• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Think you know Venice? Think again. Follow your local host through quiet alleys and secret corners for 2 hours of jaw-dropping stories, weird facts, and breathtaking spots far from the crowds. Venice just got mysterious!

Destination

Venice, Italy

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Italiano, العربية, Deutsch, Español

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to Attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 3 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 Well (Pozzo) Santa Maria Formosa - 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. Start at a Campo Santa Maria Formosa

   Meet your local host at this local square, the perfect spot to start your offbeat Venice adventure

4. Wander off the Beaten Path

   Follow your guide through narrow alleys and sleepy canals, discovering mysterious corners and beautiful spots only locals know about

5. Hear the Untold Stories

   From scandalous love affairs to strange rituals and hidden symbols, your host will spill the secrets behind Venice’s walls

6. See Venice Like a Local

   Skip the tourist-packed sites and explore the authentic charm of Venice’s lesser-known streets, campos, and bridges

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sarah

(About local Giacomo)

19 June 2025

Giacomo is very knowledgeable about Venice and we enjoyed speaking with him. We visited two restaurants (one a Gelateria) and had great food/wine/gelato. He took it slow (we had just arrived and were tired), adjusting to what we needed. I recommend the tour!Interesting and Delicious Tour!

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!

Vera🇸🇰 Slovakia

(About local rocco)

11 June 2025

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

Ann

(About local Valerio)

5 June 2025

Our day with Valerio was amazing! After meeting at the local fish market, we went to his home on murano to prepare a meal. It was delicious and so fun to feel like a local. Our tour of murano included stops to learn about glass blowing. Our daughter got to make her own glass bead and then we toured a glass showroom which was beautiful. Don’t hesitate to book this memorable tour- Valerio is outstanding!Amazing Day

Susanne

(About local Adair)

5 June 2025

Adair was a wonderful guide who tailored the tour to our group. She is very insightful and we really liked to get her view on living in Venice. Her unique perspective on Venice greatly contributed to our enjoyment of our stay. Great tips and she hooked us on cicchetti!Great and very personal tour!

joel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elena )

2 June 2025

Elena was amazing! Her knowledge of the history of the Jewish people in Venice was superb and she brought the past and present to light with her stories and her personal touch. We were all riveted the entire time. The best guide we could have hoped for (and we are discriminating)!!Even better than we could have hoped for!

Cornelia

(About local Valerio)

26 May 2025

Valerio macht den Spaziergang durch Canareggio und San Polo weit über die Brunetti-Informationen hinaus interessant. Wer weiß schon, wie die Hausnummern zustande kommen oder wo die Bestattungskirche aus dem Film "Wenn die Gondeln Trauer tragen" liegt? Die Restaurant Empfehlungen, die man noch zusätzlich bekommt, sind eine echte Empfehlung. Vielen Dank, Valerio!mehr als Brunetti ...

Sudharsan🇮🇳 India

(About local Adair)

18 May 2025

We were lucky to get an overview of Venice with Adair right on the first day. This helped is connect the dots when we did the indepth types of near by islands, St. marks/Doges palace and the various nooks and crannies. Recommend!History + Architecture + Personal stories

Mara

(About local Adair)

17 May 2025

Adair was absolutely wonderful and perfect for our stay in Venice. She led us through the city and we saw some much more than we could have imagined. She planned the best day and best fit for our family. She was so warm and friendly ... my family of 4 just adored her. Plus, she knows so many people - we were given extra special treatment on the tour. Book with Adair and it will be one of your favorite memories of your time in Venice. It was one of our most memorable in our 10 day tour of Italy!!!PERFECT DAY IN VENICE!!!

Edgaras🇱🇹 Lithuania

(About local Elena )

13 May 2025

We had an amazing time with Elena, escaped from all the touristic streets, and explore different part of Venice.Different experience

Angela🇺🇸 United States

(About local Adair)

13 May 2025

Adair was just a wonderful guide for us. Attentive, personable and full of information. It was so helpful to understand the formation of Venice and how each area has evolved. We stopped for chichetti and now our favorite spritz 'Select'. We all shared little bits of info and she shared many stories of her own and of well known Venetians. It was a fabulous afternoon and we are so glad to have had her show us Venice!Fabulous tour! A

gabriel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Adair)

9 May 2025

Went to Murano and Burano. Adair gave insights into the glass blowing industry as well as the lace. Saw many examples of the two and was amazed. This was our second day with Adair ( done on purpose) and she delivered. Would highly recommend and would definitely use again.Island hoppers

gabriel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Adair)

9 May 2025

Adair was very knowledgeable and kept the conversation interesting. Buildings are just that without some history (fish market). She adjusted to the members of our group (78 to 15 months of age) very nicely. Would use her again without a second thought.Not disappointed

Lisa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mina)

5 May 2025

Mina is a great guide. Very knowledgeable. Very personable. We highly recommend his tour.Great tour!

Kerry

(About local Giacomo)

3 May 2025

We recently had the pleasure of joining a food tour with a local in Venice, and it was truly one of the highlights of our trip. Giacomo was not only incredibly knowledgeable about the city’s history and culture but also passionate about its culinary traditions. We visited several hidden gems and every stop featured something delicious. We especially loved learning the stories behind each dish and how they connect to Venetian life. Giacomo made us feel like locals, introducing us to places we never would’ve found on our own. It felt more like exploring with a friend than being on a tour. If you're looking to experience Venice through its food and meet a truly passionate local, I highly recommend this tour!Amazing Food Tour Experience in Venice!

Travis

(About local Adair)

1 May 2025

Our tour with Adair was absolutely fantastic! She covered all the major highlights and shared some of Venice's hidden secrets. We highly recommend her!Perfect!

cczg6gvypf

(About local Valerio)

30 April 2025

Jeder der überlegt, ob sich ein Private Guide lohnt, möchte ich sagen: Auf jeden Fall!! Man darf Venedig von einer ganz anderen Seite erleben. Wenn man möchte, ganz entspannt fernab der Touristenmassen. Venedig ist eben nicht nur Dogenpalast und Markusplatz! Wunderbare Zeit in Venedig, danke Valerio!

Tanya🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Adair)

29 April 2025

A huge shout out to Adair for taking us on a 2hour magical Venetian walking tour. We had a blast! A great afternoon adventure!

William🇺🇸 United States

(About local Adair)

29 April 2025

I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed the food and the experience with Adair. As an American living in Venice, we related so much to her. She loves it there and was able to give us such an interesting perspective on life in Italy, especially in Venice. This tour was so worth it.Best Way To Experience Venice

HENRYK🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Valerio)

27 April 2025

I am a big fan of Inspector Brunetti, the Venetian policeman created by Dona Leon. A friend enthused about the "Brunetti" tour presented by Valerio in Venice. We hired Valerio and embarked on the expensive two hour tour (over two days unfortunately). We walked by five relevant sites and enjoyed espresso at Brunetti's local coffee bar. From my friend's enthusiasm, I had expected more from the tour. Perhaps, we didn't get the full tour?Inspector Brunetti tour

Evelyn🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Valerio)

27 April 2025

Valerio hat mich unterhaltsam und charmant durch diesen mir nicht bekannten Teil Venedigs geführt . Er hat mir alle Facetten , Kultur, Geschichte, Religion und Kulinarik näher gebracht, sowie alte Filme, die da gedreht wurden wieder aus meinem Gedächtnis geholt. DORSODURO ENTDECKEN

Mary🇺🇸 United States

(About local Adair)

26 April 2025

We spent a couple days with Adair and couldn’t have had a better time! One day was a walking tour of Venice, the other was an island hopping tour. Both were a lot of fun, very informative and got to experience things that I don’t think we could have, had we been on our own. In Venice we took in all the historical attractions as well as experience the local food, the gondole (not gondola!) a spritz! The second day island hopping to Murano, Burano and Mazzorbo. So much fun and each island so different than the other. The behind the scenes at the glass factory, inside look at lace being hand stitched, both were incredible. Adair also helped us by booking transportation, reservations, and gave recommendations, very helpful. Adair was a lot of fun and was really very easy and comfortable to spend that much time with!Great time with Adair!

Andre🇸🇪 Sweden

(About local Elena )

22 April 2025

We had a marvellous afternoon with Elena. She is friendly, enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable about both history and general life in Venice. I have been to Venice at least twenty times before, but I learned so much new about Venice from Elena. I will definitely book another tour with her when I come back to Venice (which I certainly will). An enthusiastic storyteller