During the registration process, each attendee and guest has the opportunity to select one sponsored individual activity, in addition to the group activity. Each attendee received an activity confirmation on Tuesday, June 25. This email included your activity selection, day and departure time.
Important: Activity requests and changes will not be accepted after Friday, June 28. All activities are pre-purchased, and we will be unable to accept changes after this date or onsite
You will begin your historical and artistic introduction to Venice at St. Marks Square (Piazza S. Marco). From there you will be provided with entry to admire the interior of St. Mark's Basilica. You will then continue with a visit of the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), the former seat of government and home of the Dogi (Dukes) who ruled Venice in the early centuries. This pinkish-red marble and white Istrian stone palace is considered by many to be the biggest civic structure in Italy, dating back to the 12th century. The tour ends at the Bridge of Sighs that links the palace to the medieval prison, Palazzo delle Prigioni, across the canal.
Activity Date
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Activity Time
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Tuesday, July 9
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9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
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2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
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Wednesday, July 10
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11:00 AM - 2:30 PM
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Join us on a guided walking tour through Venice. Guided by a local, you will discover beautiful churches such as the San Zaccaria (whose walls are decorated with impressive paintings by the major late 17th century Venetian masters like Giovanni Bellini, Tintoretto, Vivarini and other Italian masters like Palma the Older, Andrea del Castagno and Giovanni d'Alemagna), the 'San Giovanni e Paolo’ (the burial place of 25 doges, built in 1430 contains masterpieces of Bellini, Piazzetta and sculptures of Lombardo), as well as the church of the 'Miracoli' (masterpiece of Renaissance by Pietro Lombardo). The tour will bring us past the Marco Polo house, finally reaching the Rialto bridge with its famous market.
Activity Date
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Activity Time
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Tuesday, July 9
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2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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Wednesday, July 10
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11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
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Explore some of the hidden gardens of the city and learn the history that brought the locals to build gardens in such an unseemly environment. Gardens in Venice come as a surprise and although many palaces own their private small garden, your impression while walking around is that Venice is a city of stone. Gardens played an important role, both functional and social, in times “gone by” and these aspects will be discussed during the tour. Participants will privately tour the gardens of Nani Bernando Palace, Palazzoo Malipiero Barnabò, and finally the Rizzo-Pattarol Palace.
Activity Date
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Activity Time
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Tuesday, July 9
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2:30 PM - 6:30 PM
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Taking a gondola is an amazing experience; its crescent-shaped hull and its ‘forcola’ (the typical Venetian rowlock providing a variety of fulcrum positions, each having its own effect on the rower’s oar) are the secrets to how these long and slender crafts can navigate the narrow and intricate network of waterways of Venice.
On this tour, you will leave by gondola from the nearest gondola embarkation point and sail through the small canals around St. Mark’s Area. You’ll visit parts of the city that are only accessible by this means of transport, and as you glide quietly along these inviting waterways, dominated by soaring and majestic Venetian Palaces you’ll be transported back in time to when the main means of transportation for Venetian nobility were these vessels.
After the gondola ride, we will stop for the aperitif at Grancaffè Quadri, in St. Marks Square. It is a café that has remained unchanged over the course of the centuries. From Stendhal to Wagner, Proust and Woody Allen, Grancaffè Quadri has always been a lively place to stop for a coffee.
Grancaffè Quadri was first opened in 1638 with the name Il Rimedio (The Remedy), a name inspired from a special wine served at the caffe, the Malvasia wine, commonly believed to enliven both the body and spirit. On May 28, 1775, Giorgio Quadri, arrived in Venice from Corfu together with his wife Naxina in search of fortune. It was Naxina who suggested that they invest in a place that served “hot black water.” The couple purchased Il Rimedio and began serving Turkish coffee.
In 1830, Caffè Quadri was purchased by the Vaerini brothers, who restored the café and added a restaurant upstairs, Ristorante Quadri. With the arrival of the Alajmo family in 2011, Quadri regained its former allure and in early 2018 the caffè underwent a major restoration led by the French creator Philippe Starck and a team of top Venetian artisans. A transformation revealing the original magic of the caffe in a romantic and slightly surrealistic atmosphere.
On this tour, you will leave by gondola from the nearest gondola embarkation point and sail through the small canals around St. Mark’s Area. You’ll visit parts of the city that are only accessible by this means of transport, and as you glide quietly along these inviting waterways, dominated by soaring and majestic Venetian Palaces you’ll be transported back in time to when the main means of transportation for Venetian nobility were these vessels.
After the gondola ride, we will stop for the aperitif at Grancaffè Quadri, in St. Marks Square. It is a café that has remained unchanged over the course of the centuries. From Stendhal to Wagner, Proust and Woody Allen, Grancaffè Quadri has always been a lively place to stop for a coffee.
Grancaffè Quadri was first opened in 1638 with the name Il Rimedio (The Remedy), a name inspired from a special wine served at the caffe, the Malvasia wine, commonly believed to enliven both the body and spirit. On May 28, 1775, Giorgio Quadri, arrived in Venice from Corfu together with his wife Naxina in search of fortune. It was Naxina who suggested that they invest in a place that served “hot black water.” The couple purchased Il Rimedio and began serving Turkish coffee.
In 1830, Caffè Quadri was purchased by the Vaerini brothers, who restored the café and added a restaurant upstairs, Ristorante Quadri. With the arrival of the Alajmo family in 2011, Quadri regained its former allure and in early 2018 the caffè underwent a major restoration led by the French creator Philippe Starck and a team of top Venetian artisans. A transformation revealing the original magic of the caffe in a romantic and slightly surrealistic atmosphere.
Activity Date
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Activity Time
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Tuesday, July 9
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2:45 PM - 5:45 PM
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Thursday, July 11
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3:30 PM - 6:30 PM
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Socialize like a true Venetian and join a local guide on a tour through the 'calli' of Venice to the part of the city where all the Venetians meet. We will stop in three 'baccari' (Venetian Taverns) for a 'cicchetto' (little snack) and an 'ombra' (wine tasting).
Activity Date
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Activity Time
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Tuesday, July 9
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4:30 PM - 7:30 PM
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The Venetian Golf Club can rightfully claim the title of eldest club in the region and among the oldest ones in Italy. Its foundation and opening date as far back as 1928 and 1930, respectively, with an entire week of competitions and celebrations organized by its first 25 members belonging to the noble families of the Venetian aristocracy. The charm of the Venetian course lies in the perfect alliance between natural beauties and technical difficulties that make it one of the best courses in Italy. In 2012, it ranked at the eighth position of the special “Top Ten” chart of the best Italian courses drawn each year by Golf Digest. Situated on a spectacular strip of land between the Adriatic Sea and the Lagoon of Venice, it shares several links features and the boara and sirocco winds that often impact the course, increase the challenge and require game control to hit the greens, which are well protected by bunkers.
Activity Date
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Activity Time
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Tuesday, July 9
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9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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Time of day preference can be selected on the activity page of the registraiton site.
Start your journey through Italy by discovering the distinctive flavors of the northern and southern cuisine... at the end of the experience, you will master the art of cooking like a true Italian!
Activity Date
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Activity Time
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Wednesday, July 10
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10:30 AM - 2:15 PM
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The crescent-shaped hull of a gondola and its forcola (the typical Venetian wooden rowlock providing a variety of fulcrum positions, each having its own effect on the rower’s oar) are the secrets to how these long and slender crafts can navigate the narrow and intricate network of waterways of Venice.
In the Gondola yard (Squero), guests will see how a Venetian gondola is made. The squeri are the famous workshops where gondolas are manufactured and undergo maintenance. Originally, these workshops were all located on the Grand Canal, just to make their overriding importance and centrality to the city’s needs, but nowadays only two of them still exist in the center of Venice.
Our guide will describe the history of Venetian gondolas through the centuries. The Domenico Tramontin e Figli boatyard was founded in 1884. It has built gondolas for - amongst others - the Italian Royal Family, the Prefecture, the Venice Municipality, the City Police and the Carabinieri,and has been featured in numerous international publications and documentaries.
Mr Tramontin will show visitors all the techniques used to build an original Venetian Gondola! At the end of the visit at the squero, guests will reach Tessiture Bevilacqua by watertaxi.
In Venice for over a century, on Luigi’s Bevilacqua silk looms, highly skilled hands transformed precious yarns into prestigious velvets, damasks and brocades destined to furnish Royal palaces, residences and theatres all over the world. Now as then, all the phases of manufacture are manual. The company creates real works of art, refined textiles and fabrics meant for royal palaces, theatres and famous houses. The tour features historic tales about the company and the textile tradition in Venice, an explanation of velvet production with practical demonstration and explanation of the different types of fabrics with insight into the most prestigious works made for the fashion industry and interior design. The company’s famous historical archive holds more than 3,500 pattern-designs, all Bevilacqua’s originals.
In the Gondola yard (Squero), guests will see how a Venetian gondola is made. The squeri are the famous workshops where gondolas are manufactured and undergo maintenance. Originally, these workshops were all located on the Grand Canal, just to make their overriding importance and centrality to the city’s needs, but nowadays only two of them still exist in the center of Venice.
Our guide will describe the history of Venetian gondolas through the centuries. The Domenico Tramontin e Figli boatyard was founded in 1884. It has built gondolas for - amongst others - the Italian Royal Family, the Prefecture, the Venice Municipality, the City Police and the Carabinieri,and has been featured in numerous international publications and documentaries.
Mr Tramontin will show visitors all the techniques used to build an original Venetian Gondola! At the end of the visit at the squero, guests will reach Tessiture Bevilacqua by watertaxi.
In Venice for over a century, on Luigi’s Bevilacqua silk looms, highly skilled hands transformed precious yarns into prestigious velvets, damasks and brocades destined to furnish Royal palaces, residences and theatres all over the world. Now as then, all the phases of manufacture are manual. The company creates real works of art, refined textiles and fabrics meant for royal palaces, theatres and famous houses. The tour features historic tales about the company and the textile tradition in Venice, an explanation of velvet production with practical demonstration and explanation of the different types of fabrics with insight into the most prestigious works made for the fashion industry and interior design. The company’s famous historical archive holds more than 3,500 pattern-designs, all Bevilacqua’s originals.
Activity Date
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Activity Time
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Tuesday, July 9
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2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
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Enjoy 3 hours of the breathtaking views of the historic Veneitan skyline while floating effortlessly in our stunning vitality pool that stimulates the senses and allows your mind to wander. Set within an expansive pitched roof structure and bathed in natural light, our heat and water facilities allow a truly bespoke thermal experience either as part of a treatment journey or as a treatment experience in itself. Complemented by elegant design, our facilities incorporate a viatlity pool with air and water massage statitons, experiential showers, a bio-sauna, a hammam with private scrub room, a Finnish sauna with salt therapy and loungers for indoor and outdoor relaxation.
Classical Massage (50 Minutes)
A personalized massage that focuses on relieving aching muscles, relaxing tightened joints and releasing stress. Techniques are drawn from Swedish massage modalities combined with gentle stretching and joint release bodywork for an effective massage that will relax and revive.
Aromatherapy Massage (50 Minutes)
An ancient holistic treatment that draws on the power of essential oils to balance your body and mind, whilst restoring your wellbeing. Pressure points on the face are stimulated, and light extended massage strokes are used to induce a state of deep physical relaxation.
Hot Stone Massage (50 Minutes)
A powerful combination of the healing properties of hot stones used on major muscle groups, together with deep tissue massage resorting physical balance and wellbeing. Heat from the stones relaxes sore muscles, allowing the therapist to focus on relieving deep-seated tension through isolated bodywork.
Aromatherapy Facial (50 Minutes)
An exclusive combination of exceptional skin cell regeneration of Cellular Marine with energising power of Pure Oxygen leaves the skin revitalised, the texture refinded and smoothed, whilst moisture and elastin levels are boosted to reveal a more toned, yourthful complextion.
Activity Date
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Activity Time
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Tuesday, July 9
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9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
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Wednesday, July 10
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9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
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Thursday, July 11
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3:00 PM - 8:00 PM
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Time of day preference can be selected on the activity page of the registraiton site.
Group Activity
Date: Thursday, July 11
Time: 8:45 AM - 2:00 PM
Traveling across the lagoon, your first stop will be in Murano, the island of the glass. Here you will get an inside peek into the world-famous glassblowing factories of Murano as a Glass Master will provide a private glassmaking demonstration. Following the demonstration, take your time enjoying the factory showroom where you can admire impressive finished works of art.
The second stop will bring you to the island of Burano, situated in the Northern Venetian Lagoon. Here you will be able to take your time exploring this charming fishing village known for its lace industry and brightly colored houses. From the time of the Venetian Republic, Burano has remained a small community of 3,000 inhabitants comprising mostly of local fisherman and farmers. Thanks to the craft of lace workers, the island's economy grew, exporting it's fantastic laces all over the world. All visitors of Burano remain intrigued by the many colours and the colorful houses that are reflected into the green waters of the channels, by the leaning bell tower, by the tranquility and the calmness with which the elderly ladies embroider original Burano lace by their tombolo (or lace pillow), while they are laughing and chatting in suqares among them. Nevertheless an ancient legend tells us that the fishermen painted their houses bright colors to see them from long distances when they were far away fishing. The most famous and coloured house on the island is "la Casa di Bepi Sua", painted with the use of many colors, divided into geometric shapes.
