Discover the fishbone-like shape Giudecca island, known to be Venice’s unofficial seventh sestiere, once an aristocratic retreat, later the city industrial centre and nowadays a trendy artistic district.
Let’s walk through the largest and closest island to Venice, from which it is separated by the broad and deep Giudecca Canal enjoying breath-taking views on the splendid city.
The peacefulness of the island also made it popular among religious communities and with patrician families who built palaces with lovely gardens and allotments there. You will see how after the fall of the Republic, these areas were converted into warehouses, barracks, prisons, factories and workers’ quarters, some of them nowadays converted for artistic ad modern purposes. You will be walking not only through the long pedestrian quay running the length of its Venice-facing side but also wandering its hidden lagoon-facing side with gardens, art galleries and residential neighbourhoods.
Posted By : Odyssey83334
Valerio gave us an unforgettable tour of the Giudecca, showing us the rich history of the island and its hidden treasures with an unsurpassed mix of humor and deep local knowledge. His witty anecdotes entertained us throughout the journey, while his deep understanding of the area illuminated lesser-known aspects. Valerio's passion for storytelling and his genuine enthusiasm made the experience truly memorable. We left the tour not only with a new admiration for the island, but also with a desire to explore more of Venice under Valerio's guidance. Highly recommended to anyone looking for an engaging and enlightening journey into the heart of Venice.
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Posted On : 2024-04-03 16:34:27 
Posted By : R4586GLpaolom
Thanks to Valerio, I had the opportunity to discover the wonderful Giudecca for the first time. His preparation is evident, but what sets him apart is his communication skills. With him, I explored hidden corners that I would never have imagined, and the time of the visit literally flew by. I highly recommend the experience with Valerio, even if you have already visited Venice in the past: you will discover new perspectives and further enrich your trip.
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Posted On : 2024-04-02 12:29:27
Posted By : rossellam608
Beautiful and original family visit, very knowledgeable guide who was able to involve the children a lot too! Highly recommended
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Posted On : 2024-03-21 04:34:48
Posted By : Francyuly
I have been to Venice dozens of times, but I had never yet visited the island of Giudecca. The tour organized by Valerio was interesting, fun and engaging. I will certainly take part in his other tours and I recommend him to anyone who wants to discover a new Venice. Thanks Valerio
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Posted On : 2024-03-20 15:56:22
Posted By : Ace6of6Clubs
We paid for a regular tour, but it ended up being a private tour anyway, which was great, because we could ask lots of questions and get answers from our native Venetian guide. He was ready with everything from restaurant recommendations to reminiscences about growing up in Venice, and gave us his card after so we could call or contact him with any questions we had during the rest of our stay. Also recommended we get the ACTV pass that covered the length of our stay, which was super convenient for getting around during the rest of our trip.
The tour itself was mostly an outdoor walking tour, though we did go in a church and an artist's studio. The studio was in a cloister turned artist colony. We got to see real Venetian neighbourhoods, with kids having birthday parties, cats roaming, and residents raising ducks. It was a great break from the narrow, crowded streets around St. Mark's that most tourists stick to. Our guide kept saying, this is what Venice was like in the 1950s, and it's more sustainable to have tourism spread out over the city, rather than everyone concentrating on the same three sites.
Great slice of life tour. My only suggestion would be, when meeting tour groups, have a small A4 sign with the tour company name printed on it so people can spot the guide more easily. (We ended up calling him even though we were standing very near each other - it's the Zattere ACTV stop, not the Alilaguna one that you meet at.) Would recommend tours like this to anyone staying in Venice on more than just a day-trip.
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Posted On : 2023-08-13 12:31:39
Posted By : patrick_delcol
This was a super out-of-track discovery with Valerio. Something which helped us understanding better the true Venetian life. Definitely worth....and moreover with the stunning view at the end.
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Posted On : 2021-05-07 16:52:10
