A taste of Venice

This program has been designed by Sophisticated Italy to provide first-time visitors to Venice, as well as cruise excursionists, a spectacular “taste” of the wonders of the Serenissima Republic. The tour starts at 9 a.m., with our special professional English-speaking guide, with a private introductory walking tour of the city’s highlights—Saint Mark’s Square and the Basilica with its golden mosaics, the Doge’s Palace with its masterworks by Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto, and the Bridge of Sighs.

This introductory walk continues, through Venice’s narrow “calles” and arriving at the Rialto Bridge, built in 1580, and finishes at the central market area with its open-air fish and fruit/vegetable market. At 11 a.m., the visitors will be picked up by a private motor launch and an English-speaking hostess for a tour of the Grand Canal—with its magnificent architectural jewels and palaces—from the Ca’ Rezzonico to the Ca’ d’Oro, the Gallerie dell’Accademia and the Guggenheim Collection, the Palazzo Grassi and the Venice Casino. The entire history of this magnificent city from one’s own private motor yacht!

Finishing this tour, the clients will be taken through the Venetian lagoon to the island of Murano—and a tour of this island made world famous for its precious glass. They will be taken into a special (non-touristy) factory to see how Murano glass is made.

The private boat will return to Venice. With a panoramic tour of the Lagoon—passing the Arsenale, the Lido, the Biennale area and the San Pietro di Castello church. At this point, the clients will be escorted for a fabulous lunch at a very special restaurant where the warm and hospitable owners will ensure a memorable meal and a fitting end to an incredible day.