WJ Tested: Uniworld Po River Cruise – Explore Venice on Foot
WJ Tested: Uniworld Po River Cruise – Explore Venice on Foot
WJ Tested: Uniworld Po River Cruise – Explore Venice on Foot
Day 2: Uniworld River Countess Venetian Lagoon & Po River Cruise in Italy – Included Walking Tour of Venice
We woke from a good night’s rest aboard Uniworld River Countess to a beautiful sunny day in Venice. From our new docking location at San Basilio we could lie in bed and view the hustle and bustle on the Giudecca Canal.
On the agenda for the morning was an included 3.5 hour walking tour of Venice with a local guide. So following a leisurely buffet breakfast in the Savoy Restaurant we joined one of the groups (Tiziano) for the 9 am departure on foot.
St Mark’s Basilica
Our guide led us on a route from San Basilio towards St. Mark’s Square which crisscrossed canals, took us up and over numerous bridges, and meandered through historic squares and past ancient buildings. All along the way our local expert gave us informative and interesting commentary about what we were seeing, pointing out small details in architecture and art that we would otherwise have missed.
Gondolas and Canals in Venice
Venice – Did You Know?
- The Venetian language comes from Latin and Greek
- Squares are named after churches
- Campo is the name for a square or piazza
- There are secret gardens behind the walls that line the canals
- A well in the center of a campo is called a sistern
Visiting the Doge’s Palace with Uniworld
Arriving at the Doge’s Palace (established in 1340 the palace was built in the Venetian Gothic style) by 11:00 am we skipped the long line of tourists waiting to enter (even those with reservations to enter) and had a 50-minute guided tour through a number of the palace’s many rooms.
Bridge of Sighs
Our tour also included walked through the Bridge of Sighs – it is enclosed we we were actually inside it.
Uniworld Guided Tour of the Doge’s Palace
Our morning walking tour was complete once we were finished with the tour of the Doge’s Palace. For those wishing to stay in this area they had the remainder of the day to explore on their own. Those wanting to return to River Countess for lunch had about 40 minutes free time to spend around St. Mark’s Square before taking a water taxi back to San Basilio.
Santa Maria della Salute in Venice
The next scheduled activity wasn’t until Cruise Director Martin’s port talk at 4:45 pm in the Castillo Lounge, so after lunch we spent the remainder of the afternoon wandering the alleys in the area around where the ship was docked.
Venetian Lagoon
Immediately following the brief port talk it was time for an included 45-minute water taxi cruise on the Grand Canal. There were 8 passengers per water taxi and we all piled outside to enjoy the fabulous weather and get the best views of the historic buildings lining the Grand Canal.
Water Taxi Ride on the Venetian Lagoon
We arrived back at River Princess with just enough time to freshen up and change for dinner at 7 pm. After selecting a table in the Savoy Restaurant that overlooked the Guidecca Canal, we raised our glasses of Prosecco to toast another fabulous day with Uniworld.
Dinner aboard River Countess: Fettuccine with Prosciutto, Tomatoes, Peas, Mushrooms and Cream
Next… Padua
Previously:
If You Go:
- Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
- Uniworld Po River & the Venetian Lagoon
- Uniworld River Countess
