Venice-Along The Grand Canal To Saint Mark's Square™

Tie on your aprons and bring your camera for a hands-on cooking experience in bella Venice – including a Venetian Carnival Mask-Making Class.

Magical Venice dazzles families and children of all ages. Hop on a gondola, create your very own Carnival mask, and tie on your apron for hands-on cooking classes where you will be making Venetian lunches and also semi-freddo, a gelato dessert.  Visit the Rialto market, dating back to the ninth century, which bustles with venders selling fish, fruits and vegetables, artisan cheese, herbs, bread and wine.  Visit Saint Marks Square, and taste your way to the many gelato shops for the very best ice cream in Italy.  It’s a food lover’s dream that both children and families will enjoy!

Venice – Kids’ Cooking Classes

Tie on your aprons in our children and family hands-on cooking class in Venice! Learn how to make antipasto, stuffed squash flowers, handmade pasta and ravioli, risotto, and Venetian sea bass.  There’s also a traditional cicchetti.  Learn to make delicious biscotti such as baicoli.  Cooking classes are interactive with everyone participating – slicing, dicing, rolling out pasta and making desserts.  Following each cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the class together with local wine and soft drinks for the children.

You will learn Venetian cooking traditions and technique using farm-to-table fruit, vegetables, produce, fish and meat from the Rialto Market.  Classes are fun and educational, with each class geared toward the children’s age and ability.  Groups are kept small from 2 to 8 guests.  Tie on your aprons and get ready for a splendid authentic experience in our Venetian kitchen!  

Venice Accommodations

Check into the beautiful 4-Star property in the most desirable area of Venice.  The property dates back to the 17th century and has been updated and refurbished keeping its old world charm while offering many amenities.  Nestled on a quiet waterway just off the Grand Canal, is a very short walk from the Accademia Bridge and vaporetto stop.  Rooms are large, lovely and furnished comfortable beds and adorned with Italian linens.  Decorated in luxurious Venetian style, the property has antiques accents with modern comforts:  air conditioning, mini bar, international TV, private ensuite bath, and in-room wireless internet.  A friendly and professional staff is at your service and ready to answer any questions and help you during your stay. An expansive daily breakfast with Venetian cakes, biscotti, fresh fruit, eggs, artisan bread, yogurt, ham, cheese, cappuccino, tea and fresh fruit juices, espresso and cappuccino is served in the elegant breakfast room overlooking the garden and waterway.  Following breakfast, step outside and stroll along the canal where artisan shops, bookshops, wine bars, museums are conveniently located.  The 4-star property is set in one of the most beautiful areas of Venice.

Property Photos & Pricing

Rialto Market

Venice’s famous Rialto Market is a bustling place starting at dawn.  Venders sail up from their barges, unload their products and set up their stands for what becomes a colorful scene of buyers, sellers and spectators – negotiating between crates and stands. Fish is famous in Venice, along with farm-to-table fruit, vegetables and produce, herbs, spices, fruits and more. This landmark marketplace has been in existence since 1097 with the same generation of established merchants selling their produce.

Gelato Tasting

Learn the stories and history of the gondolas, bridges and masks enjoying a gelato tasting along the way.  Our English-speaking guide will share her knowledge of creamy Venetian gelato following the Rialto Market Tour.

The Campo Margherita

The Campo Margherita is a vibrant and welcoming place and the heart of the Dorsoduro district.  The Campo takes its name from the Church of Saint Margherita, dating back to the 9th century.  Surrounded by ancient buildings, today it is home to caffés, bookshops, wine bars, and artisan shops. The Campo wakes each morning with an outdoor market where locals vie for the best flower, fish, vegetable and fruit vendors.

The Accademia Museum

The Accademia is home to a collection of Venetian paintings from Veneto, as well as from the Byzantine and Gothic 14th century.  There is a beautiful collection of Renaissance art from Bellini, Carpaccio, Giorgione, Veronese, Tintoretto and Tiziano to Gianbattista Tiepolo and Vedutisti.  A must on every guest’s visit!!!

Glassmaking in Murano and Lacemaking in Burano

Murano, the closest island to the main land of Venice, is the most famous of the Venetian Islands and noted for its artisan hand-blown glass. Venetians have been making crystal and glass here since the 10th Century – when the merchants of Venice brought back the secrets of glass production from the East. Murano is home to several famous glass producers who carry on the tradition of making Murano glass chandeliers, vases and glasses.  The island of Burano, the most picturesque of Venetian Islands, is known for its famous artisan lace makers.  Small shops where Venetian woman still produce this precious lace line the canal.  It’s a magical island that is also noted for its brightly painted houses built on the lagoon.  Take time for lunch in any one of the quaint trattorias.

Itinerary ~ 5 days, 4 nights

Day 1: Arrival and Family Welcome Dinner

• Arrival to Venice at the train station.  Meet your Captain for a water taxi transfer to the hotel.  Check in, relax and enjoy your Cooking Vacations’ Welcome bag with chefs’ apron, a Prosecco for adults and soft drink for children.
• Later in the evening, enjoy your Welcome Dinner featuring a Chef’s Tasting Menu including local fare – antipasto, pasta, main course and dessert. Wine and beverages are not included.

Day 2: Rialto Market Tour, Gelato Tasting and Cooking Class 1

• Discover the landmark Rialto Market as you shop with your Chef.  The Rialto Market is home to venders and artisans who have been selling their fruits, vegetables, fish, artisan cheese, wine and bread since the 9th century.  Learn about the local cuisine and the history of Venice’s local cuisine.
• After the market visit, head into the kitchen for your hands-on Cooking Class 1 preparing an antipasto, fresh pasta or risotto, main course and dessert.  Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the cooking class with local wine and soft drinks for children.
• Following the cooking class, your afternoon is free.  Stroll through Saint Mark’s Square, Saint Mark’s Cathedral and Palazzo Ducale and stop for a gelato along the way.
• Dinner is on your own with suggestions provided.

Day 3: Trip to Murano and Glass Blowing Workshop

• Breakfast is served.
• This unique tour includes a boat trip to Murano where you will discover the art of Venetian glassblowing and then to Burano for lacemaking.  Sail to Murano and visit the world’s most creative glass artisans. Artisan glass blowers transform glass into beautiful art pieces. Meet your host on the island for a tour of their family-owned glass workshop.   Learn the art of glass blowing and see the masters turn glass into art.  This tour includes a tour of the workshop and a demonstration of glass making.   After your tour, take time to stroll the main waterway, sip a caffè and shop for artisan creations of Murano glass.  This tour ends on Murano and we leave it up to you to decide the rest of your day.  You can either stay on Murano for lunch, continue on to Burano or Torcello, or return to Venice on your own aboard the public vaporetto, water bus.
• Take time out to enjoy lunch on your own in any one of the quaint restaurants.
• Return to the hotel.
• Dinner on your own, suggestions provided..

Day 4: Cooking Class 2 and Venetian Carnival Mask-Making

• Breakfast is served.
• Return to the kitchen for hands-on Cooking Class 2 and prepare a full menu including antipasto, pasta and sauce, main course and dessert with wine included and soft drinks for children.
• After the cooking class, meet your host for a Venetian Carnival Mask-Making class. This is a fun and creative experience where you will meet a renowned Venetian mask-maker for a kid-friendly discussion and historical look at the Venetian mask.  Learn how the artisan mask was born, the steps needed to create a mask, and the stories and myths behind the masks of Carnevale and Venetian commedie dell’arte.  After your presentation, you will decorate your own mask!  Paint and decorate your mask of choice with an amazing selection of ribbons, feathers, crystals, beads and more. This is the perfect keepsake from your family’s Venetian vacation!
• Dinner on your own, suggestions provided.

Day 5: Departure

• Breakfast is served.
• Check out and departure transfer by water taxi.
• Ciao – Arrivederci!

*Note: This schedule may vary due to inclement weather, saint days or festivals. All activities, in the event of rescheduling, are always included during the program.