
The key tour
Understanding Venice
A private walk to understand the city, not to rush through it: sestieri, calli, vaporetto and local tastes, with a personalized map.
Discover the tour
VeniceAround · Private tours and travel design
Private, tailor-made walks, lagoon days and pre-trip planning with a licensed tourist guide who has been guiding in Venice and the Veneto since 2008. A calmer, better-informed way to experience Venice, before and during your stay.
In short
VeniceAround offers private tours in Venice, Italy, led by Daniela Zarpellon, a licensed tourist guide (Italian National List of Tourist Guides, no. 05000058) who has been guiding since 2008. Every tour is for your own party only (couples, families, friends or a small private group) and is built around your interests, dates and pace, in English, Italian or French. Most walks last about 2.5 to 3 hours and can be shortened or extended. There are no fixed prices: you send a request and receive a free, no-obligation quote, with a reply within 24 hours.
Travel Planning · Venice Stay Design
I help travelers make sense of Venice before they arrive. Venice is unlike any other city, and a stay that is thought through in advance changes the whole experience. I help you build a coherent stay, working with you before you arrive and during your stay, to make the most of your days in the city and around it:
My private tours are designed exactly for this: each one fits into your plan as a moment to go deeper. The key tour is Understanding Venice, a private walk to understand the city, not to rush through it, ideally on your first day.

Why a licensed private guide
The web can tell you where to go. A licensed private guide helps you understand why a place matters, and how it fits into your own days in the city.
| What changes | Private tour with a licensed guide | Generic group tour |
|---|---|---|
| Who is there | Only you and your travel companions | Strangers with different interests and walking speeds |
| Route | Designed around your interests, the season, opening times and where the crowds are | The same fixed itinerary for everyone |
| Pace | Yours: slower when you need it, longer pauses where something moves you | Set by the group and the schedule |
| Depth | Art history, architecture and the political story of the Serenissima, explained in context | Often simplified commentary over a headset |
| Questions | Asked and answered as you walk, including practical ones about the rest of your stay | Limited time for individual questions |
Signature private collection
Each tour is a starting point, not a fixed product. Choose one, combine several over a longer stay, or ask Daniela to design something entirely custom.

The key tour
A private walk to understand the city, not to rush through it: sestieri, calli, vaporetto and local tastes, with a personalized map.
Discover the tour
Glass, lace and silence
Murano glass ateliers and a furnace, Burano lace, the Mazzorbo vineyard and Torcello – by private motorboat or vaporetto.
Discover the tour
Usually closed to the public
Privately owned palaces, visited on request when the owners are available: the piano nobile, water gates and family life.
Discover the tour
Classics revisited
Golden mosaics, the Pala d'Oro, the halls of the Republic and the Bridge of Sighs, read with an art historian's eye.
Discover the tour
Venice from the water
Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque palaces seen as they were designed to be seen: from the water.
Discover the tour
The artisan heart
A gondola boatyard, the Zattere, the Salute and the art district: the quiet elegance of Dorsoduro.
Discover the tour
Since 1516
The history of the Venice Ghetto and the everyday life of Cannaregio, to Tintoretto's church.
Discover the tour
The working soul
Molino Stucky, the Arsenale and the factories of Giudecca: the Venice of workers and brick.
Discover the tour
Shakespeare to Hemingway
Shylock, Othello, Casanova, Byron, Henry James and Hemingway, read in the places they wrote about.
Discover the tourStart with Understanding Venice, the key private tour to read the city and move on your own, then see St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace with time to look properly.
Go deeper with the Jewish Ghetto and Cannaregio, industrial Venice on Giudecca or Literary Venice, from Shakespeare to Hemingway.
Add Murano, Burano and the lagoon islands or a visit inside Venetian palaces, and let Venice Stay Design place each tour on the right day.
Calendar
Exhibitions and events in Venice to combine with a private tour. The list is constantly updated.
Venezia
Ca' Pesaro – Galleria Internazionale d'Arte Moderna, Santa Croce 2076, 30135 Venezia
Retrospective of the British painter Jenny Saville with more than 30 paintings and drawings from the 1990s to today, including a new cycle dedicated to Venice. Curated by Elisabetta Barisoni for the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia.
28 March 2026 – 22 November 2026
News

· Planning your visit
The City of Venice has published the 2027 access fee calendar: 72 dates from 26 March to 15 August, 08:30–16:30. What day visitors need to know.
Read
· Planning your visit
Venice, Italy in winter: Festa della Salute, Christmas, Carnival 2027, acqua alta and the MOSE, and how to plan calm days from November to February.
Read
· Planning your visit
In Venice, Italy an address is a sestiere and a number, not a street. How house numbers work and what calle, campo, fondamenta and rio terà…
ReadMeet Daniela
Daniela Zarpellon grew up in Vicenza, surrounded by the architecture of Andrea Palladio, and has been guiding travelers through Venice and the Veneto since 2008. She holds a degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures (English) from the University of Verona, with a specialization in art history, and has continued studying at Ca' Foscari University of Venice: the contemporary, Byzantine and modern history of Venice, Venetian villas and Venetian gardens.
For guests who want more than a checklist, she designs private routes that reveal Venice as a living city: palaces and churches, canals and craftsmen, the lagoon islands, Jewish heritage, literature and everyday life. She guides in English, Italian and French.

How it works
No booking engine and no hidden extras: a conversation, a written quote and a route designed for you.
Use the request form, email or WhatsApp: your dates, who is traveling, your interests and the tours that caught your eye.
Daniela replies within 24 hours with availability, a suggested route and a clear, no-obligation quote.
Adjust length, pace and stops. Daniela tells you which entrance tickets to book and when and, if needed, which licensed boat operators to contact; you book them directly.
Meet at the agreed point and walk the city with a guide who knows where you are going, and why.
Who it's for
Private tours suit anyone who would rather understand Venice than just tick it off.
A clear mental map of the city on day one, so the rest of your stay feels easy rather than overwhelming.
Calm, atmospheric routes with time for quiet campi and the details most visitors walk past.
A coherent stay designed before you arrive, with Venice Stay Design, and private tours placed where they make sense.
Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Giudecca, the lagoon and themes such as literature or industrial heritage.
Your own party, your own route. School groups are welcome on request.
Day trips from Venice to Vicenza and Palladio, Padua, Verona, the Riviera del Brenta and Asolo, by train or with a third-party driver.
Guest reviews
Guest reviews taken from the public platforms where they were published. How we display reviews.
“Daniela was an exceptional guide. She demonstrated deep knowledge and appreciation of the Venetian culture.”
Kathleen B., ToursByLocals review, September 2026
Figures and excerpts taken from Daniela's public profiles on ToursByLocals and Google (October 2026), reproduced without changes, with author, date and source. How we display reviews
FAQ
Every private tour is quoted individually because it is tailor-made, so there is no fixed price list. The quote depends on the length of the tour, the number of guests, the language, the season and any boat or third-party services. Entrance tickets are not included in the guide fee. Send your dates and interests and you will receive a free, no-obligation quote within 24 hours.
No. Entrance tickets to museums and churches are not included in the guide fee, but Daniela tells you which ones to book and when; you book them directly. Private boats and water taxis are third-party services run by licensed operators and are quoted separately.
Daniela guides in English, Italian and French. The whole tour is in the language you choose, so mixed-language groups can ask which option suits them.
Tourist guides in Italy are registered in the National List of Tourist Guides, kept by the Ministry of Tourism under Law no. 190 of 13 December 2023. Daniela Zarpellon's registration number is 05000058, and you can check it on the Ministry's national platform for tourist guides.
As early as you know your dates, especially for spring, summer and holiday periods, when both guide availability and entrance tickets fill up. Last-minute requests are welcome too: write and you will get an honest answer within 24 hours.
Yes. With Venice Stay Design, Daniela works with you before you arrive and during your stay: where to stay, how to pace your days, how to move around independently and what to see or skip. It starts with a short online call scheduled by email; accommodation and third-party services are booked directly by you, based on her guidance.

Vicenza and Palladio
Vicenza, Palladio's palazzi and villas: private tours with the same guide, Daniela Zarpellon, on the sister website GiraVicenza.
Private inquiry
Tell Daniela when you are coming, who you are traveling with and what kind of Venice you hope to find. You will receive a personal reply within 24 hours, with availability, a suggested route and a clear quote. You can also write to daniela@venicearound.it or call +39 338 4103735.
Private tour
Private tours in Venice, Italy, designed around you. Free, no-obligation quote – reply within 24 hours.
What guests say
Reviews of Daniela's Venice tours from her public profiles on ToursByLocals and Google, reproduced without changes, with author, date and source. Google labels its reviews as not verified as purchases.
«Daniela is an excellent guide, extremely knowlegeable concerning Venetian history and culture. She gave us a 4 hour walking tour of Venice, including the St. Mark’s basilica. She answered all of our questions. We gained an appreciation of the City of Venice. If I could give her 6 stars, I would.»
«Daniela is an incredible guide, very knowledgeable about the history and the neighborhoods of Venice. She kept us entertained and charmed, was always patient- even when interrupted by random questions from random other tourists. We highly recommend her as an expert guide.»
«We had a wonderful and positive experience touring the St. Peter’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace with Daniela! She gave us the historical context and background information related to these sites and Venice in general, so that we walked away with a more in-depth understanding of this unique and very interesting city that is rich in history. Daniela was very patient and understanding when we arrived late at our accommodation where she met us (due to train delay, getting lost trying to find our accommodation, etc). It was a real pleasure getting to know Venice from Daniela, and we highly recommend her private tours!!! Much love from us in Toronto and Vancouver, Daniela!»
«Daniela was an exceptional guide. She demonstrated deep knowledge and appreciation of the Venetian culture.»
«Daniela was great, highly recommend and would use again if in Venice.»
«Daniela was absolutely outstanding and one of the best tour guides we've ever had.»
«Daniela was our guide on the Vita Pugna between Mantua and Venice. She led our daily bike rides and gave us a wealth of information about all the towns and villages we visited. She is incredibly professional and shared her knowledge and experience with passion!»
«Professionalità, pazienza preparazione, gentilezza, simpatia ed empatia.
Voto 10!»
Translation: Professionalism, patience, knowledge, kindness, friendliness and empathy. 10 out of 10!
«Ho visitato la mostra "La fabbrica del Rinascimento" a Vicenza con Daniela ed è stata una bellissima esperienza: lei è molto competente, interessante e mai banale, con quel pizzico di digressioni che arricchiscono la spiegazione collegandola ad altre vicende e situazioni storico-artistiche. Con lei la mostra ha rappresentato la mia città in uno dei periodi di maggior splendore e vivacità che abbia mai vissuto. La consiglio assolutamente.»
Translation: I visited the exhibition "La fabbrica del Rinascimento" in Vicenza with Daniela and it was a wonderful experience: she is very knowledgeable, interesting and never banal, with that touch of digressions that enrich the explanation by linking it to other historical and artistic events. With her, the exhibition showed my city in one of the most splendid and lively periods it has ever known. I definitely recommend her.
«La visita a una mostra imperdibile (la Fabbrica del Rinascimento) si è trasformata in un viaggio bellissimo nel passato della città in cui vivo e che, grazie a Daniela, ora conosco meglio.
Devo dire la verità, non sono una grande appassionata di mostre ma, sotto la sua guida, non ho staccato gli occhi un attimo e il tempo è volato.
Grazie per la competenza e l’entusiasmo che ci hai trasmesso.»
Translation: The visit to an unmissable exhibition (la Fabbrica del Rinascimento) became a wonderful journey into the past of the city where I live, which I now know better thanks to Daniela. To be honest, I am not a great lover of exhibitions, but with her as a guide I never looked away for a moment and the time flew. Thank you for the knowledge and enthusiasm you shared with us.
«Al visita guidata alla mostra in Basilica è stata veramente interessante.. Ho scoperto delle cose della mia città che non sapevo oltre a tante curiosità del passato che non conoscevo... Ringrazio Daniela, una guida Ottima.. Ci ha accompagnato in questo tuffo nel passato della città xon competenza e in modo piacevole e appassinato.. Non vedo l'ora di fare una visita come questa.. La consiglio vivamente!!!!»
Translation: The guided visit to the exhibition in the Basilica was really interesting. I discovered things about my city that I did not know, as well as many curiosities about the past. Thank you to Daniela, an excellent guide, who led us through this dive into the city's past with knowledge, in a pleasant and passionate way. I can't wait to do another visit like this. I highly recommend her!
«Daniela è un'ottima guida turistica che opera in territorio vicentino e non solo. La sua preparazione artistica e culturale sugli eventi storici accaduti nel Veneto è impeccabile! Guida con professionalità numerosi gruppi di ospiti in tour interessanti, condividendo informazioni precise e curiosità inedite sulla storia della città di Vicenza e della sua magnifica provincia. Con Daniela ogni viaggio nella storia e nell'arte riserva piacevoli sorprese.»
Translation: Daniela is an excellent tourist guide working in the Vicenza area and beyond. Her artistic and cultural knowledge of the historical events of the Veneto is impeccable. She professionally guides many groups of guests on interesting tours, sharing precise information and little-known facts about the history of Vicenza and its magnificent province. With Daniela every journey into history and art holds pleasant surprises.
Figures and excerpts taken from Daniela's public profiles on ToursByLocals and Google (October 2026), reproduced without changes, with author, date and source. How we display reviews

Hello, I'm Daniela. Tell me when you arrive in Venice and what you would like to see: I will reply within 24 hours with a free, no-obligation tailor-made proposal.
Message on WhatsAppFill in the enquiry formSend an emailCallWe use technical cookies needed for the site to work and, only if you accept, Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity for aggregated statistics on visits and usability. No profiling or advertising. Cookie policy
VeniceAround.it uses the technical tools needed for the site to work. With your consent it also uses Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity for aggregated statistics, heatmaps and session recordings (text typed in forms is masked); they are not loaded until you accept. You can change your choice at any time from "Cookie preferences" in the footer.