Venice Walking Tour and Grand Canal Tour?
 

We are really limited on time in Venice. We arrive late (5:30 pm) on Friday July 28 and leave morning of Monday the 31st.

My questions is, www.tours-italy.com (recommended by Rick Íteves) currently has a special. For 52E, you get a walking tour of venice and a Grand Canal tour. The price seems good. But with limited time, should I spend the time on an organized walking tour?

Part of me says yes, so I can make sure I see as amuch as possible without getting lost.

Is this a good deal?

http://www.tours-italy.com/tours/Ven...in_1_day.htm#/

Any suggestions on how I should plan my limited time in Venice?

Sandra

Sandra, I know more than a few people who have done these Avventure Bellisime tours-it's run by a British/Venetian couple (whose names escape me at the moment)-it's pretty much the only mass tour operator in town. The Grand Canal tour on a tiny boat is worth it, because you get to share a couple of bottles of Prosecco, and hopefully, get to hear a cute native Venetian man (very important-man, not woman!) talk about the palazzi that you will cruise by, giving you some anecdotes about famous Venetians on the way.

After the walking/cruise tour, you can ask questions of your guide to get more suggestions, and will have a much better idea of places you may want to go back to the next day, like the Frari, for example.

Girlspy,
I think this may be the same tour. Rick Steves says"English speaking only-guides are native-speaking ex-pats (monica and Jonathan".

We know we want to do the Doge's Secret Itineraries tour. I'm calling tonight to reserve, and of course the Vatican museums. We'll spend time in St. Marks and walk around to look at some of the other sights. I guess this would be taken care of in the walking tour though.

No, that is the same one -Monica and Jonathan (Jon's the Brit) run this whole profitable show in Venice, and they hire native Venetians with perfect English to do the walking and Grand Canal tours.

And yes, it will be taken care of in the walking tour-I think you'll go into the Basilica to look around, and then head up to Rialto Bridge (which is where the walking tour ends, I believe).

I think it's well worth it for your short period of time, as it will orient you to Venice on your first day there.

I just realized I pasted part of another message into my reply.

Ignore the Vatican portion ::embarrassed::