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:

  • Prostitution in Venice

    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

  • 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.

  • 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

What others said

We absolutely loved our guided tour with René

August 24, 2021

We absolutely loved our guided tour with René! If you want to discover Venice’s history and architecture beyond the well known tourist attractions, René is the perfect guide for you. He is very knowledgeable in both Venetian history as well as current events and took a lot of time answering every question and tailor his tour to the groups individual interests.

Rosanna
Verified

Die Tour war super

August 22, 2021

Die Tour war super um etwas über die Geschichte und Entstehung von Venedig zu erfahren! René hat ein sehr großes Wissen über Geschichte und hat uns viele Details und Kleinigkeiten erklärt, an denen man sonnst achtlos vorbei gelaufen wäre! Ich hab die tour an meinem ersten Tag gemacht U danach geht man mit einem ganz anderen Blick durch die Gassen ?! Abgerundet haben wir die Tour spontan mit einem aperol spritz in einer schönen, lokalen Bar mit lokalen preisen?

Maike
Verified

Rene was a great guide

August 21, 2021

Rene was a great guide….took us through the history of venice….and was particularly passionate about society through the ages…..would recommend

Rikky
Verified

Fantastic tour

August 20, 2021

Fantastic tour, and the host has super in depth knowledge of the area and Italian history. Highly recommended!

Boris
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This is the best city tour we have attended

August 18, 2021

This is the best city tour we have attended. Rene is extremely knowledgeable about Venice and proud to share. He started from the broad-picture Venice history and then zoomed in on the details by showing city layouts, buildings, and even carvings on the walls. The tour started in a quiet Campo (square) and then went to some small alleys, with very little tourist or noise disturbance. Rene was so into the presentation and went over for at least a half-hour. His English is fluent, clear, and easy to understand. Rene was also accommodating by letting us postpone the starting time and then letting us join the next day, as our train arrived late. Our visit to Venice wouldn’t be complete without Rene’s tour. Thank you, Rene!

Gene
Verified

Una visione di Venezia che solo chi vive ed ama Venezia può donare.

August 17, 2021

Ottima guida made in Danimark. Parla italiano perfettamente. Mi ha fatto scoprire piccoli particolari a cui non avrei fatto caso. Una visione di Venezia che solo chi vive ed ama Venezia può donare.

Alberto
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This is an experience I would much recommend

August 14, 2021

If you are in Venice for only a short time – this is an experience I would much recommend. I got a much better feel of the place thanks to Rene’s tour.

Frank
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René was so knowledgeable

August 14, 2021

René was so knowledgeable we learned so so much! This was a great way to kick off our time in Venice since we learned so much about the city!

Christina
Verified