• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

You’ve probably heard that Venice is well-known for its influence during the renaissance era, but do you know the stories and origin behind it? Or how much influence it has on the locals daily life? On this private city tour, you are in for a cultural treat!

Destination

Venice, Italy

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Italiano, Español, Français, Русский, Deutsch, العربية, Hrvatski, Српски, 中文

Included

• Private Guide
• 1 Local Tasting
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Tickets Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 15 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 Ruzzini Palace Hotel, Campo 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. Culture of the City

   On this private tour, you’ll experience and discover Venice through its culture. Whether it’s focused on a tradition, a special part of town with a story to tell, cultural beliefs, or around a cultural activity that shaped the city into what it is - this tour will be a cultural awakening you can’t miss!

4. Renaissance era in Venice

   Your tour will focus on the renaissance era, a very important cultural subject in Venice. Thanks to your local host, you’ll learn and see how the renaissance era made an impact in Venice, making you experience the city from a different perspective.

5. Cultural Highlights

   As you deep dive into the subject of your tour, you’ll make stops to visit unique spots that will give you a full picture of the city. Visit San Marco Square, Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Paradise Arch, and more and see how these cultural highlights are part of the local life but have so much history behind them!

6. Storytelling Journey

   As you discover the cultural side of Venice, you’ll be able to embrace it 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

Joel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Romy)

16 May 2024

We had a great time learning all about her hometown of Venice from Romy. She brought an excellent perspective to the tour about the history of Venice and modern life there. Romy spoke English very well and was easy for us to understand. She responded well to our questions and gave us tips for enjoying the rest of our time there. Prior communication was quick and efficient, too. We'd recommend Romy as a guide without hesitation!Informative tour by a true local expert

james🇺🇸 United States

(About local Romy)

4 May 2024

We had a wonderful tour with Romy. She tailored the walk to our interests giving us an over of the influence of the Renaissance on Venetian art and architecture. Then, showed us many examples of each. She also gave us a helpful explanation of the significance and role of the state in Venice throughout its history. We will highly recommend Romy as a tour guide to all our friends considering a visit to Venice. Venetian Renaissance

Anne 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Romy)

9 December 2023

Our tour really was value for money. Romy's extensive knowledge of the history of Venice and the role of the Venetian Renaissance artists was so interesting. We visited numerous sites of interest and with our new found knowledge we were better able to plan the rest of our trip. Fascinating History and Value for Money

Sarah🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local rocco)

25 June 2023

I found out about withlocals when we visited Florence last year and I’ll now book a tour whenever I go somewhere new. Rocco was a great guide - knowledgeable, engaging and clearly loves his home city. We learned so much about the history of the city and also lots of ideas of what we would enjoy seeing during the rest of our stay. I feel that we only scratched the surface of Rocco’s knowledge! A really good experience - thank you!Walking tour with Rocco

Lynne🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Nicoletta)

15 March 2023

We spent a great morning with Nicoletta discovering so much of Venice that we had never seen on previous visits, real hidden gems. Her knowledge of Venetian history and architecture is very impressive. We even learned how to navigate our way through the labyrinthine streets of Venice - a little! She took time to ensure that our tour met our expectations even contacting us a few days before and sending us links and information after the tour. Excellent guide who we would highly recommend Knowledgeable and helpful

James🇺🇸 United States

(About local Romy)

11 October 2022

Romy, our host, was very passionate about the Venetian people and their history which made our tour so much more informative. Since we already had a tour of the Basilica and the Doge planned, Romy was able to take us to less touristy spots and learn so much about Venice’s incredible history. We were lucky in our selection of her and would hi recommend her to others. Venice a remarkable city in many respects

Mike🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marco)

8 September 2022

Marco is a wonderful tour guide! He is from Venice and incredibly knowledgeable about the history and culture of Venezia. He is fluent in a number of languages including Russian He has my highest recommendation Marco is the best!

Nicole🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Marco)

30 July 2022

We had a very interesting tour with Marco. He gave us a lot of insights about the history of Venice but also about how live is now in Venice. We saw some places away from the tourist spots 👍🏼History tour

Peter🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Romy)

18 May 2022

We had a really wonderful and informative time with Romy. She took us through the city at a very relaxed pace but we were able to see a lot of fascinating areas and historic landmarks. She was able to answer all our questions and she made the whole tour very enjoyable.

James

(About local Mattia)

18 December 2021

Mattia, was a true professional who tailored our day to our needs and wants. Nothing was ever to much trouble for Mattia and he took time to explain clearly what we wanted to know. Mattia was kind enough to purchase the tickets for us to a number of attractions as we did not have time to do so before leaving the UK. If you wish to experience this beautiful and passionate city with a guide that shows the same amount of passion, then there is no need to look any further.Passionate guide for a passionate city

Frederic🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Nicoletta)

10 October 2021

Great guide with lots of passion for the history of Venice and it’s hidden art treasures! Thank you for the tour

jennifer🇺🇸 United States

(About local Romy)

26 January 2020

pleasure to spend a few hours learning about Venice. it makes the city come alive. thanks very informative of the history of Venice

Simone

(About local Roko)

8 January 2020

Thank you Roko for all these interesting informations about venice. It was a pleasure to walk with you through this wonderful city. The result of sharing your advanced knowledge which us in such a kind and friendly way is that venice is now even more closer then ever to our heart. We can highly recommend doing the tour with you. Thanks again, Simone, Hannes, Felix & Lars Amazing afternoon with Roko

Diane

(About local Roko)

5 January 2020

Can not speak highly enough of Rokko. He was knowledgeable and personable. If you’re looking for a tour guide to show you around Venice, I would highly recommend Rokko.Excellent tour!

Annette🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Veronica)

13 July 2019

Wir (2 Erwachsene und 3 Jugendliche) haben bewusst die Rennaisance-Führung gewählt, weil dies auf den ersten Blick nicht unbedingt unserer Interessenlage entspricht. Welcher Jugendliche ist besonders interessiert an den unterschiedlichen Epochen der Baustile und Epochen? Wir wurden nicht enttäuscht: Veronica hat uns mit ihren kurzweiligen Erklärungen zu den Palazzi und Kirchen eins ums andere mal verblüfft und anhand zahlreicher Beispiele die Unterschiede und Besonderheiten erklärt. Nebenbei haben wir auch allgemeines über Venedig erfahren, von der Wasserversorgung bis zu den venezianischen Masken. Das Tiramisu-Tasting war auch sehr lecker. Vielen Dank für die schöne Führung!Kompetent, abwechslungsreich und überraschend

Nancy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mattia)

24 June 2019

Mattia did a great job of showing and explaining the highlights of the Accademia to our 2 teenage kids and ourselves. He is from Venice and loves his city so there were so many other interesting things he showed us. And he was very flexible with the tour, which I truly appreciated, showing us a Gondola building site instead of the Ca Rezzonico was the perfect idea as we easily visited it later. He also told us about the mask painting, which many people know about but I did not. He was so lively and fun and we all really enjoyed the 2 hours we spent with him. And he pointed us in the direction of a great little restaurant that was off the beaten path as well.A really great local guide, really knows and loves his city

DON🇺🇸 United States

(About local Romy)

8 April 2019

We had a wonderful tour with Romy! Even on a rainy day, she made the town of Venice Shine!! Her attentiveness to understanding of what we knew about Venice, or more importantly didn't know; and then customized the tour around that, made it awesome! Her knowledge of the history, people, buildings and churches of Venice is incredible. What we all marveled at, was her genuine excitement to share it with us. It was a great tour and the highlight of our trip to Venice. Guaranteed, when we go back to Venice, we will be setting something up with Romy!!!Great Tour with Romy!!!

Keena🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Roko)

23 February 2019

Roko exceeded all our expectations with his excellent approach to a tailor made private tour. He is patient, polite, with a good sense of humour, responsible, reliable and enjoys sharing his vast historic and artistic knowledge of a city he loves and knows inside out. He made the tour exciting, entertaining and fun both for my teenage daughter and myself adapting himself to our needs , wishes and personalities. Nothing was too much trouble. He took us to parts of Venice we would have never seen, as well as all the classic ones, and gave us lots of explanations as he pointed out the most important or unusual details, stories and facts. He is also quite a good photographer, so, don't hesitate in asking him to take some photos. We highly recommend him and would like to say a big thank you for helping us to have a wonderful stay in Venice!Roko Exceeded all our expectations!

Barry🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Romy)

11 February 2019

As a first time user of Withlocals I wasn't sure what to expect. But I was very happy because Romy was a superb guide, and her personality and knowledge was first class. She tailored the tour for our needs, and explained the history and a selection of the sights. There was nothing that Romy did not know. She was very friendly and explained everything to us in a way we could comprehend. We spent about 3 and a half hours with Romy, and it was excellent value for money. I would highly recommend Romy. Amazing tour guide

Joe🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Roko)

5 January 2019

Roko took us on an amazing 4 hour adventure. There were only two of us in our party and we started in San Marco plaza. Roko suggested we explore some lesser known gems in Venice and boy did we discover a world hidden surprises. Our 4 hours went too fast and we were hungry for more. It was wonderful to let down our guard as Roko earned our trust quickly as he guided us on this journey. Roko has a vast knowledge and a detailed history of nearly everything we explored. We will book him again when we return. Roko knows the hidden gems

Anya

(About local Roko)

5 January 2019

Too I was super wonderful. Took us to some not so well known but beautiful places. We spent 4 hours with him, he even indulged us and let us stop for a quick lunch. He is very sweet and super knowledgeable about the area. He let us walk at our own pace and kept us entertained the entire day. Highly recommend you do a tour with him!Fantastic!

Ali🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Romy)

23 November 2018

Excellent and very knowledgeable.Venetian Renaissance Tour & St. Marco Basilica Skip the Line

Emily

(About local Lucia)

16 October 2018

My husband and I were very lucky and got to have Lucia to ourselves! Lucia was an incredible tour guide- she's passionate about Venice and was able to teach us the history and culture in a way that was unforgettable; she's highly knowledgeable. At the end of our Italy trip my husband and I both agreed that this was the best tour guide/tour we have ever experienced. Lucia was great about showing us what was important in Venice and guided us through areas where the locals were and not really packed with tourists. She was also able to recommend places with authentic Venetian food and how to spot more of the ""tourist trap"" places. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone traveling to Venice. I don't think words can adequately express how magnificent of an experience this was.An INCREDIBLE Experience!

Rich

(About local Roko)

16 October 2018

Roko was very responsive whenever I had questions. His knowledge and his ability for explaining things in a simple way is what makes him special. He is also a good conversationalist and spending time with him was enjoyable. He planned an interesting tour, and I highly recommend some time with him.Venetian Renaissance Tour & St. Marco Basilica Skip the Line

Lauren

(About local Veronica)

16 October 2018

What a great tour. Veronica was one of the best guide we have ever had on a tour. She was knowledgeable about the food, the neighborhoods and the hidden insights. She had a great personality too!Venetian Renaissance Tour & St. Marco Basilica Skip the Line

Alice

(About local Mattia)

16 October 2018

The guide was terrific, he gave us a lot of information and me the tour super pleasant.Venetian Renaissance Tour & St. Marco Basilica Skip the Line

Mitchell

(About local Mattia)

16 October 2018

Mattia was excellent, the tour was well thought out!Venetian Renaissance Tour & St. Marco Basilica Skip the Line

Sonia

(About local Mattia)

16 October 2018

Mattia was fantastic, he was so passionate and informative. He made the tour insightful, fun and engaging.Venetian Renaissance Tour & St. Marco Basilica Skip the Line

Blair

(About local Emanuele)

16 October 2018

Our guide Emanuele was tremendous - a real treat getting to spend with the day with a local Venecian!Rennaisance tour

Suzanne

(About local Emanuele)

16 October 2018

Both Bernie and I wanted to thank you for the wonderful tour you gave us during our stay in Venice! Your passion and love for Venice were infectious. We quickly became enamored with this very special city. Venice is truly a magical city and you did a GREAT job on our tour. Thank you for making our stay so wonderful :) Rennaisance tour

Himanshu

(About local Romy)

15 October 2018

Romy was an amazing tour guide. She is so passionate about the history of Venice that you can't help getting totally absorbed in it. She is extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. She takes the extra effort to explain things and goes out of her way to answer any question we may have. The tours themselves were really excellent but it was Romy who made things come alive. We really enjoyed both tours and really are so lucky that we had Romy as our guide. I highly reccomend her- she was terrific!Rennaisance tour

Karl

(About local Romy)

15 October 2018

This is an in depth guided tour of two very elaborate structures, not a quick overview. Our guide, Romy, was extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and authentic. She was easy to understand yet wonderfully Italian. The amount of artwork and decoration in the palace is amazing, comparable to Versailles, and the site is largely a celebration of the impressively durable republic of Venice. We really loved the experience, thank you!St.Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace

Bianca🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Emanuele)

15 October 2018

Emanuele is a young and talented guide, he took us on a full experience of Venice and we had a great time exploring the less crowded places, hidden paths and the true charm and beauty of Venice!Rennaisance tour

Bianca🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Alvise)

15 October 2018

Alvise is super energetic, good vibe and very experienced with touring in Venice. We totally recommend him as a guide and friend in Venice.Rennaisance tour

Jose Francisco🇲🇽 Mexico

(About local Matteo)

20 April 2025

Frances🇺🇸 United States

(About local Roko)

19 April 2025

Roko was very pleasant, knowledgeable about Venice history, and courteous to our concerns. We paid over $500 for the two of us to tour these two sights (entry is free) and received communication that “skip the line” tickets for the Basilica were sold out but we could still stand in line. We responded to the message with questions but received no response. We considered canceling the tours but the website instructions were circular with no clear instructions for cancellation and we didn’t want to lose our money. THEN the Basilica was closed in preparation for Easter! A tour company have been aware of this in advance.No St Marks Basilica

Samuel🇫🇷 France

(About local Nicoletta)

18 April 2025

We spent 3 wonderful hours with Nicoletta, learning a lot about Venice, its history, its art, and many little-known places that we would never have considered without her. Thank you very much for making us see Venice beyond the usual cliché - we will definitely remember this experience!Great tour

Alma🇿🇦 South Africa

(About local Valentina)

18 April 2025

Valentina’s tour, specially for our grandchildren (10 & 7), made us see Venice in a whole new way. Two wonderful hours searching for clues, visiting the market, learning about the history of Venice and ending with lollipops in San Marco. Couldn’t have been more perfect irrespective of the rain! A must for families.

roger.fasnacht14

(About local Nicoletta)

17 April 2025

Nicolette was very accommodating to our desire to not walk too much, but still see the highlights of Venice Venizia Our Way

Nicola🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Roberto)

14 April 2025

Die Führung mit Roberto war ein unvergessliches Erlebnis. Er zeigte uns die Schönheit von Venedig und gestaltete die Führung spannend und amüsant. Wir würden immer wieder eine Führung bei ihm buchen und können es nur weiterempfehlen. Vielen Dank, Roberto!Fantastische Führung mit Roberto

Markus🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Roberto)

11 April 2025

Durch die Augen eines echten Venizianers. Roberto hat uns so viele Geschichten erzählt. So viele schöne Dinge gezeigt. Es war ein echtes Erlebnis. Wir würden jederzeit wieder auf die grosse Erfahrung von Roberto zurückgreifen. Nochmals viele herzlichen DankTolle Erfahrung. Besten Dank Roberti

Susanne

(About local Roberto)

8 April 2025

Bereits im Vorfeld unserer Reise stellte sich Roberto als hilfsbereiter, unterstützender Guide heraus, der uns die Organisation unserer Venedig Reise mit super Tipps bezüglich Restaurants und "places to go" erleichterte. Die Tour war eine Bereicherung und veränderte unsere Sichtweise auf die Stadt! Roberto ist ein wandelndes Geschichtsbuch, kennt seine Stadt wie seine Hosentasche und die Zeit verging wie im Fluge. Immer wieder unterbrochen durch Stopps mit kulinarischen Highlights! Das Deutsch von Roberto ist excellent! Wir können die Tour wärmstens empfehlen!!!! Vielen herzlichen Dank Roberto!Excellente Tour auf Deutsch mit Roberto!

connie.agee

(About local Nicoletta)

6 April 2025

Nicoletta was wonderful, she had so much knowledge and was so kind and patient with our very large family! She showed us the highlights and shared the history of Venice the way only a local can! She even gave us excellent recommendations for what to do with our time after the tours. I would absolutely book her again but next time for the full day! 3 hours wasn’t enough! Venetian Value

Ti

(About local Roberto)

3 April 2025

My friends and I had the most incredible experience exploring Venice with Roberto. From the moment we met, it was clear that he was not only knowledgeable but also passionate about the city’s rich history, culture, and hidden gems. Roberto took us beyond the usual tourist spots, leading us through charming backstreets, picturesque canals, and lesser-known historical sites that we would have never found on our own. His storytelling brought the city to life, making every church, bridge, and piazza even more fascinating. One of the highlights was his recommendation for a small, family-run trattoria where we enjoyed authentic Venetian cuisine away from the crowds. He also shared great tips on navigating the city and avoiding tourist traps. If you’re looking for a tour guide who is engaging, professional, and truly passionate about Venice, look no further. This tour was the highlight of our trip, and we highly recommend Roberto to anyone visiting this magical city!Exceptional Experience in Venice

Nick🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Valentina)

29 March 2025

Valentina was a wonderful host. We wanted an introduction not including the main tourist spots but to get a feel for Venice. The two and half hours did just this and Valentina was great at ensuring the conversation was always a two way process in sharing and expanding It felt we had a long conversation over a cup of coffee rather than a waking tour. Relaxed and enjoyable Wonderful introduction

Rallen

(About local Mattia)

28 March 2025

We done a lot of group tours we decided to try private tour with Mattia, he was top notch. We have a daughter with Autism so we move at slow pace. Mattia curated our tour to her pace. Mattia has lots of knowledge and is easy to talk to. I would highly recommend Mattia and the hidden gem tour. pick this guy

Unknown

(About local Valentina)

25 March 2025

Valentina was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide. She kept my 12-year-old grandson interested with her stories and charming personality. I highly recommend her. Informative and Fun Tour

Cameron🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mina)

24 March 2025

Our tour with Mina was an absolute highlight of our time in Venice! He made three hours fly by with his incredible depth of knowledge, engaging storytelling, and well-paced approach. Even our 16-year-old, who isn’t always easily impressed, said this was one of the best parts of the trip. Mina didn’t just provide facts; he truly brought the history of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace to life in a way that was both fascinating and accessible. He answered every question we had with ease, kept the tour flowing perfectly, and even shared great local recommendations, including a fantastic lunch spot and where to find the best spritz. If you're looking for a tour that is insightful, well-structured, and genuinely enjoyable, Mina is the one to book. We couldn’t recommend him more highly!History & storytelling perfectly combined!

Beate🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Monica)

18 March 2025

Monica ist sehr sympathisch, hat unglaublich viel Insiderwissen und geht auf individuelle Wünsche ein. Wir haben uns sehr gefreut Sie kennengelernt zu haben und können die Tour mit Ihr wirklich allen nur empfehlen! Viele Dank für die tolle Führung 💕!!!Tolles Erlebnis in Venedig

Craig 🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Nicoletta)

14 March 2025

She was the greatest tour guide we ever had! Our son Atticus can’t stop talking about herThe best