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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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
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Venice treacle
Venice treacle, or theriac, was an ancient wonder medicine, an antidote for most poisons and a cure for most ailments, including the plague.
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The Venetian Lazzaretti
The lazzaretti in Venice were the Venetian republic’s response to the emergency of the plague, and an efficient response too.
What others said
Venice – The Inside Scoop
I spent a wonderful morning with Rene learning about Venetian history. He has a wealth of knowledge and stories which he joyfully shares.
Venetian history finally makes sense
From the time of the Lombards to the Venetian republic’s influence on American political structure to where does the sewage go. René covers all of it.
Right in front of our eyes
Our tour was extraordinary, as Rene revealed the history of Venice written in the shape of buildings, the lines of long gone canals, the science of fountains and the history of public ball games. He pointed out features and tiny details and connected them with sweeping stories from history, making stuff from books become very real. Loved every minute.
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.
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.
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!
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 🙂