Private Personalized Sights Walk

A private guide walks your group through Padua for 2 hours 30 minutes, from Piazza delle Erbe toward the sights you care about most. You set the pace.

Overview

This private walk starts at the fountain on Isola Memmia, in the middle of Prato della Valle, and works its way through Padua's old town over two and a half hours with a guide devoted to your group alone. The route links the main stops, roughly twenty minutes each, from the great basilica of St. Anthony to the market squares and the historic university buildings. Because it is private, the pace and emphasis can bend toward what interests you, whether that is art, architecture or the everyday life of the city.

The guide leads you past the Byzantine-style domes of the Basilica of St. Anthony, through Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta, and across Piazza dei Signori, with pauses at Palazzo della Ragione and the University of Padua. Travellers in recent reviews singled out the guide's explanation of the art inside St. Anthony's as a highlight, with one noting they would have missed a great deal without a guide pointing out artists, dates and architectural detail.

The tour suits most visitors, including those with wheelchairs or pushchairs, and it runs in rain. It is a walking tour of the town center only: entry to monuments is not included, and the finish point is back where you started.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at Prato della ValleYour guide meets you next to the big fountain in the center of the square, on Isola Memmia.
2. Prato della Valle, 20 minutesThe walk opens here. Admission is free.
3. Palazzo della Ragione, 20 minutesA stop at this landmark. Admission is not included if you wish to go inside.
4. Piazza delle Erbe, 20 minutesOne of the old market squares. Free to wander.
5. University of Padua, 20 minutesA look at the historic university. Entry is not included.
6. Piazza della Frutta, 20 minutesThe neighboring market square, also free.
7. Piazza dei Signori, 20 minutesAnother free stop among the city's main squares.
8. Basilica of St. Anthony, 20 minutesThe final stop. Admission is not included.
9. Return to meeting pointThe tour ends back at Prato della Valle, for a total duration of two hours 30 minutes.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you get the most from this walk.

• Private format. Only your group takes part, so the guide's attention stays with you throughout the route. The listing describes it as a personalized town center tour with an expert local guide.
• Entry not included. The fee covers the guided walk only. Entrance fees to museums and attractions are extra, as are food and drinks, so budget accordingly if you plan to go inside Palazzo della Ragione or the university.
• Accessibility. The listing states the tour is wheelchair and pushchair accessible, with accessible surfaces and transport nearby. Service animals are allowed.
• Weather. The walk goes ahead in rain and only stops for exceptionally heavy rain, in which case it may be canceled with a full refund. Bring an umbrella or rain layer if the forecast looks wet.
• Comfortable shoes. Two and a half hours on foot across the old town calls for comfortable footwear. There is no health restriction and most travellers can participate.
• Knowledgeable guides. Reviews consistently praise the guides as knowledgeable, thorough and professional, especially on the art and history of St. Anthony's. One reviewer said that without a guide they would have missed much of what the city had to offer.

Common issues. The tour does not include entrance fees to any monument, so time inside St. Anthony's, Palazzo della Ragione or the university depends on arrangements on the day. Food and drinks are also excluded. In exceptionally heavy rain the tour may be canceled, with a full refund offered. Each stop is around twenty minutes, which some travellers may find brief for sites they would like to explore at length.

Common Questions