Venice & the Veneto · WORKSHOPS IN VENICE
Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 workshops in Venice 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.”
Make fettuccine, ravioli, and tiramisu in Venice with wine, limoncello, and friendly English-speaking chefs in Dorsoduro.
“Really enjoyable! Great hands on experience learning to make traditional dishes - and then eat washed down with plenty of wine! Excellent instruction and really informative on traditional processes and origins of each dish. Really worth it!”
Make fresh pasta and tiramisu in Venice, then enjoy your meal with wine, limoncello, and coffee in a small English-speaking class.
“What a fun and great experience! Happens at a very local and family run restaurant. Serena and Marco have it set up to be a very warm environment. And our food was our supper and it was wonderful.”
Make a Murano-style glass pendant with Venetian artisan Massimiliano Caldarone in a private 75-minute workshop, then take your artwork home.
“It was a wonderful experience! We got to make our own glass items and watch him do a professional demonstration, it was very interesting and informative. 10/10 would recommend to anyone.”
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”
Watch Murano glassblowing, make a mosaic or jewelry piece, and cross the lagoon by water taxi in this hands-on Venice workshop.
“I will start by saying that the people were really nice, and watching the master glass blower was very interesting because he was absolutely incredible. That being said, this “tour” was not private despite it being advertised as such. There was another party on the water taxi with us, fifteen other people in the glass blowing demonstration, and two other families with us in the workshop. Besides the glass blowing demonstration, we were given an hour to do a ten minute craft, and another hour to walk around their showroom. There really was no tour. We sat outside for 45 minutes waiting for the water taxi because it just didn’t…”
Watch Murano glass masters shape molten glass, make a bead or mosaic keepsake, and explore the island on this practical 2.5-hour tour.
“The tour was fun - our guide met us promptly and we walked over to the boat dock with a quick stop in the narrowest alley in Venice. The boat ride is beautiful, passing along the waterfront and then cemetery island on the return trip. Upon arrival in Murano, the guide showed us around the island and gave recommendations for lunch. The glass factory gave a brief demonstration of making a vase and a quick sculpture of a horse, and then we were able to make jewelry from local glass beads. Afterwards, we toured the gallery, which is six huge rooms of incredible art. The saleswoman was excellent without being…”
Make and decorate your own Venetian mask at Carta Alta on Giudecca, with artisan guidance, mask history, film connections, and a take-home souvenir.
“Very charming place 💖 owner was sooo nice and atmosphere was awesome💖 if you want unique souvenir from Venice and lovely memories- I recommend 1000%”
Paint a handmade Venetian mask in a small Venice workshop, learn simple decorating techniques, and take home a personal souvenir.
“I did this activity with my husband and 7 year old daughter and we all had a very good time. The guide was really helpful explaining what we need to do and sharing some techniques that makes our masks look a bit better (for a not-so-artsy bunch). We all had a very good time. Definitely recommend doing.”
Make your own Murano-style glass pendant in Venice with artisan Massimiliano Caldarone, then watch a master demonstration and shop at 10% off.
“Massimiliano Caldarone is an artist who shares his art with you for a full experience. You get to feel the glass turn to liquid and then shape it. He patiently teaches so you are prepared and keeps you calm when you want to tense with the actual doing. You end up with a piece you have truly created, selecting your colors and mixing them as you choose. And then you get to watch him perform as an artist. We loved the creation of one of his trademark dancers. His movements matched the music, and we all wanted to take the resulting glass dancer home with us. I definitely recommend this…”
Shop Rialto Market with a Venetian chef, make fresh pasta and tiramisù, and enjoy wine in a private courtyard during this four-hour class.
“It was a very authentic experience! Filippo was very involved, tried to address everybody's preferences, did his best to show us a little bit of the Venetian/Italian culture and kindly answered all of our questions. The market tour was awesome (especially for the food enthusiasts) and also the cooking class, where we had a lot of fun and learned to easily cook very tasty food. Also (something that was important for us), everything was prepared and cooked in very hygienic conditions! We definitely recommend this experience with Filippo and would surely do it again maybe sometime in the future!”
Make two fresh pasta dishes and tiramisu in a Venetian home with a Cesarina host, wine, prosecco, and a shared meal.
“We had a delightful time during our pasta-making class in Italy. Spending four relaxing hours cooking and eating together was one of the highlights of our trip. The class itself was exceptional, held in a charming home overlooking a canal. We learned to make two different types of pasta and the delicious dessert, tiramisu. It was a joy to meet and interact with the other couple in our group. We shared laughs, sipped prosecco, and had a wonderful time chatting throughout the experience. We were so impressed that we've already ordered a pasta maker to try our hand at making pasta at home using the recipe Nico provided. Our only…”
Make fresh pasta and tiramisu in a Venetian home, share wine with a local family, and learn recipes you can recreate at home.
“Anna was our chef and welcome us to her home with open arms. She has a lovely home and her cat was so adorable and calm around people. She understood that I had a lactose problem and was able to change the entire menu for me. We made Ravioli, Tiramisu, and Maltagliati. It was hard work and worth it! She gave us spritz and it was amazing. Amazing places to go visit during our stay and restaurant to eat! Anna is so kind and sweet and I absolutely love her outgoing personality. 100% recommend Anna Please be aware that the cooking class takes TIME! We were there from 10-2 so…”
Make your own Murano glass in a small hands-on workshop with expert guidance, hot-glass practice, and pickup or worldwide shipping.
“Absolutely a must do if in Venice! Most glass tours in Murano are just watching the masters do their extraordinary thing making beautiful glass art but this class actually teaches you what to do and you get to make your own piece! The folks taking the tour watch you making your glass piece!! Our teacher was great and we loved the class! Truly an amazing experience!!! 5 stars for sure!”
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 😊”
Pick a canal, a counter or a hillside.
