Dreaming of Venice? Come for a virtual tour of Venice with me and some special guests who live in this magical Italian city. Each virtual tour Venice takes us to a different neighbourhood including the Jewish Ghetto and Dorsoduro districts. Planning an actual trip? Scroll down to the bottom of this post for my top recommendations of tours.
Table of Contents
Watch Venice Jewish Ghetto Tour with Valeria Necchio
Come for a walk through with Valeria Necchio and I on this Venice Jewish Ghetto Tour. We wander through the Jewish quarter and Cannaregio neighbourhood together as Valeria shows us what Venice is like during winter on this Venice virtual tour. If you’re looking for an in-person Ghetto tour, consider booking this one.
Meet Valeria Necchio
Valeria is a local of the region Veneto and recently moved to Venice itself. She is a food and travel writer and the author of the 2017 cookbook/memoir ‘Veneto’ which is a celebration of her home region. Valeria collaborates now with the beautiful restaurant, winery and project ‘Venissa‘.
Where is Cannaregio, Venice?
Cannaregio is the most northern neighbourhood in Venice, lying between the lagoon and the Grand Canal. The Jewish Ghetto can be found in this neighbourhood too. Cannaregio makes for a great base on a trip to Venice as you are close to the train station and not too far from St Mark’s. It is a lively neighbourhood with many great bars and restaurants to discover too.
Together we chat about Venice during the winter, what exactly ‘acqua alta‘ is, what it was like living in Venice during the pandemic, and how to visit Venice sustainably.
Valeria’s Favourite Places To Eat/Drink in Cannaregio:
- Al Timon: For cicchetti and to drink on the boat moored on the canal
- Vino Vero: One of the first natural wine bars in town
- Sullaluna: Great breakfast spot and children’s bookstore
- Osteria Da Rioba: For dinner
- Torrefazione Cannaregio: Coffee Roaster
- La Zucca: For vegetarian, seasonal dishes
Watch Zattere Venice Tour
More recently, I spoke to my lovely local Venetian friend Sinu and we filmed avirtual walking tour of Venice together. Here she tours us around her favourite neighbourhood in Venice. Watch this video for a peek into Venice in February at the start of carnevale as we walk along the Zattere. It will get you dreaming of the Venice canals tour you can do when visiting this romantic Italian city.
The Best Venice Tour in 2023
Virtual tours are great for, but of course nothing like the real dream of being there for yourself. If you’re planning a trip to the city of canals, I recommend booking a Venice Italy tour to get the most out of your time there and gain a better understanding of the sights and history. If I had to choose the absolute best Venice tour, it would be this half-day Venice Day Tour.
In three hours, a local guide explains the fascinating history of this former maritime republic taking you through the maze like streets and past pretty canals. You’ll see gorgeous campi (Venetian piazze), an 18th century palace, Marco Polo’s House, T Fondaco dei Tedeschi dating back to the 13th century, the spiral staircase of Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, St Mark’s Square, and have skip-the-line tickets to the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica which are both incredibly beautiful but renowned for long lines!
Venice Italy Food Tour
You know I’m all about the food, so one of my favourite things to do in a new city is to book a food tour. In Venice, I think this is particularly important because there are many tourist traps, unfortunately. Booking a Venice Italy Food Tour is the perfect activity for your first day as your guide will point out the best local spots in town that you can return to during the rest of your trip. Here are my suggestions for what to try:
- Venice Wine Tour : Learn more about the typical sparkling wine of the region (Prosecco) on this day trip to Conegliano Valdobbiadene where you get to visit 2 wineries and enjoy lunch together.
- Venice Cicchetti Tour: Join this tour with Liv Tours and explore the oldest fish market in Venice, and two different local bars to savour Venetian snacks & local prosecco. You get to hop on a gondolino, a small gondola and glide across the canal for a spectacular lunch of traditional local foods. This small-group tour is the perfect way to discover Venice through its food and local life!
- Venetian Cooking Class: The best souvenir in my opinion is a cooking class! This private lesson takes place in a local’s house and you learn 2 pasta recipes plus traditional Venetian tiramisu.
- Private Food Tour: If you’re after a private experience, book this one! It includes 10 different food samples with real Venetian locals. Feast on salami, cheese, local wine, squid, cocktails, gelato and more!
Venice Canal Tour
It might seem cheesy, but trust me when I say you do not want to skip out on a Venice Italy gondola tour! It’s one of the unique experiences you can have, ever, and it’s a magical feeling to glide across the canals.
- Grand Canal Gondola Ride: This Venice boat tour goes for 30 minutes down the iconic ‘Grand Canal’ taking in the sights of Piazza San Marco, the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery, and the Santa Maria delle Salute.
- Venice Italy Canal Tour: Choose from 30 minutes to an hour on this romantic gondola tour that takes in the pretty quiet canals including Rio dei Barcaioli, where Mozart once lived, and Rio dell’Ovo before approaching the Grand Canal. There is nothing quite like seeing the Rialto Bridge from the water!
- Venice Italy Boat Tour: This delightful Venice islands tour takes in the highlights of Murano and Burano and includes the opportunity to meet the local artisans.
Best tours in Venice Italy
Besides booking a gondola ride and a food tour, the two must-visit places in Venice on many travelers lists include the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica. Be aware, that you must pre-book these activities and the lines to enter are incredibly long! I cannot recommend prebooking enough as well as purchasing Skip The Line tickets to make the most of your time. If you’re looking for a tour that takes in both sites, consider this one.
Take the time to book at least one tour on your trip to Venice. It helps to support the locals and the information they provide is invaluable and will make you appreciate the city so much more! Liked this little peek into Venice? Looking for more ideas on how to spend your time in Venice? Check out this guide to Venice in a day or what to do in Venice in April now. Discover more of my Italy travel content now or why not come on a small group Italy tour with me in 2023!