Experience report
City Tour Venice
Experience report
City Tour Venice
Experience report
Historical city tour in Venice
We chose the Historic Walking Tour of St Mark’s Square.
For two hours, we wandered through Venice’s maze of narrow alleyways, crossed elegant bridges and explored the city’s grand piazzas. Our guide mixed fascinating cultural facts with plenty of insider stories, which made the experience both informative and refreshingly relaxed.
If you’ve never been to Venice before, I can highly recommend doing this tour on your first day. It gives you a brilliant overview of the main sights and helps you get a feel for the layout of the city — which makes finding your way around in the following days so much easier!
Good to Know
Before You Go
- This tour is perfect for anyone visiting Venice for the first time.
- Depending on the group size, the tour may be conducted in two languages — in our case, it was given in German and French.
- Headphones and audio devices are provided on site, so you can always hear your guide clearly.
- Bear in mind that the starting and finishing points are not necessarily the same.
- Arrive at the meeting point about 10 minutes early, and don’t forget to bring something to drink — all that walking will make you thirsty!
Some Guided Tours
through Venice
Historic Walking Tour of St Mark’s Square
How to Get There
Before we dive into the tour itself, let me quickly explain how to find the meeting point.
Yes, most of us rely on Google Maps these days — but in Venice, it’s still surprisingly easy to get lost! The narrow alleyways twist and turn, and many of them end in cul-de-sacs. And besides, you can’t really enjoy the atmosphere if you’re walking through the city with your eyes glued to your phone.
So, here’s how to get there — keep your eyes open and enjoy the walk!
If you’re standing on St Mark’s Square with St Mark’s Basilica behind you and facing the Museo Correr, turn right. Near the end of the square, on the right-hand side under the arches, you’ll spot the Olivetti Museum.
Turn there and walk through the passageway Sottoportego del Cavalletto until you reach a small bridge called Ponte Cavalletto. Cross the bridge and continue straight for about 100 metres until you reach a little square named Campo San Gallo.
The Venice Tours office is right there — Campo San Gallo, No. 1093/B. (Always check the meeting point in you confirmation mail!)
Our Experience
The Tour
After a brief introduction and round of introductions, we were off! True to form for a tour guide, a small flag was raised so everyone knew who to follow…
Our first stop was back at St. Mark’s Square, where we heard all about the square itself and the basilica. Our guide had a real knack for pointing out the little details of this magnificent church! She explained, in a simple and easy-to-understand way, what the many mosaics on the façade depict and the story behind the various entrances and exits. She took plenty of time to do this in both languages.
While one part of the group listened, those who didn’t understand the language could take photos without missing any information—and vice versa. But, I am pretty sure, that if you book an english Tour it will be english only…
She led the group through the narrowest alleyways into hidden courtyards. It was fascinating to see what could be discovered in these tucked-away spaces—and at the same time a bit bewildering, with so many twists and turns offering chances to see more of Venice than most visitors ever would. 🙂
She stopped where others would just have walked past. For example, at the so-called “Mascherone“, a “grimacing mask” adorning the façade of the bell tower of Santa Maria Formosa. These peculiar faces were called mascaroni: a half-relief of a face with a quirky, off-kilter expression.
Or the statue of an old man with a long beard, holding what looked like a sun disc over his (naked?) body. It was set in a shell-shaped niche between the first and second floors of a palazzo on Campiello Santa Maria Nova. Beneath him were three more faces… not mascaroni, but still eyes watching over us as we wandered through Venice. 🙂
With interesting anecdotes, she told us about the canals, the gondolas, and the many flood situations. This gave the group a good insight into life on the island—both in the past and in the present.
She did the same, for example, when we stopped in front of the Scuola Grande di San Marco, an early Renaissance building that was originally the seat of a brotherhood and is now the entrance to Venice’s hospital.
Speaking of hospitals… of course, there weren’t ambulances as we know them in Venice—after all, there are no cars, only boats!
Conclusion
What Stands Out
What impresses most is that our tour guide really makes an effort to answer every question and takes her time with the explanations. Her knowledge, patience, and sense of humour seem endless—even in the sweltering heat. Even after the tour, she still has time to offer tips.
There are regular pauses, giving you a chance to process what you’ve heard and let it sink in. For the youngest members of the group, there’s even an extra toilet break, so no one has to suffer unnecessarily.
Speaking of children… the tour isn’t really suited to toddlers, as you do a lot of walking across the city and the focus is on cultural highlights. But, of course, it always depends on the kids’ interests. 🙂 More tips for children can be found here!
Yours,
Susi
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2023–2026
With support from Susanne Vukan.
With permission of the tour guide!
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