Recommendation for private boat tour of Venice?

We are arriving in Bologna tomorrow and want to do a day trip to Ravenna this week. We have a rental car so can drive there ourselves. I would love your recommendations on who to use for a day tour that covers all the most important sites. Would be great if it covered all admission tickets as well so that we didn’t have to deal with that. Could be a group tour or a private tour. Anybody you recommend?

Buongiorno everyone! For context we are a family of 6 (2x40s, 24, 15, 12, 11) all athletic and experienced international travelers only bringing carry ons. I have been to Florence, Venice and Rome but rest have not. Kids and hubs not into art. (I know, I know.) We have an ex au pair that is Italian living in Verona currently that is going to meet us in 5T for the first part of our trip and then leave us in Florence and see us again in Verona for a daytrip later but anyway here goes!

Day 1 (Sat): arrive FCO at 8am on COVID tested flight. Adults are preregistered for tests on arrival but it doesn't currently allow me to register the kids. Booked the 1157am fast train from Termini to La Spezia, hoping 4 hours will be enough time to test, take Leo Express to Termini, grab a bite and hop on train (its the Frecciabianca - should we wait and eat on train instead?) transfer to 5T train at La Spezia, arrive approx 1613 at Vernazza about an hour after our Italian and check in and chill.

Day 2 (Sun): See how we feel, likely do an am hike to either Corniglia or Monterosso. We can come back to apartment midday or do a private boat tour for 3 hours.

Day 3 (Mon): See how we feel, do am hike (whichever we didn't do day before), or do boat tour this day. Dinner at lovers table at Ristorante Belforte for hubs and I at 7pm.

Day 4 (Tues): Early am train to Pisa, stow bags at Stow Your Bags near Pisa Centrale and walk through Pisa to tower. Likely get Tower appointment for about 10am so we are not rushed. See how long kids last in museums, perhaps grab lunch here (any recommendations?) and then hop back on train to Florence and check in, go somewhere for dinner before Italian AP has to leave us. A lot of Americans say ZaZas is fun - recommend or alternatives?

Day 5 (Wed): Florence - the big two plus likely the Galileo museum because our kids love science

Day 6 (Thurs): am in Florence (so maybe split the big two into one each morning), check out and catch 1120 train to Venezia. Apartment is walking distance from S Lucia so check in and then one museum or activity and dinner - recommendation?

Day 7 (Fri): Venice

Day 8 (Sat): am maybe one thing in Venice, then train to Verona, spend day with Italian AP and then fly VRN to FCO at 1930, check in go to bed

Day 9 (Sun): Rome

Day 10 (Mon): Rome - Scavi tour at 1330 for adults

Day 11 (Tues): Rome

Day 12 (Wed): Rome

Day 13 (Thurs): depart FCO at 10am arrive super early to COVID test at FCO before flight

Will definitely do Pompeii one day - any recommendations for day or guide and eats?

Anything else I missed?

Long story short, I had two other trips in planning that my teen daughter eventually vetoed :)

She has requested a culture/sightseeing/city trip over the 'nature' and 'beach' options. She's had a really tough year and with all the anxiety about heading into high school, I would love to make this happen for her. I have about a month to plan this trip, so here's my first attempt at an itinerary. We will be flying in and out of Rome (only option for a direct flight), which we'll be skipping as we have previously visited:

Day 0: overnight flight into Rome, arrive 7:30 am

Day 1: Rome to Naples via high speed train, Napoli, Overnight in Napoli

Day 2: Pompeii tour, Overnight in Napoli

Day 3: Amalfi coast tour (bus tour or private driver), Overnight in Napoli

Day 4: Napoli in the morning, leave for Florence via high speed train, Overnight in Florence

Day 5: Florence, Overnight in Florence

Day 6: Tuscany day trip (bus tour or private driver), Overnight in Florence

Day 7: Train to Cinque Terre w/ stopover in Pisa, Overnight in CT

Day 8: Cinque Terre, Overnight in Cinque Terre

Day 9: Train to Milan, Overnight in Milan

Day 10: Milan in the morning, train to Venice, Overnight in Venice

Day 11: Venice, Overnight in Venice

Day 12: Venice in the morning, Venice to Rome via high speed train or flight, Overnight Rome near airport

Day 13: fly home

Would love to hear your thoughts:

- We like fast paced, but is it too fast paced? Any suggestions?

- I feel like Milan is a bit of a 'detour' and I wonder if it's worth just for one day?

- Should we get TrainItalia passes? Which one?

- I would love to have some flexibility and not prebook hotels in case we want to linger in one area more - is this too much of a risk? (I wouldn't have considered it but i feel like we could 'wing it' this year?)

- Is there anything else I need to pre-book? (ie. tours, transportation, admission tickets, etc).

Thanks all in advance!

We're looking for a food tour in Venice that can accommodate a vegetarian in the group. Any recommendations?

I sort of geek out on financial & economic history (think "Ascent of Money" if you have ever seen the documentary). Venice has played such an important role in the history in areas of trade, banking, bond markets, shared ownership/shareholders, insurance underwriting, currency exchange, public/private partnerships, joint ventures, negotiation, original/unique government systems/structures, and a lot of innovation over the years. I would regret going to the city and not being able to experience a tour that covered at least some of this. I understand this is a fairly specific request/interest, but I feel like its the equivalent of someone into political science showing up in Athens or Rome without any tours doing a deep dive into those early significant political institutions. .... Does anyone know a tour that may remotely fit with this? Or even a friend that really knows there way around some of these subjects that wouldn't mind playing tour guide for a day?

We are arriving in Venice on the 19 th, 4 nights. Then on the 23 rd transferring to Florence for 5 nights.

We would like to do the Bologna food tour which starts at 7 am. The train schedules now are little help. Is there normally an early morning high speed train from Florence? Would it be better to do the tour on the 23 rd, leaving Venice very early? If so is there somewhere to store our luggage in Bologna?

Thank you.

Has anyone book this tour and can give me some tips on the do and fonts or any addy information

We were notified today that we were able to get a reservation for a scavi tour on Friday, September 3! While excited, because the time is assigned by the excavations office, it has impacted the schedule originally planned. Originally we had a large gap between basilica and museums to return to hotel and rest a bit/eat but now the schedule is tighter.

Scavi tour is at 12:30 - so we need to be to excavation office by 12. Tour lasts 1.5 hours which takes is to 2:00 pm

We have Happy Hour tour tickets for the museums at 5pm, so need to get there ~4:30pm.

Question 1 - That means we have a 2.5 hour gap. Weighing going back to hotel (campo d’ fiori) to rest/eat vs finding a restaurant around the Vatican - recommendations?

Question 2-4 - we had planned to get to Basilica before 8am to get in. Do the Dome climb first and then self tour of basilica. With the lines - anticipate this take us until 11 (depends on lines)? Leaving a small gap between that and scavi tour.

- recommendations for a restaurant to have a snack/sit in?

- more a comment/question - I assume the lines (including dome climb) would be too long to do basilica between the scavi tour and happy hour?

- we planned trotting basilica ourselves with audio guide, but give. The scavi tour, would we be better to book a tour (ie walks of Italy) to guarantee quicker access

Thanks for your thoughts on the above

as we finalize plans for our next trip to Venice, I wondered what actually being in Venice was like at the moment for those visiting. From web cams I can see that activity at St. Marks Square has heightened from where it had been a month ago but I don't think it is as crowded as during a normal July or is it? Are restaurants open fully, I do see some tables outside on some webcams.

Really curious as to how things are now and if people there think it will continue to stay that way (not expert opinions but what people think if you have heard anything).

Thanks for any observations.

We want to do short 2 hr tour of capri by gozzo. Are running in May like the 9th or 10th?

Any recommended companies to check?

Thanks