Walking Tour of Venice

Venice is the kind of city where you can enjoy it by taking a walking tour or by riding in a gondola through the canals. We can take you through it either ways and add a touch of history to make it an unforgettable tour. The walking tour throws you back to earlier centuries and history of the Glorious Republic of Venice! You will find yourself in the middle of amazing buildings while our guide reveals secrets. Let yourself be guided in a stroll around the streets of Venice and their buildings and stories!

A walking tour is essential for the understanding of Venice!

You will be exploring the main attractions and also the back streets of Venice, the narrow alleyways are home to beautiful canals, churches and piazzas which enthrall visitors. A special place that you will be visiting with our walking tour is the place where Marco Polo used to live and then you will be learning some more about the famous explorer. Take a walk outdoors through the characteristic and important places in the history of Venice. An experienced guide will escort you through the millennium of life in the Serenissima Republic, recalling the charming past of this unique city.

Where will the walking tour take you?

Our walking tour will take you to visit:

1. Piazza San Marco

Millions of tourists visit the Piazza San Marco every year. There are plenty of elements that are hidden for the first time visitor. History and anecdotes relating to this wonderful and characteristic square. This square is where you will be shown to the stunning basilica, the beautiful Palazzo Ducale and the campanile. First time visitors are blown away by the stunning beauty and usually don’t require additional information. Our guide will show you origins, history and description of the main monuments: Basilica San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, Bell Tower, Clock Tower and Procuratie. Santa Maria Formosa Let’s reveal some stories about the Basilica: how did it got its name, how St. Mark became the patron of Venice and more about the past of Venice.

2. Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo

By exploring Venice accompanied by our guide, the walking tour takes you to see the square named in honor of Saint Giovanni e Paolo. This is where you will find: The "Pantheon" of Venice The great church of the Dominican order. The patron saints of this church are two martyr-soldier saints named Giovanni and Paulo. It has twenty-five tombs of doges and is referred to as the Pantheon of Venice. The Church has a massive front, with a brick façade which is essentially Gothic and contrasts with the elegance of the decorated façade of the adjoining Scuola Grande di San Marco (nowadays the municipal hospital). There is no campanile. This square is where you will find also the Great School of Charity and the Captains of Fortune. Find out some more about it by walking along with us.

2. Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo

Exploring Venice accompanied by our guide, the walking tour takes you to see the square named in honor of St. John and Paul. Here is where you will find:

The "Pantheon" of Venice

The church has a massive brick facade that is essentially Gothic and contrasts with the elegance of the ornate facade of the adjacent Scuola Grande di San Marco (now the municipal hospital). There is no bell tower.

In this square you will also find the Great School of Charity and the Captains of Fortune. Find out more by walking with us.

3. Marco Polo’s House and Malibran

Theatre Malibran Theatre has been home to shows for about 3 centuries. It is located in the area of marco polo’s house and his family. You will learn something about the Grimani family, one of the most important Venetian noble families to whom belonged the theatre. Why is called like that? And what happened to it through the decades? Our guide has much to talk about it. The recent and past history cross each other in this beautiful corner of Venice. Return to San Marco through the Mercerie, the vital connection between Rialto and San Marco and the city’s main shopping street.

Something extra for the end of the walking tour - Watch a Glass Craftsman while working.

After the tour you will have the opportunity to visit a Factory Glass close to Saint Mark’s Square where you can see a Glass Craftsman at work. Please note this is a free of charge optional tour of approximately 20 minutes and it is not a part of the tour.