• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Take a walk off the beaten track, away from the tourist crowds, and see the real side of Venice. On this private tour, go beyond the classic route and explore Dorsoduro where you’ll experience a different Venice, like a local with a local by your side!

Destination

Venice, Italy

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Italiano, Español, Deutsch, 日本語

Included

• Private Guide
• Local Transport
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 13 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 In front of Libreria Ca' Foscarina 3 (bookshop) - 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. Off the Beaten Track

   Done with the main highlights of Venice? Check out Dorsoduro. Explore a lesser-known part of the city that will give you a more authentic feel of Venice. Check out Campo Santa Margherita, Church of San Giorgo and more!

4. The Real Deal

   Let a local expert in the area you’ll visit show you their Venice from a different perspective - away from the tourist traps. See street art, cultural hot spots, local vendors, hangout spots, and historical gems, and embrace the vibe!

5. Personalized Recommendations

   Want to explore more of the area after the tour? Your host is happy to recommend their favorite eateries and where to take a break while wandering in this vibrant area

6. Unique Plan

   Depending on your host, this tour will be experienced based on their knowledge, passion, and expertise. Pick a host that matches your interests and see their city through their eyes!

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

Renee

(About local Valentina)

23 February 2025

Thank you Valentina for a lovely afternoon full of interesting facts and spectacular scenery. It was a pleasure meeting you and wandering around Venice. Spectacular!

Edward🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marzia)

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

Unknown

(About local Roberto)

10 February 2025

Roberto hat uns als waschechter Venezianer mit viel Wissen und Engagement abseits der Touristenpfade durch Dorsoduro geführt. Auch kulinarische Empfehlungen kamen hierbei nicht zu kurz. Eine sehr lohnenswerte Veranstaltung. Sehr lohnenswerte Führung

Unknown

(About local Roberto)

9 February 2025

Wir hatten einen sehr schönen und interessanten Nachmittag mit Roberto, mit tollen Aussichtspunkten und Einsichten in das venezianische Leben!Perfekt

Patrick

(About local Marzia)

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

(About local Marzia)

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

John🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local CLAUDIA)

30 December 2024

Claudia took us on a walking tour of the Dorsoduro area of Venice. She was lovely from the start and very knowledgeable. It was great to talk about Venice with a local guide who became more of a friend as the tour went on. We have visited Venice many times but we saw new things and learnt a lot from Claudia. We ended the tour on a roof terrace close to the Rialto Bridge. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish. Thank you ClaudiaWonderful experience

Pascal

(About local CLAUDIA)

27 December 2024

Claudia idid a great job for us. The tour she prepared \was very diverse, walking, great churches, a ride across the lagoon to Giudecca. The two and a half hours went by very quickly. We highly recommend Claudia as a fun, knowledgeable and personable guide.Such a great tour with Claudia

Megan🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elena )

25 December 2024

Elena was the perfect guide; when are ferry got delayed, she immediatley offered to meet us at a different starting place, and was there before we got off the ferry. She was engaging and full of stories of the history of Venice. She was engaging from start to finish. We truly enjoyed our time with her and would highly recommend her to anyone visiting Venice. Perfect Introduction to Venice

Anna🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elena )

19 December 2024

Elena was absolutely amazing! She incorporated our interests in the tour. She is born and raised in Venice so has a first hand knowledge of the history, lifestyle and culture. Her knowledge is immeasurable and she tells a story that is enjoyable to listen to. Honestly, the best tour we have had!The Best Tour!

Marilyn🇺🇸 United States

(About local CLAUDIA)

11 December 2024

Claudia was an absolute pleasure. She is knowledgeable and fun! We thoroughly enjoyed our time together. I highly recommend you reach out to her. Super!

Horacio🇺🇸 United States

(About local Genny)

2 December 2024

Genny was great! Super personality and was easy going. Our kids said she was the best tour guide they have ever had. She accommodated our needs ( we were hungry) and went above and beyond. Shes awesome! Amazing time!

Gary

(About local Sarah)

27 November 2024

Sarah was a charming guide and the tour was a very interesting insight into Dorsoduro and the history of Venice Dorsoduro

dhearst🇺🇸 United States

(About local Giada)

17 November 2024

My wife and I booked a private tour of Dorsoduro with Giada and it was a highlight of our trip! We asked Giada to take us to a few specific places, and she was very accommodating. She also was extremely knowledgeable of Venice and the entire area. We learned so much and truly loved the time with Giada. As a bonus, Giada is very knowledgeable of food and wine and gave us some excellent recommendations which we happily took advantage of. I would highly recommend this tour, or any tour, with Giada. Wonderful tour of Dorsoduro

Anick🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Elena )

1 November 2024

Elena est une guide extraordinaire. Ce fut le moment fort de notre voyage. Elle connait bien Venise et sa passion est contagieuse. Elena est très flexible, disponible et attentive. Nous avons déjà hâte de faire un autre tour avec elle lors de notre prochain voyage. Mémorable tour du Dorsoduro avec Elena

Anton🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Sarah)

22 October 2024

We had a wonderful and very informative tour with Sarah exploring Dorsoduro. She shared many stories about living in Venice and gave us new insights and background, that makes this city so unique. All through we visit Venice nearly every year... the time we spent with Sarah made this trip very special for us.Perfect tour with insights for Venice fans

Omar🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Elena )

22 October 2024

Approfittate di un tour nelle calli non invase dai turisti e delle interessantissime spiegazioni di Elena! Scoprite Venezia diversamente!Grazie Elena!

Mitch🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sarah)

22 October 2024

Sarah was fantastic. Her personality and guiding style is so warm and casual and inviting that you feel like old friends. You will not get a stuffy by-the-book history lesson, but rather a warm, personal walk through the Venice of your choosing. After one conversation with her in advance she swapped around everything about the experience to please my mother and aunt. Highly recommend Sarah!Amazing customized experience of Venice

Michael🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valentina)

19 October 2024

Even though cut short because of our own schedule, Valentina made the most of our time together. She gave us a perfect glimpse of Venice and left us wanting more. We highly recommend Valentina and will definitely be selecting her as our guide the next time we are in Venice! We loved our time with Valentina

Shawn

(About local Valentina)

16 October 2024

Valentina was an amazing host. She was like a walking encyclopedia (wiki for you young folks) but her facts were not dry. She was relevant and informative with a sensitivity to our family and how much we wanted. Her pace was amazing. We covered so much ground, saw everything we wanted, and yet never felt rushed. This was our first With Locals tour. Because of Valentina I will do one again!Great Dosoduro experience

Marina🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Genny)

5 October 2024

Genny is a great and enthusiastic guide. She is friendly, has a lot of knowledge about everything and can tell a lot of things about all things that passed. You can see she has fun in her job. We loved doing the tour with her. Great guide

Benita🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Federico)

3 October 2024

Federico was an awesome guide. We had the feeling that he customized the tour around our areas of interest rather than just repeating a standard script. He was friendly and able to answer all of our many questions in detail. Federico also had a good sense of humor which helped to make the historical tour fun and engaging. It helps that he is a local of Venice and cares deeply about the history of the area. Federico had also great communication so we could find him easily and also was patient and understanding when we ran a few minutes late due to a delay of the public transportation. Overall the tour was a highlight of our trip to Venice and we really recommend Federico! Thank you!Our Highlight: the tour with Federico!

Jordi🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Loris)

2 October 2024

Rachel🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Sarah)

27 September 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour off the beaten track of Venice without the crowds of tourists. Sarah took us to places we wouldn’t have known to go to and with her knowledge of Venice enriched our experience. Venice without the crowds

Peter🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Giada)

20 September 2024

The title says it all. Time spent with Giada is an absolute delight. Her style and approach to guiding is very empathetic. Whilst relaying lots of fascinating information about every site visited, she remained conscious of what we might have seen previously, and reacts accordingly. The end result is that we were able to see and find out about locations we had not previously encountered. Next time we visit Venice we will be in touch with Giada to arrange more excellent tours for us. Semplicemente perfetto

Jonathan🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Elena )

19 September 2024

Elena charmed us with her infectious passion for Venice. We walked through the many different neighborhoods, listened to many different stories, sample the local cuisine, and learn the origins of words. Six hours flew by so quickly! This was truly an amazing experience, and I highly recommend her tour. Truly as local as it gets.

Janet🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marzia)

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.

Orfee

(About local Federico)

14 September 2024

We can only recommend a tour with Federico. He was friendly and took his time to answer all questions. overall very great tour

Julian

(About local Marzia)

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

Matthew

(About local Federico)

13 September 2024

F is terrific. Knowledgable and funny and able to answer ALL of our silly questions. Highly recommend him. Awesome tour

Andrea

(About local Roberto)

11 September 2024

Roberto hat uns viele Informationen über Venedig gegeben. Wir sind durch Dorsoduro geführt worden und hatten eine schöne Zeit mit Roberto, vielen Dank für deine Geduld mit uns.Rundgang durch Dorsoduro

Amalita🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Marzia)

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

Paul🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Sarah)

7 September 2024

We had a great walking tour, learning lots of facts about Venice and the neighbourhood we explored. And we managed to mostly keep dry during the most horrendous rain and lightening storm. Thanks for the coffee and pastries. Lovely seeing the gondalos being built and learning about them.Venice in a rainstorm

Anthony🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Marzia)

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.

Mary🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Federica)

1 September 2024

Federico was very friendly and very informative. I learned a lot about the history of Venice. I saw a different side with not the shopping and tourists. She was so friendly and took great care of me in the heat. I couldn’t have asked for more!This tour was wirth every penny

Khloe🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marzia)

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

Margaret🇺🇸 United States

(About local Giada)

7 August 2024

Loved Giada's walking tour -- her passion for Venice, her ability to share her knowledge and open our eyes to the multiple joys of Venice.Superb Way To Explore Venice

Heike🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local Marzia)

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!

Emalee🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elena )

21 July 2024

As soon as we finished our first tour with Elena, we had to go back for a second. Even my kids (13 & 10) were excited for another tour with her. She took us to the place where many locals live and told us where to get the authentic masks and BEST gelato in the city. She has told us where to go for the best food in the hidden parts of Venice. Cannot recommend her enough! We cannot say enough wonderful things about the incredible tour Elena gave to me and my family. I have two kids and not once did they ask "what time is it?" or "is it almost over?" I also never once looked at my watch because Elena had us ENTHRALLED. Her knowledge of the city is unmatched and her passion to share her love if Venice kept me hoping the tour would never end. The first thing we did upon returning to the hotel was to book another tour with Elena. She was warm, friendly, engaging and truly cared about what we wanted to hear and learn. All the stars to Elena. We absolutely fell in love with Venezia and we cannot recommend her enough. Another Incredible Tour with Elena

Sandy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Roberto)

20 July 2024

Great tour guide, highly recommend!10

Alison🇺🇸 United States

(About local Genny)

11 July 2024

Genny was a wonderful tour guide. She gave us great recommendations and insights about the area. I would highly recommend taking a tour with her. Wonderful tour guide

alexandra

(About local CLAUDIA)

9 June 2024

If you're looking to explore the hidden gems of Venice and delve into the fascinating history and culture of this captivating city, look no further than Claudia's "Off the Beaten Track in Venice: Dorsoduro Tour." Our experience with Claudia was nothing short of exceptional, and we can wholeheartedly recommend her as a tour guide. From the moment we met Claudia, her infectious energy and warm personality set the tone for an unforgettable afternoon. Her deep knowledge of the Dorsoduro region was evident as she regaled us with tales of its history, social fabric, and local traditions. Claudia truly brought the area to life, allowing us all to appreciate the intricate history of Venetian culture and the city’s development. What we appreciated most about Claudia was her ability to go beyond the typical tourist highlights and uncover the hidden gems that only a local would know. She led us through enchanting, winding alleyways and picturesque canals, revealing the essence of Venice that many visitors miss. Claudia's passion for her city was contagious, and her enthusiasm never waned throughout the tour. She skillfully balanced historical facts with entertaining anecdotes, keeping my whole family engaged. She has a warm personality and is very approachable and speaks perfect English. If you're looking for a tour guide who can truly bring Venice to life and provide a unique and enriching experience, look no further than Claudia. Her enchanting personality, boundless energy, and extensive knowledge make her an absolute gem in the world of Venetian tour guides. We left the Dorsoduro Tour with a deeper appreciation for this remarkable city and a newfound fondness for the delightful Claudia.Enchanting Tour with the Claudia

Catherine

(About local Marzia)

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

Laura🇺🇸 United States

(About local Roberto)

28 May 2024

We really enjoyed our tour with Roberto. He was very knowledgeable about Venice and the area the tour covered. We saw so many things we didn't expect to see. It was a very unique experience. Roberto answered all our questions. It was an excellent value for the experience

Sam

(About local CLAUDIA)

25 May 2024

Claudia was so kind and shared fascinating information with us, specifically tailored to our group. We really enjoyed learning more about the more residential, non-tourist side of Venice and plan to return to the city. What a beautiful, historical, and lovely city to visit!Amazing tour

Stephen🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Giada)

23 May 2024

Giada was excellent. From the flexibility in our tour time when some of our travel arrangements got changed, to the completely personalized tour based on what we were looking for, she met and exceeded all expectations. She was very informative, very easy to talk to and made us feel very comfortable. I would highly recommend using her. Great guide

Boyd🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Valentina)

21 May 2024

Valentina gave us an awesome tour of Venice on a rainy, crowded day. She took us off the beaten path to give us a sense of Venetian life while ensuring we saw the ‘tourist highlights’. She recommended a place for lunch and kindly called the restaurant to ensure it could accommodate my gluten intolerance!Awesome Venice Tour

Diane🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marzia)

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

Bob🇺🇸 United States

(About local Niccolo')

17 May 2024

Niccolò contacted me after I booked the tour and asked if we would like to do the walking tour or if we would like him to drive us around and see Venice on his boat. We are definitely glad we made the choice to go on the water – it is the only way to see all of Venice and understand where everything is in an abbreviated amount of time. Unfortunately, for us, it was a cold, windy, rainy day. The weather was not terrible, but that didn’t stop Niccolò. He took us everywhere. You could want to go in Venice, pointed out the major highlights. He wasn’t as talkative as some of the other guides, we have had through Withlocals, but anytime we asked a question. He certainly knew the answers. I think the weather really put a damper on everything. We ended our tour early by our request because we were soaked and freezing, and we skipped the local treat for the same reason, but we don’t feel like we missed out on anything. The only recommendation I can make to Niccolò is to get a cushion for the seat on the boat for the guests. It was a great tour and we recommend it highly. Change in plans but better this way!

Maria

(About local Roberto)

15 May 2024

Die Tour mit Roberto war sehr interessant und hat viel Spaß gemacht! Er war sehr nett und hat uns auch abseits der üblichen Touristen-Hotspots Venedig zeigen können. Danke :)Tolle Tour