Venice Custom Tours - Italy Hotline Custom and Gourmet Tours

Venice

"It is the city of mirrors, the city of mirages, at once solid and liquid, at once air and stone" This is what one famous traveler said about Venice when she laid foot upon its paving stones- a perfect description of the City of Water. For not only is Venice an important port city upon which its greatness was built, but it is a city built on water. With one hundred and seventeen tiny islands connected by four hundred and nine bridges and one hundred and seventy seven canals Venice is truly like no other city in the world. Its light is liquid as sun and water meld together into one thousand beautiful refractions on buildings and ancient glass windows of palaces filled with enormous Murano chandeliers. Venice is a city of magic- don't let anyone tell you otherwise- and if they do it means that they have not experienced the real Venice, the city full of mystery and wonder, artisan craftsmanship from mirrors to velvets, delicious seafood, evocative restaurants and bars. Venice is a city of celebration of every minute of the day- take in a Spritz or an Ombra and make a toast to her beauty. Feel the sea breeze as you race along in a boat out to tiny neighboring islands. Smell the exotic scent of a Veneziana cake just out of the oven in an artisan bakery. Hear the 'Venesian' language that only a few million people on the planet speak and learn some of their words. With our historians, artists, chefs, sommeliers and experts in every area of Venice you will be treated as a guest to this city where it is important to have someone open The Secret Door so that you can experience Venice as a local. Then you will know what Marcel Proust meant when he said "When I went to Venice, I discovered that my dream had become- incredibly but quite simply - my address"!

Special Itineraries

Special Venice Itineraries with an expert

Venice justly is known for many famous sites making it easy miss some of its most important offerings. In order to take advantage of all that Venice has to offer regarding your special interests we have created a network of historians and experts, scholars and artists who have proposed specially organized visits to not so well known sites. From the world famous Venice Biennale to the fabric and costume filled Palazzo Mocennigo, from the Marciana Library (one of the most important depositories of classical texts in the world) to the Ca'Pesaro Museum of Modern Art Venice is filled with wonders for the first time or seasoned visitor. Take a look at our list of recommendations and let us know your interests and we will find the perfect host to take you there for a customized tour to one or more specialty destinations. Let us plan the perfect day in Venice for you!

Classic Masterpieces of Art: Accademia of Fine Arts, Scuola Grande San Rocco, Palazzo Grimani, Ca'Rezzonico Museum of 18th Century Venetian Art, Querini Stampalia Foundation and Museum, Ca'D'Oro. Current Specialty exhibitions.

Special Venice Itineraries with an expert photo

Boat Tours

Visit the myriad islands of the Venice Lagoon by Vaporetto

Venice is made up of 117 tiny islands. many islands exist in the Venice Lagoon, each one with its own special character. Your local Venetian host will take you on a tour of a selection of islands by public boat as the Venetians do. The most noted is Murano, a must see charming place known for its beautiful creations coming from its many glass factories. The glass blowing tradition dates back millenia to the Ancient Romans, but it is the artisans of current day Murano who are its master. A nearby island boasts a strange community- the Island of San Michele, the City of the Dead. Although it sounds menacing, this island provides a beautiful escape from the hustle and bustle of its neighbors with its history writ in beautiful tombs shaded by trees enclosed in walls. The island of Burano is also made of several tiny islands connected by bridges. It is famous for its traditional lace making of the highest quality and for its charming brightly painted little buildings which must follow a strict code for approval! Torcello was founded by the Ancient Romans and became very important in the Middle Ages as a trading center with about 20,000 people. Today only 20 people remain, so a visit to this island provides a strange glimpse of time gone by, with its medieval palaces, churches and squares.

Visit the myriad islands of the Venice Lagoon by Vaporetto photo

A Venetian Gondola Ride in The City of Water

No Venice trip is complete without a gondola ride. There is no better way to relish the sheer sense of being in Venice and to get to know the layout of city than from the water. Venice is a city of hundreds of bridges connecting 117 islands with an interconnecting maze of 170 canals. This merchant city is known by such descriptions as "The city of Water", "The floating City" and of course "The most Romantic city in the world". The gondola itself is a product of ancient craftsmanship made exactly as it has been for centuries. Each and every of the 280 parts made out of 8 types of wood fits into a recipe, to be followed by precision and is handed down only to the most trustworthy practitioners of this craft. If it was up to a Venetian, you would never see a gondola outside of Venice- it is part of their soul. Each piece of metal attached to it has an age old symbolism, speaking of the history and tradition of Venice. There is probably no prouder person than a maker of a gondola or a gondolier. They are following in the footsteps of centuries of tradition revolving around an 35 foot long, 1322 pound boat, black in color with beautiful decorations fit for a palace. Take an extensive ride on the smaller canals with a true gondolier in an authentic gondola- Nothing could be more romantic than this!

Walks in the Historic City Center

Venice Highlights

Discover Venice with a native Venetian guide! This 4 hour private walk of Venice is the perfect walk to take upon arrival in Venice. After this tour, you'll have a good feel for the city and be able to navigate Venice like a local for the remainder of your holiday. Your guide will introduce you to this special place, its layout and history, with an insiders perspective, to make the most of your first step onto this amazing city made up of hundreds of tiny islands and bridges. During your tour you’ll get a good feel for how genuine Venetians used to live and how they live today in this unique city. Visit the markets including the beautiful fish market, learn how to order a glass of wine or an expresso in a bar, stop for a cichetti (snack) or a tramezzino in a Bacaro. This tour allows you to see the most famous sites in Venice but also how to get into its authentic places that are easy to reach but often hidden. Let us open the Secret Door for you! We believe that this is the key to visiting this amazing city and we want to share our knowledge with you.

The walk includes many of the most famous sights such as St.

Evening Ghost Story

An exciting and delightful walking tour by evening, when Venice reveals its most mysterious side. Night fall brings out the haunting stories hiding along the canals, narrow bridges and walkways of Venice, and the wild characters that make up its past! During our Evening Ghost Story Tour you'll investigate the dimly-lit streets, canals and bridges, as your guide recounts numerous ghost stories and tales of Venice. Exploring alleyways and backstreets, passing palaces and courtyards and hidden angles you'll also see a number of hidden architectural gems of Venice that come to life at night in an eerie way. Legendary ghosts, monsters, and criminals as well as mermaids, lost ladies and fairies provide plenty of material for this delightful tour. An evening that you will never forget! A stop for an 'ombra' a quick glass of wine or other drink in a traditional Baccaro will be a fun part of the evening.

Renaissance Art Tour of Venice

On this tour, you will visit the Accademia Art museum and a few of the most fascinating churches containing the greatest Renaissance art work such as San Zaccaria. The emphasis of this tour is on Venetian Renaissance art, while pointing out architectural, historical, and other features of Venice along the way. You will begin at the Accademia which arguably holds the most prized collection of Venetian art in the world. Walking through the museum, your guide will reveal to you the secrets of what made the art of the Venetian Renaissance unique including differing attitudes to color, design, and sculpture. You will see the best of the following Venetian painters: Giovanni Bellini, Vittore Carpaccio, Giorgione, Tiziano (Titian), and Tintoretto.

After your tour of the museum you will travel by foot or take the traghetto (a gondola ferry) and traverse the Grand Canal to have an drink at a charming Venetian cafe. Whether you choose to sit or stand in the gondola as true Venetians do you'll have the opportunity to take in Venice from a uniquely Venetian point of view! the canal, and stop for an espresso along the way.

Food & Wine

Wine Tasting in a Venetian Palace on the Grand Canal

Arrive at a 17th century Venetian palace on the Grand Canal for a private wine tasting with an historian-sommelier. Located in the center of Venice between the Accademia Bridge and Piazza San Marco, the views of the canal reveal Venice in all her splendor. Ascend into the main reception room of the palace via the grand staircase, where your guide will show you the beautifully decorated rooms, furnished in traditional Venetian style, and tell you about the history of the family who created it. Find out what it is like to live like the past kings and queens that inhabited this historical palace. After this you will move to the grand dining room graced with a beautiful chandelier where your wine tasting features DOC Veneto and Friuli region wines. The normal wine tasting consists of a guided tasting of four glasses of wine for each participant, usually one white, two reds and a sweet one, produced in the Veneto and the Friuli Region or in a gifted Italian area. We can customize the tour for you if you prefer whites or reds. Each wine will be served with the appropriate food to enhance its special qualities, such as cheese, cold cuts, and Venetian cookies.

Following Bacchus~ Ombre and Cichetti Wine and Food

In the city of Venice wine is definitely more popular than water, in fact an average of 50.000 glasses of wine are served every day in local wine bars! A long time ago Venice imported new grapes from the island of Crete in Greece and since then vineyards have became a feature of the Veneto landscape. Today our Region holds a national record with 53 million gallons of wine produced every year!   Your sommeliere will involve you in the session, and ask you about your sensations and impressions about wine. She will help you to discover the true spirit of the land it comes from, give you information about its history and its organic characteristics, its versatility in matching local food, and a selection of the best reasonably priced wines and where to buy them in Venice.

Each tasting will take place in a typical "Osteria" or wine bar chosen for the quality of the wines and food products. We will also stop at a traditional Bacaro, a small standing room only wine bar with white or red, serving delicious traditional cichetti antipasti.

Following Bacchus~ Ombre and Cichetti Wine and Food photo

Spend a Day as a True Venetian

Enjoy a day discovering how the special inhabitants of Venice live and learn the joys and secrets of the city that only an insider knows. Your Venetian friend will meet you at your hotel in the morning and you are off to start your day as a Venetian. Traversing little known walk ways, canals and bridges where few tourists go you will discover what it is like to be a resident of this unique city. An early start can give you the best view of the city without tourists so you can see how the real Venetians start their day. Your path will take you for a caffe and cornetto at the best morning bar, past your host's favorite shops, into a wine bar for an 'ombra' and a 'cichetti' and to see some of their favorite local sites.

Gourmet Rialto Fish market tour and Seafood Lunch

Are you crazy about Venetian style seafood dishes? Take the chance to experience the whole process, step by step, from raw to cooked fish with the help of local experts! In the morning your guide will take you to the Rialto fish market to discover what seasonal fish is available, how to distinguish farm raised from fresh catch, how large the variety of local seafood is, which are the most common species in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Sea and why each is so delicious.

We will take a gondola-ferry (this is the exciting moment when you can choose to stand in the boat like a local or sit like a visitor!) across the Grand Canal where a renowned restaurant is located, "Al Fontego dei Pescatori", owned and run by Loris Manna, President of the Rialto fishmongers. While you are shown how to properly clean and cook a fresh fish, Loris and Chef Massimo will be pleased to answer your questions, explaining how to transform a traditional Venetian recipe into a creative work of art.

Gourmet Rialto Fish market tour and Seafood Lunch photo

Rialto Market, boat and Cooking Lesson with Venice Chef

Traditional Venetian cooking is simple and based on local products including fish and shellfish from the Veneto lagoon and vegetables and game. With relatively few ingredients, it has created a large variety of dishes and flavors thanks to cultural influences such as those from the French and the East with their unique ingredients and flavors (seen in the use of many different spices such as pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) and the incredible variety in the preparation of rice.

Spend your morning at the famous Rialto Market, one of the most ancient in the world, where you shop for local Venetian ingredients with a wonderfully talented and personable local Venetian chef . Here you will learn how to select and cook fabulous meat and vegetable dishes and how to identify the freshest fish and seafood for dishes that will stay with you forever. You will be taken by boat along the Grand Canal and across the Venice Lagoon to Chef Marika's lively Venetian Liberty style villa on the Lido Island, where she will teach you how to make a five course traditional Venetian meal with a delightful modern twist.

Rialto Market, boat and Cooking Lesson with Venice Chef photo

Venetian Feast in a Private Glass Blowing Factory in Murano

Dine in a private Venetian Glass Blowing Factory on the Island of Murano with demonstrations of this fiery and beautiful art. An evocative and magical atmosphere will be created specially for your party, candle lit, with exquisite table settings and the glow of glass furnaces lit like amber fires. For your dining experience chef Marika will prepare a menu rooted in the simplicity and tastes of traditional Italian cooking, yet brought to life with exciting contemporary touches. In harmony with perfumes and tastes and with great attention to the placement of colors and forms, small gastronomical works of art are created that are a joy to the eye even before tasting. This event is a unique and exclusive experience, designed to satisfy the desires and requirements of the client and where nothing is left at random. The elegance of the table settings, the meticulous care taken to every possible detail, the refinement of floral decorations and the masterly work of the chefs are the elements and colors will become an unforgettable sensorial experience for you and your guests.

Venetian Feast in a Private Glass Blowing Factory in Murano photo

A Day with the Fishermen Of the Venetian Lagoon

In 2002 the city Council approved the Northern Venice Lagoon project, which aims at preserving a unique natural and historical heritage, such as the symbiosis of water and land, the indigenous agricultural produce, the native fish species and fishing techniques, the wine and local culinary traditions.

We offer two gourmet Venice Lagoon tours, focusing on either the island of Burano or St.Erasmo. Each itinerary is based on a slow paced experience, in which we get to have direct contact and interaction with fishermen of the area. Many fishermen are "lagoon farmers" and are involved in an ancient tradition of aquaculture for prized seafood that forms a vital part of the cuisine of Venice. Local chefs and wine producers are committed in supporting this traditional economy and peculiar lifestyle. This tour provides you with a unique experience to leave the touristed islands of Venice and take off into the world of real Venetians who support the and produce the wonders of the culinary traditions of this incredible region. You will discover a dynamic local community, excited to show you what they do and share with you their own enthusiasm for their work.

Venetian Cooking Class in 17th Century Palazzo

Traditional Venetian cooking is simple and based on local products including fish from the lagoon and vegetables and game. With relatively few ingredients, it has created a large variety of dishes and flavors thanks to cultural influences such as those from the East with their unique ingredients and flavors (seen in the use of many different spices such as pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) and the incredible variety in the preparation of rice. You will learn a five course menu based on seasonal ingredients.

Spend a half day cooking with this amazing professional chef who will teach you traditional Venetian cuisine with a delightful twist in her beautiful palazzo. Tie on your apron and get ready for an authentic experience in a Venetian kitchen! You'll start by shopping in the local outdoor markets for in season delights before returning to your chef's apartment for a wonderful hands on lesson on Venetian cooking. You'll savor a glass of prosecco (italian champagne) and nibble on antipasti while preparing your lunch all the while talking about Venetian food specialities that make Venetian cuisine unique from that of the rest of italy.

Venetian Cooking Class in 17th Century Palazzo photo