Your Friend In Venice » See Venice

Vi Presentiamo Venezia

Your Friend in Venice — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:00:10 +0000

The ideal tour for first-time and even second-time visitors, as it combines the practical with the inspirational.

It consists of two parts. The first is the invaluable Venice 101, to orient you to the city with personal recommendations for rest of your stay. We’ll provide you with detailed arrival instructions, track your train or plane, and once your settled at your lodging arrange to meet for an hour-long intro to the city.

The second portion of Vi Presentiamo Venezia is a three-hour, private tour of the entire city, one hour of which is in a private water taxi. You’ll meet your amiable, authorized guide at the Rialto Market, where you’ll get a brief tour of the gastronomic melèe that has been an intregral part of Venice’s commericial center since its inception on the “riva alta.” Hop the vaporetto and head for Santa Maria dei Frari which contains a wonderfully diverse yet highly representative art collection by Venice’s most prominent masters (the best gelato in town is right around the corner). Embark on a one-hour canal tour in a water taxi for a more intimate and evocative view of the city, ending at the Republic’s political and celebratory center, the magnificent Piazza San Marco. Cross the Canal one last time to hear the history behind the soaring Santa Maria della Salute church, one of the few examples of Baroque architecture in the city.

This combo tour is the ideal solution for getting the most out of your stay, no matter how brief, or long. We cover the practicalities (an absolute necessity here) quickly, then present Venice in all its brilliance without wearing you to a pulp.

INCLUDES:

One-hour version of the Venice 101

Three hour private tour, including one hour canal tour in private water taxi

Visits to the high points of the city, as well as “Venezia Minore”

COST:
€460 (for up to 4 people)
€520 (5 – 6 people)

Include an additional hour in the water taxi during your 3-hour city overview for €110 (€130 for more than 4 people).

Private Secret Itineraries & the Doge’s Palace

Your Friend in Venice — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:14:29 +0000

You may already be familiar with the Secret Itineraries group tour offered by the Musei di Venezia: is extremely popular, escorting visitors through the private, fascinating, less-celebrated rooms of the Doge’s Palace: the Chancellor’s quarters, the Tribune, prison and Casanova’s cell…you’ll even be escorted above the ceiling of the Palace’s massive Sala Maggiore to investigate its amazing overhead support system.

As in any group of up to thirty people, however, some of these interesting explanations can get lost. As an ideal alternative, we are delighted to offer a Secret Itineraries tour with an authorized private guide, combining it with a tour of the Doge’s Palace itself: the best of both worlds!

INCLUDES:

Private guide for 2 hours (great with kids, too)

Private Secret Itineraries and Doge’s Palace tour

COST:
€175 (€220 for five – six people)
+ museum entrance fees
(€18 ea full; €12.50 ea for 65+ yrs or family discount)

Venezia & Vetro

Your Friend in Venice — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:18:04 +0000

This tour is similar to Vi Presentiamo Venezia, but is modified for those with a deeper interest in Murano art glass. You’ll begin your visit at the Rialto Markets, followed by a winding walking tour across the Rialto Bridge to the Piazza San Marco, for centuries the seat of the Venetian Republic’s political power. You’ll then embark on a one-hour water taxi tour of the city that will end on the island of Murano, where your guide will escort you to select, expert artisans as he recounts the rich history of glass along with the myriad of techniques (both traditional and contemporary) in which it is worked.

INCLUDES:

Private guide for 4 hours (total)

includes 1-hour in water taxi

COST:

€470 (for up to six people)

Add Welcome Intro for €65.

Glass Reflections, Lace Formations, Mosaic Origins

Your Friend in Venice — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:26:39 +0000

You begin by meeting your guide at the Fondamente Nove vaporetto stop, where he’ll accompany you on the 40-minute ride to the island of Torcello — one of the most evocative environments in the lagoon. On the ride out, he’ll recount the history of the original settlement that once was home to 10,000 inhabitants. The intimate Torcello cathedral houses stunning mosaics, a plaque dating from 639 a.d., and a bell tower offering a tranquil and unique lagoon view.

Contrast that with the bustling island of Burano, just five minutes by vaporetto, teeming with lace, multicolored houses and a fishing and rowing tradition that extends back centuries.

You’ll take a private taxi back to Murano, which in contrast, is not an “island,” but more of home to the complex, multi-faceted, artistic glass enterprise, whose origins date back to the 12c, but include a rennaissance from the late 1800s till today. You’ll hear about this history while visiting a variety of artisans and furnaces that produce everything from chandeliers to glass beads, when each came into being, and leave with a broader understanding what Murano glass truly is (and maybe even a chandelier).

(Lunch can be either on Burano or Murano, depending on client desires. It is not included in the tour itself.)

Instead of Murano, you may choose instead travel back to Venice in your water taxi, where you can complete the rest of your experiential Venetian history tour by visiting the gothic Frari Church with its magnificent Assumption by Titian, the Rennaissance Santa Maria della Salute, ending the Piazza San Marco (just in time for a visit to the Basilica should you so choose).

INCLUDES:
Private guide (6 hours), private taxi (Burano to Murano)

COST:
€620

Island Origins and Evolution to Preeminence

Your Friend in Venice — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:22:21 +0000

You’ll meet your guide at the Rialto Market vaporetto stop, where’ll you’ll begin by touring this lively and historic fish & vegetable market. Head to the Fondamente Nove, stopping to visit the Miracoli Church along the way, then pick up the Laguna Nord vaporetto to Burano. During the 40 min ride, Your guide will paint the picture of Venice’s origins, referencing various sights as they glide past. Another five-minute vaporetto ride takes you further back in time to the evocative island and original lagoon settlement of Torcello. You’ll visit Santa Maria Assunta cathedral and its splendid mosaics (noting the plaque dated 639). You’ll take in the unique lagoon view from the bell tower before returning to visit the colorful island of Burano, known for its fishing and lace, where you’ll have lunch.

You’ll return to Venice in a water taxi (20 minutes) where for your next three hours you’ll continue your experiential Venetian history tour by visiting the Frari (with Titian’s magnificent Assumption by Titian(, the Santa Maria della Salute church (constructed in thanks to the Madonna for ending a second plague), and the Piazza San Marco (just in time for a visit to the Basilica should you so choose).

If you prefer, you may substitute a visit to the Island of Murano (See Venezia e Vetro) for the Piazza, Frari & Salute churches.

INCLUDES:

Private guide (6 hours), water taxi transfer from Burano to Murano. Lunch is not included; but your guide will suggest several options depending on your hunger and mood, from panini to primo to a full meal.

COST:

€620

Classic Canal Cruise

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:40:11 +0000

PRIVATE or SMALL GROUP. This unique tour offers one the easiest and most beguiling introduction as you cruise along the Grande, gracious highway in your private water-taxi. Removed from the tumult of the tourist bustle, your guide will point out today’s as well as historic Venice—accompanied by a Prosecco or the famous Bellini cocktail along the way.

The small group (10 pp max) water-taxi tour departs San Zaccaria, heads across the bacino past the Piazza San Marco, up the Grand Canal, and into some of the smaller side canals.

The private tour offers the advantage of your being able to set both the pickup time and location.

GROUP TOUR:
Small group taxi tour, afternoon departure, 1 hour 10 minutes, 10 people maximum; we do not book the group tour, but please feel free to book yourself at Grand Canal Cruise. Please tell them we sent

COST:
€42 per person.

PRIVATE TOUR:
Private tour, one hour tour in water taxi with private guide (recommended for groups of four or more).

COST:
€210 per person

Custom Walking Tour (water taxi optional)

Your Friend in Venice — Fri, 01 May 2009 23:29:35 +0000

Let us know your interests and preferences, and we’ll custom-design a walking tour that will meet your needs. We’ll be happy to give you some advice on what you may or may not want to include according to your familiarity with the city, the country, and the way you prefer to sightsee.

INCLUDES:

Private guide and custom-designed tour; does not include any museum entrances or vaporetto tickets. Private water taxi is optional.

COST:

€200 for two hours (€220 for five-six people)

€275 for three hours (€315 for five-six people)

Include 1-hour in private water taxi
€120 for up to 4 people
€140 for 5 – 6 people

Museum entrances are not included and may be paid in cash on site.