Your tour, your interests
A private Hidden History tour can be anywhere in central Venice, at any time of day, and concentrate on the topics which interest you.
I can meet you at your hotel in the morning, or at the restaurant where you’ve had lunch, or wherever it suits you in Venice, and we’ll walk around the city together, searching for messages from the past.
If you have any particular interests, we can concentrate more on those subjects.
A two-hour private tour is minimum €200 for the group, or €40/person. Longer tours are charged at €75, or €15/person, for each additional hour.
Payment is normally at the end of the tour. I accept most credit cards (Visa, Master, AmEx, etc.) and, of course, cash. Payment in advance is also possible, but not a requirement.
You can book by email to info@historywalksvenice.com.
Alternatively, you can browse the available times, and book your private tour directly in my calendar. You’ll get a confirmation email, and I will be notified immediately when you click the link in that email.
These articles are examples of some the topics we can discuss on a private tour:
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The Fall of Venice
The fall of Venice on May 12th, 1797, was the result of a war that the Republic of Venice formally wasn’t even party to.
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Le Arti che vanno per via (1753) — Gaetano Zompini
The “Arti che vanno per via nella città di Venezia”, by Gaetano Zompini, is a fantastic source for how people appeared on the streets of Venice in the mid-1700s.
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Prostitution in Venice
In ancient Venice prostitution was considered a necessary evil, where more harm would come from a ban than from a de facto acceptance
What others said
A History Lesson
We learned more about the history of Venice in two hours than I thought possible, engaging, erudite and crammed with local knowledge.
Wealth of knowledge
René was an excellent guide, and our walking tour with him was one of the highlights of our trip to Venice. He has a seemingly limitless and encyclopedic knowledge of all aspects of Venetian history and society. He tailored the tour to our interests while also sharing many interesting and unique stories.
Deep into Venice history
Rene brings Venice history to life from the first minute you meet him. His enthusiasm for the topic and the depth of his research are evident throughout the tour. And it turns out every corner has a story to tell that Rene knows so you aren’t rushing from one site to another. Wherever you are is a jumping off point for all sorts of topics that illustrate the broader narrative of Venetian history. Rene is also learning and discovering alongside you as Venice presents endless mysteries even to one steeped in its history and its culture. Highly recommended and the more questions you bring the more fun you will have!
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!
It was truly an experience to remember!
Thank you again for a wonderful tour. It was truly an experience to remember! It gave us a great new perspective to see the buildings of Venice that I do not think we would have discovered elsewhere.
Do this first!
We booked René’s tour early in our trip to Venice, and it was the best decision we made. His deep knowledge of Venetian history gave us context that enriched everything we saw and explored on our own for the rest of the week — details and stories we never would have noticed or understood without him. His passion for the subject is obvious from the very first minute, and my husband said he could have spent many more hours with him! If you’re visiting Venice, do this first. You’ll see the whole city differently.
One of the best tours we have ever had!
René was incredibly thoughtful and took his time to tailor the experience to what we were interested in. We especially appreciated how he connected Venice’s local history with the broader international political history in the past. Highly recommended 🙂
We certainly learned a lot
I just wanted to say how much both I and Michelle enjoyed the tour you took us on the other day. We certainly learned a lot and we really appreciated the way you focused on social and economic history rather than just politics ( not that I’m uninterested in politics!) I was impressed with your dog as well.