Hidden History — Private tours

Byzantine art on the walls in Venice

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:

  • Long live the doge

    Long live the doge

    Viva il doge – Long live the doge – the writing on the wall celebrating the election of Andrea Gritto as doge in april 1523

  • Differentiated rubbish collection in Venice

    Differentiated rubbish collection in Venice

    Venice had an organised system of differentiated garbage collections from the 1400s, to keep the city clean and the canals open.

  • Palazzo Morosini

    Palazzo Morosini

    Palazzo Morosini is a mixed Venetian Gothic and Renaissance palace in the Castello Sestiere which is unfortunately inaccessible to the public.

What others said

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January 17, 2023

This experience is great to get an overview of the history of the Venetian Republic live in a classic public space. René is an expert and fills your time with relatable stories applicable to everyday life.

Eric
Verified

I would recommend taking a tour with him 100%

January 10, 2023

René took the time to understand our level of understanding of Venetian/Italian history and then customized our tour based on that. What he taught us in just 2 hours was incredible. He is very passionate about Venice and history, and this came through in all of the amazing stories he told us. I would recommend taking a tour with him 100%.

Susan
Verified

I absolutely recommend this tour

January 7, 2023

Brilliant tour! René is extremely knowledgeable about Venice and Europe history and makes understanding centuries of history easy, accessible and interesting. so many little details would go amiss without his insights. I absolutely recommend this tour.

Sandrine
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January 3, 2023

If you’re into the history of it all, Rene is the right guy for you. He is full of amazing, facts about Venice. Even though it was cold and raining, this tour definitely enhanced our trip.

Kimberley
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December 30, 2022

Very insightful. Time well spent.

Liz
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Perfect!

December 14, 2022

René gave us a lively interesting walk and talk in Venice. He is so knowledgeable and made it all memorable and funny! Definitely worth every Euro! He even said we could email him with any questions we may have after the walk ended.

Sally
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Grazie mille!

December 11, 2022

René is very knowledgeable and a great story teller.

Heidi
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He was quite brilliant

December 5, 2022

René brought the history of Venice to life through his thoughtful, interesting explanations as to how Venice came to be, the political and economic background and how to read history through the buildings and their decorations. He was quite brilliant.

Simon
Verified