Private Venice Highlights Tour with Gondola Ride

Afterwards, you'll enjoy a walking tour tailored to your ideal pace. You'll pass famous sites like Rialto Bridge, as well as charming side streets and hidden highlights that many tourists miss. Your tour finishes with a 30-minute private gondola ride—simply a must-do while you're in Venice—and you'll have the rest of your day to explore Venice at your leisure.

Private Venice Highlights Tour Description

Your 2.5-hour city tour includes:

• Private walking tour of St. Mark's Square and Venice side streets

• Skip-the-line private tour of St. Mark’s Basilica

• Explore the Rialto Bridge and neighborhood

• 30-minute private gondola ride

• Your own English-speaking Venice guide

St. Mark's Square in Venice

Your private tour of Venice begins in St. Mark’s Square. This historic gathering spot is a central location for festivities associated with Venice Carnivale, the legendary weeks-long celebration, and its significance to the city's history is unmatched. Your guide will explain some of the major events and famous buildings that make this square so well known.

Home to the magnificent St. Mark’s Basilica, the Bell Tower, and Doge’s Palace, this is the largest and most important piazza in Venice.

St. Mark's Basilica - The Church of Gold

Next, head to St. Mark’s Basilica with your private tour guide. Enter the church with your skip-the-line tickets, perfect for avoiding the long queues that form in summer months. Once inside, you’ll immediately understand why it is known as the "Church of Gold”. The basilica’s interior is lined by 85,000 square feet of gilded mosaics that took over eight centuries to complete. Treasures shipped to Venice after the fall of Constantinople in 1204 make up some of the most important works of art in St. Peter's. These include the four bronze horses and The Pala d’Oro (the basilica’s high altar).

Your guide will lead you on a fascinating private tour to show you all the best parts inside Venice's grand church. 

From November through March, St. Mark’s Basilica does not offer skip the line entry as lines are generally non-existent. Since St. Mark's Basilica is a sacred place, men and women must have their knees and shoulders covered once inside. You may be refused entry to a portion of your private tour otherwise. As summers in Venice are hot - a great alternative is to bring a shawl/scarf/sweater with you for covering your knees and shoulders when necessary.

Rialto Bridge and Neighborhood

A short walk away from St. Mark’s Square is the Rialto Bridge, one of Venice’s most iconic landmarks. One of the oldest of the four bridges that cross the Grand Canal, this bridge features a 24-foot-tall arch. Across the bridge is Venice’s Rialto Market, located in the Rialto neighborhood. This place is synonymous with Venice’s food culture. Your guide will lead your through this charming part of Venice and paint a picture of life in this unique Italian city along the way.

Local Campos and Palazzos

Away from the famous squares and landmarks, Venice is a maze of narrow streets, shady campos (small squares) and beautiful old palazzos (palaces). Along to way, your private guide will show you some hidden gems on your tour to give you a taste of local Venice that most tourists don't get to see. You may even find some lovely spots to return to for an evening glass of vino, and your guide will have plenty of tips to share too.

Venetian Gondola Ride

After your private walking tour of Venice, you'll embark on a short gondola ride. Yes, it's a little touristy, but it's really an essential activity for visitors to the Floating City! The city of Venice only issues roughly 400 gondolier licenses per year, making the profession an esteemed one. In addition to operating gondolas, Gondoliers are also Venice’s unofficial storytellers and historians.

At the conclusion of your gondola ride, you'll be brought back to St. Mark’s Square. Don’t forget to ask your private tour guide where the best places to eat and drink in Venice are. We’ll gladly point you in the direction of Venice’s best cuisine.