Vicenza Tours

The Palladian Villas Owners Network invite you to immerse yourself in our Unesco Heritage, with an itinerary to discover at least 7 places of historical interest that Palladio's brilliance has made so unique that they deserve universal recognition. In Vicenza in the 16th century, a very wealthy city in its heyday, a genius architect completely changed the face of the city and the way of conceiving architecture, becoming a timeless model. An itinerant tale in art and history, in which Vicenza offers itself to your eyes as a unique Renaissance gem in every glimpse. The only tour in the city to include the famous villa La Rotonda (on request even outside visiting hours), and Palazzo Valmarana Braga, a private heritage jewel of the Palladian Unesco Vicenza. Besides, purchasing the tour you can optionally use a Palladian E-Bike for free, a relaxing and pleasant way to optimize visit times, with a mileage of 15 km. The tour ends with a small exclusive surprise, only for our customers.

Our E-Bike tour explores the surroundings of Vicenza passing through 11 Villas, 7 of which are Unesco Palladian Heritage. The experience includes a special navigation system and an itinerant vocal narration: the guiding voice will be the spirit of Andrea Palladio, who retraces his history through the evolution of his villas (entrances excluded). The Network of the owners of the Palladian Villas invites you to immerse yourself in an original, active and healthy way in the history and landscapes of the Unesco Heritage that made our architect the most influential in history. In the depths of the Vicenza countryside, sumptuous residences follow one another as far as the eye can see in a widespread eco-museum, admiring the gaze of every traveler at the forms in which the teachings of the Ancients have shaped the country house of the nobleman, which from a medieval castle gradually becomes the villa Palladian, thanks to the genius of a modest, prodigious stonemason.

The most complete guided and narrated tour to discover Vicenza, a city of many priceless UNESCO World Heritage beauties, captivating stories and troubling events, and of a humble stonemason who will go down in history by forever redefining Architecture and its canons. You will enjoy it aboard a comfortable and fun Palladian E-Bike, to reach even the wonders out of town inaccessible on foot, and not really miss anything in the City of Palladio. Your Cicero Palladiano will lead you into the history of an unexpectedly ancient community, independent in spirit and merchant by vocation. A plot that will tell of international political alliances born from the ferment of the Reformation, of nobles not only in rank, and of the parable of a genius of the artist who became a model of modernity. From squares to palaces, from villas to bridges over the water to historic villages: every glimpse or panorama, every illustrious person will become part of an intertwining that you cannot help but love.

The golden age of Vicenza began in 1540, when the Venetian aristocracy decided to reorganize the city and its countryside and called Andrea di Pietro della Gondola, known as Palladio, one of the greatest architects of the time, for the arduous task. Palladio was commissioned to design the new residences owned by the Venetian nobles and so it was that in those years Vicenza began to enrich itself with marvelous private palaces and public buildings while extraordinary villas were designed in the countryside. “The city of Vicenza and the villas of Palladio in the Veneto” have thus been nominated a UNESCO Site for a total of 23 Vicenza palaces and 24 villas in the surrounding area.

Meet a passionate home cook in Vicenza and learn how to prepare two of Italy’s most beloved dishes in just a few hours with this hands-on pasta and tiramisù class. Join a small group of curious foodies and roll up your sleeves to make two types of fresh pasta from scratch, then assemble an authentic tiramisù. Cap off your experience by sampling your handiwork with a family-style meal.

Learn the art of making tortellini from scratch in the country where it was perfected during this shared cooking class in Verona. Watch and participate as you’re shown the tricks of the trade and once you’re done, sit down to taste your creations at the in-house restaurant. Places in this small-group activity are limited to 10 people.

Visit Villa Valmarana ai Nani near Vicenza and discover the stories behind the Palladian villa's famous dwarf statues and Tiepolo frescoes. With a multimedia tablet as your guide, you'll explore the frescoed rooms of the owner's residence and guest house along with the historical park and gardens. Learn about the Valmarana family who originally commissioned the artwork, and hear their story as the villa owners through to the present day. Most visits typically last around an hour.

The medieval town walls of Cittadella offer the rare opportunity to walk along a perfectly preserved defensive parapet, and admire both the original architecture and the views across the surrounding hills. This ticket gives you access to the 800-year-old parapet ring 15 meters above ground, and a number of historic halls, towers, and a panoramic terrace incorporated into the walls.

Visit the city of Vicenza... with Audiogiro audio guides! Choose this tour (Italian, English, French and German language) to discover the city of lovers with the voice of an advanced digital guide. All audio guides were first checked by a historian to verify their reliability. You will always know where you are, thanks to the geolocation of our navigation map. Start the tour from wherever you want! If you prefer offline listening, remember to download the audio tracks first. Within 24 hours you will receive a link from us to redeem the minutes for the audio-guided tour. After that, all you have to do is start exploring the map. No need to download external apps! PAID ENTRANCE TO THE ATTRACTIONS ALONG THE ROUTE ARE NOT INCLUDED. The price is indicated in the "exclusions".

Vicenza is one of the most elegant small cities in Italy, home to architectural treasures like the Palladian Basilica and Teatro Olimpico. With this walking tour, skip the hassle of a map and guidebook and take in the highlights with a guide. Learn about the history and culture of this UNESCO-listed gem, and enjoy the individual attention and slower pace of a private tour.

The Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio designed villas that shape luxury architecture even now and his work around Venice and Vicenza holds UNESCO World Heritage status. This private tour lets you visit three of the finest—La Malcontenta, Villa Emo, and Villa Barbaro—and look at privately-owned Villa Cornaro from outside. Your chauffeur will provide general information as you travel, but visits to the mansions are self-guided.

Learn Italian techniques and approaches to cooking while enjoying some creative freedom that will let you experiment in this private cooking class in Vicenza. Visit a local market in Vicenza with your teacher and pick out ingredients that interest you. In your teacher’s home kitchen, learn how to best use the ingredients to create a dish with Italian inspiration. Dine on your creation, served with a selection of local wine.

Benefit from personal guidance and instruction from your instruction without the distraction of other participants with this private cooking class in Vicenza. Learn how to make several pasta dishes authentic to the region from a home cook in a fully-equipped kitchen and end the class by tasting your hard work. This private class has a limit of eight participants.

Take a break from the crowds and hustle of Venice for the day and explore a landscape of vineyards, villages, and medieval castles on a private cultural food tour. Visit a dairy farm and vineyard in the morning, then, in the afternoon, visit an olive oil mill and ham and sausage factory.

We are a totaly family run cellar: we have no employees. You will taste the Valpolicella wines and you will meet the Vogadori family! We work in a green way, we are certified but you can experience when you taste our wines! Third generation we produce wines. We have also rooms next the cellar.

Explore the culinary heritage of Vicenza with the help of a local cook on this small-group market tour combined with a cooking class. Go to a local market with your host so they can show you what types of local produce are in season before using them to prepare a handmade pasta dish and tiramisu in their home kitchen. Finally, it’s time to try the dishes for yourselves.

Discover Vicenza’s traditional specialties and the secret spots where locals go to savor them with this insider’s food tour. Join a local host to taste your way through the city, stopping at landmark food shops to meet the vendors and sample sweet and savory treats. Learn about Vicenza’s classic cuisine from your guide and come away with a better understanding of the authentic local food culture.

In this experience you will have the opportunity to taste 3 young wines of the area, a welcome bubble, a rosé wine and a white wine, coming from agricultural realities in the area; you will be able to appreciate the fresh scents and fruity aromas of young and lively wines, in the hinterland of Lake Garda. Everything will be accompanied by a tasting plate of handmade tortellini, choosing the taste a la carte, to better savor the food and wine excellences of our territory. Before or after the experience, you can visit Valeggio and Borghetto sul Mincio, two villages that offer landscapes, culture and food and wine of Italian excellence.

Don't lose the opportunity to become a "pizzaiolo" (pizza-maker) and a great tiramisu maker! Enter a local home, connect with an expert home cook and discover how Italian mamma and nonnas used to prepare awesome pizza at home. With this private hands-on cooking class, you will learn how to make pizza and tiramisù from scratch from a real Italian family. To complete your feast, enjoy what you have prepared for lunch or dinner with a selection of local wine included. Have fun putting your cooking skills to the test and amaze your friends and family with a pizza party once you come back home! This experience is suitable for families with children of all ages. Le Cesarine is Italy’s oldest network of home cooks all over the country in more than 120 cities. They are passionate and welcoming hosts that open the doors of their own homes to curious travellers for immersive culinary experiences.

Treat yourself to an alternative meal out in Vincenza, and enjoy a private dining experience at a local’s home instead of the city restaurants. With your personal group of family and friends, you’ll savor a 4-course meal of regional dishes, made from the recipes of your host—a Vicenza local who’s part of Italy’s Cesarine home cook community.

A visit for wine lovers, curious to know the evolution over time and the harmony of a wine that is famous in the world and inimitable. There are few wineries in Valpolicella where you can taste the aged Amarone in barrel 10, 15 and 20 years!

Merge yourself in a wine lover day visiting an exclusive estate in Valpolicella. Discover winemaking traditions and curiosities before enjoying the toast with local fine wine.

Your day in Vicenza is just winding down, the sun's about to set... It's time for an Aperitivo. This glamorous Italian tradition is loved all over the world, and this is your chance to learn how to prepare it for yourself, the perfect souvenir.  Preparing the perfect aperitivo is an art; you will learn how to prepare a selection of five elegant nibbles to pair with with a refreshing glass of fizz, ideal for sharing with friends in the early evening. Your aperitivo will be a bite-size representation of its local culture, using typical regional ingredients and local wines, such as a sparkling prosecco or a light red. This experience is held by Cesarine: Italy’s oldest network of 1000+ home cooks all over the country in more than 500 cities. They are passionate and welcoming hosts that open the doors of their own homes to curious travellers for immersive culinary experiences.