Venice San Giorgio Maggiore Island and Vatican Chapels Guided Tour
About this activity
- Your booking is confirmed immediately
- This option includes FREE cancellation—book now, risk-free!
Experience Highlights
Discover a unique side of Venice off the beaten track with a serene stroll around the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, home to avant-garde architecture and captivating nature. This tour introduces you to the Cini Foundation Forest and the stunning Vatican Chapels, where contemporary art and silence meet in perfect balance.
Walk among the shady trees and enjoy the reflective atmosphere of the grounds, while listening to a multilingual audio-guide with an original soundtrack that enhances the aesthetic experience. Ideal for those seeking a moment of cultural calm away from the crowds, combining nature, modern architecture and reflection.
The tour lasts approximately 50 to 60 minutes, enough time to walk along the forest paths, admire the ten chapels created by internationally renowned architects at the 2018 Architecture Biennale, and let yourself be carried away by the contrasts of design, materials and contemporary sacred spaces.
- Chapels designed by international architects, each with unique style and meaning.
- Audio-guide with original music, adding excitement and depth to the tour
- Quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of Venice, ideal for art lovers and meditation.
What’s included
- Entrance to the Forest of the Cini Foundation and access to the Vatican Chapels
- Multilingual audio guide with original soundtrack
- Free and signposted tour through the natural and architectural environment.
- Transport to the island
Select date and time
Plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before your start time to ensure everything runs smoothly
Step by Step
When you arrive on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, you will enter a different world from the usual tourist world. The meeting point is the Cini Foundation, whose gardens, courtyards and wooded spaces offer a tranquil setting from the very first step. This is the beginning of the tour through the "Wood" or forest of the foundation, a walk that combines lush nature with innovative architectural works.
The Vatican Chapels are the heart of the tour: ten chapels designed by world-renowned architects, each with its own visual, symbolic and spiritual language. Inspired by Erik Gunnar Asplund's Chapel of the Forest, these contemporary structures are scattered among the trees, creating an introspective and visually stunning tour.
The tour is complemented by an immersive audio guide, which not only provides information about each chapel, but also incorporates a specially composed soundtrack to enrich the experience. Each step becomes a contemplative act, enhanced by the silence of the forest and the connection between art and the natural environment.
In addition to the artistic value, this tour is an opportunity to pause and reflect. It is an experience that invites you to walk leisurely, to observe the constructive details, the textures, the light filtered through the trees, and the dialogue between the human and the divine. The visit offers an intimate, sensory and cultural moment in a little-travelled corner of Venice.
Ideal for lovers of contemporary art, architecture, photography or simply for those looking for a different experience in Venice, away from the hustle and bustle of the more popular tourist areas.