Venice: Rialto Market Food Tour & Wine Tasting

Rialto Market at Dawn: Where Venice's Fishmongers & Wine Bars Still Rule

You walk through Venice's Rialto Market with a local guide, tasting cicchetti and wine at authentic bacari bars, then sit down for lunch at a traditional trattoria. The tour includes sightseeing at the Rialto Bridge, Campo San Bartolomeo, and the Grand Canal, all in four hours. You arrange your own transport to the starting point.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each3 stops

1. Rialto Bridge1h
2. Rialto Fish Market1h
3. Campo San Bartolomeo1h

Venice food tour and sightseeing

• Meet local expert guide
• Stroll Venice city center streets
• Visit Rialto Market food stalls
• Taste Venetian Cicchetti and local wine
• Enjoy traditional pasta and prosecco
• Walk through narrow alleys and canals
• See Rialto Bridge and Campo San Bartolomeo
• Visit Marco Polo’s house
• Stroll along the Grand Canal
• End at Campo San Giovanni e Paolo

The experience

Picture this: narrow stone alleyways lined with weathered shutters, the smell of salt water and fresh fish mixing with wine and garlic, and a local guide steering you past the crowds toward the stalls where Venetians actually eat. That's the Rialto Market food tour: four hours that move between the famous Rialto Bridge and the bacari (wine bars) tucked into corners most tourists never find. You're not watching Venice from a vaporetto. You're walking its center on foot, stopping to taste things.

The tour starts at the Rialto Fish Market itself, where the real work happens early. Your guide walks you through the stalls: the polpo (octopus), the branzino, the daily catch that gets sold before noon, and explains what's actually being sold and why it matters to Venetian cooking. Then you move into the eating part: soft polenta chunks topped with marinated seafood, baccalà mantecato (the salt cod dish that's been made here for centuries), and small plates of cicchetti that pair with local prosecco or wine. It's not a sit-down meal yet. It's tasting as you walk, stopping in different spots, each one a small bar or restaurant that's been there longer than most tourists know Venice exists.

By midway through the tour you're at a proper trattoria for lunch: pasta, more wine, something that sticks with you. The route also takes you past Campo San Bartolomeo, Marco Polo's house, and along the Grand Canal, so you're seeing the sights, but they're happening in the background while you're actually tasting and talking to your guide about how the city eats. The whole thing wraps in four hours, and you leave having walked the narrow alleyways, tried dishes most visitors never order, and drunk enough local wine to understand why Venetians spend their afternoons in these bars.

One thing to know: the Fish Market closes on Sundays and Mondays, so book for another day if those are your only options. Also, you'll need to get yourself to the meeting point: taxis or buses work, and it's not included in the price. Vegetarians can be accommodated if you mention it when you book, but gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan diets aren't options on this tour.

What’s included

Your four hours include a local expert guide, entry to the Rialto Fish Market, samples of cicchetti (Venetian tapas) like polenta with seafood and baccalà mantecato, local wine and prosecco tastings, a full lunch at a traditional trattoria, and walking sightseeing past the Rialto Bridge, Campo San Bartolomeo, Marco Polo's house, and the Grand Canal. Transport to the meeting point is your own responsibility.

Before you book

Lasts 4h, runs every day at 10:45, from € 94 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:45

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Youth (5 to 12 years) · Child (under 5): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

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 yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Tasty Tours | Food Tours & Experiences

Is this one for you?Best for travelers who want to eat and drink like a local without arranging market visits, restaurant stops, and wine pairings separately. The guide handles the timing and knows which bacari are worth your time, which frees you to just taste and walk.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 12 years); Child (under 5): free.

Is the Fish Market open every day?

No. The Rialto Fish Market is closed on Sundays and Mondays, so plan accordingly.

Can I do this tour if I'm vegan or gluten-free?

The tour does not accommodate vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free diets. Vegetarians can be accommodated if you note it in special requirements at booking.

Does the tour include transport from my hotel?

No. Hotel transfer is not included. You'll need to arrange your own taxi or bus to the meeting point.

How long is the tour?

The tour is 4 hours long.

Is there a €5 access fee to enter Venice?

On certain dates, day visitors to Venice are required to pay a €5 access fee. Check the official website for which days this applies and any exemptions.

What's included in the price?

The tour includes a local expert guide, all food and wine tastings, lunch at a trattoria, and a 4-hour walking tour of the Rialto area and surrounding sights.

What should I wear?

Smart casual dress code is recommended. Wear comfortable walking shoes since you'll be on your feet for four hours on uneven Venetian streets.

What if I'm not physically fit?

The tour requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness, as it involves four hours of walking on narrow, sometimes uneven streets and bridges.

Does the tour run in bad weather?

Yes, the tour takes place rain or shine.