleon opened the Jewish Ghetto’s gates, allowing Jews to live anywhere in this magnificent “Floating City.” The neighborhood is drenched with Jewish culture, bakeries, restaurants, and handicraft shops despite just a small portion of the current population being Jews.

As your local guide leads you from one intriguing area to the next and regales you with anecdotes of former residents, this hidden nook of Venice’s cultural life comes vividly to life, giving your trip there a rich undertone. The tour is called the Venice: Jewish Ghetto 2-Hour Walking Tour. Andrea and I have done it, and we’d certainly do it again (this time, going to the Synagogue as well).

Conclusion

Traveling to Venice has several advantages. This charming Italian city has something to please everyone.

Venice is a place where we always wanted to go. And when we got there, it most definitely did not disappoint. In every aspect, it surpassed our expectations.

Venice in Italy is a unique city. It’s an excellent place to study Italian culture. However, various things contribute to the city’s even greater uniqueness.

Venice has so many wonderful things. The sights, history, and food of Venice are all outstanding.

There are innumerable advantages to visiting Venice. Whether you prefer history, beautiful places, architecture, or gastronomy, there is one for everyone.