Best Venice Walking Tours — Our Top 15

1.Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 6,291 reviews · 2 - 2.5 hours · from $101Our pick

Explore Venice’s political heart with a guide through Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica. See the Grand Council Hall, Bridge of Sighs, Casanova’s prison, golden mosaics, and, on selected options, the basilica museum and terrace.

“The tour involved approximately 1 hour 15 minutes in St Marks Basilica and 1 hour 15 minutes in Doge’s Palace. Our guide was very knowledgable and interesting to listen to. She had a good breadth of information to convey. Both buildings are beautiful to look at and the interiors even more so. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour However we think it might have been beneficial to have split it up into 2 separate tours? That way we could have lingered in each building at our leisure without needing to move onto the next All in all a very enjoyable afternoon Would definitely recommend you visit these when visiting Venice”

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2.San Marco to Rialto Walk & Spritz Like a Local

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 3,651 reviews · 1 - 3 hours · from $14Best value

Follow guides such as Valentina through Venice from St. Mark’s Square to Rialto, with stories about Venetian life, Marco Polo, Casanova, and local customs. The walk includes a spritz at a traditional bacaro and a Venice Gallery VR experience. Optional extras include a gondola ride and Fortuny Palace entry.

“very informative and Valentina was friendly and knowledgeable. The spritz stop was nice as well!”

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3.Venice Walking Tour and Gondola Ride

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3,630 reviews · 2 hours 9 minutes to 2 hours 27 minutes (approx.) · from $72

Walk Venice’s back lanes with a local guide, passing Scala del Bovolo, La Fenice, and Rialto Bridge before a 30-minute gondola ride on the Grand Canal and nearby waterways. Guides may include Nadia, Francesca, Elena, or Christina. The group can reach 25 people.

“Tour walking guide was informative but wouldn’t know about the gondola as we did not get to go as they are really not connected as tours. The operator in the booth was rude. I would not combine these tours.”

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4.Private 3 hrs Venice Tour: St Mark’s, Walking tour & Boat tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3,372 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $480

Start near the Royal Gardens for a guided walk through St. Mark’s Square, skip the line at St. Mark’s Basilica, explore Castello lanes, then cruise the Grand Canal and smaller waterways. Guide assignments vary, with past tours led by Christina Pigozzo, Francesco, Cristina, and Adriana.

“1.- First part "Venice Tour with St Mark’s Basilica" was average. 2.- "Grand Canal Boat tour" was excellent, lady acting as a tour guide was very enthusiast, she knows Venice very well, explained us every detail clearly. My wife and I were there on September 27th 2019 in the afternoon tour. I wrote the name of the woman, but lost the paper, the only thing I remember is that she live around and looks like an actress some kind of Jennifer Aniston. 3.- You need a Sign that let your client to locate you easy. It was very stressful to find you, I was in the place 1 hour before.”

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5.Eat Like a Local: Venice 3-Hour Small-Group Food Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,137 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $107Top rated

Walk from Rialto through San Polo, Santa Croce, and possibly Cannaregio with a local guide such as Anna, Marianna, or Carlo. Expect eight food stops, about 15 tastings, wine, cicchetti, seafood, pasta or risotto, cured meats, pastries, and gelato, with enough food to replace a meal.

“The food and our guide was amazing! While on the tour we had so many samples that by the end of the tour we couldn’t eat anymore. This was the best way to see Venice”

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6.City Center Historical Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,873 reviews · 1 - 2.5 hours · from $14

Explore St. Mark’s Square, Rialto Bridge, quiet calli, and Teatro La Fenice with a live guide such as Ana, Natalia, or Francesco. A short VR show brings old Venice to life, while the optional gondola ride adds a separate waterborne outing.

“Ana is very knowledgeable and we learned so much about Venice in one hour (and for such a reasonable cost) that we were rather blown away. It was a great time and we highly recommend.”

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7.Walking Guided Tour of the City Must-See Sites

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,095 reviews · 2 hours · from $44

Start near Ca’ Foscari University and walk through Dorsoduro, San Polo, Rialto, and toward St. Mark’s Square. Your English-speaking guide may include the Jewish Ghetto and fish market, with local stories, practical orientation, and tips for food and vaporetto rides. No interiors are included.

“The content was EXCELLENT! Our Guide was VERY Good!”

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8.Private Best of Venice Walking Tour with St Mark’s Basilica

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,063 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $242

Start near the Royal Gardens in St. Mark’s Square, enter St. Mark’s Basilica with a reserved ticket, then walk to Santa Maria Formosa and lesser-known Venetian lanes. Expect an English-speaking guide, about two hours on foot, and a maximum group size of 20.

“Amazing walking tour! Lots of history and the guide was very knowledgeable! Highly recommend doing this while in Venice!”

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9.Venice Sightseeing Small Group Walking Tour with a Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 887 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $48

Spend about two hours walking from Dorsoduro to St. Mark’s Square with a local English-speaking guide. The route covers Rialto, Marco Polo’s former home, San Rocco, San Zanipolo, and quieter lanes. Small groups hold up to 15 people, with private tours also available.

“Excellent tour! Anna took us to parts of the city we would not seen on our own and provided a lot of information!”

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10.Walking tour, Doge Palace, & St. Mark’s Basilica

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 884 reviews · from $142

You’ll explore the Doge’s Palace, Casanova’s prison cell, St. Mark’s Basilica, St. Mark’s Square, S. Maria Formosa, and the Mercerie with an English or Spanish-speaking guide. Guides such as Felipe, Diana, and Nadia have led engaging walks, though security queues and large groups can slow the visit.

“Our tour guide was awesome very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend this tour. St marks cathedral was exceptional”

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11.Sunset Walking Tour with Food and Wine Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 848 reviews · 3 hours · from $99

Meet your guide near the church clock and follow a three-hour evening route through Venice’s food scene. You’ll visit seven independent bars and restaurants, taste 14 or more dishes, sample six regional drinks, and hear stories from guides such as Alice, Martina, Carlo, and Marianna.

“Tour was absolutely superb. Georgia was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and gave great insight into the places, food and wine. All her choices were excellent, she accommodated food choices well. Absolutely 100% recommend, she was amazing!”

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12.Private Walking Tour with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 761 reviews · 2 - 6 hours · from $64

Meet a Lokafyer in central Venice for a private two to six-hour walk shaped around your interests. Guides such as Olga, Camilla, Luis, and Vittoria have led visitors through quiet neighborhoods, local eateries, art, shops, and famous sights. Hotel pickup is available, and no fixed route is imposed.

“Camilla was an outstanding tour guide! She was friendly and easy to talk to. This tour was completely customizable. We asked her to show us the non-touristy side of Venice and she greatly exceeded our expectations! She told us about the history of the sights we saw and was very knowledgeable. It was neat to see the city outside the hustle and bustle of the tourist spots - places we would have never seen without Camilla. I highly recommended taking this private tour!”

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13.Morning Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 705 reviews · 1 - 1.5 hours · from $29

Start early with a guide-led walk through Venice’s calli, squares, and San Marco district. Hear stories outside St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, and San Giovanni e Paolo, then follow the Mercerie toward Rialto. Headsets help you hear in crowded streets.

“Nice guide, fun tour to walk around town and be led by somebody who knows their way round”

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14.San Marco to Rialto Walking Tour & Spritz Like a Local

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 688 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $18

This two-hour English walking tour links St. Mark’s Square, quiet Venetian fields, the Pantheon of Venice, Marco Polo’s former home, and the Rialto Bridge. Guides such as Valentina, Anna, Isabella, and Florintina lead the route. A local bacaro spritz and optional gondola ride with a VR history experience add extra flavor.

“To much time talking about what I feel was unnecessary. Spent the majority time in square, ran through rest of stuff. Was left on own to paid catch gondola ( 3 hours) after the tour was to end. Unorganized to stay the least”

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15.Private Venice 2 hrs Tour: Boat & Walking Tour with food tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 688 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $402

Spend two hours with an English-speaking guide on Venice’s Grand Canal, secret canals, and a walking route through Campo Santa Maria Formosa. See Marco Polo’s house, Cannaregio, Madonna dell’Orto, and major landmarks, then enjoy pastry and coffee or cicchetti with wine.

“Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and professional. She took the time to explain all the sights and welcomed all questions. I felt she went above and beyond with the entire tour.”

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