Venice Excursions

If this is your first visit to Venice, you probably don't need to take an excursion. Instead, do some advance reading, arm yourself with a good map, and just start walking. This isn't a city to rush through on a tour; its joys are in the details.

That said, here are a few good excursion options.

Hidden Venice Walking Tour (4 hr.; $85): A short transfer by motor launch takes you to Piazzale Roma, where your walking tour begins. Along Venice's narrow streets, you'll see the 14th-century Santa Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari church; the Campo San Polo, one of Venice's oldest squares and now site of the Venice Film Festival; the Riva del Vin, a rare spot where pedestrians can get down next to the Grand Canal; the Rialto Bridge (see below); the Fondaco dei Tedeschi post office; and the monumental Campo San Giovanni e Paolo square. The tour ends near San Marco, where you can either return to the ship or keep exploring on your own.

Murano Glass Factory & Burano Island (5 hr.; $55): Central Venice isn't the only island in the Venetian Lagoon. On this tour, you'll travel by motor launch to the island of Murano, visiting one of its famous glass factories, then move on to the island of Burano, where you'll view a demonstration of traditional lace-making before having some free time to wander the village streets. On the boat ride to and from the islands, you'll pass the Arsenale (Venice's old shipyard) and the Island of St. Elena, enjoying views of another famous island, the Lido, in the distance.

Evening Gondola Ride with Serenade (2 hr.; $140): It may sound hokey, but there is something magical about exploring the canals of this romantic city on these black pointed vessels, with a gondolier singing in Italian. The trip takes you onto narrow canals, past historic homes, and under old stone bridges.