Arrivals into Venice throughout the day.

Private transfer from the airport to our hotel.

Check-into the The Gritti Palace, Venice.

The Gritti Palace reopened on February 1st, 2013 after 2 years of restoration. Located on the Grand Canal, overlooking the Salute church and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the hotel is one of the most exclusive in Venice.

The meticulous restoration gave new life to all the precious architectural features of the palazzo: the original wooden ceilings and entrance flooring, the dressing-table mirrors and 18th century wall lamps, all hand-made in Murano. The magnificence of the ancient palace is now combined with the most advanced facilities. The hotel offers a gourmet restaurant with terrace on the Grand Canal.

Afternoon at leisure to unpack, relax or shop. 

Located in the neighborhood of San Polo, the Palazzo has been in the same family for almost 500 years. The stucco decorations of the noble floor are one of the best examples of Baroque and Rococo art in Venice, with highly elaborated works by Abbondio Stazio dating back to the late 17th century.

At the end of the evening, transfer back to the hotel.

Overnight: The Gritti Palace, Venice.

Breakfast on the Gritti terrace overlooking the Grand Canal.  

Depart hotel on foot for private visit of Teatro La Fenice.

Known as one of the best opera houses in Europe, La Fenice - the “Phoenix” - was given this name (after the first of numerous fires that burnt it to the ground) in honor of the mythical bird that rises from the ashes. After the last arson in 1996, rebuilding started in 2001 with architect Aldo Rossi who based his design on old photographs of the building. The new Teatro La Fenice is built in the 19th-century style similar to the first theater which was designed by the Meduna brothers.

Lunch in the garden of a private Palazzo on the Grand Canal.

Viewing of the Regata Storica.

The Regata Storica is the main event in the annual "Voga alla Veneta" rowing calendar. This unique sport has been practised in the Venetian lagoon for hundreds of years. Today it is particularly well-known for the spectacular historical water pageant that precedes the race. Scores of 16th-century-style boats with gondoliers in period costume carry the Doge, his wife and the highest ranking Venetian officials up the Grand Canal in a brightly coloured parade.

An unforgettable sight and a true reconstruction of the glorious past of one of most the powerful and influential Maritime Republics in the Mediterranean.

Dinner tonight on the terrace of the exclusive restaurant of our hotel, Club del Doge, overlooking the Grand Canal.

Overnight: The Gritti Palace, Venice.

Breakfast on the Gritti terrace overlooking the Grand Canal.  

Transfer by water taxi to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Private guided visit of the Cini Foundation with welcome and introductory talk by the Director of the History of Art Institute.

Lunch at the relaxed restaurant of the hotel Bauer Palladio, L’Ulivo.

After lunch continue by private motor launch to the Gallerie dell’Accademia for a private visit of the museum with welcome by the Director.

The Accademia Galleries are located in the complex of the Scuola Grande of Santa Maria della Carità, which represented one of the most ancient and prestigious confraternities in Venice. The museum houses a very rich collection of Venetian painting from the Byzantine and Gothic periods to the Renaissance and beyond, with works by Bellini, Carpaccio, Giorgione, Veronese, Tintoretto, Titiano and Gianbattista Tiepolo among others.

Return to the hotel.

Pre-dinner we depart hotel on foot to Palazzo Ducale for private after-hours visit of the institutional rooms.

A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the Doge’s Palace is an impressive structure composed of layers of building elements and ornamentation, from its 14th and 15th century original foundations to the significant Renaissance and opulent Mannerist additions. The building housed the Doge’s apartments and many government offices of the Venetian Republic until 1797, when the last Doge abdicated at the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte’s soldiers in Venice,

Relaxed dinner to follow at Osteria Oliva Nera.

Following dinner we transfer by motor-launch back to the hotel.

Overnight: The Gritti Palace, Venice.

Breakfast on the Gritti terrace overlooking the Grand Canal.  

Venice Biennale - International Art Exhibition.

Depart by motor launch for the Giardini for guided visit of selected National Pavilions.

The Venice Biennale is one of the world’s premiere festivals of contemporary and avant-garde art. The Biennale’s main site is the Giardini Pubblici; the municipal gardens of Venice located in the Castello district, at the eastern-most point of Venice's southern waterfront. The French created the gardens by draining marshland after the Napoleonic invasion of 1797.

Continue to the Arsenale for guided visit of highlights of the International Art Exhibition.

The Venice Biennale is not limited to the Giardini Pubblici: countries which do not have a pavilion in the Giardini, showcase their artists in other venues across the city. After the Giardini, the next most important showcase for artists is the Arsenale, a historic complex of state-owned shipyards and armories clustered together a short walk from the Giardini. The Arsenale was responsible for the bulk of Venice's naval power from the 12th to the 18th century. Most exhibits are on show in the Corderie, a former rope factory.

Light lunch at restaurant Le Bombarde inside the Arsenale.

Following lunch we travel by motor-launch for a private closing-day, curator-guided private visit of Palazzo Grassi.

Purchased in 2005 by the French industrialist Francois Pinault, Palazzo Grassi houses part of Pinault's personal art collection, which consists of over 2,500 works. Another part of his collection is displayed at Punta della Dogana, where temporary exhibitions are hosted.

Continue to Punta della Dogana for a private closing-day, curator-guided private visit.

Return to our hotel.

Drinks and dinner to follow in a private palace.

Overnight: The Gritti Palace, Venice.

Breakfast on the Gritti terrace overlooking the Grand Canal.  

Transfer by motor-launch to Ca’ Rezzonico Museum of the 18th century.

The magnificent palace that houses the museum was designed by the greatest Baroque architect of the city, Baldassare Longhena. As soon as the building was completed in 1756, the most important painters in Venice were called by the Rezzonico family to decorate it: Giambattista Crosato, who painted the frescoes in the ballroom together with the trompe l’oeil painter Pietro Visconti; Giambattista Tiepolo, who painted two ceilings in celebration of the marriage between Ludovico Rezzonico and Faustina Savorgnan; the young Jacopo Guarana and Gaspare Diziani.

Today the museum collections include a number of quality works dating to the Venetian 18th century. Alongside precious furnishings and decorations, it hosts major paintings by Venetian artists, such as Giambattista Tiepolo, Canaletto and Francesco Guardi.

Continue to a private palace for a special visit.

Built in the late 16th and early decades of the 17th century, the palace is situated in the area of Venice called the “Zattere”, facing the Giudecca Canal. While the facade is austere and sober, as typical in this area, The palace’s interiors are embellished by superb decorations of the 17th,18th and 19th centuries, such as the main staircase and the portal built by B. Longhena using rare marbles.The palace also hosts an important private collection of Venetian paintings and antique furniture.

Buffet lunch in the palace overlooking the Giudecca Canal.

Continue by motor-launch to the Giudecca island for a visit to the studio of an artist.

Pre-dinner we depart our hotel on foot to St Mark’s Basilica for a private after-hours’ visit.

St Mark's is located in Venice's main square, the Piazza San Marco. Until 1807 it was regarded as the Doge's private chapel. It only came under the direct control of the Roman Catholic church after the Austrian Empire absorbed Venice. Since then it has been the seat of the Patriarch of Venice.

The first church on the site was completed in 832 AD in order to house Saint Mark's relics, which had recently been smuggled from Alexandria by Venetian merchants. It was destroyed by fire in 976 AD. Work on a new church commenced in the same year but was not completed until 1094 AD.

Remainder of the evening and dinner at leisure.

Overnight: The Gritti Palace, Venice.

Breakfast on the Gritti terrace overlooking the Grand Canal.  

Depart hotel by motor launch to the Basilica dei Frari and Scuola Grande di San Rocco for a guided visit.

Our visit will highlight some of the masterpieces of Venetian architecture and painting.

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco represents one of the most ancient and prestigious confraternities in Venice. It houses a large collection of canvases by Tintoretto, who worked on the decoration of the Scuola from 1564 to 1588.

The Basilica dei Frari is a notable example of Italian gothic style and houses masterpieces by Bellini and Titian among others.

Short walk to lunch at restaurant Da Ignazio.  

Continue by motor-launch to Palazzo Mocenigo for a curator-led visit of the collections.

Continue by motor launch to atelier Luigi Bevilacqua.

Atelier Luigi Bevilacqua is a luxury fabrics manufacturer. Owned for centuries by the same family, the company produces brocades, damasks, satins, trimmings, velvets, lamp shades and hand-woven velvets using the original 18th-century looms of the Venetian silk weaving school. Up until the introduction of the Jacquard machine (circa 1804) looms were manually operated. The company's famous historical archives hold more than 3,500 pattern-designs, all Bevilacqua originals.

At the end of the visit, transfer back to the hotel and enjoy some time to relax before the evening.

Depart hotel by motor launch to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Located in Peggy Guggenheim's former home, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on the Grand Canal, the museum presents Peggy Guggenheim's personal collection of 20th-century art (Cubism, Futurism, Metaphysical painting, European abstraction, avant-garde sculpture, Surrealism, and American Abstract Expressionism) by some of the greatest 20th-century artists including Picasso, Duchamp, Severini, Kandinsky, Miró, Klee, Dalí, Pollock and Marini. In addition, the museum houses masterpieces from the Gianni Mattioli Collection, and the Nasher Sculpture Garden, as well as temporary exhibitions.

Private after-hours visit.

Drinks reception on the rooftop of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Dinner to follow at Michelin-starred restaurant Da Fiore.

Overnight: The Gritti Palace, Venice.

Breakfast on the Gritti terrace overlooking the Grand Canal.  

Depart by private boat on the Brenta Canal for private villa visits.

Designed by the Italian architect Andrea Palladio, the Villa was commissioned by one of the most important patrician Venetian families. Built between 1558 and 1560, it is located along the Brenta canal and presents all the main characteristics of Palladio's architecture, as well as richly decorated interiors with frescoes by Battista Franco and Giambattista Zelotti.

Continue along the Brenta canal.

This villa, with its 144 rooms,  doges, kings and emperors were welcomed.  Today it is a national museum which conserves 18th and 19th-century works of art and furniture such as Tiepolo’s fresco masterpiece on the ceiling of the ballroom.

Continue to one of the most beautiful villas on the canal.

Private lunch with the owner in his villa.

Private guided visit of the villa with the owner.

The villa is one of the most beautiful and well-maintained examples of Palladian style villas. It is still lived by some descendants of the noble Venetian family who built it in the 16th century. In 1700, the villa was enlarged and finely decorated with frescoes and plaster works, as well as with precious furniture.

Following our visit, we transfer back to Venice for some time at leisure before the evening.

Depart hotel by motor launch for a private visit of a magnificent palazzo with the owners.

Overlooking the Grand Canal, the 15th-century palazzo is a magnificent example of late Gothic architecture. Several 18th-century expansions and restorations show the hand of outstanding Venetian artists of the time, including Giambattista Tiepolo, Jacopo Guarana and Gaspare Diziani.

Final gala reception and dinner in the palace.

Overnight: The Gritti Palace, Venice.

Breakfast on the Gritti terrace overlooking the Grand Canal.  

Private departures from Venice throughout the day.