Venice & the Veneto · WORKSHOPS
Good workshops & classes fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
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 fresh pasta and tiramisu in central Verona with Prosecco, wine, expert guidance, and a shared Italian meal for $35.
“So much fun and great to learn some Italian cooking. Washed down with plenty of wine. What’s not to love!? Elodie was a great teacher and made us feel at ease. Nice to socialise with others for an evening during our couple’s trip.”
Make fresh fettuccine, ravioli, and tiramisu in central Verona with English instruction, Prosecco, wine, and a shared meal.
“Fun experience. Great instructors. The food we made was delicious. The location of the class was great”
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%”
Make traditional gelato and fresh sorbet in Verona with a local chef, taste creative toppings, and take home recipes from this family-friendly class.
“It was amazing, the chiefs were very kind and helping. I got the recipies and tried many flavours both preparing and tasting, especially I liked the different types of toppings which was a big surprize for me. Most of those you can easily find in your hometown, like balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rise pepper, honey etc.”
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 fresh pasta, risotto, and tiramisù in Verona with a local chef, then enjoy your meal with Valpolicella wine in a small group.
“A wonderful high quality experience full of learning, fun and pure pleasure!”
Pick a canal, a counter or a hillside.
