The word ghetto was born in Venice. Walk the streets of the Old and New Jewish Ghetto with a Private Licensed Guide and trace 500 years of Jewish history, resilience, and tragedy.

Highlights
  • Explore Venice's historic Jewish Ghetto with a 5-Star Private Licensed Guide
  • See Scuola Levantina, the Italian Synagogue, and the Great German Scola from outside
  • Learn where the word "ghetto" was born and why it changed the world forever
  • See the Stolpersteine and Deportation Monument honouring victims of the Holocaust
  • Stop at a kosher bakery for a local snack at your own expense
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before activity starts
Best price guarantee - no brokers

Select participants, date, and language

Please enter the number of tickets

Activity details

Facilities
  • 2 hours
  • Private TourOnly your group - no strangers
  • Roso PromiseTop expert guide · Tailor-made plan · Flexible stops
  • Top expert guide Hand-picked by our local team
  • Walking Tour
  • Languages Language of your choice
Full description
The word "ghetto" was born right here in Venice. This Private Tour with Rosotravel takes you through the streets of the Old and New Ghetto with a Private Licensed Guide, tracing the history of Jewish life in Venice from the Middle Ages to World War II. Book your spot today.

Book this 2-hour walking tour and start near the Ponte dei Tre Archi, one of the three gates that once sealed the medieval ghetto of Venice. From outside, your Private Licensed Guide walks you through the narrow streets of Calle Ghetto Vecchio, pointing out the hidden symbols carved into the buildings and explaining how the local Jewish community managed to grow and thrive here despite centuries of adversity.

You will admire Scuola Levantina and several other historic synagogues from outside, and cross the Ponte de Ghetto Vecchio, one of the bridges that was locked every night to cut off the Old Ghetto from the rest of the city. In Campo del Ghetto Nuovo, you will see the Italian Synagogue, the Great German Scola, Banco Rosso, and the tall, narrow buildings that grew upward because the ghetto could not expand outward. Your guide will point out the site of one of the first three banks in the world, explain where the phrase "to be in the red" comes from, and why pawn shops played such a central role in Jewish life here.

The tour also covers the darker chapter. You will see the Stolpersteine, the small brass stumbling blocks set into the pavement to commemorate Jewish residents deported and murdered during World War II, and stand before the Deportation Monument. Your guide explains the Holocaust in Italy and how Venice's Jewish community survived and rebuilt. Other points of interest include the special wells and the Chabad of Venice. The tour ends with an optional stop at a kosher bakery to try a local snack at your own expense.

Book your spot today and walk the streets where one of history's most important words was born.

Read more

Includes

    Private Walking Tour of the Jewish Ghetto in Venice

  • 5-Star Licensed Guide fluent in your chosen language
  • Expert commentary on Jewish history, culture, and heritage in Venice
  • Stories of Jewish life, resilience, and tragedy from the Middle Ages to WWII
  • Insider tips on the best things to see and do in Venice
  • Entry to synagogues

Important information

Meeting point
Meet your guide in front of the Carnival Palace Hotel - Venice Collection, Fondamenta Cannaregio, 929, 30121 Venezia VE, Italy. Please do not enter the hotel, it is only a meeting point and the staff is not informed about the tour.
Open in Google Maps
Important information

What you should know

  • Please check your email the day before the tour for important details from Rosotravel, your tour operator.
  • This is a moderate walking tour, including some uneven surfaces or steps. The guide will adapt the pace to your group. Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather – the tour runs rain or shine!
  • Due to local regulations, the group size is limited to a maximum of 25 guests per guide and headsets will be provided for groups larger than 10 people.
  • Have a special request or need accessibility support? Let us know in advance—we’re happy to help!