When traveling, it’s useful to have the guide books, but sometimes you just want a person to take you around and show you what’s great about the place you’re in.
My husband and I did a few days in Venice and Milan, Italy and took several kinds of guided tours. I will be reviewing them in the next series of blog posts.
*Disclosure: The comments and opinions are my own and I will let you know if I received any discounts on the tours. No compensation was received for my reviews.
Group Tour in Venice:
Why this tour:
Venice has a “cocktail hour” tradition of having an aperitif or glass of wine and eating small snacks generally between 5 and 7 pm. One can go into a bar or restaurant and order drinks and order a variety of snacks that are available. It can be intimidating to walk into these places not knowing how or what to order. This tour’s mission was to show us how Venetians enjoy their happy hours and how we could, too.
About Urban Adventures: Description from their website: Urban Adventures are for those who want to get away from the tourists and really connect with a city, with a local by their side. The experience can be as short as a couple of hours, or as long as a whole day, but in every case our Urban Adventures tours take travellers to interesting places to experience local culture and see what makes a place unique. Join us for the Best. Day. Ever. There are over 1200 guides in 166 cities around the world. Groups can be as large as 12.
How I chose it:
This tour was recommended by another travel advisor. She recommended it highly. I had never personally taken this tour or sent anyone on this tour before.
Cost: $99.27 USD per person- * I was able to take this tour for free and my husband was able to go for half price, due to the travel agent discount. We tipped the guide 10 Euros.
What was good about it:
The group size was 10, which was a nice size. Our guide, Simona, was personable and very knowledgeable about the food and wine. It was also clear that she had good relationships with the bar and restaurant staff where ever we went. There were 5 stops on the tour, plus a gondola traghetto crossing of the Grand Canal. Each stop was different in character and we had a different type of wine at each place. There were an assortment of appetizers at each location, which provided for a good experience of the different types of food available. I think the tour lived up to the promise of showing how Venetians enjoy their “happy hour” traditions.
What was not good about it:
This tour was generally excellent, but I have two semi-negative points:
1) There is almost no sitting on this tour. We sat at the very last stop, where there was a table prepared for our group. Every other other location was strictly standing room only and one bar was so small that we ate and drank standing outside in the alley. The selection of bars changes from tour to tour, depending on availability, so there might be a tour with 2 sit-down stops, but be prepared to eat and drink standing up for the vast majority of the tour.
2). This tour starts in the Canareggio neighborhood of Venice, which is on the far north side of the Grand Canal. The guide gives an introductory walking tour of Venice and some of the quieter streets, but there are no food stops until you cross the Grand Canal into the San Polo and Rialto neighborhoods. I wonder why the tour starts so far from the first food stop. I guess to build up those appetites?
Good to Know:
Urban Adventures does mostly group tours, but they can do private and customized tours upon request.
Book this tour in advance, as they will fill up. The guides will be locals who enjoy their city and can’t wait to show it to you. Definitely tell your guide if there are special dietary concerns, as they can make accommodations.
You will be in a group, so be prepared to mix and mingle and enjoy the group vibe.
Be prepared for some easy walking and a lot of standing.
I would definitely recommend this tour!
