Venice Guided Historical Walking Tour

Enjoy this combined guided walking and the best way to see Venice, part of our tour is off the beaten track and away from the main tourist sites giving you a great overview of the city, also included on the tour are two of the most important monuments in Venice, we skip the line into Saint Marks Basilica and the Doges Palace.
A combined walking city tour that allows you to discover the most important historical places and buildings of Venice.
This guided tour is divided into three parts.
The tour starts with a historical introduction of St. Marks’s Square, and its architectural delights.
You will be lead then by a professional guide through the most characteristic places around the areas of Saint Mark's Square and Castello.
After this walk you will visit the the Doge's Palace, once the seat of the power of the Republic of Venice, and to conclude, a visit to the interiors of Saint Mark's Basilica, with is golden mosaics and its byzantine history.

Meeting Point

TU.RI.VE. Meeting Point

Calle larga de l'Ascension, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy

15 min before in Calle larga de l’Ascension - 30124 (behind the Correr museum on the opposite side of the Saint Marks Basilica).
Look for the TURIVE assistant next to the post office San Marco.

What's included:

• Personal audio system and headset for tour commentary
• Live tour commentary in English, French, German, Spanish
• 4-h guided tour with a local and professional guide
• Entrance fees and skip the line

Not included:

• Food and drinks
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Museum and Loggia dei Cavalli on the 1st floor

What to expect:

Duration: 4 hours

Piazza San Marco

Venice, 31024

Starting in Saint Mark’s square, this atmospheric walking tour will then whisk you away from the crowded streets into the treasure filled pockets of the Castello area.
A qualified guide will walk you through the hidden squares, winding canals and historical buildings providing you with a perfect introduction to the origins, symbols, traditions, architecture, and life in current day Venice.
The tour starts with a historical introduction of St. Marks’s Square, and its architectural delights, allowing you to discover the history of the majestic St. Mark’s Basilica, the illustrious Doge’s Palace, once the seat of the power of the Republic of Venice, and the extraordinary, renaissance clock tower.

15 minutes

Campo Santa Maria Formosa

Venice, 30100

Leaving the square, you will be guided into the residential Castello area, allowing you to discover this part of Venice in all of its elegance, through its labyrinth of narrow alleys - “calli”, many bridges, winding canals and wide picturesque squares - “campi”.
You can expect to discover campo Santa Maria Formosa, one of the largest squares in Venice with its church, named after its visitation of the Holy Virgin.

30 minutes

Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo

Campo Santissimi Giovanni e Paolo, Campo Giovanni e Paolo Santissimi, Venice, 30122

Campo Santi Giovanni and Paolo where you will be able to admire the famous church, the resting place of several Doges; and the equestrian monument of Bartolomeo Colleoni, an Italian mercenary Captain.

30 minutes

Casa di Marco Polo

Corte Seconda del Milion, Venice, 30121

The former residence of Marco Polo in Corte Seconda del Milion, probably the most famous Venetian merchant.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Teatro Malibran

Campiello del Teatro, 5873, Venice, 30131

The Malibran theatre (only external) is also part of the itinerary.
The theatre of San Giovanni Grisostomo was built in only four months at the end of 1677.
It was renovated many times and the renovation of 1919, gave us the theatre, as we know it today.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Doge's Palace

Piazza San Marco, 1, Venice, 30124

Our guide will accompany you to the Doge’s Palace, which dominates Saint Mark's Square, the heart of Venice, standing out for its size and its extraordinary structure, where Byzantine, European and Oriental architecture collide. Immediately entering the Palace you will pass through the great courtyard and admire the wealth of detail on the famous Golden Staircase.
Once inside the Palace, you will visit the halls where the Duke (Doge) and his Council controlled the fate of the Serene Republic, whilst surrounded by hundreds of artistic masterpieces and discover the political history of Venice and its people. You will be able to admire the paintings realised by some of the most important artists of the Italian Renaissance, amongst them, the world's largest oil painting by Tintoretto. Passing through the famous Bridge of Sighs, you will reach the new prisons. The bridge was given its name by the English poet Lord Byron, probably referring to the last breath of the prisoners, who had their last view of the lagoon and of Venice from the window of this bridge, before they were to be imprisoned.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Basilica di San Marco

San Marco, 328, Venice, 30124

During the second part of the tour you will visit the Basilica, once the private chapel of the Doge of Venice, and the only one of its kind in Italy, thanks to the sumptous golden mosaics and impressive marble inlay flooring.
During the tour you will be able to sit down in the church and absorb the atmosphere whilst listening to your guide who will describe the biblical scenes represented throughout the building, together with history and particularities of this ancient Basilica.
The tour includes the visit of the famous Pala d'Oro, an altarpiece made of gold and silver and an exquisite example of Byzantine art with a myriad of gems and precious stones.

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Museo Correr

Piazza San Marco 52, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Venice, 30124

At the end of the tour, keep your Doge's Palace ticket to visit on your own: Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Saint Mark's square, opposite side of the Saint Mark's Basilica.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included