Venice: Tours & Experiences

For a thousand years Venice was the capital of a sea-trading republic, and it built itself on more than a hundred small islands in a lagoon, stitched together by canals and some four hundred bridges. There are no cars. Everything arrives by boat or on foot, which is why the city feels like no other.

Everything centres on Piazza San Marco. St Mark's Basilica is covered inside with gold mosaics, earning it the name Chiesa d'Oro, the golden church. Beside it the Doge's Palace was the seat of government, courts and prisons, linked to the cells across the canal by the Bridge of Sighs. From there, lanes run north to the Rialto Bridge and the market, past La Fenice opera house and the spiral staircase of the Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Out in the lagoon, Murano still makes glass, Burano has its lace and painted houses, and quiet Torcello is where Venice began.

Venice tours come in a few shapes:

• Inside the monuments: guided visits to St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace with reserved entry, either on their own or combined in one visit.
• Walking tours: from Piazza San Marco through the lanes and squares towards Rialto, some including a gondola ride or entry to the Doge's Palace.
• The lagoon islands: a boat trip to Murano's glassworks, Burano and Torcello.
• The Prosecco hills: a small-group minivan trip from Venice to the vineyards, with tastings and a light lunch.

Most tours run in English, Spanish, Italian, French and German. Each tour page shows the meeting point and the languages available on each date.

April to early June and September to October are the best months, warm but not at their busiest. Summer is hot and crowded around San Marco, so take an early start. From autumn into winter the city can see acqua alta, high tides that flood the lowest squares for a few hours. Raised walkways go up and life carries on. On certain peak days, day visitors who are not staying overnight must also pay a small city access fee, so check the dates before you travel.