Venice street food tour: Rialto Market & cicchetti with local guide

Walk the backstreets, taste what locals eat, skip the tourist restaurants.

You walk with a local guide through Venice's food stops for two and a half hours, tasting cicchetti, cheese and desserts at the Rialto Market, Campo Santa Margherita and along the Grand Canal. The guide shares local knowledge and suggestions for the rest of your stay. Bring comfortable shoes. There are several bridges and no cars to rest in.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each3 stops

1. Grand Canalpassing by
2. Marco Polo's Homepassing by
3. Rialto Fish Market30m

Venice street food and market tour

• Start tour in central Venice
• Walk to Rialto Fish Market
• Explore Rialto Fish Market
• Visit Marco Polo's Home area
• Pass by Grand Canal
• Taste local cicchetti and cheese
• See Basilica dei Frari outside
• Walk through Campo Santa Margherita
• Explore San Polo district
• Enjoy buranelli and dessert
• Receive local holiday tips from guide
• Finish tour in central Venice

The experience

The Rialto Market opens early, and that's where this Venice street food tour begins: vendors arranging fish on ice, the smell of salt and herbs filling the narrow stone corridor, light bouncing off the water below. Your local guide meets you at the meeting point five minutes before the start time and walks you straight into it, no waiting. The market closes by afternoon and on Mondays, so timing matters. From there you cross bridges toward Campo Santa Margherita, stopping to taste cicchetti (those small, salty Venetian appetizers that locals eat standing up at bars) along with cheese, buranelli (the twisted pastries), and a dessert that tastes like it's been made the same way for three hundred years.

The walk itself is the point. You're not on a boat. You're on foot, crossing several bridges and moving through squares where you'd otherwise walk past without stopping. The guide points out Marco Polo's old house, talks about how people actually live here now, and answers the questions that come up, where to eat dinner, which church is worth the climb, what the city looks like when the tourists thin out. It's two and a half hours of moving, so wear shoes that won't punish you by hour two. The Grand Canal appears and disappears as you walk, and each time it looks different depending on the light and the angle.

Food tasting is built into the pace. You're not sitting down for a meal, you're stopping at places the guide knows, tasting what's good that day, and moving on. If you're vegetarian, mention it when you book and they'll adjust the stops. Vegans, and anyone with gluten or dairy allergies, should know this tour doesn't work around those restrictions, and there are cross-contamination risks with nuts. The guide gives you real suggestions for the rest of your time in Venice, not the generic stuff. By the end you've covered the highlights (the market, the squares, the canal), and you've eaten like someone who lives there, not like a tourist following a map.

What’s included

• Your tour includes a local top-rated guide for the full two and a half hours, food tastings at multiple stops including the Rialto Market and Campo Santa Margherita, and practical advice from your guide on how to spend the rest of your time in Venice. All walking is within central Venice.
• no boat or transport is needed.

Before you book

Lasts 2h 30m, runs Monday to Saturday, 4 start times, from € 44 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 14 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 10:00, 10:30, 16:30 and 17:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 14

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 effortStroller-friendly

Operated by Raphael Tours & Events

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to taste real Venetian food and see the main squares without arranging stops yourself: the guide's timing and knowledge of where to eat is what makes the two and a half hours feel like a full food education rather than a rushed walk.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What time does the Rialto Market close?

The market closes in the afternoon and is closed on Mondays and festive days. Arrive early in the day for the full experience.

Is this tour suitable for people with dietary restrictions?

Vegetarians can be accommodated if you mention it when booking. Vegans and those with gluten, dairy, or nut allergies should know the tour does not cater to these restrictions, and there are cross-contamination risks.

How much walking is involved?

The tour is entirely on foot and crosses several bridges. Moderate physical fitness and comfortable shoes are essential.

What if I'm arriving by cruise ship?

The tour starts and finishes in central Venice. If your ship is delayed, refunds are not issued for missed tours. Arrive at the meeting point at least five minutes early.

Is there an entry fee to visit Venice?

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

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts two and a half hours and is conducted in small groups.

What food will I taste?

You'll taste cicchetti (local appetizers), cheese, buranelli (pastries), dessert and other Venetian specialties at stops throughout the walk.