Giudecca Island: Private Walking Tour in Venice
Description
Discover the fishbone-like shape Giudecca island, known to be Venice’s unofficial seventh sestiere, once an aristocratic retreat, later the city industrial centre and nowadays a trendy artistic district. Let’s walk through the largest and closest island to Venice, from which it is separated by the broad and deep Giudecca Canal enjoying breath-taking views on the splendid city. The peacefulness of the island also made it popular among religious communities and with patrician families who built palaces with lovely gardens and allotments there. You will see how after the fall of the Republic, these areas were converted into warehouses, barracks, prisons, factories and workers’ quarters, some of them nowadays converted for artistic ad modern purposes. You will be walking not only through the long pedestrian quay running the length of its Venice-facing side but also wandering its hidden lagoon-facing side with gardens, art galleries and residential neighbourhoods.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Giudecca disputed history begins with its name. We will learn that its name does not come from one time jewish inhanbitants (an italian word for Jews is also Giudei) but from a Venetian word "zudega" meaning "the judged", referring to rebel aristocratic families banished here during the 9th century. In recent years, the large abandoned spaces attracted a new set of exiles: artists, who could no longer afford rents in central venice for their lofts and studios.
We will visit a AD 890 church with a simple Veneto-Byzantine structure dated from 14th century. It is named after a Byzantine Christan martyr, who was thrown to hungry lions, which, after biting off her hand they refused to eat her holy virgin flesh.
We will discover a huge Neo-Gothic building, who served as a flour mill supplied by boats across the lagoon and also operated as a pasta factory and as of today, it houses a luxury 5-star hotel.
We will get lost in the hidden part of the island, passing by an organic prison market, adjacent to a women's correction facility.
We will enter a former monastery, nowadays a center for promotion of local artists and artisans of all kind.
we will see how a former factory for glasses has been converted to a modern residential neighbourhood and a contemporary theatre facing the southern lagoon.
We will admire a church designed by Palladio, built to celebrate the city's deliverance from the black death. Survival is never taken for granted in this tidal town and to give thanks every July Venetian have been mking the pilgrimage acroos the canal to this church on a shaky pontoon bridge from the Zattere since 1578
We will enter an Art Noveau villa off the beaten paths, enjoying breath-taking views over the southern lagoon.
We will end up our tour with scenic views on San Marco and Punta della Salute, walking by a palace with a distinctive neo gothic brick facade and three peculiar arched windows.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it
Reviews(15)
Not my first time in Venice but definitly my first time on the Giudecca island, we took the tour to get orientated and discover more about the history of the place. We loved the tour and Valerio, our tour guide, did a great job and shared with us a lot of knowledwe and interesting facts. My favourite part was the former flour mill transformed into 5 star hotel, crazy! Grazie Valerio!
Valerio is very competent, friendly and very attentive. We will be happy to use his services in the future
Valerio gave us an unforgettable tour of the Giudecca, showing us the rich history of the island and its hidden treasures with an unsurpassed mix of humor and deep local knowledge. His witty anecdotes entertained us throughout the journey, while his deep understanding of the area illuminated lesser-known aspects. Valerio's passion for storytelling and his genuine enthusiasm made the experience truly memorable. We left the tour not only with a new admiration for the island, but also with a desire to explore more of Venice under Valerio's guidance. Highly recommended to anyone looking for an engaging and enlightening journey into the heart of Venice.
Sono felice che abbiate apprezzato il tour della Giudecca! È stato un piacere condividere con voi la mia passione per Venezia. Grazie per le belle parole e spero di rivedervi presto! 🙏💖 Valerio
Thanks to Valerio, I had the opportunity to discover the wonderful Giudecca for the first time. His preparation is evident, but what sets him apart is his communication skills. With him, I explored hidden corners that I would never have imagined, and the time of the visit literally flew by. I highly recommend the experience with Valerio, even if you have already visited Venice in the past: you will discover new perspectives and further enrich your trip.
Ciao Paolo, sono veramente contento che tu abbia apprezzato la visita con me! Grazie infinite per le belle parole. Ti aspetto per un'ulteriore avventura. 🙂 Valerio
Beautiful and original family visit, very knowledgeable guide who was able to involve the children a lot too! Highly recommended
Ciao Rossella, grazie per il tuo gentile feedback! Sono felice che tu e la tua famiglia abbiate apprezzato il tour. L'entusiasmo dei giovani visitatori mi rende molto orgoglioso. A presto! 😊 - Valerio
I have been to Venice dozens of times, but I had never yet visited the island of Giudecca. The tour organized by Valerio was interesting, fun and engaging. I will certainly take part in his other tours and I recommend him to anyone who wants to discover a new Venice. Thanks Valerio
Grazie mille, Fra! Sono lieto che hai apprezzato il tour della Giudecca. Sarà un piacere averti nei miei futuri tour. A presto!🙂 - Valerio
We paid for a regular tour, but it ended up being a private tour anyway, which was great, because we could ask lots of questions and get answers from our native Venetian guide. He was ready with everything from restaurant recommendations to reminiscences about growing up in Venice, and gave us his card after so we could call or contact him with any questions we had during the rest of our stay. Also recommended we get the ACTV pass that covered the length of our stay, which was super convenient for getting around during the rest of our trip. The tour itself was mostly an outdoor walking tour, though we did go in a church and an artist's studio. The studio was in a cloister turned artist colony. We got to see real Venetian neighbourhoods, with kids having birthday parties, cats roaming, and residents raising ducks. It was a great break from the narrow, crowded streets around St. Mark's that most tourists stick to. Our guide kept saying, this is what Venice was like in the 1950s, and it's more sustainable to have tourism spread out over the city, rather than everyone concentrating on the same three sites. Great slice of life tour. My only suggestion would be, when meeting tour groups, have a small A4 sign with the tour company name printed on it so people can spot the guide more easily. (We ended up calling him even though we were standing very near each other - it's the Zattere ACTV stop, not the Alilaguna one that you meet at.) Would recommend tours like this to anyone staying in Venice on more than just a day-trip.
Dear Ace, we're stoked that you enjoyed the authentic and personalized feel of our tour! Your feedback for an easily recognizable sign for our guides is well-noted. However we believe a sign will bring no added value, considering groups are always private or very small, the guide is always on time making sure that guests are reaching the meeting point by sending google maps links, the guide is wearing a clear guide badge and we have mobile phones!
It was a beautiful tour, informative and much to discover. Interesting places , beautiful palazzi and a parking garage for boats! Valerio gave us two carefree hours and also found shady places. For us, the days on Giudecca were much nicer, you saw a lot, away from the hustle and bustle in Venice at that time. we can definitely recommend the tour to all curious like us. Thanks again, Valerio! Best regards Kerstin & Gerd
Vielen Dank für Ihre positive Bewertung! Es freut uns sehr zu hören, dass Sie eine schöne und informative Tour mit mir auf Giudecca erlebt haben. Beste Grüße, Valerio
An in-depth tour that allows you to discover the hidden and unexpected corners of the island. Valerio guide is a treasure trove of knowledge
Grazie mille Hendrik per aver condiviso la tua esperienza con noi! Siamo lieti che tu abbia apprezzato il tour e che Valerio sia stato una guida preziosa.
The tour is interesting and stimulating; Valerio knows his city perfectly and entertains with details that are not those of the usual sightseeing tours. The Giudecca hides many unique corners worth visiting, and the guide knows how to entertain with great kindness, sympathy and preparation.
Grazie Anna e Alessandro! Mi fa piacere leggere che vi siate divertiti nel conoscere l'isola della Giudecca
