Venice · VENETIAN MASK WORKSHOPS
The mask is Venice’s oldest disguise, and it is still made by hand. These 10 workshops sit you down to shape and paint your own in papier-mâché, each priced and timed, with a note on group size and what you take home.
Paint a Venice Carnival mask in a 1-hour artisan workshop. Learn paper-mâché techniques and take home your design.
“Gorge was wonderful! We really enjoyed learning the history of carnival and about his family’s mask making business.”
A small-group Venetian mask workshop near Piazza San Marco where a master teaches papier-mâché techniques, you paint your own mask, then take it home.
“Ten out of ten! Went as a family of four with college aged kids and this was our favorite thing. Learned from a mask making master… generationally passed down in the same family since the 15th century.”
Make a Venetian baroque-style mask at Carta Alta on Giudecca, learn mask history, and take home your custom masterpiece in 90 minutes.
“Fantastic! Professional studio – they have made masks for several well-known film productions. The workshops were very well prepared. The owner of the studio, Augusto, is a very nice and friendly man (he helped us get to the venue from the airport and welcomed us with good coffee). He led the workshops with an assistant – an artist and painter. The studio is in a beautiful location, close to numerous atmospheric restaurants. Easy access to the center of Venice by water bus. I highly recommend it. Katarzyna”
Paint your own Venetian mask in a Venice workshop, choose from 50+ paper mache designs, use acrylics and metallics, take it home.
“Amazing activity with really kind lady, highly recommend x”
Create your own Venetian Carnival mask in Casanova’s Prison Palace, guided by a local artisan. Materials included, take-home souvenir.
“Awesome, the guide is a woman that is very charismatic and helps you every step, it is really cool to get to know how these things are made”
Decorate a papier-mâché Venetian mask at Sogno Veneziano Atelier. Small-group guidance, Carnival stories, and a take-home keepsake.
“Such a fun morning. I would definitely recommend this as you can’t beat being creative! A family run business with a lovely personnel touch.”
Paint your own Venetian papier-mâché mask in 1 hour with acrylic colors and gold/silver touches. Family-friendly, small groups.
“This was a great experience for the whole family! Will definitely recommend to our friends & family traveling to Venice!”
Venice Carnival mask-making in Casanova's prisons: a 1-hour workshop at Palazzo Delle Prigioni Nuove with materials, guide, and chocolate.
“Gondola was totally worth the experience. We were very excited for the glass blowing portion of the tour. Our initial guide we met up with mislead us for where the location of the glass blowing was and we missed it. Definitely felt like we got ripped off half the tour... too bad”
Make a Venetian papier-mache mask in a small Carta Alta studio, learn the Baroque technique, and take home your handmade souvenir.
“We were able to be as simple or detailed as we wanted with designing our masks - which were very durable and high quality! The facilitators were fun and helpful throughout the session. Highly recommend this workshop!”
Play a Carnival-themed Venice treasure hunt with an app map, then paint your own mask in the Doge’s Prisons palace.
“Impossible de capter correctement le reseau pour le gps . Trop de monde autour de la place st marc , donc enormes difficultés a se reperer. Les explications sur les sites sont pratiquements inodibles , trop de foule bruyante autour des lieux de decouverte. Peut etre devriez vous fournir de petits écouteurs. Dommage , car l'idée était excellente. Pour le prix par personne, je suis extrement déçue .”
From the Basilica to the far lagoon — every experience, ranked.
