Private Art & Architecture Tour: Hidden Venice
Venice, Italy
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore Venice’s lesser-known artistic and architectural treasures on this 2-hour private walking tour. Your local guide will lead you through a labyrinth of narrow backstreets to discover fascinating churches, squares and other landmarks that lie off the beaten path. Learn the history of these sites and admire their stunning artistic elements while you enjoy the personalized experience of a private tour.
- Two-hour private guided walk through Venice
- Focus on the art and architecture of Venice
- Stained-glass window of San Giovanni and Paolo church and beautiful Miracoli church
- Enjoy privileged, personalized attention from your tour escort and expert English-speaking guide on this special private walking tour of Venice
- Choice of morning and afternoon walking tours
- Professional commentary provided by your expert English-speaking guide
What's Included
- Professional guide in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish
- Private walking tour for 2 hours
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks,
- Entrance fees to churches or museums
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
Discover masterpieces of Venetian art and architecture beyond the crowds of St Mark’s Square. After meeting up with your guide in central Venice, head out into the city’s quieter side streets and narrow passageways.
Visit the glorious San Giovanni and Paolo church, which boasts impressive Gothic architecture and the largest stained-glass window in Venice. Other tour stops include the narrow Miracoli church, with its beautifully restored, early Renaissance façade, and the former home of famed Venetian merchant and explorer Marco Polo.
As you wander along narrow canals and across charming footbridges, your guide will explain the political and cultural forces that helped shape Venice’s unique artistic legacy. Feel free to ask all the questions you want as you enjoy the customized nature of a private tour. After about 2 hours of exploring, you will have a new appreciation for the amazing sights and structures of Venice.
Visit the glorious San Giovanni and Paolo church, which boasts impressive Gothic architecture and the largest stained-glass window in Venice. Other tour stops include the narrow Miracoli church, with its beautifully restored, early Renaissance façade, and the former home of famed Venetian merchant and explorer Marco Polo.
As you wander along narrow canals and across charming footbridges, your guide will explain the political and cultural forces that helped shape Venice’s unique artistic legacy. Feel free to ask all the questions you want as you enjoy the customized nature of a private tour. After about 2 hours of exploring, you will have a new appreciation for the amazing sights and structures of Venice.
1
Campo San Bartolomeo
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Casa di Marco Polo
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Basilica Dei Santi Giovanni E Paolo
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Church of Saint Mary of Miracles
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.0
based on 22 reviews
Beu_P, Feb 2020
When we thought we've explored Venice enough, our guide Lucia took us to another area we have not been to. A very interesting and highly recommended small / private tour to take. Lucia was fun and had very good english, she had very good knowledge of Venice, art, architecture and food. If you're looking for something interesting to do in Venice, do give this a go.
Response from Host, Feb 2020
Thanks very much for your feedback, we hope to see you in our wonderful city in the future
William D, Nov 2017
We got a lot more cultural history and less art and architecture than we expected. Still the tour was valuable and enjoyable. Our guide arrived promptly and went out of her way to get us to our next destination, very sweet. We were a group of 4, vox boxes were not used which made it a little challenging for one member of our group who was hearing impaired. Viator should be sure every group no matter how small has access to these.
michael_c, Nov 2016
Our tour day was gray and a bit rainy which, unfortunately, set the mood. Tour rather perfunctory and uninspired.
Anthony M, Jun 2016
Not a must-do tour.Some buildings of interest were pointed out to us.Majority of tour focused on the S.Giovanni church where we spent over an hour looking at every wall.We were told how old things were, who did them and that they were "beautiful" but we failed to learn why.Entry should be included!
Gabriel_T, May 2016
This tour was amazing , MARIE THERESE , guide very wise , calm , and smart !
I recommend !
Violet S, Jan 2016
Unfortunately this wasn't quite the tour I'd hoped it was. I enjoyed the first part walking through the streets and learning a little about 1 or 2 buildings but felt that a lot of the buildings were overlooked. We stopped at a beautiful Church that I'd actually studied whilst at University but the questions I had couldn't be answered. Any other buildings we passed that looked beautiful were only mentioned in passing, I asked for more but nothing. There were also some difficulties with language translations and I couldn't always understand the guide- thankfully I and my mum speak a little Italian so could translate the odd unrecognised word for the group. The tour seemed to go down hill further after we entered San Giovanni. Now I love religious Art, and particularly sculpture.So this place should have been ideal for me. But the guide made it dull and boring, I found myself chipping in to keep my partner entertained. There was so much more that could have been said on interesting pieces that the guide didn't want to discuss. So we followed her to her favourite pieces and were given information that was not only confusing to understand but extremely uninteresting. I really did not feel this tour was worth the money as I could have gained more insight on buildings from a guide book and could have given the tour of the church a miss.
After the guide left us outside the church, my group decided to go sit in a cafe and have a few drinks as we didn't feel we'd had fun and felt drained.
I left feeling it was a waste of money, and as it was a gift for my Dad's birthday I was thoroughly disappointed.
Strev, Apr 2015
Our guide Iffygenia was amazing! She was able to bring the architecture to life for us! My Mother is 80years old and we needed to cut out certIn aspects to help her to manage but finishing up in St Mark's square for a coffee was right up our street and we ended up staying most of the afternoon!
Georgia H, Sep 2014
We enjoyed this tour. Our guide was well informed and took us places we would have never found on our own.
Martin D, Aug 2014
Very well informed guide who was happy to discuss any aspect of Italian history, culture and politics as well as the introduction to Venetian Art and architecture we had expected. He was flexible and accommodating tailoring the tour to our interests. Had we visited the churches we did without him we would have missed so much...pointing out detail and anecdote which would have otherwise passed us by. Our children (8 and 13) also thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I would recommend this tour for anyone visiting Venice.
rosy_y, Jul 2014
Our personal guide for our group of 6 was wonderful and knowledgeable and well prepared. He, being an architect himself, was able to give us an in depth explanation of all the architectural features of the various structures and buildings in the city. He came along with illustrations in books on the topic, showing us the mechanics of the construction. That 2 hour walking tour were the best, informative, interesting time we have ever spent in Venice.
Antone_B, Jul 2014
Once again very interesting- the meeting point was a little hard to find
Caroline, Jun 2014
Superb Guide...wonderful experience...probably the high point of our visit!
Vernon M, Sep 2013
Very interesting tour of how and why the buildings were done in Venice. Tour guide was freindly and helpful. Even gave us great tips on where to get drinks and meals later.
Susan P, Sep 2013
This was really a "private tour"! Our family were the only ones on the tour! The guide was very knowledgeable and explained all about the architecture of various churches and buildings in Venice. He took us to some places we had never seen and probably wouldn't have found on our own. The meeting place could have been somewhere more well-known and easier to find, but we were early and had found the place earlier in the day, so it worked out fine.
David D, Aug 2013
Our expert guide revealed a face to Venice that we never knew existed. Her knowledge of the depth and breadth of Venician artistic history was astounding and we were thrilled to visit sights not found on the tour books. We recommend this tour highly.
Roderick L, Oct 2012
While this is touted as a Art and Architecture tour, it was a wonderfu tour about the city of Venice, it's people and history and how they live. We visited the back streets of Venice and discovered another part of the city that tourist don't see. We avoid many of the busy main streets and alleys and skirted around other large groups and crowds. We walked into many churches and buildings most overlooked and had time to see the architecture of the buildings and what the buildings were used for. We learned a lot about the city and how it was built and the problems it is now facing with higher waters and the sinking of the land. Avoid the large tour groups and join a Viator tour where you can actually hear and talk to the guides and better yet, enjoy more flexibility in the tour ctering more to your interest.
lanval, Apr 2012
Very good with Alessandra! Interesting explanations of Venetian Style with good examples to see.
E A H, May 2011
Our guide Antonella was very patient with six architecture novies but we learnt to look up and to appreciate the differnt styles of Byzantine, Renaissance, Baroque, Roccoco, as well we learnt quite a bit of history of Venezia. Fascinating and worthwhile.
Anthony D, Jun 2010
The tour was good but as I did a half day walking tour the previous day this tour covered some of the same areas.
Lemiel P, Aug 2009
The best tour. The guide was very fluent in English and extremely knowledgeable on everything she showed us. Kudos to her and to you!
Martin S L, Mar 2007
The tour was very interesting. The guide was very knowledgeable, communicated well. Unfortunately the architecture along the Grand Canal was not included.
Hilde N, Oct 2016
Ist leider nicht gerade kunstsinnig gewesen, wir haben uns viel mehr erwartet, keine historischen oder architektonischen Highlights. Wir würden diese teure Tour nicht mehr machen.
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From $339.38
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