Venice Tours

Travelers to Venice have positive things to say about all kinds of tours, from cicchetti (Venetian tapas) crawls to gondola rides through the scenic canals. These are the top-rated options on offer:

• Murano & Burano Islands Guided Small Group Tour by Private Boat
• Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace
• Venice In a Day: Basilica San Marco, Doges Palace & Gondola Ride
• Eat Like a Local: 3-Hour Venice Small-Group Food Tasting Walking Tour
• Experience Venice Like a Local: Small Group Cicchetti & Wine Tour

Venice is very walkable—in fact, the labyrinth of canals, bridges, and narrow alleyways can only be traversed on foot or by boat. Fortunately, you can walk from one side of the city to the other within half an hour, and if your feet get tired, you can hire a private gondola or buy an affordable traghetto (ferry) ticket to get around.

That depends on how many stops you make and whether or not tickets or food samples are included in the fee. Shorter tours, such as food crawls and guided visits to historical attractions, range from US$30–US$130. Full-day group sightseeing tours cost closer to US$200, while private tours generally start at US$300 per party.

Venice tours give you an introduction to the city’s most striking attractions, from St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace to the picturesque bridges that arc over centuries-old canals. Food tours take you to historic markets and the best bars for cicchetti (Venetian tapas), while day excursions often visit the famed glassblowers on the colorful island of Murano.

Plan to spend three days in Venice. Two days will give you enough time to get lost in the city’s maze of canals, absorb history and culture at heavy hitters like St. Mark’s Basilica and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and take breaks for spritzes and cicchetti. On your last day, you can ride the water bus to the nearby islands of Murano and Burano.

That depends on your priorities. March is a wonderful time to visit Venice, offering a combination of minimal crowds and moderate temperatures (in the 50s). February is chilly, but its Carnival festivities are well worth a visit. The summer months bring the most crowds, but the weather is sublime. November–January are less touristy, but you risk running into acqua alta, or flooded canals.