Venice & the Veneto · VENICE CARNIVAL
Every trip has one free day too few. These 9 venice carnival tours justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part.
Paint an authentic Venetian carnival mask with an artisan, learn Carnival traditions, and take home a personal paper-mâché souvenir.
“My grandchildren loved this activity, in a small mask shop near San Marco. They each painted masks, and took them home. It was only an hour’s activity but they really enjoyed themselves.”
Paint a Venetian Carnival mask near St. Mark’s Square with a master artisan, learn Carnival traditions, and take home a personal souvenir.
“Make the time for this lovely relaxed experience away from the usual tourism when in Venice. An education in Venetian culture as well as a hands on workshop”
Decorate a traditional Venetian mask with an artisan inside the historic Casanova Prisons, beside St. Mark’s Square, for $65.
“Definitely worth booking! The staff were really helpful and nice. We all got to look around the museum while waiting for our masks to dry. Loved the experience 😊”
Trace Casanova’s Venice through Carnival masks, secret alleys, aristocratic haunts, and a cappuccino with a seasonal frittella.
“Sergio was a delight. He’s so knowledgeable about the history of Venice and Casanova. And the espresso and fritelle at the end of the tour was wonderful. Thank you!”
Explore Venice’s bacari on a Carnival pub crawl with local wine, spritz, cicchetti, and a guide, but expect a brisk pace and variable bar service.
“Only the first of the three venues was pleasant and suitable to accommodate the group. There was very little time in any of the three venues and each of the 3 drinks were very small - nowhere near a standard measure . The snacks were extremely sparse too. We were rushed out of the first and second venues with insufficient time to even finish the small drinks. It was cold, lacked atmosphere or care and it was clear that the 3rd tiny brightly lit ‘plastic’ standup venue had not been organised in advance- we were glad to leave it asap in any event .Extremely disappointing , wholly lacking in any…”
Decorate a Venetian carnival mask inside Casanova's former prisons, with an artisan instructor, materials, and historic chocolate tasting.
“Interestingly, we really had mixed emotions about this. The glass blowing felt somewhat staged and also felt like more of a pitch to sell you high end Murano Glass. The guide was informative about what makes Murano Glass special, but still the blowing demo was about 5 minutes and the sales pitch lasted a quite a while longer. The gondola ride was fun and a must for anyone in Venice. We were in a bat with four strangers and while it did not impact the ride, it was certainly not romantic. If you are looking for a romantic ride, pay the tariff and do your own ride. I am not…”
Solve Carnival clues across Venice, visit Rialto and three Grand Canal bridges, then paint a Venetian mask in Casanova’s former prison.
“Meraviglioso il percorso! I bambini si sono divertiti moltissimo a creare la loro maschera Da consigliare se si vuole divertire a carnevale in maniera alternativa”
Explore Venice by app, solve a Carnival treasure hunt, then paint a mask in the historic Palazzo delle Prigioni.
“Impossible de capter correctement le reseau pour le gps . Trop de monde autour de la place st marc , donc enormes difficultés a se reperer. Les explications sur les sites sont pratiquements inodibles , trop de foule bruyante autour des lieux de decouverte. Peut etre devriez vous fournir de petits écouteurs. Dommage , car l'idée était excellente. Pour le prix par personne, je suis extrement déçue .”
Step into Venetian Carnival history with guide Valerio, visit a mask maker, stroll Cannaregio, and dress in period costume for professional photos.
“Valero was Amazing from start to finish! We had an Incredible experience he’s very professional, kind & detailed this was one of our favorite tours”
Pick a canal, a counter or a hillside.
