• Private Tour
• Carbon Neutral

Explore the Castello district and dive into the real Venetian life. Stroll through the narrow calli, admire magnificent places and listen to the stories that contributed to mysterious atmosphere of this place.

Destination

Venice, Italy

Category

Off The Beaten Track

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

Italiano, English

Included

• Entrance tickets
• Private guide

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Marzia.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Campo Bandiera e Moro o de la Bragora - Venice to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Meeting Point

   Bandiera and Moro Square

4. Campo de la Bragora

   The recess of the "street of Deaths" and the story about Vivaldi.

5. Sotoportego dei Preti

   The legend of the fisherman who fall in love with a mermaid

6. Campo San Martin

   The magician who joked with the devil

7. Campo de l'Arsenal

   The Arsenal and the Lions

8. Fondamenta de la Tana

   What's Tana? A place dating back 1303.

9. Via Garibaldi

   A very Venetian street

10. Following Tintoretto

    Tintoretto's daughters and the unhappy nun.

11. Campo San Piero

    The Church of San Piero: the real religious center of Venice

12. End of tour

    Get some last local recommendation and start creating your own story in Venice

13. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Eloise

28 December 2024

We had a fantastic time with Marzia. Her insights on Venice, both from a personal and historical standpoints makes the city come to life. We love the peace and quiet of Castillo. I highly recommend spending some time with Marzia to get to know the city more in depth. Enlightning!

Tony🇬🇧 United Kingdom

2 November 2024

Marza was great. A rainy morning but she bought the whole area alive. Definitely recomend it! Highly informative and interesting. Marza is great fun.

Kevin🇺🇸 United States

2 November 2024

Marzia is a wonderful guide. She told us the history of Venice as well as the specifics of the Castello neighborhood. She is funny and charming and we really enjoyed ourselves.Tour of Castello

jeremy

4 July 2024

Marzia is a delight. A wonderful storyteller and guide, possessed with an infectious passion for her home city and a zest for life. We learned more about Venice and Venetians from her than probably the rest of our journeys combined. A Venice highlight

tim🇮🇪 Ireland

3 February 2024

The tour started with a hug and then a present for my wife (it was her birthday after all) - the next few hours were filled with stories of old and new, family history and anecdotes and hidden gems on the day to day activities, buildings and environs of the Venetians. Simply engaging, friendly and informative - what more could you want - so thank you Marzia from both me and my wife.Venice with the brilliant Marzia

Pam🇺🇸 United States

13 January 2024

At the end of October 2023 we took this tour with Marzia on a rainy day in Venice. This is a fantastic walk through a part of Venice I believe few travelers to Venice have the opportunity to explore. This is Venice beyond the traditional highlights of the oft-overcrowded St. Mark’s Square. The architecture and history of Castello is fascinating and Marzia is an engaging and knowledgeable guide. With Locals allows for small, private group tours and Marzia was open to how we needed to pace ourselves or what we wanted to stop and see. She has a great tour planned and along the way we saw some things that piqued our interest - just a door or a building here or there - we’d stop and Marzia would share her insights with us. She was also very open to sharing her experience with us of being a native Venetian and growing up in an area so many people want to visit. I absolutely recommend this tour with Marzia. We all loved it, and loved the restaurant she recommended as we ended our tour. I feel like I’ve finally really been to Venice now! Many thanks to Marzia for a great afternoon. This is Venice!

Pam

22 November 2023

Cordula🇩🇪 Germany

27 October 2023

Auf unserer Venedig Reise wollten wir eine Erfahrung jenseits der Touristenströme machen. Das Castello in dem wir auch während unseres Aufenthaltes wohnten hat Marzia für uns zum Leben erweckt. Spannende Geschichten durch viele Epochen die so in keinem Reiseführer zu finden sind. Zu Leben erweckt durch Marzia‘s kurzweilige und amüsante Art. Vielen Dank dafür! Und beim nächsten Venedig Besuch auf jeden Fall wieder!Spannende Reise durch das Castello

John

9 August 2023

We were so lucky to have Marzia as a tour guide for our family of four. Wonderful stories, insights and knowledge. Charming and informed, Marzia is a great local guide - and kept us all (including both teenagers!) engaged as we walked around the Castello neighbourhood. Best walking tour in Venice

Christopher and Carmel🇦🇺 Australia

31 May 2023

Marzia is a treasure. It was so lovely to spend time with her. Marzia is so knowledgeable regarding Venice’s origins, history, and present. She shares personal stories of her friends/families experiences that illuminate the real Venice of the actual inhabitants. Very importantly, Marzia shared much advice with us on making our trip more enjoyable, such as places to shop and eat and more. Most of all, the time spent with Marzia was effortless and enjoyable. She is a very smart, funny, warm and genuine lady. You should go and spend time learning with Maria. She is the real Venice! 💛Amazing Tour

Sue Ann🇺🇸 United States

19 October 2022

We cannot say enough about our Castello walking tour with Marzia. She showed us parts of the city that we never would have found on our own - explaining local customs, history, and legends. She exudes knowledge and passion for her city, and we hope to come back and see her again. Real Venice with Marzia

Clare🇬🇧 United Kingdom

2 October 2022

Marzia was a fantastic guide. She was full of knowledge, historical and present, about Venice, as well as full of charm and wit. A great way to learn about a part of Venice (in this case the Castelllo area) all thanks to Marzia. Superb Walking Tour

Carolyn🇩🇪 Germany

27 June 2022

We had such a great tour in Castello with Marzia. She loves her town and she knews a lot of interesting stories about it. We were walking, talking, asking and Marzia had for all an answer. It was also like walking with a friend. We are very thanksful having this tour with Marzia, it was extraordinary and we stay in our memories. When comming back to Venice we will make an other tour with Marzia. Thank you Marzia. Carolyn and Dieter from germanyMarzia our perfect local Guide

Bryan🇺🇸 United States

18 June 2022

We had an absolutely amazing time learning more about smaller pieces of Venetian history and local stories. Marzia was the best!Wonderful!

Paula🇺🇸 United States

20 May 2022

If you have any interest in learning about the history of Venice, and things you won’t find in any tourist books, this tour is for you. Marzia brought the past to life for us! She has a depth of knowledge and such a passion for the city that there is no way you won’t get caught up in the stories she shares. We absolutely love exploring and learning about places that we visit, and this experience was amazing. Marzia showed us historical Venice with style and enthusiasm. This tour was definitely a highlight of our trip, and Marzia takes time at the end to help with any questions you can think of. Strongly recommended!Marzia is the BEST!

Kitty🇺🇸 United States

17 April 2022

We enjoyed every minute of being with Marzia and we learned so much about the beautiful, fascinating Castello neighborhood. Marzia was friendly, engaging, and made us feel so welcome in lovely Venice. We highly recommend her for any tour of Venice!Absolutely wonderful!

Lucy🇬🇧 United Kingdom

20 November 2021

Mazia was an incredibly knowledgeable tour guide, she gave us a connection and insight to Venice we would never have got from a book. Her English was fluent, and she listened to our questions, and was able to answer every question we asked. Normally I rush around paying little attention to the details, but Mazia brought those details to life, and took us back in history through layers of fact and legend, and as a Venetian, she had lots of information about the inside scoop of current Venetian life. At the end, I felt like my brain had been nourished and rejuvenated, and I subsequently enjoyed our stay in Venice all the more with the insights I'd gained. Would highly recommend.The highlight of our Venetian trip

Unknown

18 November 2021

Marzia is very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about her city. There was not a single question that Marzia couldn't answer (and we tried :) ) about the city's history, people, legends and geophysics. She added an invaluable depth to our visit of Venice and made me want to learn more. It was a real pleasure!Marzia, the living Venetian encyclopedia

Andrea🇺🇸 United States

12 August 2021

Our tour with Mariza was special. She is a wonderful storyteller. We learned many many new things about Venice even though we’ve been there several times in the past. This was a special experience. Great Storyteller

Alex🇩🇪 Germany

6 August 2021

When you visit Venice, you're usually overwhelmed by the sheer number of people you see. Vast crowds pouring through the beautiful venetian alleys to reach the impressive Piazza San Marco or the Rialto Bridge often give you the feeling of missing out on the romantic charme of the city and not fully experiencing the authentic Venezia. During our stay, we thankfully had the opportunity to visit a lesser frequented area of Venice and learn about the history of Castello, about politics and the everyday life of the Venetians. This thankfulness is addressed to Marzia who gave us a private tour through her magnificent hometown. She's a walking history book; and not the boring kind we all remember from school, but passionate and entertaining with just the right kind of humor. From Vivaldi's church of baptism, to the Calle della Morte, the Arsenale and San Pietro di Castello, Marzia gave us many insights from a local point of view, providing us with legends, myths and origins of Venice and its residents. After the tour, we definitely had the feeling of having experienced a more authentic Venice. Marzia is open-minded and answers all questions patiently and we had fantastic time with her. So don't even think twice about booking a tour with her, you won't regret it! Venice - A Different Perspective

Dale🇬🇧 United Kingdom

1 October 2020

Been to Venice several times, so decided upon a tour of a district of the city where we could get into the weeds of stories and history. Marzia was fantastic with this, with great insight and a wonderful friendly manner that made you feel like friends immediately. Fun and relaxed tour

Lynn🇬🇧 United Kingdom

27 January 2020

Marzia was a brilliant guide, very friendly and knowledgable with everything we wanted to know. Not sticking to the usual tourist parts was a great highlight to our trip and seeing the part of the city where the locals live. Her stories were fun an interesting and I’d recommend this to anyone visiting the area. Thank you Marzia!An excellent tour

Jim🇺🇸 United States

31 October 2019

I had a wonderful and informative tour through Castillo with Marzia. She was outstanding! So helpful and so knowledgeable. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide to explore an area of Venice a little off the beaten track.With Marzia in Castillo

Helda🇬🇧 United Kingdom

2 September 2019

We (a group of 4) had a great time with Marzia. She's a walking encyclopedia of knowledge, we could have listened to her all day! We are so happy Marzia showed us a side of Venice we'd have never seen if we'd stuck to the very well trodden path set out in all the travel books. We'd happily book her again! Great tour

Steve🇬🇧 United Kingdom

28 May 2019

Marzia was a lovely host for our tour of Venice. We asked for this tour to see the quieter area but still get a feel for Venice as a whole. Marzia treated us like old friends. It was very relaxed and enjoyable. We loved seeing the original St Marks church which was beautiful. This tour was the perfect start to our time in Venice. Marzia gave us expert advice on where to go, which helped with our planning. Thank You MarziaAmazing experience

Peter🇬🇧 United Kingdom

8 April 2019

My wife & I have been around the Castello area on previous trips but so much did we miss before walking it with Marzia. It was a great experience to see this part of Venice through her eyes, those of a Venetian. Interesting stories of days past & present delivered with passion in her eyes & a host of humorous tales as well. We certainly learnt a lot but it was as if we were walking with a friend & as travelers not tourists. I'd highly recommend a tour with Marzia & when we go back I'm sure we'll book another walk with her. We look forward to meeting her again.Wonderful morning with Marzia

Stephen🇬🇧 United Kingdom

25 March 2019

These two walks with Marzia were a definite highlight of my recent trip to Venice. Marzia was just so friendly and professional. I was nervous as these walks were my first Withlocals tours. As soon a I met Marzia with her friendly and welcoming smile I was immediately reassured. Marzia really knew Venice and was able to show me places in The city that I would never have seen. She could point out those details that I would just have missed. Marzia was able to answer all my silly questions about life in Venice. I really did not feel like a tourist during my tours with Marzia. I would wholeheartedly recommend Marzia and her tours of Venice. Her love of the city shines through. Two Wonderful Walks with Marzia

Paul🇮🇪 Ireland

19 March 2019

This was out 1st time to Venice so we wanted to find a tour that took us a way from the standard tourist centred stuff that everyone does so we opted for a tour that could give us a glimpse of this and wow what a couple of hours we had. Marzia took us through the streets of Castello, imparting the history and the legends in a way that made our two hours whizz by. We found some hidden gems and got to see elements that had we gone on a large tour we would never have got the chance. We were also given some tips of what else to do and a restaurant recommendation that was simply outstanding. A great tour from a great lady and for sure when I come back to Venice will be looking to see if we can learn some more.A must when in Venice

Edward🇺🇸 United States

14 February 2025

These are just a few of the words to describe our experience with Marzia. If you want to understand the world of the Venetians, the heritage, the culture, the art, Marzia is the perfect choice. Warm, Engrossing, Extremely knowledgeable

Luca

6 February 2025

Patrick

27 January 2025

We spent a wonderful Sunday morning strolling around Dorsoduro with Marzia. She met us off the boat, bought us coffee and then we walked around in the peace and quiet learning about the area and Venice itself. There were some history lessons, cautionary tales, insights about Venice today and lots of smiles. Marzia was charming and if I lived in Venice, we’d go for walks all the time - so you should definitely go for a walk with Marzia too if you have the opportunity!A lovely, charismatic Sunday stroll

Peter

30 December 2024

Dear Marzia Thank you very much for the wonderful morning walk through your venice. In addition to the places we would never have discovered without you, it was your stories and our stimulating conversations that inspired us. If you want to see Venice in a completely different way, we can only recommend the tour with you.Wonderful tour away from the crowds

Matthew🇺🇸 United States

11 November 2024

Words cannot describe what an inspiring, amazing day our family had with Marzia visiting Mazzorbo, Burano and Murano. From the very beginning, Marzia was so engaging (perfect English) by sharing her experiences as a lifelong Venetian…with information about history, art, architecture, culture, key religious and political figures, and stories of these magical spots outside the main tourist areas of Venice. We stepped back in time to Venice’s earliest developments and made connections to current day. She was so gracious with wonderful humor as we explored these 3 islands with churches, homes, merchants (e.g., Burano lace and Murano glass) and food. Thank you Marzia….we cannot wait to return to Venice!Inspiring Burano, Murano & Mazzorbo Day

Janet🇺🇸 United States

16 September 2024

Touring with Marzia was like visiting with a friend! We were a group of four adults & we all enjoyed her historical tour of the Dosoduro neighborhood. Marzia's knowledge of Venice, her friendly delivery & humor provided a positive, fun morning of strolling & storytelling.

Julian

13 September 2024

Marzia is an excellent guide and travelling companion, full of passion for the history and the people of Venice. She is open to all your questions and gives you a personal and powerful portrait of her city and its culture. Highly recommended Intriguing, informative and fun

Amalita🇨🇦 Canada

9 September 2024

We booked a tour with Marzia ( WithLocals) when we arrived in Venice on the first leg of our Italian vacation . We had been travelling for 24 hrs and had not been able to sleep on the plane. I was really concerned that we would not have any energy for our tour but did not want to miss a moment of our short time in Venice. With Marzia we did not have to worry, her love of Venice coupled with her incredible knowledge was contagious and we were instantly revitalized! We wish we could have spent more time with her. It was raining at times heavily and we barely noticed. Thank you Marzia for kicking our trip off to a great start!Highly recommend

Chad🇺🇸 United States

8 September 2024

Marza, our new friend, was amazing. She was such a delight to spend the day with. Incredibly knowledgeable and always had wonderful stories to tell. Since she grew up in Venice, it felt like we truly got an insider’s perspective to see some really off the beaten path treasures of this amazing city. We honestly do not have enough nice things to say about our time with Marza. It was just absolutely perfect!!Wonderful day in Murano and Venice

Anthony🇬🇧 United Kingdom

3 September 2024

Marzia was unbelievably brilliant. Although we arrived in Venice during peak season, my wife and I decided we would like to have a tour of one of the quieter areas before we attacked the extremely busy main attractions. As our hotel was on her route to the meeting point, Marzia very kindly picked us up from our hotel, which was so amazing. Our first sojourn into Venice was with an experience Venetian. She shared with us both her knowledge and friendly personality, her guided tour through Dorsoduro District was leisurely, informative and thoroughly enjoyable. Marzia was our wonderful guide and made our first experience of Venice truly magical. Thank you, Marzia.Marzia - Our wonderful guide.

Khloe🇺🇸 United States

27 August 2024

Marzia’s depth of knowledge is impressive. She knows the story of Venice from multiple perspectives - going back to ancient times, recent history of Dorsoduro and its place in cultural events, the role of women in sculpting Venice’s progressive values, LGBTQ and Carnevale and more. Anyone who wants a more enlightened and elevated experience of Venice should book a tour with Marzia.Great storyteller and historian

Heike🇩🇰 Denmark

31 July 2024

Marzia was the best guide ever! Her knowledge about Venice and her charming personality was an absolute joy. Thank you so much for the restaurant recommandations 🤩 If you get to do a tour with Marzia, you are in for the best experience!Amazing!

Catherine

4 June 2024

We were lucky enough to have Marzia for our off the beaten track walk of the Durosduro area of Venice. We started off as strangers but very quickly became friends due to Marzia’s warm and engaging personality. It was raining when we met and she offered to take us for a coffee (which we declined but it was a lovely thing to suggest) and got underway. The tour took us to places we would not have found or seen on our own. Marzia has a palpable passion for her city, and its history and culture, and we felt very fortunate to hear stories personal and historical as we walked. The pace was perfect, the information interesting and the whole experience a delight! We left with a wealth of information and a list of restaurants and cafes too. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Marzia for any tour, thank you so much for showing us your city. Marzia, experience like no other

Diane🇺🇸 United States

20 May 2024

My daughter and I had a great tour with Marzia. She took us to areas of Venice where there were few other tourists, which we appreciated. She had great stories and a great store of knowledge about Venice. I would highly recommend her!An excellent tour with Marzia

Helen🇺🇸 United States

10 May 2024

Marzia is the perfect guide for a trip to Murano and Burano. She is knowledgeable, personable, and well connected to all the locals. She went out of her way to customize our day and it was the best experience of our 2 week vacation. Definitely 10 out of 10!Best guide ever!

Jeff🇺🇸 United States

6 May 2024

We corresponded with Marzia prior to our visit to Murano and Burano, so she could customize our trip to our interests. She did so wonderfully. She obviously was a ”local” because random people kept coming up to say “hi” to her. She took us to a lace making store in Burano and an off the beaten track glass factory in Murano and we were given the royal treatment in each; so much so that we felt somewhat obligated to spend more than we would have otherwise. To be fare, both places made it clear, up front, that there was no requirement to buy anything. But after being treated so well, it’s hard to say “no”. Our bad.Marzia was GREAT,

David🇺🇸 United States

1 May 2024

If Mariza is available book her! She is one of the kindest and warmest guides I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. From the moment you meet she is engaging, passionate, and supportive of making your experience personal. We had a great time with her and her dinner recommendation was lovely end to our day. Wonderful experience

Sandy🇺🇸 United States

28 April 2024

Marzia feels like a friend as you meander the back streets of Venice and hear facts and stories that only a real local could tell. She is professional, kind, and very knowledgeable. Thanks for an exceptional outing! Marzia-native Venetian-excellent guide

Ajit🇶🇦 Qatar

19 April 2024

Communicating with Marzia was super efficient starting with giving us clear instructions of how to identify here at the busy Venice train station which were promptly able to do. From there on we were regaled with the history of glass making at Venice (Murrano). We visited the BF SIgnoretti glass factory and it was an amazing experience to see the glass masters at work. We were a bit behind schedule to catch our train and Marzia was able to get us a ride back into the city and even accompanied us up to the platform to ensure we did not miss our train. I would highly recommend Marzia

Bill🇺🇸 United States

20 November 2023

I will come back on my computer and write more but as a born Venician and a person who has worked in a glassmakers factory for a number of years Marzia is perfect for a guide to Murano glass making and I’m sure any tour of Venice. Choosing her as a guide was a great choice. Perfect guide for Murano and more

Richard🇬🇧 United Kingdom

14 November 2023

We met marzia at the agreed meeting point after a pleasant stroll to find it, and after introductions and explaining my limitations in the walking field we set off. Marzia was a fount of information and at the same time she was a lovely affable person. When i needed to have a rest she bought us coffee despite our insistance that we should buy her a drink. By the end of our walk we even had a better understanding of venitians and the city's history and at the end she even gave us tickets to the ferry to st marks square. All in all you can't ask for more a pleasant stroll with a lovely and knowledgeable guide and personDos with marzia

Kenneth 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

29 October 2023

On behalf of my three daughters thank you Marzia for an informative and entertaining tour, the girls came back bubbling with stories and facts.Undiscovered Venice