Best of Venice Half Day Private Tour

Your introduction to Venice starts at its historic heart: San Marco. You’ll admire St. Mark’s Basilica, crowned by five byzantine cupolas and covered by dazzling mosaics. Its façade adorned with precious columns and statues from war spoils manifests the mighty past of the Venetian Republic. Next to it is the Doge’s Palace, seat of the Republic’s elected rulers called dogi, you’ll see the Bridge of Sighs that connects the palace to a historic former prison for Venice’s top criminals.

The walk then leads to the Grand Canal through the streets of San Marco that hide the baroque church of Santa Maria de Giglio. The surprise comes in when you reach the waterside: you’ll step on a boat called traghetto, a large gondola that the locals take on a daily basis to cross the Grand Canal, standing!

The San Polo district on the left bank offers a picturesque Venice with its narrow alleys, little canals and colorful houses. Why not take a break and enjoy a cup of venetian coffee in a quiet campo? You’ll also take a walk along the Grand Canal to explore the bustling Rialto Bridge and the Rialto Market filled with the freshest local fruit and seafood.

From there, you’ll hop on the traghetto again to leave the tourists behind and reach the mysterious land of Canneregio. Few travelers know it was here that the first Jewish ghetto in Europe was ever formed. It stays an authentic district that offers a glimpse into local Venetian life today.