Welcome to Venice. You’ll walk all about Venice, enter St. Mark’s Basilica and then end your tour with a gondola ride. If you want to ride in a gondola then take this tour as it is included. The tour costs the same as a gondola ride so it is essentially free.

We met in a piazza by the Rialto Bridge at an old clock tower, pictured above. Nearby was a shop where we could get coffee or a drink for the day trip. The first place we headed to was the Jewish ghetto and then to visit the fruit and fish markets.

A lot of this tour takes place on the out of the way smaller back streets away from all the crowds which is very nice. We appreciated that we didn’t have to fight any crowds or struggle to hear what our guide was telling us.

The guide showed us the pylons that Venice is built on and how they replace them. While on the grand canal, you’ll see barge after barge carrying stacks of pylons. They work on replacing them every day to keep the city afloat.

The guide also told us about how all the water that comes into the city is from the Dolomites. The water in your hotel is the same that comes out of every fountain, so yes, refill your water bottles anywhere you wish.

We saw Marco Polo’s house and the Church of Miracles as we strolled towards St. Mark’s Basilica. Inside you’ll see the Pala d’Oro altarpiece. Upstairs you get to see the famous bronze horses that had been moved inside for various reasons, mostly conservation today. They were stolen by Napoleon in 1797 but returned in 1815. Replicas stand outside in their place.

After we exited the Basilica we walked through the square to the canal to take our 1/2 hour ride through the canals, out to the grand canal and back, on our gondola ride. There’s a little anxiety as you’re going past the Vaporetto, water taxis, and barges, but it’s all safe.

We had a really good time on this morning and learned a lot about the history of Venice and it’s back streets and how it stays afloat. I could have done without the smell of the fish market but all in all, still a good time.

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