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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The Fall of Venice
The fall of Venice on May 12th, 1797, was the result of a war that the Republic of Venice formally wasn’t even party to.
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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.
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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.
What others said
Magnificent experience
We’ve been several times in Venice, but with Rene we saw and understood the hidden history and had a magnificent and individual experience, which was worth every penny. Our three hour tour was both exciting and interesting and went over in no time. Rene has an incredible knowledge about history in general and especially of Venetian history. He may not just answer ‘every’ question by telling dates and facts; instead he’ll start showing a salty stone or a hidden graffiti and explaining from there on links between history and today.
This is a great tour to learn how to ‘read’ the city
This is a great tour to learn how to ‘read’ the city: understand the buildings, the squares, the layout of the neighbourhoods and so on. Great to do when you first arrive so you can apply those skills during the rest of the trip!
We really enjoyed the historic tour with you
Hello René, We really enjoyed the historic tour with you. It is impressing how much you know about the history and how much passion you have for the themes . We liked mostly that you not only told but rather really showed us how much the change of time is visible in all the different buildings of the city. Thank you and best regards Nina and Timm
René’s tour is great
René’s tour is great! I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a history buff, or just wants to know more about the city and get a better sense of it. He has a great storytelling style and the walk is peppered with personal anecdotes that show his attachment and belonging to Venice. I left feeling that i was more connected to the city and am recommending this walk to everyone i know for when they go to Venice. If René does any other experiences I will definitely sign up for them when in Venice!
We absolutely recommend this tour
We absolutely recommend this tour. We learned so much about the history of Venedig by looking at wonderful small details we would have never seen on our own! Wonderful guide with loads of stories and love for this city.
It was a unique experience
It was a unique experience – Rene always had the answers to our many questions of Venice’s history. We walked through places we would’ve never gone on our own, and we saw the city through the lenses of a passionate observer.