Venice is a city known for its timeless beauty, rich history, and unique charm that calls countless travelers from all over the planet! From its winding, cobblestone streets to its legendary waterways, there’s a world waiting to be unveiled.

However, to really peer into the heart and soul of what makes this city what it is, having a local expert guide who knows this beautiful place front and back is essential.

I’ve gone ahead and compiled a carefully-curated list of the 7 top private guided tours of Venice available today. Let’s jump right in!

Be sure to see our reviews of Venice Food Tours, Dolomites Day Trips From Venice and Venice Wine Tours.

Best Private Guided Tours of Venice

	Private 5 hrs Grand Day Tour of Venice on Foot and by Boat with Tickets Included	Venice in a Day Private Tour	Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Venice Private Tour
Location:	P.za San Marco, 30124 Venezia VE	Campo S. Giacomo di Rialto, 30125 Venezia VE	Campo S. Giacomo di Rialto, 30125 Venezia VE
Start:	Between 8:30 AM & 2:00 PM	9:00, 10:00 or 11:00 AM	Between 9:00 AM & 12:00 PM
Duration:	5 hours	5 hours	3 hours
Includes:	Guide, skip-the-line tickets to Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica, headsets for walking tours, Grand Canal boat tour by motor-launch	Private expert local guide, skip-the-line tickets to St Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace, private gondola ride	Custom private tour, local guide, see the city’s top attractions and secret gems, 1 local drink and tasting
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated Private Guided Tours of Venice For 2024

1. Private 5 hrs Grand Day Tour of Venice on foot and by boat with tickets included
2. Venice in a Day Private Tour
3. Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Venice Private Tour
4. Private Tour: Venice Half-Day Walking Tour
5. Private 4 hrs Venice Tour: St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace and Secret Venice
6. Private One Day Tour in Venice!
7. Private Guided Tour: Venice Gondola Ride Including the Grand Canal

Private Guided Tours of Venice Reviews

1. Private 5 hrs Grand Day Tour of Venice on Foot and by Boat with Tickets Included

The first time I ever arrived in Venice, I was taken aback by just how many things there were to see and do. The floating city is not only visually aesthetic, it’s also filled to the brim with history, rich culture, and delicious food.

The Private 5 hrs Grand Day Tour of Venice on Foot and by Boat with Tickets Included is the perfect way to get to know the Floating City in one comprehensive experience that will make you fall in love.

The only thing that I felt could’ve made this tour better, was offering a hotel pickup instead of having to meet up in central Venice. However, it was still quite easy to access from our hotel and our guide was super friendly and welcoming, answering any questions we had.

I was really excited to discover that we had skip-the-line access to many of the most popular sites, including the impressive St. Mark’s Basilica, leaving us more time to explore.

Our first stop was at the Doge’s Palace, where I learned about the dark history behind this place, even getting the opportunity to walk through the famous prisons, where countless prisoners were held.

The Piazza San Marco and Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark’s) were absolutely beautiful, learning about the history of the church and the square as our guide led us around.

Speaking of churches, I also loved seeing the Santa Maria Formosa Rensaissance Church dedicated to the Holy Virgin and boasting quite the interesting background.

We cruised along the Calle del Paradiso typical Venetian alley way with breathtaking Byzantine and Gothic architecture, before arriving to the gorgeous Grand Canal to take a relaxing 1-hour ride along the waterways.

If you’re looking to see a lot of the city in a short amount of time, this is a fantastic choice!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

Other Experiences You May Enjoy:

2. Venice in a Day Private Tour

Venice is one of my favorite cities in the world, and one of the tours that made me fall in love with it so, is this next one. The Venice in a Day Private Tour allows you to dive into the romance, mystery, and allure thanks to an expert local guide in a private tour setting.

Through narrow alleys to smooth waterways, there are so many stories ready to be explored from this once major financial and maritime power.

Our tour began in the Piazza San Marco, which is simply breathtaking, featuring Saint Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, and plenty of ornate arches and stunning structures that will take you back in time.

After our guide asked us about our specific interests to incorporate into the tour, we then headed to the Basilica di San Marco, skipping the lines to admire the ornate beauty of the Patriarchate of Venice without the wait.

We then headed to the Doge’s Palace with VIP entry once again, so there was no waiting and we got to see all of the private hidden apartments, along with the Hall of Great Council, Bridge of Sighs, and more.

It was very interesting, albeit a bit sad learning about the wrath and torment that occurred here. After walking around and learning all about the Doges’ span of nearly 1000 years of ruling, we then took a more lighthearted turn onto a fantastic eatery for lunch.

We then took a leisurely stroll through the charming streets to all kinds of bridges and piazzas, like the famous Rialto bridge and Marco Polo’s house! Closeby, we stopped by Campo Santa Maria Formosa for a private gondola ride, which is so exquisitely “Venice” in all its glory!

It may be cliche, sure, but it was one of my favorite parts of the tour, which is saying a lot because I loved it all!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Venice Private Tour

Venice is a city of romance, mystery, and intricate history, but there’s so much more than what originally meets the eye. If you’d really like to capture its authentic essence in just one day, this is one of the best tours to take.

The Highlights & Hidden Gems with Locals: Best of Venice Private Tour does a great job summing it up, offering a more behind-the-scenes look at the floating city.

We met our guide in central Venice, who was a local and very passionate about his city, which made the tour that much more intriguing. As it is a completely private tour, he even asked for our input and what we were specifically interested in, to tailor it to our liking.

With exclusive access and skip-the-line tickets to major attractions, we also got to see so much more than we would have had we purchased the tickets separately.

While being able to see the most popular sites like this was certainly fun, it was equally as interesting being able to see the more off-the-beaten-path discoveries like little campos, tranquil canals, and plenty of breathtaking architecture I’d never even heard of before.

Our guide really tailored the tour to our needs, taking us to many little treasures along the way – like the Banksy painting on one of the canal walls!

Again, this is an experience that likely wouldn’t be possible unless you’re going with a local guide who really knows the city like the back of their hand.

It’s perfect for taking near the beginning of your Venice stay, so you can explore all the various little shops and fantastic eateries throughout the rest of your time there.

This is definitely one of those experiences that will show you the “backstory” of the city many don’t know about.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Private Tour: Venice Half-Day Walking Tour

I couldn’t believe how affordable this next tour was, especially considering that it’s 100% completely customizable!

This is one of the most affordable private tours I’ve seen in Venice, where a professional guide will lead you and your party alone throughout the places you’re most interested in!

If that sounds like fun to you, do yourself a favor and check out the Private Tour: Venice Half-Day Walking Tour!

Something else that made this tour so convenient to me was the fact that they have a whopping 5 different start times, ranging from early in the morning to later at night.

Whether you’re interested in architecture, food, Renaissance art, etc., do not doubt that these guides can whip up a fascinating tour that will show you the best of the best. I told them I was most interested in both Renaissance architecture and art, and wow, they did not disappoint!

Along the way, we stopped at a couple of locales to try traditional Venetian appetizers and a couple of glasses of local wines, too. The Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari was one of the most impressive sites I’ve ever seen, and while many tourists miss it, I’d advise you not to.

Inside is just as impressive, with art like Giovanni Bellini’s ‘Madonna and Child with Saints, ‘Saint John the Baptist’ by Donatello, and ‘Assumption’ by Titian.

What was really cool is that our guide was so thorough that he even set up reservations for us to see additional experiences and try busy restaurants, with impeccable timing!

I learned so much about Venetian foods, customs, wines, and of course, the history relating back to local architecture and art. I truly can’t recommend this tour enough, no matter the age or background!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Private 4 hrs Venice Tour: St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace and Secret Venice

This is another private tour throughout the floating city that’ll take you through its winding canals and alleyways, uncovering little hidden gems and famous landmarks.

If you have a larger party or you’re traveling with the entire family, this is the tour I’d recommend most as it’s ideal for bigger groups.

The Private 4 hrs Venice Tour: St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace and Secret Venice has a fantastic guide to tailor the experience to your preferences to ensure a personal tour, too.

Like most tours on this guide, it starts off with you meeting your guide in the center of Venice – in this case, right outside the Royal Gardens. Our guide asked us about what we’re most interested in and designed the next 4 hours around it.

Our first stop of the day was a quick stroll over to Doge’s Palace located in St. Mark’s Square, where we were able to skip the massive queues and head straight inside!

We followed our guide throughout the different opulent rooms, decorated with gilded decor, murals, paintings, etc. from floor to ceiling!

After learning all about the Doges, we headed closeby to St. Mark’s Basilica, where we also skipped the line and headed right inside to explore the towering golden domes and marble for half an hour.

We then went to the backstreets to check out fascinating hidden gems like the imposing San Zaccaria Church, Campo Santa Maria Formosa, and “hidden Venice”.

I loved the stories our guide shared with us as we explored, further enriching what we were seeing in a way that was engaging and natural – not like audiobook tours that just repeat information you can find anywhere.

Oh, and if you’re traveling with easily distracted teens, this tour will keep them entertained with intense stories and fun guides! While the price is a bit higher than the others, it’s more than worth it!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

6. Private One Day Tour in Venice!

This next tour is the most comprehensive of the bunch, and is perfect if you are only going to be in Venice for a short amount of time!

If you’re going to be in the city for only a day or two, this tour does a great job of offering insight into Venice’s history while showing you a huge amount of top sites. The Private One Day Tour in Venice starts out at 10:00 am, and you’ll be back just after dinnertime!

Instead of having to head to a meetup point and figure out how to get there, rest easy waiting in your hotel lobby for your guide to come pick you and your crew up! Our first task of the day was to explore the Cannaregio district.

It is surprisingly lacking the masses of tourists, but is brimming with history – most notably, the Jewish Ghetto filled with old synagogues, art galleries, and museums.

Next up, we visited the San Polo district, which is known as the old trade center of the city, and is where we were able to see and explore the treasures that are offered at Rialto market! I really had a fun time in Santa Croce, which is filled with all kinds of art and talented artisans!

We then crossed the Ponte di Rialto, appreciating the beautiful views and learning about its history before arriving at the Mercati di Rialto for a traditional lunch.

After fueling up on cicchetti and local wines, we made our way to the legendary San Marco square where we saw the basilica, Doge’s Palace, and Bridge of Sighs.

The only thing that was a slight “con” for me was that we had to pay extra to enter the Doge’s Palace, but it was still quite affordable and worth it.

After that, we got to see one of the oldest glass factories on Murano Island, finishing with a private water taxi ride on the gorgeous Grand Canal while sipping on a glass of Prosecco.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

7. Private Guided Tour: Venice Gondola Ride Including the Grand Canal

If you’re looking for a tour that will easily fit into even the busiest of itineraries, this one is right up your alley!

It’s a fantastic way to see Venice from quite possibly the most “iconic” perspective: a gondola! The Private Guided Tour: Venice Gondola Ride Including the Grand Canal comes with tons of different start times throughout the day and evening, so you can surely find a time that works perfectly for you.

I feel that everyone should have the experience of riding a gondola when in Venice, down the famous Grand Canal lined with opulent palaces, impressive basilicas, and old homes that simply can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

With 5 passengers maximum per boat, this is definitely an intimate experience ideal for friends, families, couples, and even solo travelers. Meet the guide in central Venice to take off close to St. Mark’s Square, which is very easy to access from just about any hotel in the city.

The gondoliers are quite charming, themselves, though it was our guide who really made the experience so memorable and educational.

He spoke various languages but was a local, born and raised, so he knew just about everything one could know about Venice’s past and present! Taking in the gorgeous canal-side sights was something else, offering incredible opportunities for photos and videos.

As we cruised down the famous Grand Canal, he quizzed us on fun facts and trivia, while also regaling us with interesting anecdotes from his own experiences of living there.

It was so cool being on the water as we passed by all kinds of water taxis, barges, and plenty of other gondolas!

Going under the gorgeous Accademia Bridge was quite the experience, and I really enjoyed getting to go through the narrower little canals that I felt exhibited perhaps the most charming homes and wonders.

However, there’s no underestimating the grandeur of the Ca’ d’Oro palace and the Rialto Bridge, passing through centuries of history.

This is so much more than just a gondola ride – it was a great balance between a relaxing ride and an educational experience. It’s perfect for every age, too!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience