Bike Tour on Sant’Erasmo Island: Taste Unique Honey and View Artichoke Fields
4.9
17 Ratings
Venezia
Embark on a bike tour of Sant’Erasmo Island, where you can taste unique honey and view artichoke fields. Experience the natural beauty and traditional lifestyle of this hidden gem in the Venice lagoon.
Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Sant’Erasmo - We will reach the Sant’Erasmo island, also known as the “Venice’s vegetable garden”, thanks to a 30 minutes Vaporetto ride through the lagoon. Once a rural retreat for aristocrats and the main source of vegetable and fruit supplies for the Republic of Venice, the island is now a tourist-free refuge for Venetian families as well as a unique natural highlight of the Northern lagoon.
What's Included
  • Seasonal local product gift (honey/artichokes)
  • All logistics handled
  • Convenient meeting point at Venice Fondamente Nove
  • Bicycle included for the tour
  • Expert guidance by a licensed nature and interpretive guide
What's Not Included
  • Water bus ticket to Sant’Erasmo island. Tickets will be purchased onboard.
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Let’s embark on a cycling journey through ‘Orto di Venezia’ (Venice’s ‘vegetable garden’), passing through farms of artichokes, and revel in the unusual yet picturesque sight of the Venice skyline, whilst savouring the distinct flavour of the honey, exclusively produced on this island.
Bicycle across the island’s shores and agricultural lands, taking in the uncommon and breathtaking views of Venice from a unique vantage point. Witness the island’s unparalleled natural allure and the tranquil, conventional lifestyle of its sparse population. Despite being the biggest island in the lagoon, Sant’Erasmo is home to merely 700 residents, most of whom cultivate their own land and produce remarkable fruits and vegetables.
Of the fascinating crops grown, the distinct purple artichokes, officially recognized as a slow food® presidium in the name “Carciofo Violetto di Sant’Erasmo”, is one of the most interesting. Moreover, beekeeping is a common occupation here: bees are attracted to the diverse flowers thriving on the salty soil, thereby producing a unique form of honey that you will have the chance to sample.
As you pedal, you will observe a variety of crops cultivated by local farmers, as well as stunning untamed landscapes, and spot Venice’s bell towers from a distance.

  • On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it
Location
il Caffegelato
Fondamente Nove
at Caffegelato bar at Fondamente Nove
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(17 Ratings)
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Curiosity50211410718
May 7, 2024
An oasis in the lagoon - What a special experience. From the crowded San Marco Square to the peace and nature of Erasmo. It was very educational and fun excursion!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
90marliesw
Sep 12, 2023
Much more than expected - Since I regularly visit Venice and the surrounding islands, it has long been my wish to explore the island of Sant'Erasmo. Unfortunately, I had not yet found a guide for it. As luck would have it, I met Valerio through the recommendation of a good friend and he also suggested a bike tour of Sant'Erasmo. We met up with 9 other interested people at the Fondamente Nove and took line 13 to the island together. Although we were a very international group, Valerio, with his linguistic talent, jumped quickly between English and German, and a little Italian. It was a lively chat with a lot of factual content about the island, the Mose project, nature, vegetable cultivation - we learned a lot about artichokes in particular - and even beekeeping. Thanks to his good contacts, we met the sprightly Elio. He has been tending his fruit, vegetable and flower garden for decades. We were able to observe the busy work of the hardworking bees at the beehives that were spread out around the property and asked questions about the fruit and vegetables that were being grown. We were new to the fact that there are also black pomegranates, which only reach their full maturity at the end of the year. We were delighted to receive a glass of the delicious honey each. We continued along the lagoon with spectacular views of Punta Sabbioni, Treporti, Burano, San Francesco del Desorto and of course Venice. After we reached the center of the island with its church and supermarket, our 4-hour exploration tour came to an end. On the way to a picturesque bar/trattoria, we were able to visit the fortress tower built by Napoleon (not included in the program). Many thanks again to Valerio for being able to open doors that remain closed to others with his charm and natural manner. An association that keeps the island's old traditions alive is currently showing old textile handicrafts there. Well worth seeing! After we had strengthened ourselves with a nightcap in the bar, we headed back. We (I think I can speak on behalf of the group) thank Valerio for the uncomplicated, wonderful excursion. And I personally am looking forward to the next event together. Marlies, September 11, 2023
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexva1819xv
Oct 12, 2022
Cycle Around The Real Venice - If you want to experience the real Venice, then spend a wonderful day cycling around the islands in the company of my guide Valerio. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable ,but a great host and fun person to share this wonderful experience with. From cycling through the farmlands and vineyards to learning more about the world of bee keeping to watching the sunset with an aperitivo. It was a day never to be forgotten. I can't recommend both him and his tour highly enough.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ontourwithkeit
Jun 20, 2022
An amazing experience with Valerio - Have you guys ever wandered in the little venetian districts? I don't mean the usual places we know of , but the small , secretive special secret streets that this ancient gem hides? Well I did, and I had a very special guide to do this : Valerio! A long bike ride in heaven crossing richly cultivated fields ❤️ Valerio is a great guide, super updated and so enriching in his narrative. He always wears a friendly smile on his face. Passion always takes it all! Thankyou so much, 110% recommended! Choose him for your venetian explorations!
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100jacqueliner
May 24, 2022
A world away from Venice. - Leisurely cycling around this beautiful Island.Don't worry if you haven't cycled in a while - we found it very easy. Wine tasting by the canal was relaxing and enjoyable. We all absolutely loved the trip.Valerio is an exceptional guide and a very pleasant, knowledgable mman.Great trip!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heatherfio84
Apr 25, 2022
Excellent bike tour on Sant’Erasmo - We had a wonderful tour with Valerio. We booked the private bike tour of Sant’Erasmo and it was one of the highlights of our trip to Venice. He was fun, friendly and very knowledgeable about the area and it’s history. And he went out of his way to make sure we had a great experience. Everything was flawless, from the time we booked to the end of the tour and his communication was excellent throughout. I would highly recommend booking one of his tours and I will definitely be trying another of his tours on my next trip to Venice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Natashamarier
Jan 12, 2021
Girls around San't Erasmo - This bike tour was so much fun! Valerio knew a lot about the island, had so many stories and history to tell. I was on holiday with some of the girls, we met Valerio and then go onto a vaparetto to the island San't Erasmo. We chose our bikes and literally rode around the whole island, which such amazing views. iT wasn't strenuous, it was just very chilled and fun and beautiful; very different scenes to Venice. The honey farm was something else! So many little honey homes, fresh grapes too that they were growing. I would definitely recommend this trip when in Venice, a nice day out to get away from the hustle and bustle of Venice. Valerio spoke perfectly good English too so no worries there! Enjoy and have fun when you go!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laetiberlin
Oct 11, 2020
Perfect! - Amazing tour! We really enjoyed our time with Valerio! He showed us a never seen before part of Venice with a lot of interesting details, funny moments and gave us great tips for the rest of our journey in Venice... it’s a pity we could spend only a few ours with him! We will for sure book him again in our next visit to Venice!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cristina82sbt
May 14, 2020
Unimissable! - Amazing tour! It was great riding on the saltmarshe and the artichoke fields.The island is an unexplored pristine corner of paradise in the lagoon. Strongly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gerhard_conradie
May 10, 2020
Amazing bike ride and honey tasting experience - We had a fantastic experience doing the bike ride and honey tasting on Sant’ Erasmo. The bike ride takes you all the way around the island and past the fields where the beautiful purple artichokes grow, which are unique to this area. On your return you can kick back with some well deserved aperativo. The mixed fried fish at the lagoon restaurant was delicious along with prosecco and spritz. The boat trip is very special and scenic with many small islands and it is a great way to see the lagoon. We had a great time with Valerio and we highly recommend this trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 10 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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