Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo

Get off the beaten path in Venice, away from the crowds. With a guide, explore the lesser-known areas of the San Marco district and discover the fascinating history behind them. Embark on an enchanting walking tour through the heart of Venice, where the seamless blend of history and architecture creates an unforgettable journey. Begin your adventure by wandering past some of Venice’s most iconic landmarks without stopping, soaking in the city's majestic aura. You'll marvel at the spiraled elegance of the Scala Contarini del Bovolo, experience the historic ambiance of Campo Manin, and wander the enigmatic Calle degli Orbi. Admire the opulent façade of Teatro La Fenice and the sacred architecture of the Chiesa di San Moise. Continue your experience with an optional gondola ride discovering Venice from a unique angle: glide under the Bridge of Sighs into the magical San Marco Basin and greet the charming San Giorgio Island. A dream journey awaits!

Discover a masterpiece of architecture tucked away off the main streets of Venice and get stunning views with an entrance ticket to the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo. Get up close to its unique, external multiple arch spiral staircase, known as the "Scala Contarini del Bovolo" ("Of the Snail"). Take a closer look at its remarkable mix of Renaissance, Gothic and Byzantine styles, and then get an impressive view of the city rooftops. Go to the arcade at the top of the stairs and gaze down at the maze of streets and canals.

Explore Venice with a cost-effective City Card. Visit over 30 attractions, including Doge’s Palace, Leonarda da Vinci Museum, Scuala San Rocco, and more. Enjoy guided tours and a trip to the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello, along with a complimentary Canal Grande boat tour or a gondola ride. Take the stress out of planning your trip to Venice, and experience the city's rich history, culture, and magical atmosphere through museums, churches, tours, and gastronomy. Explore the city at your own pace and book until 5 days. Book optional skip the line entry to St. Marks Basilica. Following attractions are included: Museums and Galleries: Museum Correr National Museum of Archaeology at the Piazza San Marco Leonardo da Vinci Museum Landmarks and Monuments: Skip the line St. Marks Basilica entry, if option selected Doge’s Palace Scuola San Rocco State Library Marciana Church die San Giobbe Church Santa Maria di Giglio Church di Santo Stefano Church di Santa Maria Formosa Church di Santa Maria dei Miracoli Church di San Giovanni Elemosinario Church di San Polo Church di San Giacomo dall'Orio Church di San Stae Church di Sant’Alvise Basilica di San Pietro di Castello Church del Santissimo Redentore Church di San Sebastiano Scala del Bovolo & Sala del Tintoretto (including observation deck) Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista Boat Experience: Grand Canal Tour Gondola ride Island tour of Murano - Burano - Torcello Guided Tours: Teatro La Fenice Tour (opera tour) in English Venice City Tour - Discover the "Hidden Venice" in English Discount Partner: Eatwith 10%

Get ready to soak up all that Venice has to offer with this epic tour combining its main sites in One Day! Our journey starts in the famous St. Mark's Square - a true Italian gem. Meet up with your expert guide and dive deep into the juicy history of this iconic spot. You'll learn all about the Basilica di San Marco - its origins, the jaw-dropping historical events it's been through, before enjoying a guided visit inside! Year-round, we've got you covered with skip-the-line access to this holy place. After you visit St. Mark's Basilica, we'll take you on a magical journey through the enchanting backstreets hugging Venice's most romantic canals. Our next stop? The famous Rialto Bridge! Brace yourself for some amazing stories about this beauty before we saunter across to one of the best neighbourhoods in the city - the Rialto District. To conclude the morning part of your tour, we've got a special treat for you to tick off your bucket list. Your friendly English-speaking guide will accompany you up with a skilled gondolier for a dreamy 30-minute cruise down Venice's grand canal and some hidden secret canals. Time to fuel up with some delicious lunch (at your own expense) before meeting back up at St. Mark's Square for the second part of your tour. And guess what? This time, we'll skip the line and take you behind the scenes to explore the most impressive parts of a mind-blowing Venetian Gothic palace. Your tour concludes with a visit to the mighty Doge's Palace. Here you'll uncover the charming and darker side of Venice, from sites from the Golden Staircase and paintings of Titian, to its feared torture chambers and the Bridge of Sighs all of course alongside your expert guide.

Explore a lesser-known side of Venice on a 2-hour tour of the city’s hidden piazzas and palaces. In the company of a professional multilingual guide, you will set off from the Venice Pavillon, in front of the Royal Gardens near San Marco Square and stroll for approximately 90 minutes through little squares and down narrow canal-side streets. Head for the world-famous Fenice Theatre, completely restored inside after the disastrous fire of 1996. See San Fantin Church, a harmonious Renaissance building built initially by Scarpagnino and extended by Sansovino. You will then proceed towards Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo to view its unusual spiral staircase overlooking the tiny courtyard. The tour ends back near San Marco Square, where you will swap land for water and enjoy a 30- minute gondola ride along some of Venice’s beautiful canals.

The Venice Ghost Walking Tours feature a delightful sightseeing route through Hidden Venice that provides the perfect stage upon which your guide will introduce you to Ghost Stories. Legends and anecdotes from Venice's Past & Present. Stroll through narrow passageways, cross sleepy canals and abandoned piazzas (campi) to discover that Venice by night is a city of romance and mystery. During the Venice Ghost Walk you'll hear some intriguing ghost stories that will bring a chill to the night air. Throughout these 90-minute Venice Ghost and Legends Walking Tours your knowledgeable and entertaining guides will also entertain you with ghost stories and legends about Venice and the Venetians themselves. Mind your step, as you follow your guide on this Ghost Walking Tour of Venice as you don't want to wake the dead! We'll cross one cemetery hidden beneath the streets and campi of the modern-day city of Venice. And as you navigate the labyrinth of Hidden Venice you'll see numerous architectural gems lost in the backstreets of Venice that include the famous Bovolo staircase. Built by a wealthy Venetian, at a time when Venetians still travelled around the city on horse-back, this elaborate staircase enabled the nobleman to ride his horse up to his private apartments. You'll explore a secret passage-way, one of the few remaining ones left in the city. The lover of a noble Venetian lady used this passageway to gain access to her private apartments without the knowledge of her husband (access subject to water-levels). With stories of rat-infested prison cells that flooded during high tide, and a stroll along the "Calle dei Assassini" there will be many other surprises along the way. The Tour ends close to the Rialto Bridge.

The main attractions, the most important monuments, the curiosities, the legends, the places frequented by the locals, the best restaurants, the typical dishes, and the anecdotes of people who have always lived in the city. These are the elements I would like to find in a tour when I travel and that is exactly what you will find inside this digital tour! What will you need for this tour: - Smartphone - Internet connection - Some energy! You will walk about 3,8 km but it is feasible regardless of athletic training (so the tour must be done moving through the streets of Venezia and not just by phone). You can start the tour at any time: once purchased you will receive link and password to start your experience! Everything is going to be into GetYourGuide Voucher so read all the info! 😬 Once purchased, the tour can be used for the duration of the booked day + 2 extra days so: no rush at all! During the tour, you can freely enter the monuments (entrance fees are not included) and spend as much time as you like on the various visits! Unlike standard tours where you have to run after a guide, the beauty of this experience is that you can decide whether to relax, read historical insights, or spend more time on food or views! The experience is totally in your hands!

Meet your English-speaking guide in front of La Fenice opera house for a walking tour that follows in the footsteps of Giacomo Casanova, and travel back to the Venice Carnival of the 18th century. To set the mood, your guide will be dressed in traditional Venetian costume, and will acquaint you with the story of the Venice Carnival, then and now. Learn the history of the masks, once used to hide the wearers' identify, and hear how they are made. Admire elegant costumes from the 17th century, now worn to parade through the streets at Carnival time. See luxurious costumes worn by people attending one of the many Grand Balls that take place in private palaces. Your guide will talk about Casanova as a great lover, adventurer, extravagant, Freemason, and servant of the establishment. Born in Venice, he grew up in the San Samuele area, and you will walk through the narrow calle (alleys) that pass his home and the house of the poet Giorgio Baffo, who introduced the young Casanova to worldly pleasures. Learn about the Ridotto, the 1st Casino in Venice, where Casanova would meet the Venetian aristocracy. Hear fascinating stories about the courtesans who also played a part in making the city as animated as possible. Experience an alternative walking tour, filled with desire and passion, pleasure, and entertainment. End the tour in a typical Caffe approx 10 mins walk from St Mark’s Square with a hot cappuccino and typical Venetian Carnival cake called a “frittelle”, only made during the Carnival period.

The tour will begin at the Column of San Marco. This square is known to be the world’s most beautiful drawing room. The guide will give a brief historical introduction to the most powerful maritime empire of the Mediterranean Sea. In this square, there are some of the most famous buildings that the guide will point out to you as you continue the tour. In this square, you’ll be introduced to St Mark’s Basilica, the cathedral church of Venice, the symbol of the city with its Byzantine-style cupolas with its golden mosaics and priceless bronze and golden horses coming from Costantinopoli. The guide will explain the church’s exterior design in the severe form of Gothic. Next, you’ll continue to see the Doge’s Palace which is a few meters away from the Cathedral. Here the guide will reveal to you the story of this beautiful palace the fire that took place, the structure, and the architectural style of this magnificent building. And then walk to see the tallest building in Venice, The Campanile (Bell Tower) which once used to be a lighthouse for the sailors. You’ll also walk over the famous Bridge of Sighs and continue your journey in discovering and learning of the must-see architectural gems and you’ll continue to tour Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo, where the largest church of Venice is located, the Pantheon of Venice. The guide will take you around the church’s exterior, which is designed by marvelous sculptures. Just near the church, you can admire the most prominent and most beautifully decorated building in Venice known as the Scuola Grande di San Marco (“Great School of Charity”). As you stroll the streets and pretty alleys crossing across small bridges of Venice, you’ll uncover hidden gems along the way, like Marco Polo’s house a great traveler and writer, the guide will tell you the historical significance of this place, and the contribution made to the world by the man who once lived within these four walls, it is hard not to feel a certain sense of awe. You’ll not stop there; the guide will walk you to the hustling and bustling of the most famous shopping street of Venice known as Mercerie. This historic heart of commercial life in the city is situated between the Rialto Bridge and San Marco Square. Passing the Rialto bridge, walk along the grand canal to the most famous and renowned Italian theatre known as the Teatro La Fenice. Here you will discover the story of a mythical phoenix that's been told by the locals in Venice. Later visit the gothic spiral staircase, Scala Contarini del Bovolo externally along your way back to St. Mark’s Square. After a pleasant walk for two hours without being tired and overwhelmed, your walking tour will stop here, as you have discovered the priceless artistic heritage, a perfect balance between art, architecture, and history, and the perfect introduction to a city whose words cannot even begin to capture your walking tour ends.

Starting in Campo San Bartolomeo, this 1.5-hour walking tour takes you to the hidden corners of Venice. A qualified guide will lead you through winding streets and eerie squares and tell you tales of mystery, murder and superstition. This tour covers areas of Venice after dark including hidden squares and darkened alleys, that otherwise you might not have the courage to visit. Walk through the Castello district as you learn about Venetian doges and noblemen. Hear about unrequited love, the ghostly sounds outside the Malibran Theater and tales of tragic deaths. Head to Campo San Giovanni and Paolo, and then walk along the foreboding Fondamenta Nuova, across from a cemetery. Hear the story of the unburied child, said to be seen in the murky lagoon. The tour ends in the Cannaregio district.