Walking tour of Venice?

[Lindancer]

We will be in Venice for a couple of days before our cruise.  My husband and I have been there a couple of times before, even spending a whole week in September of 2016.  But now we will be with our 18-year old grandson, and I can't help but think he would enjoy hearing a bit about the city from an expert.  Does anyone have any suggestions for local guides or tours?

Thanks in advance!

Linda

[pkster]

I'm not sure if this would be breaking any forum rules, but there's a free app from a famous travel guy who's often on PBS.  It includes four different Venice walking tours.  The one that really surprised me (in a very good way) was the Frari Church tour.  Highly recommended.

[CruiserBruce]

Venice is pretty small.  Tight, confusing,  yes. But not really hard. Noreal need for a tour. Just walk with open mind and eyes.

[Lindancer]

11 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Venice is pretty small.  Tight, confusing,  yes. But not really hard. Noreal need for a tour. Just walk with open mind and eyes.

Yes, I can find my way around Venice by myself (maybe not without getting lost a few times, ha ha ).  But I am looking for someone who can explain some of Venice' interesting history, along with some interesting anecdotes perhaps, and some off-the-beaten path sites.  Just looking at the architecture doesn't really say anything.

[cruisemom42]

Context Travel offers some small group Venice tours; may be a bit heavy for an 18-year-old though, depending on interest level.

 

Honestly I would advise booking one of the guided tours for the Doges Palace, which gives a fair amount of background about Venice's history and how it was governed. Also very interesting for my DS (mid 20s) and I was booking one of the official tours of the Jewish ghetto that includes entry to several of the synagogues and a good guided tour that provides history for that particular part of Venice.

 

The rest can be covered by judicious use of a guidebook, in my opinion. 

Edited May 25, 2022 by cruisemom42

[FionaMG]

You could have a look at Guru Walks, which are "free" (tip at the end). I recently did one in London, which was great as there were only 8 of us signed up for it, and one in Rome, which was also good but the group was way too big (50 people). A third, in Naples, had to be cancelled because the guide changed the time, making it unworkable. Obviously you're not going to get in-depth info but it sounds like you just want a brief overview so you might find one that works for you.

https://www.guruwalk.com/venice

[Lindancer]

1 hour ago, FionaMG said:

You could have a look at Guru Walks, which are "free" (tip at the end). I recently did one in London, which was great as there were only 8 of us signed up for it, and one in Rome, which was also good but the group was way too big (50 people). A third, in Naples, had to be cancelled because the guide changed the time, making it unworkable. Obviously you're not going to get in-depth info but it sounds like you just want a brief overview so you might find one that works for you.

https://www.guruwalk.com/venice

Excellent suggestion!  We took a free walking tour in Rome in 2019, but it didn't occur to me to check it out in Venice.  Thanks!

[carlmm]

Besides the one mentioned there are a few more providers of free walking tours you might like to check out, offering various different itineraries.