• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Join a local storyteller on a captivating walking tour filled with myths, legends, and mysterious tales that go beyond the history books. From shadowy alleys to centuries-old secrets, experience Venice through its most intriguing stories and discover the secrets woven into the fabric of the city.

Destination

Venice, Italy

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

العربية, English, Italiano, Español, Deutsch, Français

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to Attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 10 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

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 the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at At the main entrance of the church - 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. Myths, Legends & Mysterious Tales

   Your history tour in Venice will focus on the hidden history of the city: Myths, Legends & Mysterious Tales. Discover the city as you retrace history and go in-depth on the effects this part of history has on Venice

4. Historical Highlights

   Check out main landmarks related to the theme of your tour and connect their relevance through fantastic stories and facts from your expert local host

5. Hidden Treasures

   During your tour, you’ll also uncover hidden gems that will show you a different perspective of history as you know it, something you can’t easily find in a history book!

6. Storytelling Journey

   As you discover the historical side of Venice, you’ll be able to go back in time thanks to the amazing stories and storytelling skills of your local host. Feel free to ask any questions and feel as if you are relieving history in the present time

7. 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.

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

Linda🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Federica)

9 September 2025

Thank you Federica for a fun and informative tour. 4 Canadians with no knowledge of Venice were impressed with your knowledge. Federica is so knowledgeable!!

Jennifer 🇨🇦 Canada

(About local rocco)

5 September 2025

Rocco was a wonderful guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and informative in an interesting way. He was kind, funny and a pleasure to spend time with. Would highly recommend Roco for a tour of Basilica St Marc and the Doge Palace. Rocco was terrific

Daniela🇦🇷 Argentina

(About local Elena )

4 September 2025

Me and my 9 years old daughter had the best evening walking around Venice with Elena. She is an incredible storyteller and we were both super engaged during the two hour. And it was like spending time with a friend! Thank you Elena!!!Amazing!!!

Lara🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

(About local Elena )

4 September 2025

Elena is a super sweet and interesting person who not only personalizes your tour but also is knowledgeable about so many different topics. She weaves them into your tour so you get to know so much about the culture and history but also personal experiences and anecdotes by a local. Our tour was one of the highlights of our stay and we will book her again when we return!Best guide we could ask for

Jill🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elena )

2 September 2025

Elena was knowledgeable, kind and warm and went above and beyond during our tour. She was super well-informed, authentic and clear. A real great find! Great Tour Guide!

Carey🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elena )

30 August 2025

I can honestly say Elena changed our entire vacation for the better! We LOVED our morning with her and all learned so much. She was fantastic with my sons (9 and 11) and made the time fun and informative, a little mystery they had to solve. It was so great hearing her experiences as a local Venetian, too. Worth the money 10x over, such a treat. She answers all of our questions and it was great for me to take a break from the planning and ring leading. Giving 10 stars only because I can't give 20. THE BEST

Shannon🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Elena )

29 August 2025

Our family of four enjoyed our tour with Elena, who was friendly, generous and knowledgeable. She took us to 3 spots that you could tell where of very high quality food with an extremely local vibe. The food, drink and experience was excellent. Highly recommend. High quality local guide experience

Emma🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Elena )

21 August 2025

Once again Elena was an amazing host and treated my husband and I to a fantastic night of Cichetti and drinks. Her love of Venice is unparalleled and her company is superb. Our time with her is now a sacred memory and we would highly recommend her to anyone seeking a truly Venetian trip down history lane. 20 out of 10 for Elena!!

Emma🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Elena )

20 August 2025

Elena is a true historian of this most magical city and clearly loves what she does! The legends and myths of this city were bought to life and each of our family (including our 8 & 11 year olds) took a favourite fact home! A really personal experience and one we'd highly recommend What an amazing adventure!

Richard

(About local Valerio)

18 August 2025

Valerio was a terrific guide who customized the experience for our small group and allowed us to see a great deal of Venice. In my view, absent a guide you will wander and not fully appreciate what you are seeing. Valerio was not only knowledgeable but managed to give us context and make all the arrangements necessary to see all of the important sites. He then gave us time on our own to explore but again providing the us the guidance as to how to get around and what to do and see. He was enormously helpful in arranging for great restaurants and ensuring we had great experiences there and the food at all of the establishments was excellent. I would highly advise using Valerio as he greatly enhanced our total experience both through his knowledge and making the arrangements to see a great deal of Venice and the islands of Murano and Burano. He also guide us to places to shop that were reputable. Venice is a marvelous city but crowded and absent someone to guide, would be, in my opinion, overwhelming. Valerio truly enhanced our entire experience and our entire little group was very appreciative of his knowledge and providing us an unforgettable experience. Outstanding experience

Christine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Genny)

18 August 2025

Genny was a great guide. She did an amazing job of just not showing the known points of interest but also those off the beaten path while at the same time providing the history that led to the wonderful creation of Venice! Would highly recommend! Great Experience with Great Guide!

Eugen🇷🇴 Romania

(About local Genny)

14 August 2025

Genny was absolutely fantastic.Not only she knows everything about the place but she made the entire experience incredibly fun.Highly recommend!

Tiffany🇺🇸 United States

(About local Genny)

14 August 2025

Genny was an amazing tour guide! We did a walking food tour with her - her knowledge of the area was excellent and the food choices superb. It was a wonderful way for our family of four to learn about local Venetian culture and history. We tasted authentic Venetian food that we never would have sampled otherwise. It was the perfect way to kick off our time here in Venice. Genny was warm, interesting, funny and knowledgeable. Wouldn’t change a thing!Genny is the Best!!

Julie

(About local Elena )

14 August 2025

Had a lovely morning with Elena walking around Venice, she had so much information, tips and stories. Would highly recommend and will book her again the next time we visit!Family trip around Venice

Henry

(About local Valerio)

13 August 2025

We met Valerio at the Murano Faro lighthouse with three other friendly participants. He began by providing an engaging historical overview before guiding us to an exclusive display of glass art and impressive chandeliers, showcasing the potential beyond vases and cups. Highlights included visiting a the Wave glas factory to watch authentic production (not a staged demo), followed by a lovely lampworking demo + workshop with Monica that contrasted nicely with our own technique background. Valerio also arranged a stop at the Effetre Murano factory we really wanted to see since we used to source our lamp working rods there and was super helpful with logistics before the trip and tips afterward. An awesome, memorable experience—highly recommended.Fantastic tour for glass lovers!

Bettina

(About local Roberto)

13 August 2025

Wir hatten eine sehr gute Zeit mit Roberto, hingen an seinen Lippen, wenn er uns vom alten Cannaregio erzählte. Und auch die Geschichte Venedigs und die dadurch entstandenen Veränderungen konnte er interessant vermitteln. Nicht zu vergessen sind die Einkehrmöglichkeiten, wo wir Venedig kulinarisch kennenlernten. Die Cicchetti und die dazu passenden Getränke, insbesondere der Spritz Select, gefielen uns sehr. Wir können Roberto sehr empfehlen. Bettina & Wolfgang aus HamburgRoberto ist ein Super-Guide

Katie, Bill and Lexie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Genny)

9 August 2025

Genny is a wonderful tour guide! We felt like we were with a family member. She was great and including our 8 year old - glass blowing was a hit. It was hot but she made it fun and had so many helpful recommendations- plus she was flexible with time! She is awesome! Perfect - like family

Antonio🇺🇸 United States

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

7 August 2025

Lucia was the most gracious, cheerful, knowledgeable guide tour ever!!!… You could not ask for a better one, more that a guide she treats you like an old cherished friend, always available and attentive of your needs, even before arriving to Venice and during yoir whole stay, she is always there for you, recommending places, making sure you find your way around and most importantly, that you enjoy Venice and learn about its amazing history at the same time… my whole family agreed that Lucia’s tour was the highlight of our trip to Venice, so, if you see her available do not hesitate… she is simply amazing!!!… Thank you so much Lucia!!!Simply Amazing!!!

Laurent🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Mina)

29 July 2025

He did a wonderful job. It was perfect Just perfect

Jay & Juliet

(About local Adair)

27 July 2025

Excellent tour with Adair, we went to Murano and Burano, saw how the famous Murano glass is made, stopped for a lovely lunch in Burano whilst walking round the island. Adair is extremely knowledgeable and shows us various other islands as we went on the boats for the tour. Highly recommended Island Tour with Adair

Karl🇺🇸 United States

(About local Federica)

25 July 2025

Federica was fantastic, we were a family of 4 and she made the tour super interesting for my kids. Would highly recommend! Superb!

Sue🇺🇸 United States

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

23 July 2025

Lucia was a fantastic guide to Cannaregio and the Jewish ghetto. She clearly loves her city and she is extremely knowledgeable. We felt like we were visiting the neighborhood of a friend, getting to meet the people who live and work in the neighborhood and experience a completely different—and quieter!—side of Venice. We learned a lot. Lucia even helped us discover the perfect gift to bring home to our daughter. We will come back to Venice, and we will book with her again. Grazie mille, Lucia! A dopo!Wonderful afternoon in Cannaregio!

Charri

(About local Mina)

20 July 2025

Mina’s knowledge, friendliness and ability to tailor a tour to his group”s knowledge, age and capacities was much appreciated by our group. He is the best tour guide we have ever had in 30 years of travel 😊 we highly highly recommend Mina as a guide to Venice. Amazing experience

David🇺🇸 United States

(About local Adair)

15 July 2025

We spent our first full day in Venice with Adair, and it was the perfect introduction to the city. She helped us get oriented, showing us both the must-see highlights and hidden local spots off the beaten path. Adair was warm, engaging, and made a real effort to include everyone in the conversation — from our 13-year-old daughter to our mother-in-law. She thoughtfully customized the tour to avoid bridges as much as possible, which was incredibly helpful since we had a wheelchair with us. (Yes, Venice is manageable with a wheelchair — especially if the person can handle steps and someone is available to carry the chair over bridges.) We couldn’t have asked for a better guide to start our time in Venice.Introduction to Venice

James🇱🇺 Luxembourg

(About local Mina)

13 July 2025

After being transferred to 3 different guides and them trying to negotiate a different time to what we requested, we were finally allocated Mina as our guide. And he did not disappoint!! He was incredibly knowledgeable, took us to all the popular tourist points but also took us down roads that were more local with less people. We tried some local food and he showed us where they sell the best Aperol! Thank you so much, Mina, for bringing Venice to life for me and my family!!

katy🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Adair)

12 July 2025

Adair is a very nice guide👌🏻 she takes the quiet roads and bridges. Finds the perfect spots to take nice pictures. Being an American who lives in Italy for 15 years she brings the best of both worlds! Hidden gems Venice

Stacie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valentina)

12 July 2025

Valentina was very nice and personable. She had a mini-scavenger hunt for the kids as well. She was very knowledgeable about specific sites but I left the tour wishing I understood a little more about how all the sites we saw fit together to make up the story of Venice. Good Tour

Amanda🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Valentina)

8 July 2025

Valentina was a fantastic tour guide. Spending time with her orientating ourselves in the city was a great experience. We learnt so much. Thanks Valentina. Great tour guide

Krystal🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valerio)

7 July 2025

We had a fantastic off-the-beaten-path tour of Venice with Valerio, guiding our mixed group that included kids and grandparents. He was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging, tailoring the experience to our pace and interests. Valerio kept the kids curious and entertained, answered all our questions with enthusiasm, and was more than happy to make extra stops when we needed. His patience, warmth, and sense of fun made the tour a highlight of our trip. Highly recommend!Great, family-friendly guide

david🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Roberto)

6 July 2025

1

Randy and Jen🇺🇸 United States

(About local rocco)

3 July 2025

Rocco, was right on time for a very hot afternoon. Kept us in shade and told us amazing stories about popular and hidden spots in Venice. It was like having an afternoon with a professional historian, would highly recommend to everyone!Wonderul Hidden Gens Tour!

kristen.hartman

(About local Elena )

3 July 2025

We had an absolutely fantastic experience on our tour with Elena. We wanted to better understand the history of this beautiful city. She was incredibly knowledgeable about everything past and present. She has lived in Venice her entire life so is able to share so much more from her personal experiences than you might learn on audio or group tours. Elena is warm and engaging. A real highlight of our time in this magical city. Thank you Elena!Fantastic Experience

Fran🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Elena )

2 July 2025

We had a fabulous morning with Elena. Saw the real Venice and learnt so much. Thank you!Passionate about her home..Venice

Christiane🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Roberto)

29 June 2025

1

Ich hatte Roberto bereits zum zweiten Mal als Guide durch Dorsoduro gebucht - für Roberto kein Problem: Er hat für mich die Tour sehr abwechslungsreich mit einer Mischung aus bereits bekannten "Pfaden" und neuen Wegen gestaltet, an Details der ersten Tour angeknüpft, angereichert und ergänzt durch weitere sehr interessante Blickwinkel. Da ich regelmäßig in Venedig bin, interessiere ich mich auch für die Veränderungen, die in der Stadt passieren. Auch hier ist Roberto wirklich gut informiert und teilt dieses Wissen sehr gerne. Sehr empfehlenswert!

Dean🇺🇸 United States

(About local Genny)

27 June 2025

Genny is wonderful, very educational and kept our 14 and 16 year old interested .. she is the sweetest and just a Great tour guide!! Highly recommend!! Fun and Educational

Beate

(About local Roberto)

27 June 2025

1

Unsere Tour mit Roberto war ein absolutes Highlight unseres Aufenthaltes in Venedig.Schon von Beginn hat man gemerkt, mit wie viel Leidenschaft und Wissen er durch "seine" Stadt führt. Roberto spricht fließend deutsch und konnte jede Frage schnell beantworten. Er hat uns versteckte Ecken gezeigt, die man in keinem Reiseführer findet. Man merkt, daß er Venedig liebt. Vielen Dank Roberto, für diesen wunderbaren Einblick in die Seele der Stadt. Wir würden jederzeit wieder eine Tour mit dir machen. Absolute Empfehlung !!! Beate und HerbertUnvergessliche Tour mit Roberto

Orla

(About local Elena )

26 June 2025

Our family of 5 (3 teenagers) had the pleasure of Elena's company for a couple of hours on our first day in Venice. She was such a great guide with a wealth of knowledge about Venice, it's history and the people. She told us lots of great stories that captured the kids attention. She was smart to limit the walking as it was the end of a long, hot day so we were all pretty tired. But we still got to see an area of Venice we would have never explored. Being from Venice, Elena has great insight into local life. For example, her family owns a gondola & she is teaching her own kids to operate it. If I ever get back to Venice I would love to take another tour with Elena - she should be first on your list of people to call too! Thank you so much for making out trip extra special!You want Elena to be your Venice guide

Olga🇺🇸 United States

(About local Federica)

23 June 2025

Federica gave our family an unforgettable scavenger-style tour of Venice! She was fantastic with our two kids—engaging and patient. Her creative approach made the city’s rich history come alive in a way that was both fun and educational. One of our kids was not excited to be in Venice until our tour with Federica. But we all walked away with big smiles, curious minds, and a newfound love for Venice, all thanks to her!

Erica

(About local rocco)

22 June 2025

Rocco was a great guide showing us the hidden areas of San Marco area of Venice. He was super flexible when we ran into some travel delays. Highly recommend!Knowledgeable and Accommodating Guide

Chuck🇺🇸 United States

(About local Genny)

22 June 2025

When we had a mixup with our originally scheduled guide, Genny stepped in for us at the last minute, and we are so glad she did! Sure, this isn't the cheapest way to see Venice, but our time was limited and we thought it was very worthwhile to have such a lovely personalized tour of just the parts of Venice we were most interested in, rather than waste a lot of precious time trying to figure it out on our own. Thank you, Genny!Excellent, personalized local flavor

Nicole🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local rocco)

21 June 2025

Great skip the line tour seeing and listening to Venetian history in a fun way. So much history

david🇩🇪 Germany

(About local rocco)

19 June 2025

Rocco's tour of St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace in Venice was very informative and enjoyable. His explanations of the artwork, architecture, and room functions of both the church and the palace were highly contextualized from the perspective of the Doges of Venice, which helped us to imagine life during the times of the Doges. We appreciated how he navigated our small group through the palace amongst larger tour groups—we always felt like we were getting a personal tour and not lost in a crowd. The Doges' Perspective

Barbara

(About local Mina)

18 June 2025

Mina was a very informative guide for the ducal palace and the basilica. I learned so much more than I expected and learned some wonderful stories about St. Peter and St. Marc. My background is art and architectural history so Mina was the perfect person to lead us through the 2 sites. Great morning with a fun and really interesting person.Wonderful morning

Mike🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local rocco)

16 June 2025

A Cool Tour For Both Kids & Adults

Valerie

(About local rocco)

15 June 2025

If you want to see Venice through the eyes of someone who truly understands its soul, book a tour with Rocco. His expertise, warmth, and enthusiasm make this iconic city even more magical. His insights into the political intrigue and the city’s legal system added a whole new dimension to the experience. Rocco’s expert storytelling made the glittering mosaics and intricate altars even more impressive. He shared fascinating details about the religious motifs and the basilica’s unique architectural blend of Gothic and Byzantine styles, ensuring we appreciated every detail. Five stars without hesitation! Definitely a trip highlight for us!Unforgettable and just perfect!

Carlotta🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Genny)

14 June 2025

We had a fantastic experience with Genny in Venice! She was incredibly knowledgeable and flexible, helped us skip the lines, and made the entire tour engaging and fun. What really stood out was how kind and thoughtful she was with our daughter—she made the history come alive and truly tailored the experience for her. Highly recommended, especially for families!Wonderful family tour with Genny

Jennifer L🇺🇸 United States

(About local Federico)

14 June 2025

Federico provided my 19 year old daughter and I with an outstanding personalized tour of the Basilica and Palace. He shared the history and stories associated with this two locations to make the tour enjoyable, educational, and memorable. I highly recommend private tours with Federico. It’s saves you precious vacation time and makes the Basilica and Doge’s Palace approachable and understandable without feeling overwhelmed. Jennifer L. K. (United States)Dont miss this tour with Federico!

Barbara

(About local Genny)

13 June 2025

Our group of five toured Venice with Genny. She was amazing! She took us through so many places that we would never have found and made the experience come alive with her knowledge of each area. We did not just have a guide for the day, we made a friend. The best guide ever!

Andrew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valentina)

12 June 2025

Vera🇸🇰 Slovakia

(About local rocco)

11 June 2025

It was a great pleasure to have tour with Rocco! Very interesting, oriented and flexible guide!