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:

  • Venice treacle

    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.

  • Strada Nova – from the Station to Rialto

    Strada Nova – from the Station to Rialto

    Venice changed from a city which primarily existed for its inhabitants to a city dominated by tourism, and the Strada Nova was the first step.

  • Le Arti che vanno per via (1753) — Gaetano Zompini

    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.

What others said

No Title

October 13, 2022

Very in depth information. Renè has a wealth of knowledge that can be found in the small corners of one square.

Annie
Verified

Thank you, René, for teaching me so much!

October 11, 2022

René taught me more than I was ever expecting to learn from this experience. It was nice that he catered the history of Venice and Italy to how it impact the history of the culture I’m from. I would highly recommend this.

Maggie
Verified

No Title

October 9, 2022

Very knowledgeable and interesting facts

Kelsey
Verified

Thank you for all the information

September 30, 2022

You don’t initially walk far on this tour as the history is surrounding us. Rene was extremely informative and we enjoyed his tour.

Tina
Verified

No Title

September 29, 2022

Wir haben viel über die Geschichte Venedigs gelernt. René hat einen unendlichen Wissensfundus über Venedig und die Geschichte Europas. Er hat uns auf viele Details aufmerksam gemacht.

Lisa
Verified

No Title

September 29, 2022

Very knowledgeable from broad strokes of history to tiny details that are not in the guide books.

Paul
Verified

Thank you, Rene’ for sharing your enthusiasm and expertise!

September 29, 2022

Thank you, Rene’ for sharing your enthusiasm and expertise! You gave us a great history lesson that made our trip so much more meaningful. The life of the city has had so much turmoil and yet so much good. Rene’ was very accommodating clients and answering questions. He was engaging and easy to follow. His stories grabbed your attention. I recommend his tour for learning about the history of the development of the Venetian Culture, the development of the city, and the many historical figures that made it what it is today. We found many secrets of Venice in our tour. It was fun!

Bill
Verified

No Title

September 28, 2022

Excellente excursion avec plein de détails.

Suzanne
Verified