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:

  • 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

  • The Fall of Venice

    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.

  • 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

Excellent encyclopaedic knowledge

April 4, 2024

Excellent encyclopaedic knowledge. I wish I had prepared a list of questions, because I’m sure Rene would have had the answers!

Brona
Verified

Thank you so much for your time and sharing your knowledge!

April 1, 2024

René is SO knowledgeable about history in the area. René also does an outstanding job of connecting events and movements from around their world and their connections to Venice.

Sarah
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No Title

March 29, 2024

We had a very interesting couple of hours. Rene is clearly a skilled historian able to meet his groups on their level of knowledge and preparation. We are sure that you will appreciate the small groups and the individual design of the tours. We learned a lot Recommended

Lars
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Definitely recommended!

March 28, 2024

Not that much to say because this tours actually delivers. It is exactly a tour with Rene with an incredible wealth of knowledge, be it from the architecture to the political system of Venice. Book here if you want to understand more about the past of Venice. And the title does not lie at all,- a lot is present in plain sight but easily to overlook. Definitely recommended!

Jakob
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We really enjoyed our day with you

March 25, 2024

We enjoyed our stroll around Venice with Renee. Renee is very knowledgeable about European history. We learned a lot about Venice and its trade relations with other nations. We also learned a lot about how Venetian palaces were organized and run, which I found fascinating. Would have liked to have heard more stories about the families that occupied those palaces and their influence on the city state in its prime. Still, we had a lovely time and truly enjoyed Renee’s company and insights.

Layla
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No Title

March 19, 2024

Good experience with René, he’s passionate about the history of his beautiful city and I recommend you take this experience if you are fond of history as well. We expected a more contemporary visit but ended up learning a lot about the construction of the city and its institution.

Pauline
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Thanks for a wonderful tour!!

March 13, 2024

It was very interesting to learn about the history of the city through tiny architectural details that you’d miss if you weren’t looking for them! René does a fantastic job.

Katherine
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È stata un bella esperienza!

March 13, 2024

Renè è preparatissimo e nonostante questo molto curioso e la sua curiosità è contagiosa! Ti fa venire voglia di guardare ogni angolo di muro e i nomi di tutti i campi e le calle per conoscerne la storia Esperienza consigliata!

Alessandra
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