Welcome to Venice: Walking Tour, St. Mark's Basilica & Gondola Ride
3 hours
Max 18
Why take this tour?
Highlights
- Explore a real residential neighborhood in Venice, and familiarize yourself with its history and everyday life.
- Immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of St. Mark's Square and step inside to admire its Basilica.
- Enjoy a 30-minute gondola ride through the city's canals.
- Discover Venice's secrets and hidden gems, from former palaces to quirky bookstores, that are authentically Venetian.
- Learn what it's really like to live in the Floating City from a local guide, getting tips on where to eat and how to avoid crowds.
- Sites Visited
- St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco)
- St. Mark's Basilica
- Gondola ride
- Rialto Bridge
- Rialto Fish Market
- Famous local bookstore
- Palazzo Grimani (exterior)
- Tour Includes
- Local English-speaking guide
- Expertly guided walking tour
- Skip-the-line access to St. Mark's Basilica (12€)
- Gondola Ride
- Headset
Take some time to explore Venice from a local's point of view
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Verified Customer reviews
Verified ratings
4.7 /5
based on 1028 Walks’ customer ratingsOverall rating
4.7 /5
1028 reviewsRating summary by category
Latest reviews
Great
Good overview. Guide took us to hidden places.
Tripadvisor customer · Debra · Mar 28, 2026 Excellent
Fantastic knowledge and personal experience. <br /><br />Fully recommend if visiting Venice.
Tripadvisor customer · Alan · Mar 28, 2026 Excellent
A great tour. Very friendly and informative guide.
Tripadvisor customer · nicks2903 · Mar 28, 2026 Excellent
Excellent introduction to the city, with Giorgia as an energetic and extremely knowledgeable guide! Thank you!
Verified · Cecilia · Italy · Female · Mar 23, 2026 Excellent
Alessandro was wonderful. As a long-time resident and history teacher, he was able to tell us what it’s like to live there now and what life was like hundreds of years ago. He pointed out lots of long-time local merchants and restaurants and made great suggestions about what we should visit during the rest of our stay.
Verified · Terry · USA · Male · Mar 22, 2026
Reviews from our guests
Welcome to Venice: Walking Tour, St. Mark's Basilica & Gondola Ride
of Walks customers highly recommend this tour to friends or family Source: Walks Customers' Post-Tour Net Promoter Score Survey
Verified rating
4.7 /5
based on 1028 Walks’ customer ratingsTotal guest reviews
:
1386
guest reviews
Excellent 1084
Great 226
Good 53
Average 18
Poor 5
Latest reviews
Great
Good overview. Guide took us to hidden places.
Tripadvisor customer · Debra · Mar 28, 2026 Excellent
A great tour. Very friendly and informative guide.
Tripadvisor customer · nicks2903 · Mar 28, 2026 Excellent
Fantastic knowledge and personal experience. <br /><br />Fully recommend if visiting Venice.
Tripadvisor customer · Alan · Mar 28, 2026 Excellent
Excellent introduction to the city, with Giorgia as an energetic and extremely knowledgeable guide! Thank you!
Verified · Cecilia · Italy · Female · 35 - 44 years · Mar 23, 2026 Excellent
Alessandro was wonderful. As a long-time resident and history teacher, he was able to tell us what it’s like to live there now and what life was like hundreds of years ago. He pointed out lots of long-time local merchants and restaurants and made great suggestions about what we should visit during the rest of our stay.
Verified · Terry · USA · Male · 65 - 74 years · Mar 22, 2026 Excellent
Roberta was fabulous. Very nice ,sweet, knowledgeable and accommodating . We loved her. No one else booked so it was a private tour.
Viator customer · Brian · Mar 22, 2026 Excellent
Explored Venice with guide Alessandro. He was excellent and gave us a great experience.
Tripadvisor customer · Rosie · Mar 21, 2026 Great
Overall, this tour was a good way to start our time in Venice, especially if it’s your first visit. Alessandro was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and funny, which made the walking tour both informative and enjoyable. He did a great job explaining the city’s history while keeping things light and engaging. The gondola ride at the end was definitely the highlight and a perfect way to wrap up the experience. Access to St. Mark’s Basilica was included in the tour fee, but we never actually went inside, and it wasn’t clear whether we were supposed to do that on our own or if it was skipped altogether—so if you book this tour, be sure to ask about that ahead of time. Aside from that, it’s a solid tour that helps you get oriented and comfortable in Venice.
Viator customer · Paul · Dec 31, 2025 Excellent
Loved the sites but the tour guide was unapproachable with questions from the group. She was un charismatic to your customers. She needs to be reprimanded for her attitude and behavior towards your customers!
GetYourGuide customer · Patricia · Nov 25, 2025 Excellent
With only a short time to spend in Venice this tour was a great way to make sure we made the most of our time. Well organised and very interesting, our tour guide was very knowledgeable, loved the gondola ride at the end too.
Viator customer · Gillian · Oct 24, 2025FAQs
Does this tour always visit the Rialto Market?
The Rialto Market is closed on Mondays. If you take the tour on a Monday we will still visit Rialto but you won't see as much activity around the market.
Is this tour wheelchair accessible?
No. Unfortunately, due to site restrictions we cannot accommodate wheelchairs on this tour. Guests should be prepared for a moderate level of physical activity, including standing for extended periods and climbing stairs, which may not be suitable for travelers with certain health conditions or mobility limitations.
Do I need to bring my passport/ID with me?
Yes! All guests (including children) must bring a government-issued ID/passport on the day of their tour. Failure to bring an ID can result in the security staff refusing your entrance to the monument. The full names of all participants are required at the time of booking and must match the names on their ID/passport. Name changes are not permitted.
What if the weather is bad (rain, snow, hail, etc.) on the day of my tour?
Our tours run rain or shine so please dress for the elements. We also ask you to please remember hats and sunscreen if you are taking this tour in the summer as it might be very hot.
Can I take a gondola ride if I use a wheelchair?
No. Unfortunately, gondolas are not wheelchair accessbile.
Does my guide accompany me on the gondola ride?
No. During your gondola ride you will be alone with maximum 5 other people and your Venetian gondoliere. This experience is much better as quiet time. Just sit back, relax and soak up the beauty of the city's canals.
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