Secret Venice Tour of Dorsoduro District

Get to know the neighborhood’s unique churches and most impressive architecture and stroll along the promenade and through popular local campos where university students converse at night over drinks and dancing.

Venice Dorsoduro District Tour Description

Your 2-hour tour includes:

• Guided tour of Venice’s Dorsoduro neighborhood

• Local art, stunning churches, and charming hidden campos

• See the Venice Banksy, Indiana Jones film locations, and more!

• The quieter side of daily Venetian life

• Engaging, English-speaking local guide

• Maximum group size of 8

Meet Your Guide in Dorsoduro

Make your way to the charming Campiello degli Squelini, not far from the Grand Canal in Dorsoduro, where your local guide will be waiting to greet you and introduce you to this attractive Venice neighborhood.

One of the six sestieri (districts) of Venice, Dorsoduro is the city’s arts and university district, and it brings a youthful energy to complement its ancient architecture and classic Venetian streets and canals.

Venice’s Banksy and the World’s Largest Canvas Painting

Early in your tour, your guide will take you inside a local church to see a giant canvas painting thought to be the world’s biggest. Afterwards, you’ll stroll along an otherwise unremarkable canal where famous street artist Banksy left his mark on Venice—his mural depicts a migrant child holding a flare right at the water’s edge.

Local Life & Famous Film Sets in Campo Santa Margherita

Take a stroll through the lively Campo Santa Margherita, where the morning market makes way for one of the district's most lively squares when evening falls. See local life unfold before you, and be wowed by the fabulous Santa Maria del Carmelo church nearby.

Film lovers may see something familiar here—this is where scenes from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and Katherine Hepburn’s "Summertime" were filmed! (Cue the selfies.)

Gorgeous Churches and the House of Othello

As you pass through the streets of Dorsoduro, you’ll happen upon a number of charming local churches that date back centuries. These include the only Venetian church with two bell towers, a 12th-century church with a wooden interior that was founded by poor fishermen during the days of the Venetian Republic, and the church that was the setting for Madonna’s "Like a Virgin" music video.

You’ll also see what remains of an ancient palace inhabited in the distant past by the Moro family and known as the House of Othello.

Arts and Culture at Ca’ Foscari

The Ca’ Foscari University is spread over a number of historic buildings in the Dorsoduro district, many of which you’ll see on this local walking tour of Venice. The main building is a striking Gothic palace that gives the university its distinctive character. Nearby is also one of Venice’s premier art galleries, which was pivotal in the fight to for freedom of artistic expression.

San Basilio & Fondamenta delle Zattere Promenade

Your guide will lead you along San Basilio, an old maritime terminal next to Canale della Giudecca. From here you can see across to Giudecca Island and its striking skyline of basilicas and historic industrial buildings.

Towards the end of your tour, you’ll stroll along the wide Fondamenta delle Zattere promenade where locals sip coffee by the water. Then head towards the Dorsoduro triangle tip where you’ll see an impressive collection of historic buildings and the famous Fortune Goddess statue.