Tours in Venice by Mariarty

We start in Piazza San Marco, the heart of Venice, and wind through medieval alleys and over canals to the Rialto Bridge and a view of the Grand Canal. Then on to Campo San Polo, the biggest square after San Marco, to find out why Venetians themselves love to relax here. We look at the Scuole of St John the Evangelist and San Rocco and work out why Venice has so many of these brotherhoods, and we step into one of the city’s masterpieces, Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.

Along the way you will hear surprising facts about gondolas, and at the end you can try traditional cicchetti and the famous spritz aperitivo.

Good to know

• Not included: tickets, food and drinks.
• The route does not include visits inside churches, but they can be added by arrangement.
• Optional climb to a viewing platform: +30 minutes, +€40 plus tickets.

The tour is led by an English-speaking guide from our team. Extra time: €70 per hour.

Following in the footsteps of Joseph Brodsky, enjoying masterpieces by Titian and Tintoretto and meeting a few Venetian cats, we talk about Venice on parade and Venice backstage: local traditions, and how to feel at home in a city on the water.

We visit the church of Santa Maria Assunta, with its unusual white and green marble interior flecked with lapis lazuli, walk along the embankments Brodsky loved and look out over the islands of the lagoon. Through a maze of streets and bridges we reach Santi Giovanni e Paolo, one of the most beautiful squares in Venice, where 27 doges and other Venetian “celebrities” are buried. We discuss aristocratic intrigue and learn why the Renaissance Scuola di San Marco is in the art-history textbooks.

Good to know

• The tour ends at Campo San Zanipolo, with plenty of bars and cafés.
• Not included: tickets, food and drinks (Santa Maria Assunta costs about €1).
• Optional: the basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (ticket about €3.50 plus an extra guide hour at €70).
• Meeting point: near the Fondamente Nove stop (confirmed in advance).

The tour is led by an English-speaking guide from our team. Extra time: €70 per hour.

We begin in the Venetian Ghetto, where you will see unusual multi-storey houses and learn how the Jewish community lived here for centuries. No Italian city can be truly felt without stepping into at least a few churches, so we look inside the most interesting ones. We stop at the house where Tintoretto lived and talk about his life and work. The walk can end on the Fondamenta della Misericordia, one of the liveliest spots in the district, full of bars and restaurants – ideal for an aperitivo or dinner afterwards.

Good to know

• Church entrance tickets are not included (about €3.50 each).
• A relaxed walk at an easy pace.

The tour is led by an English-speaking guide from our team. Extra time: €70 per hour.

Officially the order of the Templars ended in the 14th century, but the legends live on – and Venice played a special part in the story. We leave the tourist crowds behind, recall how the order was founded, talk about its links with Venice and discuss the treasure that, rumour has it, is still being sought.

On the route: the Casino (coincidence or coded signs?), the church of Santa Maddalena, one of the most enigmatic in the city, and the church of San Giovanni del Tempio with its stories, legends and unexpected facts. You can extend the walk to the Basilica of San Pietro di Castello, the former cathedral of Venice, closely linked to the order’s history. If you fancy a pause, we stop at an osteria for cicchetti and a spritz.

Good to know

• Not included: tickets, food and drinks.
• Church visits are paid separately (about €2.50–5).
• Route length: about 2.7 km (up to 4.5 km with the extension).

The tour is led by an English-speaking guide from our team. Extra time: €70 per hour.

We stroll around the island of Murano and watch glass-blowers create beautiful, fragile objects, and learn how and why the world’s best glass has been made here. We visit the stunning cathedral of Santa Maria e Donato, as old as St Mark’s, with its ancient relics and a floor covered in some of the oldest mosaics, and try to decipher their mysterious symbols. We walk the main shopping street, then slip into the non-touristy part of Murano and the church of San Pietro Martire with works by Tintoretto, Giovanni Bellini and Veronese. On the way I will point out traditional trattorias where you can try local dishes.

You can add a visit to San Michele, the cemetery island, to learn its history and why Diaghilev, Stravinsky and Brodsky are buried there (1 extra hour).

Good to know

• Not included: entrance tickets, food and drinks. Glass factory visit €5–10, Santa Maria e Donato €3.50.
• Transport is not included: vaporetto to Murano €9.50 one way, or a 24-hour pass €25 per person.

The tour is led by an English-speaking guide from our team. Extra time: €70 per hour.

A two-hour private boat trip with a guide – an experience for romantics and lovers of unusual travel formats. The starting point is agreed individually; where possible the guide picks you up straight from your hotel. We glide along the Grand Canal with its palaces reflected in the water, then head out into the open lagoon to see Venice from its best angle, slip through quiet canals and pass the historic Jewish Ghetto. If you wish, we stop at San Michele, where Stravinsky, Brodsky and Diaghilev rest.

Choose your boat: a classic white boat, or a varnished-wood VIP boat for a supplement. It is a perfect option for a marriage proposal or an anniversary – on request we can help with flowers, champagne, photo and video.

Good to know

• Included: private boat, skipper, guide, boarding and drop-off (at your hotel where possible).
• Extra time: €70 per hour.
• Meeting point agreed in advance.