Venice Tour Reviews

SUSAN B., USA
The trip was outstanding! The time spent at each island was just perfect and the tour guide was wonderful! Thank you!


Jacqueline P., Gibraltar
Murano glass factory interesting but too short a time to see and buy, though prices in town are much cheaper. Burano a quaint little town to visit and wonderful lace to buy but also too short a time. Torcello not very intersting, This island should be left out of the itenary and more time given to spend in Murano & Burano.


Patsy K., USA
Enjoyed the islands tour very much. I would have liked a little free time on Murano to see more than just the glass factory. I loved Burano and Torcehllo is very interesting. All are away from the crowds of Venice and were a nice change. Definitely will recommend others to take this tour.


antonio Z., Uruguay
Muy bueno el paseo, tanto Murano como Burano preciosos lugares. No entiendo mucho el motivo de ir a Torcello, que es bastante más lejos y realmente tiene muy poco para conocer.


Anne Marie R., Trinidad And Tobago
Murano and Burano were interesting but we needed more time there; there was no need for Torcello as there wasn't enough to see there that was worth the long stop off; that time could've been better spent were it split between Murano and Burano - there would've been less hustle and more appreciation!


Mike B., United Kingdom
The description that the tour included a visit to Murano was misleading - the only part of Murano we were shown was the inside of the glass factory - in and out from the boat. Burano was a delight. Torcello was not brilliant - just two churches which you just had time to walk to and from.


Charles L., Singapore
It was disappointing especially the shop at Murano as we had refrained from shopping for glass items thinking that there would be a good and stylish range at the factory shop. Burano was too commercialized. Torcello was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Venice.


Darlene G., Canada
No time to actually see Murano. Only got to see shop where glass blowing exhibit was. Need to have time to actually see the island.


NARASIMHARAO G., United Kingdom
NICE LITTLE TOUR BUT A BIT MORE TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INTERESTING, PARTICULARLY AT MURANO.


Paulo Ricardo C., Brazil
ALL VERY GOOD! CONGRATULATIONS

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Patsy K., USA
This is a two part tour and both parts were great. The first part was a walking tour that got us into the Basilica without standing in line. It was amazing. This tour introduced us to some areas I would not otherwise have known about. It was informative and interesting. The second part was in the late afternoon and was a boat tour of some of the canals. This gave us a completely different view of the city and I enjoyed it very much. Will highly recommend.


Jessica M., Australia
The walking tour wasn't the greatest, but highly reccomend the boat tour on the grand canal. Our guide was fantastic and you really see Venice from a completely different perspective from the water than from walking through the streets. Worth it just for the photos!


Rudolph K., USA
Walking portion was terrible ! Guide kept getting ahead of thr tour and was difficult to understand ! I would NOT do thr walking tour again ! The boat tour was superb !! The lady guide was fantastic, easy to understand and VERY interesting ! The boat tour alone was worth price and is not to be missed !!!!


Alison R., United Kingdom
Really enjoyed the both tours, our guide was very informative and knowledgeable. We had a break in between the walking tour and the grand canal boat tour which was welcome. We had a different guide on the boat tour, again, very professional. An enjoyable day all round. Thanks.


Antoinette E., USA
Great, just fantastic. I am so glad I booked this tour with you. Not only was it cheaper than other sites but sooooo much fun. This was a surprise trip for my husbands birthday and it was a success. The guides very nice, excellent english made the tour interesting and fun.


Anne B., USA
Very good guides and comprehensive tour. Had a great time on both!


Mohammed Nias G., Singapore
Original Walk was very worth and value for the money., and was very informative in a short time. But Grand Canal Boat Tour, we expect it might be gondola tour., but came to know its just a water taxi boat tour.. disappointing..


Mike B., United Kingdom
The guide was obviously very expert on the subject of all aspects of history and of Venice in particular. However, most of this went over our heads. It would have been more interesting to hear more mundane things about the city as well as the basic history.


Ian L., United Kingdom
The tour guides were great. They told us far more about the history of Venice than we found in any guide books and the trip along the Grand Canal and through some of the side canals was brilliant.


Ted Rak R., Australia
Depends on guide, ours was a local who was passionate about Venice. However would have been better if we had individual head sets. Trying to listen to our guide was difficult as she was competing with other guides and other languages

Sian B., United Kingdom
This was absolutely fantastic, tremendous value and our guide was very entertaining. Many thanks


Subhashis N., United Kingdom
I am not very happy with this tour. The gondola ride was not great, the gondolier didnot sing(as mentioned in the itenary) and neither did he give any idea of the places we rode on. It was just a boring boat rip. I had heard great things about gondola ride in venice and this was the primary reason I booked this tour but this was not even close to my expectation. The seocnd part of the trip was Ok but the group was really large. The guide was well informed and cordial, the second part was not that bad, but the gondola ride was just disappointing. I would not recomend this trip. Its better to take a gondola ride on your own and St Mark's basillica is not overcrowded so I recomend you go on your own. I had great trips with City Discovery but this one was not upto my expectation.


Sonia P., USA
Our guide for the morning St. Mak's Basilica tour and walk through Venice was excellent! She was extremely knowledgable, kept the group moving efficiently (without being rushed), and showed us lots of interesting things. The Afternoon Gondola ride was a major (romantic) disappointment for us. The guide and gondalier were good, but we were looking for a romantic experience, which just was not possible (there are only 2 seats out of 6, which we were not able to get which would have allowed any romance). The short trip around the canals was okay. If you are looking for romance, skip this part and pay the 150 euros for a private twilight gondola experience like we did later that day.


David F., Australia
I was abused by my gondola driver because my chair slipped on the wet floor and I hit the ground. No - are you OK, just abuse.This made the rest of my ride very unenjoyable.


Marcus L., Australia
It was quite good and the host had plenty of info :) Need individual speakers/headphones to hear better though , and maybe a little rush , especially in the basilica . Gondola was great , loved cruising the waters , would have been good if the driver sang or interacted more with us though . No sights were explained , no singing , which let it down a bit . Also didnt go under the sigh bridge , 'sigh'. Otherwise though good value and worth doing :)


Alan H., Australia
Train was late into Venice so we missed the St Marks walking tour. Gondola ride was ok, but we had expected some singing and musicians. The Gondlier was lacking badly in personality. We did not enjoy our day to Venice, much much too crowded.


Rosemary D., United Kingdom
Tour guide had fantastic knowledge and we learned a lot about the history of Venice. Everything was very well organised and on time as scheduled. We also enjoyed the gondola experience. Well done, City Discovery! Soryy, we have no pictures.


David C., USA
Must do - We loved it


Linda R., USA
Must do - We loved it


Marian ., USA
Must do - We loved it

Mikesh P., United Kingdom
This is not a Ghost Walk. The guide was excellent and clearly extremely knowledgeable. She was able to handle a group of about 25 of us with ease and managed to spend a few moments with each individual to personalise the walk. All questions were answered and her English was perfectly understandable. As mentioned at the start, my problem with this tour was that it was sold as a Ghost Walk and it was anything but that. had the tour been named Hidden Gems of Venice, or Secrets of Venice or something of that nature then I would be giving this tour a 5 out of 5 rating. However as I purchased this tour expecting a Ghost Walk I was thoroughly disappointed when i learned that there are only 2-3 ghost stories in Venice (these were covered in the walk but lasted maybe 15 minutes of the full 90 minute tour). Like I said, had the tour been named something else then I would know what to expect and would have been extremely happy with the tour and would therefore recommend it to others. Until the name changes, no recommendation from me.


Tracie B., United Kingdom
An excellent addition to our short break in Venice! We booked our place on-line a few days before we left the UK. We met as arranged on Rialto bridge after dark. Our guide spoke excellent English. She introduced herself to the group of around 15 people before we set off. We were taken down narrow streets, through dimmly lit ally ways arriving at various locations where upon she would tell us stories of dark deeds and ghostly ledgends. The evening experience was an excellent enhancement to our anniversary break. If you're looking for an evening with a difference in Venice, you've found it!


Hillary W., USA
Great tour. Fun stories. Interesting path through the back streets of Venice. Great guide.


M B., Netherlands
nice walk through the alleys and hear about stories that happened in the past. defenitely recommendable.! Fam Breeman, Holland


Nigel C., United Kingdom
A great way to explore the back streets and dead ends of Venice without getting lost, with a few good yarns to go with it. I think it owed much to the guide, who was a bundle of energy and enthusiasm. Put a smile on our face not a shiver down our spine.


James V., USA
Even though our guide was very nice, the tour was boring. We were into the tour for 45 minutes and were only at our second stop, and did not seem ready to leave there any time soon. NO GHOSTS! If you are handy with a map, and enjoy walking, explore on your own.


Kamela W., USA
Fantastic tour! Our guide was a lot of fun. I was even more impressed because our tour was on the last night of Carnevale and there were many people celebrating in Venice. Somehow he kept us all together and I heard every one of the fascinating stories. Grazie mille!


.,
Thanks! I just did your Venice Ghost Walk & it was great!


Melt Wouter D., United Kingdom
Must do - We loved it


Candy G., USA
I'm sorry to use that star, but there wasn't a choice that fits for me. My group got so lost trying to find Rialto Bridge that we didn't make it in time for the tour! We regretted that VERY much! It wasn't your fault, but rather, ours. Bummed...

Kenneth H., United Kingdom
A great experience. The quiet canals were the stars of the trip. While the Grand Canal is a must do it is a busy waterway - just like any city's main thoroughfare - the tranquility of the smaller canals were just so peaceful. You soon forget that you are in a gondola convoy; and to have the gondola to ourselves, as opposed to being crammed in with another 4 complete strangers added so much to our enjoyment of the whole experience. Definitely one for the romantics. The only downside was a misunderstanding with the hours available. Your website indicated that we could enjoy a sunset trip. I tried to book this and received no response. When I telephoned the helpline I was assured the booking would be faxed to my hotel. The people there did not know why my booking had not been processed! I had planned the trip as a surprise for my wife, and planned to take her to the gondola embarkation before telling her what had been booked. As it was I had to recruit the excellent concierge at the hotel to assist in obtaining the booking form. I was unable to keep the trip to myself as a consequence. That apart, it was a marvelous experience.


sarah B., United Kingdom
Must do - We loved it


Pedro L., Portugal
It was a very fun ride. Recommend. We did the ride in the evening and watch the sunset on the gondola was fantastic. The man who was leading the gondola was nice.


Jackie B., USA
The gondola ride was a nice treat, kind of one of those things you really should do in Venice as a couple. However, it wasn't perfect. The departure point was really hard to find, even using printed directions and a blackberry. It's kind of behind San Marco square, not towards the main water where you would think most boats would leave from. It's hidden. I would recommend using the Hard Rock Cafe as a reference point. Our driver was very nice and polite, even though we were late. We appreciated that after the hustle of finding it. The ride goes by fast, even for 35 minutes. And at one point, it was really smelly because some of the canals in Venice are polluted unfortunately. It was just weird to be all romantic and then say 'What is that smell!' and hold your nose. But I guess that's not the company's fault. The other factor to mention is price. I understand that it's a craft and handed down from generations, etc...but let's be honest, gondola rides are very commercialized now in Venice. You would think the prices would be a little more competitive. I paid about $150 American dollars for 35 minute ride. Would I recommend it to others? Yes, it was an experience. Would I do it another time? No, not for the price.


Tricia D., South Africa
We liked it and recommend it

Ley Hong C., Singapore
It was a good mix of walking and riding in the gondola. You get to see much more than just wondering on the streets. From the gondola, you could get closer to the buildings and get a different perspective from being lower than ground! Our guide was very thorough and since we joined the tour right on the first day we landed in Venice, we got a good understanding of the city and our bearings so wandering around afterwards was a joy and we could appreciate the surroundings better!

Chee Meng C., Singapore
The guide is knowledgeable and a vivid story-teller about the places of interest.


Gaile B., Australia
Our guide was fantastic. She was so knowledgeable and clearly loves her city! I'd highly recommend this tour.


Anne R., United Kingdom
Andrea was a great guide, friendly and very informative. A great introduction to the delights of Venice. I would recommend.


Helena B., Australia
The walking tour was fun and showed some unexpected places. The Basilica was glorious but was really only an appetiser for a longer visit later. The chance to stay on in the Palace was appreciated.

Colin W., United Kingdom
Great way to experience the local venice. Do it on the first evening, lots of tips about eating and drinking without it costing an arm and a leg! Its also a great way to meet people - Cecilia is a great tour leader, fun and bubbly, but also knows her stuff about local food and wine. This is the second time we have done this tour, with a different couple each time.


Katherine L., USA
Problems first - The meeting place is convenient once you locate it on a map. When I called to confirm the tour I hadn't been able to find it, and they told me to use Bing maps because Google maps and most guide books don't include this particular church or campo. Second, despite having a confirmation that stated a meeting time of 17:30 (5:30 PM) the guide told me that they had waited for me for the earlier tour, but no problem, join in. This made me the 13th member of a tour designed for 12 participants, so last minute quantity adjustments had to be made at the locations we visited. After all of this was settled, the tour was delightful. It amounted to a pub crawl to 4 different places with wine and snacks substantial enough that there was no need for dinner that evening. I really enjoyed it because we visited places off the tourist path and in the process had some great food and wine.


Manilka W., USA
Excellent tour with a passionate guide and a good small group composition. Highly recommend this tour as a MUST do on your first night in Venice. So much of useful information about the city and where to go, what to eat, where to dring wine and what are the best choices,


Loraine S., United Kingdom
Although it was pouring with rain we still had a great time and met some really nice people. Cecilia our tour guide made the tour really interesting and minimised the time we were out in the rain. We sampled some beautiful food and wine and found out loads of interesting facts and good places to eat and drink. Cecelia could not have been more helpful and gave us a list of places to eat in the other cities we were visiting in Italy. We felt this tour was good value for money.


karen M., United Kingdom
We loved the tour, great value for money. Our tour guide Cecelia was lovely very friendly and informative. Our only regret was that we did not do the tour on our first night in Venice, that way we would have saved ourselves money by not falling into the tourist trap by following Cecelias advice. We met other travellers from the USA and Sweden, we had such a good time with them we spent the rest of the evening in their company. Great tour would do it again. Thank you.


Kathleen B., United Kingdom
Fantastic tour - the best I have done for years due to the great guide Cecilia !!! She was so enthusiastic and attentive to everyone in the group from the old to the young girls who came with their family. We would never have found the little local bars and eating places on out own, let alone know what to order. Well done on a great and very recommended tour !!!!!


Jacqueline J., USA
Our guide, Cecilia, was excellent as well as just lovely. We learned so much about Venice and the people of Venice as we explored The local pubs and sampled delicious wines and Cicchetis. No one should miss this tour. We all loved it.


brian O., Canada
this was a truly worthwile experience, the guide, julia, was erdudite, extremely knowledgable, and showed us a remarkable viasta of traditional venitian life that i had missed on four previous visits. cant recommend enough .


Frances F., United Kingdom
We have visited Venice many times but this was a highlight for us. Our guide, Cecelia, had an infectious enthusiasm for the city and was determined to show us the real Venice not the 2 bits visitors normally see (i.e. Rialto and St Marks!). The food and drink at the baccari was excellent and Cecelia was really knowledgable and very friendly. Definitely a must do when you visit Venice!


Carolyn P., United Kingdom
Our guide, Julia, was enormously interesting and very helpful in providing me with an alternative to anything containing seafood (I am allergic). The size of the group was perfect and we would both highly recommend this tour to anyone.

Mikesh P., United Kingdom
Very interesting and informative. They used a headset system so that we could stand 10ft away from the guide and still here her. Very useful when there are hundreds of other people and tours around you! Also very useful when your guide has a strong accent - would have been impossible to understand her had I not been able to hear her clearly in my ear. Definite recommendation for a QUICK history on some of the popular sites in Venice.


Jacqueline Y., United Kingdom
We liked our guide very much (Louisella), very funny and yet still informative. She showed us things we hadn't noticed on our own, and gave us the information we needed to appreciate the things we had already noticed. We were also very grateful that although our tour had been cancelled due to the high floods that we were able to reschedule for the next day without issue.


Jacqueline P., Gibraltar
Excellent tour guide. Made it a very interesting walk and suppled varied information on Venice.


Peter W., United Kingdom
Great tour! Very interesting! Recommend it if you are in Venice for a short amount of time.


Tamara M., USA
Our tour guide was wonderful and very knowledgeable about Venice she took the time to answer questions and always made sure we stayed in a group I highly recommend this tour


Rob D., Netherlands
Very good tour. It is exactly what it described. Excellent Guide, interesting tour, well organized and thank to the wireless headsets very understandable. Definite recommendation


Susan T., United Kingdom
For a first time visit to Venice this is a Must Do event. Especially to be taken during the first couple of days. The Guide was superb and amusing.


Karen H., United Kingdom
If in Venice for the first time then you must do this tour . It gives you an insight to some of its history and the guide was fantastic !.


caroline A., United Kingdom
the guide was excellent a really enjoyable and interesting tour


Kaydean W., USA
We liked it and recommend it

Daine R., Singapore
I booked this for our Honeymoon and my wife was not very interested. However by the end she was enjoying it and loved the singer. There were about 6 boats to the one singer and we journeyed through the Grand Canal and side canals. Well worth doing.


Fabiano B., Brazil
Muito bom o passeio, mesmo sendo em varias gondolas, com um cantor só, o encanto é único, recomendo esse passeio.


matt P., United Kingdom
Excellent value for money. The musicians were great. The organisation before and during was excellent. The views of the city are a must see from gondola.


Lawrence S., USA
Gondola folks were not very organized. It seemed to be a first come first serve basis and could fill up if you weren't lucky. Preference was given to groups who came with a leader who knew the gondola folks.


Ronald L., USA
It was very well organized, I did ask if every boat had its own singer and you told me that they did. However, that was not true. There were a group of boats and only ONE singer. I would have preferred if you told me what is was,and Imight have had an alternative. Barbara Lerner Barbara Lerner


Charmaine F., New Zealand
We went down some interesting streets and saw some beautiful sights. I just wasn't impressed that it was a group of 3 gondolas going together and only 1 gondola had a man singing on it. Our gondolier attempted to sing, which was amusing enough.

Asela I., United Kingdom
Must do - We loved it


Maria C., United Kingdom
We had booked for a 6pm ride however when we got the paperwork the time was changed to 8pm. This meant that by then it was dark. The 6pm - night ride - would have suited better as the light would still have been sufficient for photos, which unfortunatley we had to forego.


Robert L., USA
Gondolier was very knowledgeable & friendly. It would have been complete if he could serenade in songs as well !


Marie C. R., USA
Must do - We loved it

Frances F., United Kingdom
The setting in the Church was lovely and the musicians were, I felt, very talented. An enjoyable evening


Terri S., USA
Can you just imagine sitting in a room that belongs to Doge's Palace while listening to a fantastic orchestra??? What an awesome experience that you should never pass up!

Dorothy B., United Kingdom
The meeting point was not obvious because the organiser did not come at the specified time. We were left to wonder if we had found the right place. The organiser needs to be at the meeting point ahead of time. The commentary was clear and informative.


Anne R., USA
What a wonderful experience! Small group, lovely boat, and charming tour leader. Great fun to know about buildings and life in Venice. This is a must-do!


Carolyn C., USA
Easy to find meeting point and our tour guide was the best!

David H., United Kingdom
A great way to have a gondola ride and not too expensive.


Peter M., Australia
a cost effective way to enjoy the gondola ride. keep in mind that the ride is shared with two other couples, which may remove some of the romance. Private gondola rides were going for 80 euro (for the couple not each) for 35 minutes.

Ida K., Luxembourg
It was quite cold for end of March, with lots of snow in mountains. We could not see the lake because it was still solid frozen.


David H., New Zealand
I called your office before leaving Venice to say how impressed we were with our driver on the tour. I think his name was Davida. He told me when we arrived back that it was the first trip he had taken to the Dolomites. He did very well indeed. Kind regards, David Holderness