Tour Details
Photos & Highlights
- Venice Food Tour with plenty of tastings
- Led by a culinary expert
- Rialto Market
Tour Description
The historic Rialto market is the culinary, social, and economic heart of Venetian life, where locals buy their seafood, meat, and produce daily amid the colorful stalls that line the Grand Canal. In this two-hour Venice Food Tour we'll visit Rialto market with a local chef, food writer, or foodie and learn how cuisine powers this city, past and present. Along the way, we'll develop an appreciation for Venice's distinct variety of Italian food, while sampling local specialties, from seasonal produce to seafood.
Venice Food Tour
The market is located on a small island in the middle of Venice originally known as Rivoaltus, one of the first to be settled by early Venetians. By the 11th century this area had already become the town’s central marketplace. We'll learn all about this from our guide as we cross the Rialto Bridge and dive into the busy, bustling market. We'll talk about the history of commerce in Venice, and also how the market today continues to provide Venetians with local produce and fish.
Rialto Market
Our guide, a culinary expert, will lead us through the market explaining the produce that is particular to Venice, like the small artichokes that come from the nearby island of S. Erasmo and schie, tiny shrimp fished from the lagoon, explaining their importance to Venetian cuisine. This walk will give us the confidence and the knowledge not only to shop in here and in other markets in the city, but also to be more adventurous in trying the specialties in Venice’s restaurants and wine bars.
Cicchetti
After about an hour of exploring the marketplace, we will stop in at a local eatery for cicchetti, Venetian snacks, and an ombra, a small glass of wine, which is a local ritual. Here, we will learn about and sample some of the delicious seafood delicacies that have made Venetian cuisine famous, and continue our conversation about the economy and culture of seafood in Venice, as well as, more broadly, how this marketplace connects us to Venice’s past and present.
Booking Instructions
Please note any food allergies or intolerances in the Notes box when booking.
Thirsty? You might want to try our Venice Wine Tour and Tasting, which focuses on wines of the Veneto region.
Where You'll Start
33 Reviews
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Mario was an amazing guide -- engaging, easy to talk to, he shared fascinating information in a really accessible way (that didn't overwhelm or underwhelm my 14 year old), aware of our comfort needs -- in all kinds of thoughtful details like providing us with hand sanitizer and plastic bags to help us have safe and not messy tastings. We really liked the sense of entering into Italian life with an insider, it made the experience of entering food stores so much more wonderful than if we were doing it on our own. And, of course, as a sommelier and cheese expert, he helped us slow down and really taste the food and experience the nuance. The tour was the highlight of our trip to Venice!
And -- this matters A LOT -- I valued the communication from Context. The emails preparing us for the tour, letting us know how to meet up with the guide were perfect. Good work!
Tova
Feb. 25, 2022
Cecilia was awesome - super down to earth and informative.
Elizabeth
Nov. 10, 2021
Cecilia was AMAZING! We had so much fun with her and learned an incredible amount about the Rialto Market and Venice in such a short time. We would absolutely recommend her to friends on their next visit/
Grace
Aug. 26, 2021