Hidden Venice Walking Tour with Gondola Ride, Cicchetti and Wine

Your English-speaking guide will be waiting for you at Campo San Bartolomeo near the statue in the middle of the square, from where you will start your walking tour. Leave the hordes of tourists behind and discover the Venice of your dreams as you navigate a fascinating labyrinth of narrow alleyways punctuated by delicate bridges and enchanting canals. You will visit little squares that formerly were oar workshops for the gondolas. Venture through to the Cannareggio district to see one of the oldest churches in Venice that dates from 7th Century and was restored in Renaissance times. Next, get on a gondola and cross the Grand Canal to reach the other side of Venice – Rialto and San Polo District. Explore the lively and colourful market area of the Rialto and learn of the legend of the hunchback of San Giacomo. Pass by the old locandas, where the merchants would sojourn and encounter the famous Venetian courtesans in the old red light district of Venice, home to the notorious "Ponte delle Tette". At Rialto, you will visit a Venetian osteria and taste few Cicchetti with a glass of wine. Moving forward you will head further in to the Hidden Venice and explore the secret areas of the San Polo district, which was the main trading centre for spices, precious fabrics, silk and many other goods. During this walk, you'll see some of the oldest houses in Venice, quaint picturesque bridges and palaces, an old prison for tax evaders and learn about how life used to be in Venice and how life is today for the modern day Venetians. The tour will conclude back by the Rialto bridge.