In Venice, art has always belonged to the light, the air, and the water. It drifts, reflects, and transforms, just like the city itself! This tour through Punta della Dogana, Palazzo Grassi, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection offers a rare journey through three of the city’s most vital cultural spaces—where contemporary vision meets historic grandeur, and where each work of art feels not only seen, but felt.
Together, these three institutions form a constellation of creativity on the Grand Canal—a dialogue between past and present, shadow and light, quiet reverence and bold experimentation.
Begin at Punta della Dogana, the city’s old customs house, reimagined by architect Tadao Ando into a luminous temple of contemporary art. Set at the triangular tip where the Grand Canal meets the Giudecca, the building itself is a sculpture—clean lines, soft light, and exposed stone framing rotating exhibitions from the Pinault Collection.
As you move through these minimalist spaces, modern works by artists such as Bruce Nauman, Marlene Dumas, or Anish Kapoor resonate against the hush of ancient walls. Outside, the views are pure poetry: San Marco, La Salute, and the shimmer of water stretching endlessly into sky. It’s not simply a museum—it’s a place of stillness and perspective, where Venice seems to breathe in silence.
From Punta della Dogana, cross the Grand Canal to the neoclassical majesty of Palazzo Grassi, another jewel in the Pinault constellation. Here, the boldness of contemporary installations plays against the refined backdrop of a patrician palace—frescoed ceilings, marble staircases, and airy courtyards hosting some of the most provocative and ambitious exhibitions in Europe.
Whether you're contemplating the raw emotion of Luc Tuymans, the architectural fantasies of Urs Fischer, or the haunting power of Damien Hirst’s monumental works, the Palazzo offers a fusion of old and new that feels at once reverent and revolutionary.
Each room invites reflection, each hallway a pause between eras. This is not a static museum—it is a living gallery, where Venice’s past gives space and gravitas to the most daring voices of the present.
End your journey at the intimate and iconic Peggy Guggenheim Collection, housed in the low, luminous Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, once Peggy’s private home. Overlooking the Grand Canal, the museum holds one of Europe’s finest collections of 20th-century art, assembled by a woman who didn’t follow trends—she set them!
Wander through rooms where Picasso, Pollock, Miró, Kandinsky, and Calder reside in intimate, sun-filled spaces. Step into the peaceful garden, where sculpture and silence live side by side. Peggy’s presence lingers here—in the boldness of her taste, in the softness of her dog’s gravestone, in the way every piece of this collection feels both visionary and deeply personal.
This is not just a museum—it’s a home for art, for stories, for daring.
This tour of Punta della Dogana, Palazzo Grassi, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is a journey through Venice’s artistic soul—where the city’s ancient stones hold space for the most radical imaginations, and where beauty exists not as a relic, but as a living, breathing conversation.
By the end of your day, you’ll have walked the edge of the present and peered into the future—all with the water beneath you and the light of Venice above!
This tour involves walking and standing for extended periods. While most routes are accessible, some areas may include stairs or uneven surfaces. If you have mobility concerns, please let us know at the time of booking, and we will provide guidance on suitability and alternatives.
The exact meeting point for this tour will be confirmed upon booking. Locations may vary depending on tour logistics, but all details, including directions and arrival time, will be provided in your confirmation email.
The duration of this tour may vary slightly based on the itinerary and selected experience. Estimated tour length will be provided at the time of booking, and final details will be communicated in your confirmation.
