Tour of The Real Hidden Venice
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Venice, Italy
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
Discover a side of Venice many tourists never see on this real secret Venice walking tour. Join your Venetian guide for a stroll through authentic local neighborhoods and past captivating hidden gems. Delve into the history and lore of the Jewish Ghetto, Cannaregio, and San Polo districts, stopping to admire its quiet canals and tiny artisan workshops that still make traditional handicrafts.
- Take a break from the crowds by visiting Venice's quieter districts
- Learn about the history of the city and daily life today from your guide
- Visit little-known treasures plus famous sights like the Rialto Bridge
- A small-group or private tour for a more intimate experience
What's Included
- Pickup in front of Hotel Antiche Figure (read carefully the booking info)
- 1 City Map per person
- Native Venetian Local Expert - Tour Leader
- Local taxes
- 2 hours walking tour
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Hotel Antiche FigureSanta Croce, 687 Fondamenta San Simeon Piccolo, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy
In front of "CHIESA DI SAN SIMEON PICCOLO" opposite the Train Station, the church with the big green dome - next to Hotel Antiche Figure. We will have a board with your name.
End point
- Rialto BridgePonte de Rialto, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy
The tour will end near Rialto bridge.
Itinerary
Your walking tour starts in Campo San Geremia, a picturesque square in the quiet, tucked-away district of Cannaregio. Experience Venice as locals live it, far from the usual crowds of tourists. Listen to the story of the square’s unusual and comic history. You’ll be in a group of only 15 people maximum (or a private group if option selected), so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
Cross over Cannaregio’s tranquil foot bridges into the Jewish Quarter—the origin of the word “ghetto.” Step inside the church of the Madonna dell’Orto, famous for its Tintoretto paintings. Learn why the stunning facade of the Palazzo Mastelli del Cammello is nicknamed “Camel House.”
Get a peek at a historic gondola factory as you wind your way toward one of the city’s star attractions: Rialto Bridge. Listen to your guide recount stories about the traditions and little-known stories behind the 16th-century landmark. The tour ends here in the heart of Venice, but you’ll be well-positioned to continue exploring on your own.
Cross over Cannaregio’s tranquil foot bridges into the Jewish Quarter—the origin of the word “ghetto.” Step inside the church of the Madonna dell’Orto, famous for its Tintoretto paintings. Learn why the stunning facade of the Palazzo Mastelli del Cammello is nicknamed “Camel House.”
Get a peek at a historic gondola factory as you wind your way toward one of the city’s star attractions: Rialto Bridge. Listen to your guide recount stories about the traditions and little-known stories behind the 16th-century landmark. The tour ends here in the heart of Venice, but you’ll be well-positioned to continue exploring on your own.
Ponte degli Scalzi (Pass By)
1
Campo San Geremia
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Ponte delle Guglie (Pass By)
2
Jewish Quarter
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Cannaregio
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Chiesa della Madonna dell'Orto
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
Palazzo Mastelli o del Cammello
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Squero dei Muti
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Ponte Chiodo
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Ponte di Rialto
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Campo San Giacomo
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Rialto Market
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- 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
- For the Group tour: Make sure to check out the meeting point in advance. In front of Hotel Antiche Figure. Venezia Santa Lucia Train Station Area. If something is not clear let us know immediately during the booking procedure.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 2,257 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Private tour with Stephen, a young man raised in Venice. It was so interesting to be able to ask him about his upbringing, going to school and living in Venice. We learned so much about the history of Venice, including lots of interesting facts about the wooden pilings. The city was built on that litter, petrified, and became able to support much more weight. Got us out of the crowds and into some quieter spaces.
Sebastian was great. Very enthusiastic entertaining accommodating and knowledgeable. Looking forward to a new Viator adventure.
Fantastic and informative tour of Venice, found the best eating places through our guide Nico. Thank you so much
Marco was an enthusiastic, knowledgeable guide. Could not have asked for a better experience. Full two hours covering much ground. Highly recommend.
The operator was amazing! He was so thoughtful and knowledgeable about the area! I would recommend this tour to anyone
We had a wonderful time learning about the less known spots in Venice from Lorenzo!
Michael at the glass shop was delightful!
I would recommend this tour!
Met at train station (which is a long walk for people staying near St Marks basilica). Tour lady was very nice and friendly. We walked around for two hours to non touristy areas, but honestly, it wasn’t very pleasant or interesting. The history of how and why Venice was built and how Venice survives rising sea levels is interesting. I wish this would have been a two hour boat ride if the hidden Venice. Even 1.5 hours would do.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Dear Mark,
I’m Mikaela, your guide on the Hidden Venice tour. I was quite surprised to read your review: I truly appreciate your kind words about me and the historical content of the tour, but I’m sorry to see that the overall experience received such a low rating for reasons that seem to be based largely on expectations different from what the tour actually offers.
Regarding the meeting point, the tour is called “The Real Hidden Venice” precisely because it takes place away from St. Mark’s Square and the busiest tourist areas. The aim is to show guests a quieter, more authentic side of Venice. The meeting point can also be reached from the St. Mark’s area by water taxi in around 10 minutes, while naturally it takes considerably longer on foot.
Secondly, this experience is clearly described as a walking tour, not a boat tour. A private boat alone, without a guide, would cost several times the price of this experience, so unfortunately a two-hour boat ride could not possibly be included at this price.
During the tour, I also had the impression that you were not particularly engaged with what we were visiting, especially compared with the other guests in the group, who appeared very interested and later rated the experience five stars. The topic that seemed to catch your attention most was what Jeff Bezos had done in Venice during his wedding celebrations.
Of course, I’m sorry that the experience was not what you personally hoped for. However, I do feel it is important to clarify that both the meeting location and the fact that this is a walking tour are clearly stated in the description before booking.
I’m nevertheless glad that you found the history of Venice interesting and that you appreciated my work as your guide.
Best regards,
Mikaela
Michaela was a great guide and we booked this activity for the evening of our arrival. It was fantastic and made us appreciate Venice and get acclimated quickly. This took us to wonderful places away from crowds that we wouldn’t have found on our own as we had such a short time in the city. I would recommend to anyone traveling to Venice.
Loved this tour! It’s my third time with different family members. I love hearing about Venetian neighborhoods, the Jewish history and seeing the less crowded parts of Venice. Michaela was a wonderful guide.
A view of Venice that is a true picture of how Venetian’s live in the quiet area around the tourism.
Nico was fantastic! Very knowledgeable, friendly and fun! He shared stories about all the places we visited.
We loved every second of this tour! our tour guide, Nicolo(Nick), was absolutely fabulous. He was very entertaining and knowledgeable. He answered every question with a great sense of humor .I would totally recommend this tour !
Micaella made the walking tour very special for our small group and added a lot of insight into the historical treasures of Venice. Would highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning about the history that you're walking and boating on in Venice.
He is funny, full of knowledge and from venice. I learned a lot but mainly about the gheto. However, he did talk about life at Venice too.
Our guide Nico was fantastic! The tour kept us away from the crowds and showed several unique spaces. Learning the history of Venice was incredible.
We had a great tour with Sebastiano, who was friendly, knowledgeable, and very entertaining. We leanred a lot about Venice and visited parts of the city we had never seen in 3 previous visits! Highly recommended.
Excellent and informative tour. Our guide, Giovanni, grew up in Venice. He shared his lifetime knowledge and personal experiences.
This tour highlights the Old Jewish quarter and sees the real hidden Venice. Our guide (Nickola) was very knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with.
Amazing hidden gem tour in Venice. We saw things we never would have known about without our tour guide. We also loved that it was a small group with no headsets so we could clearly hear him and ask him lots of questions. Definitely would recommend for someone who wants to know about the history of Venice without going to the major touristy streets.
Nico gave a great tour of an area of Venice that I otherwise might have missed. It was great to be away from the crowds and to hear Nico’s interesting history of the area. Nico would answer any question and also provides great restaurant recommendations!
I thought this was more about seeing sites in Venice that were a little less known to guide books and guides. It was really more of a look at everyday Venice as a local light limit. Unfortunately, the Tor Guide seemed a bit nervous and shy. Didn’t speak very loud and kind of looked downward a lot. The Jewish quarter was probably the highlight, but I guess I could have gone there on my own.
The tour was a lovely way to see the city and actually know what you are seeing. Our guide was obviously very passionate about the city he was born in and it showed. This is a great thing to do first thing.
Giovanni was exceptionally nice and well versed in Venetian history and culture! He gave us a map that he had marked with local restaurant, shopping, and attraction locations. He was considerate of the heat, often breaking in the shade, and made sure we saw everything we were interested in seeing! Cannot recommended Giovanni enough!
The guide provides lots of insights and history of that portion of Venice, that we wouldn’t have gotten walking through on our own. She was very friendly and answered lots of questions. She also had restaurant recommendations based on personal experience.
Excellent tour - humorous and insightful. Knowledgable guide
Worthwhile - I would recommend to everyone.
Good way to start understanding Venice.
Very fun and informative tour. The pace, subjects, locations were all perfect for us and our 11 year old son. Nicola really made the tour a great experience.
This tour was incredibly incitefull. Tomasa bought a real Venetian perspective to the tour giving equal weight to both the good and the bad through history. Definitely recommend this tour to get away from the usual touristy areas of the city and see the real day to day Venetian life and customs.
What a great tour! We learned so much about the history and development of Venice. We definitely explored places we would not have found on our own. Giovanni is a terrific guide.
On time meeting at starting point, our tour guide Micaela was very warm, polite and knowledgeable. We visited places which were hard to find without guide. It was best introduction of local places, history and culture. Must take this tour
A lot of walking and very informative .
Make sure you have water with you especially in the summer!!.
From $69.76
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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