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 Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice never had an actual formal constitution, much less a written constitution. Neither did it have any kind of foundational event.
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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
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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.
What others said
Excellent tour. Highly recommended
Excellent tour. Highly recommended. Rene is hugely knowledgeable, erudite and gifted with impressive language skills. He has lived in Venice for decades so his knowledge is imparted with passion and dedication to the subject.
Great experience to understand Venice
Great experience to understand Venice in a way the guide books don’t tell you. I booked on the wrong day and Rene was very lovely in coming as soon as he heard. Great trip.
Wirklich ein tolles Erlebnis! Sehr Empfehlenswert!!
Wirklich ein tolles Erlebnis! Sehr Empfehlenswert!!
The walking tour was EXCELLENT
The walking tour was EXCELLENT, probably the best one I’ve ever taken in any city. René didn’t take us to the obvious sights, but explained the Venetian history and architecture through more hidden sights and regular buildings that you usually just walk by. His depth of knowledge is incredible and you can tell it’s his profession and passion at the same time. Would recommend for anyone interested in history and stories off the beaten path!
This was such an amazing tour
This was such an amazing tour. Rene pretty much knows everything and anything about Venice, any questions we had he answered in great detail and was just a generally amazing tour guide. This made our last day in Venice so special, please do this tour and be as amazed as we were! From Finn & Sophie
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