Venetian Villas tour from Padua: Villa Pisani & Brenta Riviera

Two Venetian villas, a waterway that inspired Casanova and Byron, and the gardens where Napoleon once walked

A guided minivan tour from Padua along the Riviera del Brenta, the waterway between Padua and Venice lined with Venetian noble estates. You visit Villa Pisani in Stra (the largest and most impressive villa on the river, built in 1735 to celebrate the Pisani family's rise to power), and Villa Widmann with its park. A local tour leader accompanies the group. Entry to both villas is included, and roundtrip transport from Padua is arranged.

Step-by-step itinerary

Tour Venetian Villas and Riviera del Brenta

• Visit Villa Pisani in Stra
• Explore Villa Widmann and park

The experience

The Riviera del Brenta is the natural extension of Venice's Grand Canal, a stretch of water flanked by villages and agricultural land that drew the French and Russian royal families, the Habsburgs, and Napoleon himself. Casanova, Galileo, Byron and Montesquieu visited. Canaletto and Tiepolo painted it. The Venetian nobility built their country residences here (frescoed and designed by Palladio, Tiziano and Tintoretto), and you see two of them on this tour. Villa Pisani, built when Alvise Pisani was elected doge in 1735, is the largest villa on the Riviera and has hosted Tsar Alexander I, Gustavo of Sweden, and in 1934, Hitler and Mussolini. It became a state museum in the late 1800s and remains the most visited villa on the river.

The day runs 5 to 6 hours and moves by minivan along the Riviera route. Your local guide (speaking English, Spanish, Portuguese or Italian) travels with the group and provides context as you pass through the landscape. You enter Villa Pisani and Villa Widmann independently. The tour includes both tickets. The gardens at Villa Pisani are currently undergoing renovation and cannot be visited, so your time there focuses on the interior frescoes and the villa's rooms. Roundtrip transport from your Padua departure point is arranged, and the agency will confirm the exact pickup time a few days before the tour.

What’s included

• Minivan transport along the Riviera del Brenta.
• accompaniment by a local tour leader.
• entrance tickets to Villa Pisani and Villa Widmann.
• roundtrip transportation from Padua.
• travel insurance and technical organization by a certified agency.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDepartures at 09:00 and 14:10

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (7 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 6 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 35 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcome

Operated by Lovivo Tour Experience

Is this one for you?This is a shared minivan tour with a guide, so you travel as part of a small group and move at a set pace through two villas and the river landscape. Choose it if you want the history and the context of the Riviera without arranging your own transport or navigating between sites.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (7 to 17 years); Child (3 to 6 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What is Villa Pisani and why is it the most visited villa on the Riviera del Brenta?

Villa Pisani in Stra is the largest and most impressive villa on the Riviera, built in 1735 to celebrate the Pisani family when Alvise Pisani was elected doge. It hosted European royalty and dignitaries (Tsar Alexander I, Gustavo of Sweden, and in 1934, Hitler and Mussolini), and became a state museum in the late 1800s. Its interior is decorated with frescoes by major artists of the time.

Can I walk through the gardens at Villa Pisani?

The gardens at Villa Pisani are currently undergoing renovation as of September 2025 and cannot be visited. Your time at the villa focuses on the interior rooms and frescoes.

How long does the tour take and what is included in the price?

The tour runs 5 to 6 hours and includes minivan transport along the Riviera del Brenta route, a local tour leader for the duration, entrance tickets to both Villa Pisani and Villa Widmann, and roundtrip transport from your Padua departure point.

How does pickup work?

Roundtrip transport from Padua is included. The agency will contact you a few days before the tour to confirm your exact meeting or pickup time and location. You must provide a valid phone number with WhatsApp or email so they can reach you.