Fun & oddball activites and tours in Venice

From gondola lessons to mask-making workhops, here are some quirky, hand-on ways to experience Venice

image

Skip the Line: Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries Tour
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!
Duration: 1.5 hours; Cost: $65 per person
...
» book: Reserve it
 
Godola rowing lessons in Venice

Venetian Rowing Lesson

During this private rowing lesson, you will participate in an authentic Venetian experience that few tourists get to try. In these 90 minutes of unforgettable fun, you will learn the basics of the voga alla veneta, the traditional Venetian rowing style, while at the same time having the opportunity to appreciate the historical and truly traditional aspects of Venice. You will feel just like a real gondolier as you stand up and row both at the prow and at the stern. You will first start by testing out the movement, without putting the craft in motion. Then you will traverse the gorgeous side canals of the Cannaregio district and, after you have become confident, daringly enter the open lagoon
Duration: 1.5 hours; Cost: $63 per person
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Venice Gondola School: Learn How to Be a Gondolier

Meet your instructor in a quiet area of Venice, and then head to the waterside where your gondoletto is ready and waiting for you. More stable than traditional gondolas, gondoletti have been used for centuries to train the Venetian gondoliers. Hop aboard your gondoletto and discover the tricks to gently row, steer and stop on the open water...
Duration: 1.5 hours; Cost: $80 per person
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

The Craft of Mask-Making

In this hands-on workshop you will learn the craft of mask making—and the mysterious legends behind Venetian masks—from a real Mascareri, one of the skilled artisans who, for hundreds of years, have made original Venetian masks...
Duration: 1.5 hours; Cost: $147 per person
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Venice Ghost Walking Tour
Venice by night is steeped in mystery and the ghosts of the past! This 1.5-hour evening ghost walking tour takes you on a journey to the city’s hidden corners, with a ghost-expert guide who recounts six spooky ghost stories and other legends as you walk. Recoil at gruesome facts about Biasio, the child-killing butcher of Venice; see the beautiful and reputedly haunted Bovolo staircase; and hear strange and sinister tales about the Venice of old as you explore the shadowy squares and empty streets. Not for the faint-hearted.
Duration: 1.5 hours; Cost: $28 per person
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Musica a Palazzo 'Traveling Opera' Performance in Venice

Experience the magic of ‘traveling opera’ during a 2-hour operatic performance at the grand Palazzo Barbarigo Minotto in Venice. Performed by the acclaimed Musica a Palazzo ensemble, this night of opera, song and music features world-class singers and instrumentalists performing as they move, with the audience, through the palazzo’s beautiful salons.
Duration: 2.5 hours; Cost: $96 per person
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Venice Shopping

Venice is teeming with traditional artisanal shops and funky boutiques. During the course of this walk, our shopping expert will lead you into the backstreets and will uncover the wealth of shopping destinations the city offers. This walk is completely customized to your interests. Regardless of your focus, our role remains the same: to lend the experience of one of our shopping mavens—someone who knows these stores inside and out. We do not take commissions from shops and do not offer discounts in any of the stores. We give you our expertise on Venice and facilitate communications between you and shop assistants...
Duration: 3 hours; Cost: $431 per group
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

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)....
Duration: 2 hours; Cost: $56 per person
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Science and Secrets of the Lagoon
This four-hour excursion through the Venetian lagoon with a marine scientist follows the progress of modifications to the lagoon and their effect on the lagoon environment. It also takes us to visit some of the smaller islands in the northern part of the Lagoon that remain inaccessible except by private boat. It is a wonderful way to get out of central Venice and experience the Venetian Lagoon in the company of a true expert whose knowledge and research on the Lagoon environment has been critical to shaping EU policy in the region...
Duration: 4 hours; Private: $794 per group
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Hidden Venice Walking Tour by Night
Delve beneath the major tourist hotspots of Venice on this 2-hour evening walking tour. With a professional guide, explore tucked-away neighborhoods and haunts, and learn intriguing stories about the nobles and merchants who shaped and scandalized medieval Venice. See gems such as the Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and the spiral Bovolo staircase; roam cobbled lanes and tiny squares; and enjoy exploring after sunset, when Venice takes on a truly magical aura. Numbers are limited to 12 people on this small-group tour for a personalized experience. ...
Duration: 2 hours; Cost: $57 per person
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Venice by Boat
There is no better way to get acquainted with Venice than by water. Inseparable from the city itself, the canals and waterways of Venice have inspired the musings of Hemingway, Byron, and James, among others. Bringing these musings to life, Context approaches introductory guided tours to Venice from the intricate web of water. Led by local experts, you will travel in a private covered boat with no more than six people...
Duration: 2 hours; Cost: $145 per person...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Private Tour: San Polo Walking Tour - Merchants, Courtesans and Painters
This enthralling private walking tour starts at Venice's commercial quarters near the Rialto Bridge and concentrates on the ancient area of San Polo. Here the bankers, brokers and merchants conducted their affairs by day, and the renowned courtesans by night! You'll also explore San Polo's number one highlight, the Frari Church, enjoying personalized attention on your private walking tour of Venice...
Duration: 2 hours; Cost: $42 per person
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Casanova’s Venice
Following a period of immense political and economic power, which Venice amassed during its period as a republic in the 16th and 17th centuries, the city slid into a riotous age of glorious hedonism in the 18th century, or Settecento (1700s). Artists such as Tiepolo, Pietro Longhi and Francesco Guardi, and playwright Carlo Goldoni depicted the culture of the age, including the casinos, elaborate parties, lavish fashions, and elegant cafes that made Venice a destination for the wealthy and decadent of Europe. The prime protagonist of this period was Giacomo Casanova, whose glamorous exploits (especially of the amorous type) became legends in his own time. Our Casanova’s Venice walking seminar will explore palaces, public spaces, and churches that best illustrate this vibrant moment in Venetian history...
Duration: 3 hours; Cost: $101 per person; Private: $431 per group
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Venice Food Tour: Cicchetti and Wine
Discover the locals’ favorite ‘cicchetti’ bars in Venice, enjoying the city’s famous tapas-style dishes with an expert guide! The exciting 2.5-hour food tour includes visits to five atmospheric wine bars, a walk around Rialto Market and a short Traghetti (Traghetto) ride. Choose from a morning or evening tour and sample plates of the Venetian snacks – known as cicchetti – in each bar. Try local specialties like marinated seafood with polenta, and sample regional wine and prosecco.
Duration: 2.5 hours; Cost: $90 per person
...
» book: Reserve it
 
image

Ecology of Venice
Starting with an introduction to why Venice was built where it is and how, the walk will equip visitors with the visual tools to interpret what we see in the historical context of this unique city, its relationship with the surrounding waters and increase our understanding of its possible futures. Together with the identification of particular symptoms, characteristics and remedial measures, the narrative during the walk will also provide an introduction to the current safeguarding challenges for Venice and its lagoon...
Duration: 2 hours; Cost: $84 per person; Private: $330 per group
...
» book: Reserve it
 

Tips & links

Find Venice tours & guides

Walks & Day tours

Longer tours

Be a head-of-the-class nerd

On any tour, stick next to the guide.

Walking from stop to stop on the tour, you’ll be able to chat with her, ask questions, and hear her answers and explanations to everyone else’s questions as well. You'll get a lot more out of your tour (and bang for your buck) if you just stick close to the guide.

Venice links & resources

Related pages

Share this page

Intrepid Travel 25% off

Search ReidsItaly.com

Venice
Venice
Venice tours

Walks & Day tours

Longer tours

Venice hotels
Venice activities
Details



Useful links
Train tix
Venice map
ReidsItaly.com map of Venice
» View ENLARGED MAP with all listings
Trip plans

Shortcuts to popular planning sections:

Airfares, Cars, Trains, Tours, Packages, Cruises, Lodging, Itineraries, Info, Packing, Prep, Comm

Follow ReidsItaly
Follow ReidsItaly on Twitter  Join the ReidsItaly fan page  Follow Reids Italy Adventures blog