The Venice Biennale 2

• Enjoy contemporary art in historic locations, from palaces on the Grand Canal to the medieval Arsenale

• Survey major retrospectives of leading modern and contemporary artists at the Palazzo Grassi and on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore

• Appreciate a carefully-curated daily program of exhibitions throughout Venice, including a full day in both the Giardini and the Arsenale, each housing over 20 exhibitions

• Take a day trip to Arte Sella, a magnificent contemporary sculpture park nestled in the Italian Alps

• Discover the modern art collections of Venice and their spectacular settings, from the Prada Foundation in its baroque palace to the Japanese minimalism of the Punta della Dogana

SATURDAY 13 JUNE – ARRIVAL (welcome drinks)

The tour commences this afternoon in the lobby of our hotel in Venice. Please note while an arrival transfer from either Venice Marco Polo airport or the Santa Lucia railway station is not included in the price of this tour, our partners at Mary Rossi Travel would be happy to assist with this and any other arrangements to enable you to join the tour.

We gather at our hotel for an orientation stroll of the local area and to visit an exhibition in the San Marco district. After our visit, we enjoy welcome drinks and there is an introductory talk about the Biennale and its history by your tour leader. First of eight nights in Venice.

SUNDAY 14 JUNE – THE GIARDINI BIENNALE (B, D)

In the early twentieth century, the Giardini – a Napoleonic greenspace built over the top of workers’ accommodation – became the Biennale’s permanent home. Today, its tree-lined avenues are punctuated by pavilions, designed for the display of art by architects such as Alvar Aalto and Carlo Scarpa. We begin the day at the Central Pavilion, whose exhibition takes in masterpieces by artists from around the world. After a break for lunch, we visit a selection of the Giardini’s national pavilions, including those of the USA, France, Great Britain and Japan. In the evening, we enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.

MONDAY 15 JUNE – THE ARSENALE (B, aperitifs)

Over the past 40 years, the Venice Biennale has sought to better reflect the international nature of contemporary art by facilitating the representation of a greater number of non-European nations. Doing this meant offering up more exhibition space, and so Venice’s historic shipyards, empty for decades, were renovated to create 40,000 square metres of additional room. Today, we discover the Arsenale and its surrounds, exploring the second part of Kouoh’s thematic exhibition before visiting a selection of national pavilions, such as those of Argentina, Mexico and New Zealand. Returning to the hotel, we meet for drinks in the evening to discuss what we have seen.

TUESDAY 16 JUNE - ART AROUND TOWN 1 (B, aperitifs)

As the Biennale has grown, it has helped transform Venice into a playground for modern and contemporary art, attracting numerous exhibitions of international standing each year. Today we visit some of these exhibitions in historic locations in Venice, including the Querini Stampalia Foundation, a sixteenth-century palace converted into a museum by Carlo Scarpa that during the Biennale displays retrospectives of key modern artists from around the globe. After a break for lunch, we visit the Olivetti showroom designed by Carlo Scarpa, and then visit a selection of smaller exhibitions in the San Marco neighbourhood, ending at the Palazzo Grassi. This eighteenth-century palace was transformed into an art gallery by FIAT magnate Gianni Agnelli, and was later sold to François Pinault. He uses it to host exhibitions of leading contemporary artists. After visiting the exhibition, we return to the hotel for a talk over aperitifs.

WEDNESDAY 17 JUNE – ART AROUND TOWN 2 (B)

The success of the Biennale has transformed Venice into a city of modern art, with multiple museums hosting excellent exhibitions during the event. Today we visit exhibitions across the city, including solo exhibitions by leading artists in historic locations and a curated selection of national pavilions, which are often in palaces not usually accessible to the public. After a break for lunch, we tour a selection of exhibitions in the Dorsoduro district, ending with a visit to the Punta della Dogana, a historic customs house converted into a contemporary art museum by Tadao Ando.

THURSDAY 18 JUNE – ARTE SELLA AND THE TOMBA BRION (B, L)

Today we take a day trip outside of Venice by private coach. Our first stop is at the Tomba Brion, a monumental tomb designed by Carlo Scarpa for the Brion family in the late 1960s. The tomb complex fuses Scarpa’s elegant mid-century modernism with the rich symbolism of life and death, creating a peaceful place of meditation. We then continue into the Alps, where we enjoy an early lunch in a local restaurant before visiting Arte Sella. This little-known but outstanding contemporary sculpture park hosts large-scale works and land art that take full advantage of the tranquil alpine forests and mountain views. In the late afternoon, we return to Venice.

FRIDAY 19 JUNE – CA’ PESARO AND THE PRADA FOUNDATION (B)

This morning we take a leisurely stroll through the Rialto markets to Ca’ Pesaro, Italy’s first public museum of modern art. The museum’s permanent collection grew from acquisitions during the first decades of the Biennale and places modern Italian art in its broader European and American contexts. After visiting the permanent collection, we then visit the special exhibition of modern and contemporary art that Ca’ Pesaro hosts during the Biennale. After a break for an early lunch, we visit the Prada Foundation in the restored seventeenth-century Palazzo Corner della Regina, which hosts exceptionally well-curated art exhibitions during the Biennale. The later afternoon and evening are at leisure.

SATURDAY 20 JUNE –SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE (B, D)

The island of San Giorgio Maggiore, home to a Benedictine monastery for over 1,000 years, has become a key venue for exhibitions during the Venice Biennale. This morning our visit to the island includes the contemporary art on display in Palladio’s monumental Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore, the regular exhibition of glass art at the Stanze del Vetro, and the exhibition staged in the abbey complex by the Fondazione Cini. After a break for lunch, we visit the Fortuny Museum, which integrates superb contemporary art exhibitions into its permanent collection of the house, textiles and designs of Mariano Fortuny. In the evening, we share a farewell dinner together in a fine restaurant. Final night in Venice.

SUNDAY 21 JUNE - DEPARTURE (B)

The tour concludes after breakfast in the hotel this morning.

While no departure transfers to Venice Marco Polo airport or Santa Lucia railway station are included in the tour price, our partners at Mary Rossi Travel will be pleased to assist with this and any other arrangements, including comprehensive travel insurance, to enable you to depart the tour. Contact us for further information.

Hotel Al Codega 4*, Venice, 8 nights

https://www.hotelalcodega.com

The four-star Hotel Al Codega is ideal for a long stay in Venice. It is a family-run establishment with just 21 rooms, meaning our group will occupy most of the rooms. Located in a hidden courtyard between St Mark’s and the Rialto, it is both quiet and central. Its breakfast, with pastries and other tempting delights still made in-house, is legendary.

A hotel of a similar category may be substituted.

• 8 nights accommodation in a centrally-located 4* hotel

• All breakfasts and 3 meals, plus aperitifs on 3 evenings

• Entry fees and tickets to sites mentioned in the final itinerary

• 9 days of transport on Venice’s public transport network

• Guided tours and entrance fees as mentioned in the final itinerary, and tipping

• Talks and expertise of an Australian tour leader throughout

• Services of an English-speaking Venetian tour manager throughout

A $1,500pp deposit is required at the time of booking to hold your place on tour.

We will invoice you for a second deposit of $2,000pp due on 13 February 2026.

We will invoice you for final payment for the tour, due on 30 March 2026.

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