It was a very nice experience. A must do in Venice. For private gondola rides you'll pay more than double the price for the same duration of time. (30mins). Instead you can share a gondola with max 5 people. You only get a guided audio video, no tour guide (we were told it was because of the weather, it was a rainy day). Which was a bit of a setback cause it is written in the description that you'll get a tour guide explaining some things to you for 20 min before the ride starts. Which did not happen. Although we were fortunate to get a very nice and friendly gondolier, who explained some things to us. Yet it is a bit hard though to keep up with the audio + the gondolier explaining things (not always coinciding with the audio) + trying to enjoy the view and taking pictures/videos). So in the end I think it would have been easier to have gotten a guide, it would have been more organised and I think we could've enjoyed it more.
This was a great experience. It started out a little rough because the place was really hard to find, even more so because there was construction and scaffolding by the entrance to the via that you needed to get to. That made us late and the shop owner was very upset about it (as was I). Eventually he came around and our boys ended up having a really great experience with him. He was patient and kind with the kids and very kind to me as well. While I was there, many people came to find him saying they bought masks years ago from him and wanted to find him. His quality was exceptional - everything in the shop was made by either him or his wife and the you could see how much the loved their work. He has been doing this his whole life and his passion was unmistakable. We got great products and wonderful memories for our kids! High recommend this - just be on time ;)
Made getting to the islands so much easier. We were only in Venice for 2 days and figuring out the transportation was just not an option for us. Our guide was great. She told us about each of the 2 islands and we had a demonstration on both. Then about and hour to ourselves. Not really long enough in burano considering it was lunch time and we all had to eat. So no time to really see it. I would suggest the tour add another hour on just to allow for that. But over all it was great. A bit of a long ride back on the boat to Venice. Maybe an hour. Which was comfortable. Maybe 20 of us on a smaller boat but fully covered from the sun and good air flow. So that was great bec it was hot. Pay close attention to meeting point. She was right where she was supposed to be but if you don’t know the area it can be chaotic.
We ment close to St. Marc and on it went. To begin with, I have no idea about Venice history; but the guide explained in a way that even a noob like me could quickly catch up. He was really into the stories, you could tell; his excitement rubbed off. Even the weirdest questions were not a problem - he had the answer. The restaurant recommendation really pleased my taste-buds, too! Amazing tour, definite recommendation!! The 2nd part, the self-guided tour, was quite interesting, too. I listened to it on my way back to the bus so I could only get a few stops but there are so many you can access!! If u book this tour I'd recommend to take the next day off so you can fully engage in the self-guided part, it's worth spending the time. Well, anyway: Thank you, it was great!
We booked in Giorgio's laboratory, during the recent New Year's Eve 2023. In addition to the charm of entering a real artisan laboratory, where you can already visually breathe the history of Venice and its Carnival, we were fascinated by Giorgio's stories about some of the masks traditions and on the origins of this important festival for the city, combining a unique practical experience with an unrepeatable cultural excursus that made us learn something more about Venice to appreciate it even better. Our daughters were happy with what was done and in their room today the masks made by them stand out with the wise advice of Mastro Giorgio! Not to be missed for those who want to fully experience Venice!
Susana was great! Along with the rest of our group, we caught a private water taxi to the two islands.We had about 1.5hrs on Murano after a demonstration at a glass making factory. After that we were able to visit the gallery or a walk around the city center. We then caught the private water taxi to Burano, where we went to a lace making shop. The demo wasn’t as great here but it was still interesting to walk around the store. We then had two hours on Burano, which was beautiful. There were lots of little shops, bakeries, restaurants and it was fun to walk around town. I bought cookies and sat at the waterfront and watched all the taxis arrive. It was one of the highlights of my trip to Venice.
Already on the boat trip by taxi to Murano, our guide Giovanna explained a lot of interesting things about Venice and the origin of the glass manufactories. The private tour of the glass factory was very impressive and informative. Due to the special Corona situation, the four of us were the only guests, which meant that we were looked after extremely courteously and personally. The subsequent stroll with Giovanna through Murano with a visit to two churches in which pictures by old masters were hidden on the walls, the onset of flooding due to the tide and the many stories that Giovanna knew to tell us about Murano and Venice rounded off our private tour away. A very successful trip!
"Our tour guide, Emanuella, was friendly, fascinating and obviously loved the places she was taking us to which made the tour really special. We never got bored of hearing her talk, she had such wonderful and interesting stories and information to impart! The glass blowing demonstration was incredible and although the lace making demonstration was much more brief/less structured, I think the balance was correct because it meant we had time to wander around Burano which is beautiful - and I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on some time to wander! Everything very well timed and well worth the money you pay for your tour. Would definitely recommend.
"
Fantastic experience and Giorgio is an absolute GEM! Not only is he superb artist, but also he (along with his wife and son) is one of the last authentic Venetian mask makers!! Who better to learn from than an artisan himself? Did this activity by myself-braved the rain in the early morning to make it! Highly recommend this quite enjoyable, unique and relaxing activity, especially if you enjoy crafting and learning more about the history of the Venetian carnival mask! You get to ask him about his other masks and keep yours as a souvenir! And he also offers discounts if you decide to purchase one of his own painted masks!
Not to miss! We recommend it at the beginning of the stay. Very interesting with lots of little anecdotes depending on the place. There is a nice balance between historical and anecdotal aspect. Our older teenagers were receptive to the explanations and loved this visit. Our guide who has lived all his life in Venice gave us the good sides of Venice, the good tips. She gave us advice for certain purchases (and it was not easy to find the place afterwards without having taken notes). And she also had a critical mind about the mass tourism that Venice represents and all the inconveniences that this engenders.
We did the tour with the guide Francesco and it was great. It was important to him to reach each individual in the group with his explanations and he showed us beautiful corners far away from the tourist streets. The guided tour was in English and he has such a clear pronunciation that you don't need to be fluent in English to understand him. Of course, it also helped a bit that he accompanied the explanations with his sympathetic Italian manner. We learned a lot about the history of Venice that day and would always book a guided tour with Francesco. As a guide we give him 5 stars. Thank you Francesco :)
I have been to Venice before. I was amazed at how much I learnt on this guided tour. My guide was Francesco, who was brilliant. We visited the back lanes and off the beaten tracks of the city, which was fabulous. We went over lots of the little bridges, requiring mobility so would suggest other travellers make sure that it is right for them. I paid about 24 euros which was excellent value- it lasted just under 2 hours. I was the only one on the tour and I appreciated them running it. Meeting place was just off St Marks Square which is very central. Would highly recommend.
Very interesting visit focusing on life in Venice, around the St-Marc district, with a dynamic and friendly guide, speaking very good French, knowing her subject perfectly and eager to draw the attention of tourists to the particularities that characterize the city and the life of the Venetians, in particular on the management of high tides, the architecture, the maintenance and the renovation of the buildings, the problems which the city must face, etc… We were 6 people for the visit in French this morning of September 25. To recommend.
The tour with Allessandra was so informative and enjoyable. I loved all the little tidbits of history that she shared along the way, and she was very willing to lend her local expertise to any questions about the area, including restaurant recs, etc. My 10 year old daughter also enjoyed the tour, especially the glass making demonstration. This tour had a good balance between organized and free time. I found this to be a good value, because it included the private boat ride, which was similar to a water taxi (which are expensive!).
It was an incredible experience! I highly recommend! We got super lucky as we had the main artist! He was telling us the history of the mask, showed us his work, as well as his wife and children. He outlined our masks and added some detail in the end. He was great with my 7 y/o daughter! He was very patient with her and made a few jokes. Needless to say, my daughter wanted to go back the next day! Its a nice setting as it can be just a private family event. We had the whole room to ourselves. Highly recommend!
The ticket gave us access to the Palazzo, the Bridge of Sighs and the prison to view at our own pace and this was what we wanted. We did pick up an audio guide for €5 within the palace but unfortunately the battery on the device ran out halfway through so they gave us our money back. The guide book provided with the ticket was a generic book on the area, not just the Palazzo, but nevertheless it is a good guide providing lots of lovely photos and information that we used to help us during our stay in Venice.
What’s more Venetian than a carnival mask? This workshop was such a wonderful way to experience one of Venice’s trademark crafts firsthand. Giorgio was patient, informative, generous with his expertise, and kind. We learned so much and had so much fun, plus we’re taking home one-of-a-kind souvenirs: SO much better than buying factory-made junk, and so meaningful! You shouldn’t miss this! And it’s definitely not just for kids: I did this workshop with my two teenagers, and I loved it. It was very meaningful.
We had a great time watching the glassmaker create a horse before our eyes in Murano. And then we enjoyed watching the lacemaker lady do her part for a tablecloth, I believe. We learned it takes 7 different lacemakers to make the design for the cloth. It was fascinating! Burano is such a quaint beautiful town with lots of nice shops and restaurants. Our tour guide was very informative, too! The boat ride was in a covered boat and our tour guide shared more information about the smaller islands we passed.
I’ve traveled a lot, but never really used a guided tour like this one. What an amazing experience Anthony provided for us! Engaging stories, excellent driving, extreme patience, and outstanding wit made our tour an easy way to experience the Scottish Highlands in just a few days. The trip was well-planned in the number, type, and activities available at each site. Loads of fun and even great back up plans when traffic issues required a detour on the third day. Highly recommended!
Just follow the meeting point in Google maps and it will bring you right to their newspaper stand (read their detailed description on how to find them). Don’t forget to download the audio guide in advance (either before or the stand has some wifi and a QR code to download) and bring headphones to listen with it. So far, in Italy, most audio guides are done by listening to a cheap phone/device placed beside your ear but having it on your own device /w headphones is much better.
The boat was lovely, tour guide was fantastic. Funny and very informative about Venice in general as well as speaking about the islands. Murano glassblowing was very interesting to watch and the island of Burano was our favourite. Beautiful coloured buildings. We took the afternoon tour which meant we ate lunch before and didnt need to spend our touring time just eating in Burano. There were lovely places for a coffee or for lunch, so whatever your preference.
Really nice excursion to visit Murano and Burano ! The guide Andreas is perfect, he can speak lots of languages. Really practical to be able to board and get off at Santa Lucia or Saint Marco. We also visited Torcello, but I think it isn't worth the detour. The time we could spend in Murano and Burano was not enough, it would be better to skip Torcello and lengthen the time in Murano and Burano. Burano is the best spot for gorgeous photos !
the first guide Valentina was very good and very kind, she explained very well and answered all the questions of the members of the group in a quick and targeted way. very good. the second guide, Alessandra, who accompanied us before the gondola ride, is a marvel, fantastic, funny and very friendly. he brilliantly conducted an Italian/French tour switching from one language to another with impressive ease! we are definitely satisfied
The city guide was a very personable person. Unfortunately, the wrong location was sent to me as a meeting point. This initially led to some confusion, but then cleared up. The tour shows the diversity of the city, you meander through small alleys and stand in a square again. In terms of art history, the tour could have been a little more well-founded. But a successful afternoon that left a very nice impression of Venice.
The Doge's palace is amazing! However, Skip-the -Line Entry ticket was not what I expected. I've had to leave to go back across the Piazza to find the kiosk, where I retreaved the ticket and the small guide book, which wasn't an exclusive guide book for the Doge's Palace, but a tiny guide book on Venice! Also, The price was much higher if you just queued to buy your ticket straight from the ticket office. Disappointed.
Staff are very friendly and the meeting location was easy to find. A nice overview is given before the gondola ride and while on the Grand Canal. The ride itself was lovely and relaxing and our gondalier even sang a little song and pointed out a few places of interest :) Head to Emilio Ceccato beside the Rialto bridge afterwards to pick up the shirt all the gondaliers wear from the nicest lady who works there.
The walking tour was really nice, allowing you to see unusual spots in Venice you wouldn't normally stumble upon. The gondola ride was amazing, the ride was so peaceful, and the views were incredible. The only slight downside was the guide would begin to walk to the next stop with no warning, which wasn't a massive problem but would have been nice to know we were moving on. Overall an amazing experience.
Beautiful experience, thanks above all to our guide Alessandra who was able to involve us with sympathy in the story of Venetian history during the introductory walking tour, especially that relating to the Grand Canal, gondolas and gondoliers. This was followed by a gondola ride of about half an hour, during which the gondolier was equally available to answer any questions we might have.
The booking was easy and uncomplicated, but the lady at the kiosk, who had to exchange the voucher for the ticket, was very unfriendly and impolite. She had no idea and it took forever. Luckily we had planned a little more time and nothing was going on yet. Suggestion: it's better to provide the ticket directly. Otherwise it was definitely worth standing in line just 5m instead of 500m.
We had a delightful ride with Diario. He was so proud of his family’s legacy and we were excited to hear the details of his fathers work. We rode in his family’s 32 year old gondola and he even pointed out his fathers home. It was fun to hear the gondoliers banter while riding the canal. It’s a very quick ride under the bridge of sighs and back again. Time flies when you’re having fun!
The first 2 islands were very nice, the last one was not much (a church on an island) There were also people who did the 2 islands tour, I would recommend that to people. A visit to the glass museum is an absolute must as far as I am concerned, but I have not seen a tour in a glass factory (they must mean the museum, but you can visit it at your own expense and opportunity)
Lots of signs in each room in different languages give history of the room and artwork. They block off specific pathway through the palace so it is easy to flow through in one direction so as not to get lost or miss anything. There were people with an app on their phone to use as audio guide but you have to download it where there’s wifi. We were happy reading the signs.
We had a very enjoyable gondola ride (one and only as newlyWeds) with our guide. Luckily the weather was perfect and the guide told us interesting facts about the different historically significant buildings along the canal as we passed them. The trip felt like the perfect amount of time for a short afternoon activity after we toured the Basilica and Palace all morning.
It was a very pleasant shared gondola ride. Be warned in case you only want to go with your partner, each gondola has 4 people. The tour guide provided a short history of the gondola in English and Spanish on the walk to the gondola. The meeting point is right off of St Mark's Square and is in a convenient location for the average traveler who is already in the area.
The walking part leading up to the gondolas was interesting and fun, learned a lot about the city and the tradition of the gondola!! The only negative about the whole thing was that our guide got us to the gondolas and left all of our groups, they were running behind and it became a little chaotic and we had no advocate for our groups. Otherwise was fantastic!!!
Fantastic tour with Giovanna, an extremely nice, hard-working Venetian woman who speaks perfect German. Very well organised, extensive and interesting information about Murano and the history of this small island. Lots of new impressions and, above all, good memories. Absolutely great and highly recommended! We (Nina and Jürgen) say thank you dear Giovanna
We had a lot of fun with the tour. The staff welcomed us very friendly. First we walked through the city for about 20 minutes and our guide Ricardo told us about his city of Venice with infectious enthusiasm. The city tour was very cool, but could have been longer. The focus of this tour is of course clearly on the gondola ride. It was really great too.
Amazing experience. Thanks a lot Alexandra for the detailed and wonderful trip. It was both memorable and mesmerising experience for us. Carnival mask workshop, glass making tour to Ivano Soffiato, chocolate tasting event all were wonderful but what topped all of this was your detailed guide and walking tour of Venice. Thanks a lot for the experience.
Amazing time had. Great fun for all the family including children of 6 and 4. Very friendly family run shop. The experience is choosing a mask blank from the selection, painting it and decorating it. In between waiting for the mask to dry and decorating you get to ask lots of questions and get an overview history of mask making. Highly recommended.
Our guide Christine, a local, was fantastic. She was professional, clear in her explanations and gave a lot of insider tips. We left at 9.30am and were back by 2.30pm. Approximately 1.5hours per island. I think if you are in Venice for more than 1 day it’s worth checking this out. I enjoyed the glass blowing, the lace making was a bit haphazard.
