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:

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Daghe adosso, Nino!

    Daghe adosso, Nino!

    An Austrian admiral giving orders in Venetian, in a naval battle against Italy, which eventually led to Venice becoming Italian

What others said

Magical Tour

December 13, 2024

We had a wonderful tour with René. He took us all around and shared the stories behind the beautiful places we were seeing. The pace was perfect for us as a family of 4 with two young children. We learned so much and it was truly a highlight of our time in Venice.

Emily
Verified

I’ve really enjoyed my tour

October 21, 2024

René is really knowledgeable and has lots of stories to tell that will help you better understand the history of the city and how to see the city. I’ve really enjoyed my tour!

Henry
Verified

The tour was packed with information.

October 13, 2024

The tour was packed with information. Rene really knew his stuff. We learned to spot ancient graffiti and identify the age of buildings by their architecture, and we kept thinking about these things throughout our Venice trip. The walking was less than we anticipated and I would have liked to walk a bit more, but I think Rene can tailor to his audience. I’d definitely book another tour with Rene for more insights next time I visit Venice.

Caroline
Verified

This really helped me understand the city!

September 23, 2024

A fascinating, informative talk about the history of Venice – highly recommended! A knowledgable tour guide who was able to answer any questions, so this felt like a bespoke experience. Great storytelling, held my attention for the whole time, and the two hours flew by! Well worth it.

Dale
Verified

We simply loved it!

September 21, 2024

Rene knows everything about Venice. You should definitely do a tour with him, specially at the begging of your trip so you can play detective when you’re waking around the town by yourself. We asked a lot of questions about history, economy and contemporary daily life in Venice and he had very deep and complete answers for everything. I wanted to do a double tour to know more. Much more intimate and personalized experience than the big guided tours. And at the end he was so kind to walk us to the restaurant we had to go. Soooo much better than walking and looking google maps ❤️ Book it now!!

Marcela
Verified

Our visit to Venice is better for having joined your tour.

September 21, 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour with Rene. Rene is a highly knowledgeable historian and an excellent storyteller. He gave an engaging and comprehensive account of the history of Venice, expertly using location to support his narrative. He expertly answered a diverse range of questions and engaged adults and children equally well. He was friendly, generous and accommodating. Easy to find the meeting place, and it was clear from the introduction that Rene was interested in what we already knew about Venice in order to adjust the narrative as needed. Honestly – we could not believe our luck to have joined this tour. Excellent value and gave a new dimension to our experience of Venice. Highly recommended.

Karen
Verified

René est un fin connaisseur de l’histoire de la ville

September 21, 2024

Très bonne expérience. René est un fin connaisseur de l’histoire de la ville et sait parfaitement la faire partager en s’appuyant sur des détails architecturaux environnants. Peu de marche, accès facile.

Benjamin
Verified

Highly recommend this experience

September 10, 2024

René was an excellent and passionate story teller. Took us back in time with his stories. Goes into a great detail about the Venetian and world history. Highly recommend this experience.

Akshay
Verified