It’s a kind of magic in Venice

Itinerary Photos

Although the complex system of rites known as “carnival“, supported by an articulated mythological and symbolic conception, has its roots in a remote history, going back at least to ancient Babylon, it is in Venice, where the first known attestation of the festivity dates back to 1094, that it has reached its most wonderful expression.
In the lagoon city, with its magical, misty atmosphere, the typical carnival mechanism, which focuses on the chaotic confusion of forms and social roles, has become a refined game, mischievous, a subtle art of fiction, sensually allusive, a masquerade suspended between aristocratic pomp and elementary instinctuality.
With this itinerary you will experience the Serenissima during its days of madness, and participate in the most exclusive and spectacular gala in Venice, the Ballo del Doge by Antonia Sautter, a riot of costumes and settings in which the baroque splendor meets pop, and the courtly times of Vivaldi and Casanova are reborn.

©Main photo credits Antonia Sautter

Detailed Tour Program

San Marco Square Venice Travel Italy
1° day: Venice

Meet with our driver at the airport and transfer to the “St. Regis”  hotel, where you will check-in and have time to relax. In the afternoon, take part in a fantastic visit of Venice.  Our guided walking tour starts at the superb Piazza San Marco, the heart of the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its main splendid landmarks: the majestic Old and New Procuratie, the period cafes, the Renaissance Clock Tower and the imposing San Marco bell tower, just under 99 meters high, the sixteenth-century Marciana National Library, the Basilica of San Marco, an architectural and artistic Byzantine masterpiece, where you can also access (for a fee) the terrace with the bronze quadriga, called the “Horses of San Marco”, a sculpture of the Hellenistic-Roman age that the Venetians stole from Constantinople during a crusade. It continues on to the elegant gothic Doge’s Palace, where the Doge and the greatest magistrates of the Maritime Republic gathered, and ends with the two most famous bridges in Venice, the Bridge of Sighs and the Bridge of Rialto.
At the end of the tour, a once in a lifetime experience: a costume fitting for the Doge’s Ball, the most sumptuous carnival gala in Venice, organized by Antonia Sautter, at her atelier or at the hotel.
Return to the hotel, enjoy dinner at leisure and rest for the evening.

 

Murano Glass Venice Italy Travel
2° day: Venice – Murano - Venice

After breakfast at the hotel, get away from the hustle and bustle of Venice and retreat to Murano for a private guided tour of this beautiful island in the Venetian lagoon. Meet expert local artisans who will amaze you with their skills, showing you another side of the people of the “Serenissima”. Renowned throughout the world for its glass works of art, Murano has been the secret keeper of this extraordinary craft for centuries. Enjoy some free time strolling the colorful streets of this picturesque island and, why not, buying some wonderful glass mementos of your trip to Venice. After lunch at a restaurant in Murano, return to the hotel, enjoy some free time to explore Venice, and in the evening take our transfer to the Doge’s Ball. Return to the hotel and rest for the evening.

Rialto Bridge Canals Gondola Venice Travel Italy
3° day: Venice

After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a walk through the streets of the city and a characteristic gondola ride with a private guide. Explore the magnificent floating city in the most classic but unique way: by taking a leisurely gondola ride on the canals! Gondolas are the symbol of romance, history and tradition in the Serenissima, and riding them is one of the most dreamed-about experiences ever. The picturesque views of Venice’s most famous attractions will make your visit truly memorable: from the Doge’s Palace to St Mark’s Bell Tower, you will see many of the most important landmarks of the city.
At the end of the tour, return to the hotel and have lunch in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, enjoy an exclusive visit to Casa Bortoli, a delightful apartment located on the second floor of the fifteenth-century Palazzo Contarini Fasan, facing the Madonna della Salute, where you can admire an exquisite example of bourgeois residences, embellished with decorations and furnishings ranging from the rococo to the ‘900.
Return to the hotel, enjoy dinner at leisure and rest for the evening.

 

travel Venice Carnival mask
4° day: Venice

After breakfast at the hotel get privately transferred to the airport of your choice.

Map

Duration: 

Your tour package includes: