So you’re going to Venice and have decided to opt for self-guided tours rather than putting up with super tedious, super slow guided tours? Good idea!
But with a myriad of unforgettable things to see and do in Venice, what’s the best way to approach your self-guided tour? This post will give you some ideas about choosing the best self-guided tour in Venice for you.
Classic or quirky self-guided tours?
Maybe it’s your first time in Venice, maybe you’re revisiting, but no matter what the case is, you still have to decide if you want to focus on all the “classic” Venetian sites, or if you want to visit the beaten tourist track sites Venice has to offer.
If you also have to decide if you are going to stay in Venice central, on the main island, or if you would also like to explore the other neighboring islands. These islands include Murano, Burano, Torcello, and more!
But then again, you could mix it up and do a bit of both. The must-sees in Venice include Saint Mark's and Rialto Bridge. But maybe you’ve seen them before. If you’re looking for something unique, you could take a tour of Casanova’s Venice, or check out this post for ten unique things to do in Venice.
Discover Venice and the three islands at your pace with only € 15, click here!
Discover how Casanova escaped from his jail and other secrets with € 15, click here!
Getting around: boat, foot, gondola
A very important rubric for self-guided tours of Venice! You can choose to go on a self-guided tour which is confined to Venice itself, and only includes walking. This is a great way to see Venice. And with our self-guided walking tours, you will be brought to local haunts only the local Venetians know. Or do you want a classic gondola tour of Venice? The gondola is representative of Venice and a gondola tour is a charming experience. But perhaps, you are more “modern”, or just want your transport to move more quickly.
In that case, a self-guided tour that includes the use of bus boats is the self-guided tour for you. You can choose whether you want to take a bus tour of the Grand Canal, or do a hop on hop off bus boat tour, which includes walking tours. The great thing about bus boat tours is that the ticket is valid for 24 hours (or more) round the clock, so you can enjoy such self-guided walking tours whenever suits you best.
Regular gondola tours, 5 unforgettable tours starting from € 23, click here!
Exclusive gondola tours, 6 unmissable tours starting from € 93, click here!
Discover the city's romantic corners and their histories without timetables with € 10, click here!
Timing – one of the most important things in life
Of course, you have to decide when you want to actually go to Venice. Rainy season? Carnival? Summertime? Venice changes constantly throughout the year. It’s awe-inspiring to wear wellies through Saint Marks Square when it’s covered in water. Then there’s the Carnival, a completely unique experience – especially in Venice. Or you could decide to visit Venice in the summertime. In that case, some beach days would be definitely called for!
But the timing of your self-guided tour also involves when during the day or night you want to tour Venice. Because your tour is self-guided, you can get up early and go tour around Venice as the sun rises (when most tour guides are still fast asleep).
Or, you could also tour Venice late in the evening, at night, or even during the witching hour – it’s always up to you! Listening to the waves splash against the Venice marble at 3 am in the morning when there are no tourists around is a sublime experience – magical, yet also, somehow terrifying. You can almost hear the city sinking...
Self-guided walking tours also allow you to tour Venice at your own pace. You will never be traveling too slow, nor too fast. And as you are your own boss on a self-guided tour, you can linger over any particular sites of interest, or take a break for a snack or an aperitivo whenever you get a bit peckish or thirsty! This is great because you are not bound to follow anyone else’s schedule!
Take a look at the typical activities that you can do starting from € 24, click here!
Visit Venice with a Self Guided Tour App
So there are some criteria to help you pick the right Venice self-guided tour for you. If you would like to explore our self guided tours in more detail go check out Venice City Tours. There are a plethora of guided tours, with in-depth itineraries with lots of details. In any case, there is something for everyone, whether they are a first-time visitor to Venice, or returning for the second, third, or fourth time...