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Venice Food Tour: Culinary History and Cicchetti Bars
4.8
99 Ratings
Venezia
Immerse yourself in the tastes and traditions of Venice on a food tour that takes you off the beaten path. Explore the historic Rialto Market, discover the city’s culinary history, and indulge in Venetian-style tapas and wine at local cicchetti bars.
Immerse yourself in the tastes and traditions of Venice on a food tour that takes you off the beaten path. Explore the historic Rialto Market, discover the city’s culinary history, and indulge in Venetian-style tapas and wine at local cicchetti bars.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Alla Fonda - Discover the world of cicchetti, Venice’s renowned tapas-style snacks, at a charming family-owned bar. Savor two local specialties accompanied by a refreshing drink.
- Baccalà Veneto - Continue your culinary journey at another family-run bar, where you’ll indulge in two unique cicchetti featuring cod, paired with a glass of…
- Alla Fonda - Discover the world of cicchetti, Venice’s renowned tapas-style snacks, at a charming family-owned bar. Savor two local specialties accompanied by a refreshing drink.
- Baccalà Veneto - Continue your culinary journey at another family-run bar, where you’ll indulge in two unique cicchetti featuring cod, paired with a glass of prosecco.
- Casa Del Parmigiano - Visit this beloved family-operated delicatessen, a favorite among locals, to sample a variety of regional cheeses.
- Rialto Market - Immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of Venice’s culinary hub: the Rialto Fish Market. As you explore the bustling aisles, your guide will share insights into how ancient trade routes and a rich maritime history have influenced Venetian cuisine, and how they continue to source the freshest Mediterranean fish.
- La Gastronomia - Next, step into a welcoming, bright shop for a street-food style experience of Venetian seafood, crafted with ingredients fresh from the nearby market.
- Mercati di Rialto - Expand your understanding of seasonal produce and local specialties. Visit a fresh fruit stand to taste exquisite seasonal offerings.
- Al Mercà - Visit the preferred bacaro (wine bar) of locals in the Rialto area for an aperitif. Renowned for their top-notch light bites and spritzes, you’ll have the chance to enjoy them firsthand.
- SEPA - After a brief gondola ride across the Grand Canal, enjoy lunch at this cozy, modern bacaro hidden down a quaint side street. Delight in freshly made risotto and a glass of wine, and conclude your tour with a delectable Italian dessert.
What's Included
- Local English-speaking guide
- All food & beverage tastings
- Expertly guided walking tour
- Small group of maximum 10 pax
- Local English-speaking guide
- All food & beverage tastings
- Expertly guided walking tour
- Small group of maximum 10 pax
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
Venture off the beaten path to uncover Venice’s rich culinary history spanning centuries: from its era as a key spice trade hub to modern times. Discover how Venice’s maritime past has shaped its regional cuisine, find out where locals dine, and sample some of the city’s exceptional dishes. Wander through the Rialto Market and stop by several famous…
Venture off the beaten path to uncover Venice’s rich culinary history spanning centuries: from its era as a key spice trade hub to modern times. Discover how Venice’s maritime past has shaped its regional cuisine, find out where locals dine, and sample some of the city’s exceptional dishes. Wander through the Rialto Market and stop by several famous cicchetti bars to savor Venetian-style “tapas” paired with wine.
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty. Please be aware that this tour involves extended periods of standing, which may not be suitable for travelers with certain health conditions or mobility limitations.
- This tour is adaptable for: Vegetarians, Pescatarians, dairy free, Non-alcoholic options & Pregnant women, but please note that you may not have a replacement food option at every stop.
- Those with dietary restrictions need to contact us before joining the tour so we can arrange your food.
- Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate vegan options, and gluten-free options are not available due to the risk of cross-contamination.
- There is an option to replace any alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic alternative upon request.
- This tour is in English.
Location
Campo San Giacomo di Rialto
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets outside the entrance of the Church of San Giacometto at Campo San Giacomo di Rialto 255, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(99 Ratings)
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Mark
May 23, 2025
So much more than we thought! - Our tour guide,Barbara, was excellent! She wove the history and story of Venice though food and wine. We left the tour full, happy and knowing much more of this beautiful, unique city and the food that has helped shape the culture not just Venice but the world as well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
722jon
May 3, 2025
Unrivalled Venetian cichetti food experience - Barbara wove history and food anecdotes into a marvellous tour of the rialto area with the 2 magic ingredient…wine and fun.
Totally recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Peterharris32
Mar 12, 2025
Rialto Mercato - How did Rialto market get started? Well, the two districts San Palo and San Marco made up the original structures of Venice, which should place Rialto back to the 4th century. However, the internet seems to place it in more like the 9th century.
“The Roman Empire's transportation network of roads benefitted the small farmers by opening up access to local and regional markets in towns and trade centers”, eventually leading to the creation of Rialto Market.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Antoniatonitoni
Oct 20, 2024
Delicious food and a brilliant guide! - Such an amazing tour, I couldn’t recommend it more! Our guide Francesca (Frankie) was so warm and knowledgeable about the area, fantastic at pointing out little details that define the unique nature of Venice, but are easily overlooked by first time visitors like me!
The food was lovely and varied - very generous portion sizes. We tried loads of local treats that I wouldn’t have been able to sample if I was eating alone on the few days I was in the area. This tour is great if you’re looking for recommendations on where to go whilst you visit Venice and perfect for your first day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pamelakirby08
Oct 16, 2024
Fun Times - Wonderful guide that was both knowledgeable and fun. We enjoyed all of our stops at local, off the beaten path locations.
Review provided by Viator
Alexandra_l
Oct 7, 2024
Full happy bellies - We really enjoyed meeting new people & getting the courage to try new foods drink new beverages learning new cultures great guide !
Review provided by Viator
Cynda_r
Sep 29, 2024
Highly recommend! - This tour was fun and our guide Daria was terrific! The food was plentiful and drinks yummy. Some of our stops were quite crowded because it was Saturday night but we didn’t mind at all. Tiramisu gelato was the perfect end to our tour.
Review provided by Viator
Andrew_w
Sep 17, 2024
Excellent food and guide - All the food/drink was excellent. Jennifer our guide was extremely knowledgeable of the food and city. We did this as our first experience in Venice and it was a great way to learn about the city while exploring.
Review provided by Viator
Leah_s
Jul 24, 2024
Awesome! - This was one of the best tours I have ever done. Julia was absolutely amazing. Knowledgeable, personable and fun. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Maureen_l
Sep 22, 2024
Alcohol tour - What a disappointment. It was supposed to be a walking food tour. We stopped at two venues and a store in the fish market. There were no seats at all anywhere. It was the end of a very long day for the two groups of travelers within our group ,didn’t realize it would be so much alcohol and so little food. The guide said that our next stop was 20 minutes later so we wouldn’t begin walking for the next 20 min.We found it unacceptable and left early, also the tour was supposed to include gondola ride which we hope to get a refund for .
Review provided by Viator
