Visit the breathtaking city of Venice on an action-packed day trip from Milan, and see the city’s top sights with a local guide! On a walking tour, discover must-see Venetian landmarks such as St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace and Rialto Bridge, while learning about their history. After wandering through St Mark’s Square and alongside the Grand Canal, visit a prestigious glass-making workshop to see a demonstration by a local craftsperson. Before returning to Milan, enjoy a 30-minute gondola ride at your own expense or simply enjoy some free time.
Meet your host in central Milan, and then leave the city by air-conditioned coach. Relax on the journey east and, after roughly 2.5 hours on the road, arrive in Venice. Hop out of your coach to meet your local guide, and then set off on your 2-hour walking tour. Stroll along Riva degli Schiavoni, the city’s paved promenade, and then pass the Bridge of Sighs that connects a prison to Doge’s Palace. Hear tales of the doges who once ruled Venice from the imposing building as you amble into St Mark’s Square.
Following your guide, weave around the throngs of street musicians, visitors, locals and pigeons who converge on the square, and stop for photos in front of its many monuments. Strike a pose by St Mark’s Basilica with its beautiful Byzantine façade, and gaze up at its bell tower with its distinctive green-and-gold peak. See Libreria Sansoviniana (the city library) and the clock tower, and then wander across to Rialto Bridge. Continue alongside the Grand Canal, and admire the elegant architecture of the grand mansions that line its banks.
In addition to Venice’s big-name sights, your walking tour also takes in some city gems that many visitors miss. Discover the calli, a labyrinthine web of narrow Venetian streets and canals, and learn about life in the city as a local.
After a break for lunch (own expense), visit a glass-making workshop near St Mark’s Square to see a skilled craftsperson creating glass vases. Browse the wares in the onsite shop after watching the demonstration and perhaps shop for well-crafted souvenirs to take home.
Last, but not least, why not finish your day in Venice with an optional 30-minute gondola ride around the Venetian lagoon? The ride by flat-bottomed gondola is considered a must-do Venice experience, and takes in several atmospheric side canals as well as a stretch of the Grand Canal. Alternatively, use the time to wander around the Venice streets at leisure.
Return to your coach at the prearranged time, and travel back to the start point in Milan where your tour finishes.
This was a good tour, just could've been organized a bit better._br/_ But if you want to get a glimpse of Venice in just one day, this probably one of the best ones out there.
Review by: Inga M, June 2018
The city is breathtaking! The guides are highly knowledgeable.
Review by: Sudip M, June 2018
V good trip. Sonia is a v good guide.
Review by: gmirea5, May 2018
If you dont want to take all the burden to organize yourself the trip, this is a good solution. It gives you a good idea and you can spend some time enjoying Venice. But its no more than that. I read previous reviews and I was expecting more of this trip, unfortunately I was a little disappointed. First the bus, its not very comfortable, leg room as in a plane and the bus pretty much basic. For almost 7 hours you are confined in it, it is not what it should be. The second big disappointing was the Murano glass factory. The time you spent in Venice is limited due to the long driving, so spending almost 1 hour to get to the factory and listen to the selling speech to make you buy expensive glasses its a waste of time. I think this is really unfair from the organizers to take precious time, in order to get this selling speech, almost as a timeshare scam. We were not impressed with the Venice guide, but in the end overall we still think it was good we took this trip.
Review by: Pamela N, May 2018
Excellent !!!
Review by: Morgan H, March 2018
Venice was a once in a lifetime experience. The bus ride was super comfortable and the guide was great. The only downfall was that the headset kept shutting off during the walking tour of Venice, which was quite annoying. We really enjoyed the gondola ride though. Highly recommend if you visit Venice.
Review by: Janet L, March 2018
Wonderful day trip to Venice. The tour guide was very knowledgable and provided a good general overview. We were only about 12 people so it was a nice small group.
Review by: Richard G, February 2018
Outstanding! Perfect day trip to get introduced to Venice. Our city guide was very knowledgeable and not only showed us the major attractions, but also a few hidden gems. Her advice on where to have lunch was spot on. Very glad we took this excursion!
Review by: Dean C, February 2018
The trip to Venice from Milan was really good, and the guides were very knowledgeable about Venice. The use of the headphones so that you can hear the guide while walking through the streets was helpful. A little bit of an unexpected hiccup on the way back when one of the rest stops was closed and we had to proceed to the next stop. Other than that, everything else was great.
Review by: Colette W, February 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Jennifer L J, January 2018
It was a very good trip. The itinerary was just right.
Review by: Tori B, January 2018
Liked the tour and the guide. The bus ride is not 2:30, it’s 3:45. Also would of liked to have a better tour of Venice, felt the tour was just walking around, would of liked to see more of Venice. Overall was happy I went
Review by: Lisa H, December 2017
We were very lucky as we took this tour mid December and the weather was very kind to us. We were told that in the Summer, Venice can be overcrowded with visitors but not so much in December. We got the wonder around without too many crowds and even got a good discount via the guide for our gondola ride which just completed a brilliant day. Highly recommended.
Review by: Yingyi M, December 2017
Love the tour, definitely worth every penny! Comfortable ride,well planned program, only wish that we have more free time to explore...
Review by: winder, November 2017
Tour was well organised and we had ample time to roam around on our own and explore Venice. The guide even arranged for our gondola trips.
Review by: winder, November 2017
The tour was well managed and allocated enough time for a guided segment as well as ample time for personal sightseeing. The guide also helped us arrange for gondola rides.
Review by: Nancy E, October 2017
After warnings from friends about Venice being an expensive tourist trap, I opted to visit the city, for one day only, from Milan. I chose Zani Viaggi for my trip because of their wonderful reviews, convenient meeting place, and price. I was not disappointed. The bus was clean and comfortable, there was a bathroom break mid-trip, a prearranged boat excursion, a designated Venice tour leader and admission to a glass blowing demonstration all included. I opted to pay extra for the gondola ride and you should too. You're in Venice! Why not?
Review by: nadia d, October 2017
Great Experience! Wish i had more time in Venice. My tour guide was perfect!
Review by: amando, October 2017
Venice is a unique and interesting city and a must to see when visiting Italy. This day trip is a good way to have a glimpse of Venice when your have a limited time in Italy. The glass-making workshop should have been made optional because we often encounters this on our other North American city tours. The time spent should have been used to have more time exploring the shops and try the authentic restaurants on the Piazza. The Gondola rides is a good experience but a long wait and too limited - unlike in most Venetian Hotels worldwide, expect no singing from Gondoliers in Venice. Lastly,Venice is said to be a Tourist oriented city but, you could hardly find a garbage bin and sitting area to enjoy the beauty of St. Mark Square. Use of public washroom is also quite expensive- 1.50 Euro per visit.
Review by: Shakira B, October 2017
Great trip, but soooo much to do in one day. It was a great way to get acquainted with the city, but I would've loved more time to wander around. But the suggested gondola tour was great as was the tour around the city. I never think it's useful to visit the artisans, but seeing the glass maker was pretty cool. Overall a good tour!
Review by: Norman B, September 2017
A good way to see Venice from Milan.
Review by: Norman B, September 2017
A good way to see Venice from Milan.
Review by: luism8435, September 2017
Well executed travel plans! Thanks to Mauricio, our tour guide!
Review by: Joannpoduska, September 2017
Great way to see Venice!
Review by: Laura C, September 2017
We had a great day... We had a wonderful tour guide showing us around and had time to ourselves too. The glass blowing was amazing :- The gondola trip was so good... We would highly recommend it.
Review by: SOMDEV B, September 2017
Nice trip. Our Guide Serena was also very good. Really enjoyed the day. But the trip by BUS killed most of the time of the day. Would highly recommend to find an alternate way to travel to Venice. Heard the train service is quite good and take much lesser time to reach. In that way a visitor gets more time in Venice to explore.
Review by: Don Mays M, August 2017
Trip was rushed. I felt the tour guide spent too much time on places that held little interest. Rest stops were poorly planned. No real time to shop in Venice. Gondola rides were pricey and not worth the money._br/_ Glass tour was awesome!!
Review by: The Muro Family, August 2017
excellent tour of Venice, wish it could have been longer
Review by: Thomas D, July 2017
There is no better, more convenient way to experience a day in Venice if you are tight on time. Our tour departed punctually and the ride was very comfortable in our well-air conditioned coach. Our tour guide, Eddie, was extremely knowledgeable about so much history of the Italian city states and the eventual unification of the republic. The trip makes for a very long and full day but it is immensely informative and interesting to see. A last note the gondola ride is something to do if you want to be able to say you've done it. Otherwise, I found it to not be worth the money or the time. What a racket those guys have!
Review by: balibhaione, July 2017
It was my second visit to Venice. I was rather disappointed. After that visit to the glass factory, we were let loose for the next 4 hours. No guide, no organised activity.
Review by: Mike K, July 2017
Long day, beautiful. Tour guide was late and forced a change of plans so lunch was at 2:30 pm, after boarding the bus at 7:00 am. No opportunity for water or toilet breaks.
Review by: Steven W, June 2017
Trip was well organized and good, it got me from Milan to Venice for the day which was the point. The glass blowing demo was pretty pointless: it lasted about two minutes and was basically engineered to get you into their shop to sell you obscenely priced glass objects. The local tour guide wasn't that great though, saying very little other than literally telling us what was in front of our eyes like as you see there are many flowers... but with very little in the way of actual information.
Review by: EDWIN T, June 2017
Very comfortable bus. Walking tour was short but sufficient, ending at the Murano glass factory.
Review by: abdur k, May 2017
Loved this tour. Very nice guide. Enjoyed whole day bus, boat, Gondola and Venice walking around.
Review by: AntSal60, May 2017
Great deal for a Milan-to-Venice 1-day tour everything was as advertised but it takes a good 3-1/2 hours in a bus to go from Milan to Venice and 3-1/2 hours to get back. For a few more dollars I could have taken a fast-train and do a self-guided tour but I digress._br/_ The tour was well organized, the tour-guide well informed and funny, the bus was clean and comfortable the boat rides to and from the mainland to Venice were fun and well organized the price was a very good value for the services provided and you don't have to worry about any planning. Recommend this tour for its value._br/_ A reminder that Venice is at sea level and it is very hot and crowded in the summer make sure you dress accordingly and include a nice hat and sun-screen.
Review by: Mary L S, May 2017
Our tour guide was wonderful. We had a great time.
Review by: leymann787, March 2017
This is one city in Italy you do not want to miss visiting. This one day tour makes for a long day but one you will never regret taking. The only regret I had was that there was not more time to spend in Venice. The tour itself does give you a good overview of the city albeit a fast one. You have an option to take a gondola ride which is really a lot of fun. If you decide not to take the gondola you will have more time to visit sites and stores in Venice. Have heard Venice is so expensive but actually found all aspects of the city to be quite reasonable at least from a monetary standpoint. You certainly can find very expensive places there but not all places are that way at all. I had a wonderful dinner at an outdoor restaurant and spent about 18 for dinner and drinks. And it was delicious. Food and ice cream, Gelato, in Italy is some of the best you have ever had. I will be going back!
Review by: juanvbcn, March 2017
Amazing tour! Highly recommendated, both tourist guides were amazing and we really got to know the city well enough. Amazing experience.
Review by: Kimberly W, February 2017
The information found on the website about the tour is vastly incorrect. The website indicated it would be 2.5 hour coach ride to Venice it turned out they used a bus service that took us almost 4 hours to arrive in Venice. I found this to be a little misleading. Also, the actual tour in Venice seemed rushed and we didn't go into any of the attractions. There was no map provided from the tour to show gift shops, attractions or where to find food. I also found the gondola ride to be expensive at 120 per boat collected from the bus tour guide when the sign in Venice said 80 per boat. If I could do it again, I would not have purchased the gondola ride because there was no singing, or naming of attractions. It simply was someone just paddling us around on a boat in dirty water through Venice.
Review by: mfathy, January 2017
Amazing, one of the best places you can visit in your life.
Review by: Joey M, January 2017
Venice was amazing for lack of a better word. I really enjoyed the trip although it was raining, we still managed to have a good time. Would love to return.
Review by: Frederic F, December 2016
I had a wonderful trip to see Venice. The tour guide was very friendly.
Review by: William D, November 2016
Great tour, guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Wear comfortable shoes its a long day.
Review by: mailnisha9, November 2016
Local guide in Venice was average and more negative about the place.Time was too short in venice,too rushed a trip.So if you want to touch and go this is ok else not.
Review by: David, November 2016
If you have never been to Venice, you can not miss this.
Review by: Sue P, October 2016
This was a great trip even if the travel was long. The coach was comfortable and the breaks good. Our guide was fantastic when someone got lost, he was able to get on with looking for that person without it impacting on the group.
Review by: Domenica L, October 2016
The tour guide, Franco, was very experience and responsible and enthusiastic in doing his job. The trip was as good as described.
Review by: Mohamed O, October 2016
Tour was amazing, everything was perfect, the group leader, the driver, the bus trip, Venice is amazing, only the the local guide lady, she was terrible :
Review by: Claire L W, October 2016
Venice was wonderful - and our guide Franco was great I give credit to him - keeping track of all of us in very crowded places and each wanting to stop for pictures at different points. Our guide in Venice was great too - a lot of walking and up and down the steps of the bridges but fascinating to see everything. He even got all of us booked on the optional gondola ride - don't miss it.The Murano glass factory took a lot more time than expected only because we didn't want to leave and then the showrooms held our attention for even longer. We did have some time on our own - I didn't stop for food at all - it's expensive here and if I sat to eat I might miss something to see. Even when we returned to Milan on the bus, Franco made sure each of us knew how to get back to our hotel or train or subway station. We weren't just dropped off. Even told us some of the don't miss this best places to see in Milan if we had another day there. Also pointed out things on the bus trip to see and knew a lot of the history. Thank you Franco.
Review by: Maria M, September 2016
I would not even give one Star to this Touir. Very bad experience. A Regatta in Venice pushed the tour out of the city and became a pandemonium. Three people were stranded and were abandoned in the city. We arrive to Milan at 11:00 pm on our own. Voucher with Lead Traveler: Sol I Martin Paredes, and her mother Maria E Paredes were left in Venice. Voucher with Lead Traveler: Maria M Kuester. Her companinon was left in Venice. Maria M Kuester even helped the guide tour find people part of the tour that he was leaving behind, he just wanted to get out of the city to be on time back in Milan. I contacted Viator and Zani Viaggi via email the next day but no response. Zani Viaggi Excursions is a monopoly in Milan and they do not care nor take any responsibility. I will never take a tour that is guided by this Firm again in my life.
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