Venice Shore Excursions, Shore Trips & Private Day Tours

Since 2021, large cruise ships no longer transit through St. Mark's Basin and the Giudecca Canal. Most vessels now dock at the Marghera commercial port on the mainland or at temporary berths outside the historic center, with passengers transferred into Venice by shuttle boat or People Mover. Some smaller ships still use the Stazione Marittima terminal near Piazzale Roma. Regardless of where your ship docks, your Private Shore Trips guide will meet you at the designated disembarkation point and handle all transfers into the city so you can start sightseeing immediately.

For first-time visitors the Venice Highlights and Gondola Ride shore excursion (IVENI-02) at 5.5 hours is the strongest choice - it covers the Grand Canal by private boat, a two-hour walking tour of the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica, and a gondola ride through the smaller canals. Guests with limited time or limited walking ability are better served by the Postcards of Venice shore trip (IVENI-01) at 3 hours - a Grand Canal cruise, gondola ride, and orientation walk at St. Mark's Square. Both are exclusively for your group with a licensed English-speaking guide.

Venice is entirely pedestrian - there are no cars, buses, or taxis anywhere in the historic center. You move between islands by water taxi, vaporetto (public water bus), or on foot across the bridges. Your private guide knows the fastest walking routes through the maze of calli and campi, when to take a water taxi versus walk, and how to avoid the congested tourist corridors between San Marco and Rialto. You cover more ground with less confusion and far less time spent lost than any self-guided attempt.

Yes - both are within reach of a half-day private excursion from Venice. Verona is approximately 90 minutes by private vehicle and offers the Roman Arena, Juliet's House, and the beautifully preserved medieval city center - the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Our Romeo and Juliet's Verona shore excursion runs 5 hours. Padua is 45 minutes from Venice and home to the Scrovegni Chapel, one of the most important works of Western art, painted by Giotto in 1305. The Highlights of Padua excursion runs 4.5 hours.

Yes - many Eastern Mediterranean and Adriatic cruises begin or end in Venice, making it one of Europe's major turnaround ports. We offer private transfers between Marco Polo Airport, Venice hotels, and the cruise terminal - with water taxi included for hotel transfers - as well as full-day and half-day Venice city tours for guests staying overnight before or after their sailing. For port-of-call visits, our Venice shore trips are designed to maximize your limited time ashore.

Our back-to-ship guarantee means that if an unforeseen delay during your private Venice shore excursion prevents you from returning to the cruise terminal before your ship departs, we will arrange and cover the cost of transportation to your next port of call. This guarantee applies to all private Venice shore trips and excursions booked through us. Your tour must be scheduled to return 1.5 hours before the ship departs.