Island of Burano - Venice

Venice – one of the world’s most photogenic cities – is the starting and ending point of our Dolomites photography adventure: Photography and Creativity in the Italian Alps. As long as you are here, why not explore this city with a local guide and with photographer Randy Jay Braun? Beyond the icons of Piazza San Marco, the Rialto Bridge, and the surrounding tourist shops and restaurants there lies a different city altogether. We’ll show you a Venice most tourists never get to experience!

Venice is a fabulousplace to be lost with your camera. In fact, locals will often advise visitors to wander the city without using a map. This is a lovely idea! Yes, the city can be confusing, with its labyrinthine winding passages and canals, but these passages hold the key to much of its beauty. Luigi Barzini, writing in The New York Times, described this place as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man." Photographer Randy Jay Braun calls Venice a “city of layers and textures, and reflections.” On this fabulous 3-day extension, you’ll have the opportunity to “get lost” in the experience, in the beauty and magic of this unique place, with guides to lead us, knowing exactly where we are the entire time.

We’ll explore Venice’s six sestieri, or neighborhoods, each with its own personality and its own pleasures. Ranging from Cannaregio which plays host to the largest population living in the city today, to San Polo which is the oldest section of the city, to San Marco, the best known of the sestiere for St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, and Santa Croce, Dorsoduro, and Castello. On this itinerary, we will be sure to explore the hidden gems within, and thoroughly photograph Venice, often far away from tourist masses, revealing the true Venetian lifestyle.

Note: This trip is an extension to Photography and Creativity in the Italian Alps: An Artistic Journey into the Heart of the Dolomites, beginning 2nd July, 2012 – Click for details!!!

Check out our high definition videos in: SUMMER VIDEO GALLERY!

EXTENSION DETAILS

Length: 4 days / 3 nights

Dates: View Group Departure  Dates

Start / Finish: Marco Polo International Airport (VCE), Venice, Italy

Activity Level: For anyone interested in photography that is in good and active physical health. As a participant you must be prepared to carry your own camera gear on flat walking tours through the Venice environs.

Cost: € 1.630 with minimum 6 members
Room upgrade: on request
Single supplement: € 340

Includes: Double room accommodation at a luxury hotel in Venice, meals as per itinerary (B=Breakfast, D=Dinner), local English speaking guide for guided tours, photography instructor, transportation by boat in Venice, transfer from the airport to Venice. 

About your photography instructor:

Randy Jay Braun  www.randyjaybraun.com
Randy refers to himself as a professional “camera-artist,” and over the past twenty years, Randy has achieved success with his own fine-art photography gallery. For a detailed biography, visit our Photography and Creativity in the Italian Alps trip page.

INFORMATION REQUEST
Ready to take the next step? Just complete and return our Trip Questionnaire, or contact us directly to plan your Dolomites adventure today!

Venice Market Street

EXTENSION ITINERARY
Trip itinerary may vary based on weather conditions and/or the recommendations of your guide.

Day 1 ~ Private Walking Tour of the Original Venice
Conclusion of Photography and Creativity in the Italian Alps. Morning transfer from the Dolomites to Venice and check in to your luxury hotel, Ca' Sagredo. This 14th century Palazzo has been declared a National Monument and still preserves the untouched beauty of an ancient noble residence. An elegant treasure, the careful restoration enhances the original features, while evoking an extraordinary history. A proud member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Ca’ Sagredo boasts an enviable setting overlooking the Grand Canal and sitting a plum position in one of the most panoramic corners of Venice: facing the Historical Rialto Market, between Ca’ D’Oro and Rialto Bridge, only a short walk away from St. Mark’s Square and the main museums, in the bustling district and trendy area of Venice full of local shops and restaurants.

In the afternoon, we’ll have a walking tour of the original Venice. On this tour we’ll begin with a classic to orient you, and visit St. Mark's square. Here we’ll learn the history that lies behind the walls of its most famous landmarks: the Basilica and its Byzantine heritage, and the Doge's Palace with its adjoining prisons, which retain the true secrets to comprehend how a city built on swamps became one of the most enlightened cities in the western world.

From here we leave the crowds behind to discover the "real Venice," as we enter a labyrinth of narrow passageways and alleys where an enchanting city of meandering canals punctuated by delicate bridges awaits you. Explore the lively Campo Santa Maria Formosa with its outstanding Gothic palaces and at the Scuola di San Marco learn about the famous trade schools of Venice that provided the foundations of the great mercantile empire.

Through these sights and historical narrations you’ll learn how illustrious Venetians, the likes of Marco Polo, and more common citizens made this city of stone a vibrant and magical place.  We’ll even see Marco Polo's House and enjoy tales of this legendary globe-trotting Venetian. Today’s introduction to Venice will also provide you with plenty of opportunities for photography – visually exploring both the classic tourist sites, and the hidden gems that reveal the true Venetian way of life. (2 hours walking.)

In the late afternoon, we will have a private boat tour where we can photograph the sunset and capture images as the magical low light dances upon the city’s water, walls, and statues.

B,… Ca' Sagredo Hotel, Venice (5-Star)

Day 2 ~ Murano & Burano by Private Boat

Enjoy a day visiting two of the charming islands of the Veniatian lagoon, Murano and Burano. We'll begin our tour by visiting the island of Murano which is the most famous of the Venetian Islands, thanks to the world known "Murano Glass" produced here. The people of Venice have been making crystal and glass since the 10th Century, when the Venetian merchants brought back the secrets of production from the East.
During your time on Murano, you'll visit a selected glass-factory. You'll see a demonstration of glass-blowing as well as visit the factory's showroom full of beautiful glassware that exemplify the high quality of glass produced on the island.
From Murano we will take a boat to the Island of Burano, one of the most picturesque of the Venetian lagoon. Famous for its lace-making industry, this charming and colorful fishing village has its streets and canals lined by pastel colored houses.

We’ll have lunch (not included) on Burano at a local restaurant, and then after lunch visit the Island.
Transfer back to Venice in the afternoon with time to stroll around Venice on your own.

B,... Ca' Sagredo Hotel, Venice (5-Star)

Day 3 ~ “A Taste of Venice” Cooking Experience plus Private Walking Tour of Hidden Venice   
Beginning early this morning, we’ll visit the historic Rialto market and follow illustrious Chef Klostermaier to discover some of his best-kept secrets, experiencing the seasons of the sea, and learning how to select the best local products, as we choose the ingredients for our cooking class and tonight’s dinner!

Next we continue our discovery of the real Venice. On this private walking tour we’ll learn of the legend of hunchback of San Giacomo, explore the old artisans quarters of Venice, and pass by the old locandas (inns), where merchants would encounter the famous Venetian courtesans in the old red light district of Casteletto, home to the notorious bridge Ponte delle Tette. You’ll see some of the oldest houses in Venice, quaint picturesque bridges and palaces, an old prison for tax evaders, and learn about how life used to be in Venice and how it is today for modern day Venetians. We’ll also visit the Frari Church, hidden away in San Polo district it is home to masterpieces of Titian and Bellini and Canova.

In the afternoon we’ll have a multi-sensory experience as we take a cooking class at the hotel’s kitchen. Using your own hands, you’ll learn to cook, Venetian style, under the attentive guidance of our professional chef.

Finally, to round out the experience, what could be better than dining on a meal prepared by Chef Klostermaier himself! As a final farewell, we’ll dine at L’Alcova Restaurant, on the terrace of our hotel, overlooking the Grand Canal.
B,D... Ca' Sagredo Hotel, Venice (5-Star)

Day 4 ~ Depart
Breakfast and transfer to the airport for international flights.
B…