Private Hidden Venice Tour: Ca’ Rezzonico, Gondola Crossing & Scala del Bovolo

3 hours · Private guided walking tour

Explore the art of eighteenth-century Venice, cross the Grand Canal by service gondola, and discover a remarkable staircase hidden among the city’s smaller streets. This private tour begins at Ca’ Rezzonico, continues to the Scala Contarini del Bovolo, and concludes at the Rialto Bridge.

Inside Ca’ Rezzonico

Meet your guide at Ca’ Rezzonico, a Grand Canal palace that now houses the Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice. Explore its accessible rooms and collections as your guide brings the period to life through paintings, furnishings and decorative art.

Works by artists including Tiepolo, Canaletto and Guardi reveal different sides of Venetian society, from the world of noble families to the streets and social scenes depicted by its painters. Your visit focuses on the museum areas open to guests.

Cross the Grand Canal by Service Gondola

After leaving Ca’ Rezzonico, board a service gondola for an approximately five-minute crossing of the Grand Canal. It is a memorable way to experience Venice from the water while travelling to the next part of your tour.

From the opposite bank, continue on foot through narrow streets and small squares. Your guide will point out details of everyday Venetian life as you make your way towards the Scala Contarini del Bovolo.

Discover the Scala Contarini del Bovolo

Tucked away in a courtyard, the Scala Contarini del Bovolo rewards visitors who venture beyond the main routes. Learn about its distinctive spiral design, then climb the staircase, subject to admission and opening conditions, for views across Venice’s rooftops and bell towers.

Finish at the Rialto Bridge

Continue towards Rialto, the historic centre of Venetian trade. Your guide will explain how merchants, markets and boats made this district essential to the city’s prosperity.

The tour ends at the Rialto Bridge, overlooking the Grand Canal. From here, you can look back on three connected experiences: the private world of an eighteenth-century palace, a crossing on the water, and the public life of Venice’s commercial heart.

Tour Highlights

• Private guided visit to the accessible collections of Ca’ Rezzonico
• Art and daily life in eighteenth-century Venice
• Approximately five-minute Grand Canal crossing by service gondola
• Walk through smaller streets and squares
• Visit and climb the Scala Contarini del Bovolo, subject to admission
• Finish at the Rialto Bridge