119 - Venice & Murano Glass Tour

Highlights 75 - 85 characters with spaces per line

• Enjoy a full day private tour of the amazing highlights of Venice both by foot & boat

• Escape the main island to explore the island of Murano, famous for glassmaking

• Revel in priority access to St. Mark's Basilica with an expert local guide

• Admire elegant Venice from the water as you explore the main canal by motor boat

• Marvel at the amazing skills and talent of the glassmakers on Murano island

Summary (175 - 225 words max)

LivTours’ Venice & Murano Glass Tour is a wonderful way to see the best of Venice in a day. Join your private expert guide as they lead you through the history of what has been described as the most beautiful city made by man. Comprising 118 small islands that are linked by just over 400 bridges, your local guide will make history come alive as you stroll the labyrinth of streets. You will enjoy LivTours priority access to Saint Mark’s Basilica with its shimmering golden mosaics, its uneven floor and vaulted ceiling it is a must see for any visitor to Venice!

After admiring the city on land, you will have the pleasure of admiring it from the sea as your private motor boat takes you and your guide through the Grand Canal. Your private expert guide will make sure you see all the highlights of Venices’ ‘main street’ and will regale you with the anecdotes of the famous palaces that still line it today. You will spend the afternoon on the island of Murano. Famous for its glass making when in 1291, all glassmakers of Venice were moved out of the city center to the island of Murano. You will get the opportunity to see glassblowing firsthand and, if you are feeling creative, you can also try your hand at it. Your guide will lead you to see the brightly colored houses along the canals, as well the oldest church in Venice!

If you only have one day in Venice, this is a perfect tour for you!

Description (350 words max in 3 to 5 paragraphs)

Your LivTours’ Venice & Murano Glass Tour starts from Campo San Giacometto, a small square near the Rialto Bridge where you will meet your guide and start your private walking tour through the heart of Venice. A bustling shopping area that has been like this for centuries, locals come here to buy their fresh vegetables and fish from the market nearby.

Just around the corner, you will find the picturesque and famous Ponte Rialto. Its design is not the only thing unique about it, your private local guide will share an interesting story with you. Take a moment to enjoy the magnificent view from the bridge’s highest point and take some memorable photos of postcard-like views.

Your guide will lead you through the maze of Venice’s narrow streets, over romantic bridges while making plenty of stops at important and engaging places such as: Campo San Bartolomeo, Church of San Giovanni, Campo Santi Giovanni and Campo Santa Maria Formosa. When you reach the elegant and expansive Saint Mark’s square, the amazing view of the basilica, the square and the bell tower come into focus and you will understand why this is the heart of Venice. Enjoying privileged access, you will enter Saint Mark’s Basilica without standing in the (usually) long line.

Your private local guide will lead you on an amazing tour of the inside of this curious and stunning building. Admire the marvelous golden mosaics, bronze horse statues and curvy floors as your guide regales you with the history and anecdotes behind this building. LivTours has designed this tour so that you enter Saint Mark’s Basilica when the interior is illuminated (only for an hour in the morning). When illuminated, the interior details really come alive as the endless golden mosaics shimmer in the light. Once you have admired the interior, your private tour guide will lead you to the top terrace where you can enjoy unique and spectacular details of both the exterior of the Basilica and Saint Mark’s Square.

Once you are ready, it is time to start another adventure! No tour of Venice is complete without seeing it from the water, so it is off to the Grand Canal. This city built on water has canals for streets and the Grand Canal is the largest of them all! You will explore it together with your LivTours guide in your private motor boat. Take an unforgettable spin on the Grand Canal before leaving the center of Venice to discover yet another island, Murano!

Making glass since the 13th century, Murano is world renowned for its glass blowing factory. You will visit one of the traditional glass making factories to see firsthand the technique the artisans use to shape different sculptures. If you want to try your hand at glassblowing, you will have the opportunity to do so. Take your time to browse through the store and get a memorable souvenir to bring home.But the island, Murano, has so much more to offer than glassblowing and your LivTours tour guide will show you the most beautiful places with colorful houses and canals, as well as interesting sites such as the oldest churches in the Venetian lagoon. After enjoying a relaxing afternoon on Murano, your private boat will be there to whisk you back to Venice.

Please Note:

*During the low season (November 3-March 30) it is not possible to reserve tickets to Saint Mark’s Basilica and we can not skip the line. Due to the low number of visitors there are normally no lines during this period.