Review summary
Reviews
We were riveted by the tour
Rene has an encyclopedic knowledge of Venice’s history. In fact, his grasp of world history in general is so expansive that he was easily able to pivot off of questions to draw connections between broader themes. The richness of his account and his enthusiasm for the subject made this a singular travel experience.
Rene beats all other guides here 10 to 1, he is simply the BEST
I took every available tour of Venice during my three days here. Rene beats all other guides here 10 to 1, he is simply the BEST story teller, accurate research, curious facts and attention to detail, very passionate about the city and loads to learn even for a book worm like me. If I could give him ten stars I would. He will definitely be my guide next time in Venice. You can miss out on all the other tours here but you will not have seen Venice if you don’t go on his tour. Thank you so much Rene for making this visit so special!
Book this experience, you’ll thank me later!
Book this experience, you’ll thank me later! Rene is a phenomenal story-teller and possesses such a wealth of knowledge on the history of Venice. If you want something more beyond the basic facts you learn on the mainstream history tours, this is the experience for you. He opened our eyes to a Venice we would have never seen otherwise and kept us engaged the entire time and even long after we finished the tour. From climate-change and political/socio-economic forces that shaped the city to ancient graffiti and chips on a blank stone that mean way more than you would think they do. This was, hands-down, one of the most valuable experiences we had as first-timers and lovers of history in Venice.
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Great informative & interesting history of Venice! Very knowledgeable & passionate!
Wonderful, Informative and Enjoyable
I spent a lovely and informative morning with Rene this January! He indulged all of my questions and interests. I felt like I had a private tutor in Venetian history – he has an abundance of knowledge and is a lively conversationalist. I highly recommend his tours. Thank you, Rene!
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Finding this opportunity to learn more about the history of Venice and the abandoned islands was everything I had hoped for! Make the time. Forget the overpriced shopping and see this magical city differently.
A history master class
This was an amazing experience of a Venice walking tour. I really wanted to learn and dig more into the Venice history and Renée made it real in the most inspiring way.
I found him along with so many other walking tours but this was convince me.
He understood our needs of learning more of the history and it exceeded our expectation.
This is not the traditional walking tour that takes you to the super highlights and touristic spots. If you want a very special tour, and unique, this is the experience.
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Rene waited for us, even though we were late to the tour. He is a wealth of knowledge, and could expand on any of our questions.
Magical Tour
We had a wonderful tour with René. He took us all around and shared the stories behind the beautiful places we were seeing. The pace was perfect for us as a family of 4 with two young children. We learned so much and it was truly a highlight of our time in Venice.
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Rene really knows his stuff and showed us a number of interesting things, right there in one square! Quite a lot of history.
It was very engaging
René is a Venetian by choice who has become a natural. He is extremely passionate about the history of this city and has abundance of knowledge. He showed us details that we wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.
I’ve really enjoyed my tour
René is really knowledgeable and has lots of stories to tell that will help you better understand the history of the city and how to see the city. I’ve really enjoyed my tour!
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Excellent. Fun and content
The tour was packed with information.
The tour was packed with information. Rene really knew his stuff. We learned to spot ancient graffiti and identify the age of buildings by their architecture, and we kept thinking about these things throughout our Venice trip. The walking was less than we anticipated and I would have liked to walk a bit more, but I think Rene can tailor to his audience. I’d definitely book another tour with Rene for more insights next time I visit Venice.
Perfect boat excursion to Poveglia
René took us on his boat to the hospital ruins on Poveglia island, and we had a fantastic time exploring this beautiful lost place. Not only is René deeply versed in the lagoon’s history – his stories really brought the crumbling walls to life for us – but he also clearly cares about his community and preserving the Venetian style of living. If you want to visit Poveglia, René is your man. Thank you!
This really helped me understand the city!
A fascinating, informative talk about the history of Venice – highly recommended! A knowledgable tour guide who was able to answer any questions, so this felt like a bespoke experience. Great storytelling, held my attention for the whole time, and the two hours flew by! Well worth it.
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Rene was great
We simply loved it!
Rene knows everything about Venice. You should definitely do a tour with him, specially at the begging of your trip so you can play detective when you’re waking around the town by yourself. We asked a lot of questions about history, economy and contemporary daily life in Venice and he had very deep and complete answers for everything. I wanted to do a double tour to know more. Much more intimate and personalized experience than the big guided tours. And at the end he was so kind to walk us to the restaurant we had to go. Soooo much better than walking and looking google maps ❤️ Book it now!!
Our visit to Venice is better for having joined your tour.
We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour with Rene. Rene is a highly knowledgeable historian and an excellent storyteller. He gave an engaging and comprehensive account of the history of Venice, expertly using location to support his narrative. He expertly answered a diverse range of questions and engaged adults and children equally well. He was friendly, generous and accommodating. Easy to find the meeting place, and it was clear from the introduction that Rene was interested in what we already knew about Venice in order to adjust the narrative as needed. Honestly – we could not believe our luck to have joined this tour. Excellent value and gave a new dimension to our experience of Venice. Highly recommended.
René est un fin connaisseur de l’histoire de la ville
Très bonne expérience. René est un fin connaisseur de l’histoire de la ville et sait parfaitement la faire partager en s’appuyant sur des détails architecturaux environnants. Peu de marche, accès facile.
Highly recommend this experience
René was an excellent and passionate story teller. Took us back in time with his stories. Goes into a great detail about the Venetian and world history. Highly recommend this experience.
René, thank you so much for today
We had an amazing time with René – he went into great depth, tracing the trade routes, histories and intermeshing timelines of Venice. We saw parts of Venice we would have completely missed otherwise. René answered all our questions with much enthusiasm and even dropped us off the water taxi, helping lug our child’s stroller in the rain. We loved every minute!
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I was the only client, but Rene was just as enthusiastic as if he had a whole group. He’s very knowledgeable and focused on my interest in architecture. His sweet dog was a bonus.
Private boat tour to Lazareto
Rene was a great tour guide. He’s tremendously knowledgeable about history. He’s also flexible and responds well to what the guest is most interested in.
This was a fantastic tour, our favourite so far!
This was a fantastic tour, one of our favourites with a detailed history of Venice. Rene was so well informed and responded to all of our questions. We loved it! Highly recommend!