From Florence: Explore Venice on a Semi-Private Day Tour by Train

About this tour

Catch the high-speed train from Florence and spend a full day exploring Venice's island maze. Your guide meets you on arrival and leads you through Saint Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, and across the Rialto Bridge, then you'll wander the smaller canals where locals actually live. The Grand Canal cruise gives you breathing room between walking stretches. Ten hours total, including the two-hour train ride each way. Return transport and first-class rail included.

Highlights

• High-speed train from Florence, 2 hours each way
• Saint Mark's Basilica with Byzantine mosaics and gold
• Doge's Palace: Renaissance frescoes by Tintoretto and Veronese
• Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal by water bus
• Wander backstreet canals away from the crowds
• Local guide shares Venetian history and architecture
• Hotel pickup and dropoff by air-conditioned minivan

What to expect

You'll start early with hotel collection, then settle into a comfortable train seat. Venice hits you immediately—the Basilica's interior glows with gold and coloured mosaics, the Doge's Palace rooms spiral upward with painted ceilings. Expect crowds at major sites. Your guide steers you through packed squares but also down narrower waterways where you'll spot laundry strung between buildings and glimpse how residents actually move around. The water bus ride along the Grand Canal lets you sit down and absorb the Gothic façades sliding past. Wear decent shoes—you'll walk roughly 3–4 kilometres on stone streets and bridges.

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