Venice
Venice is the biggest pedestrian city in the world spread over 118 small islands separated by canals and connected to one another by 450 bridges. It’s the perfect walking town to explore. Venice is one of the most unique and unforgettable cities. A gorgeous mix of art, culture, legends and history that daily blend together and bring Venice to life. In short, this is one of Italia’s absolute must-sees.
We had only 3 days in Venice, but “La Serenissima” completely took our breath away when we first walked in. We could have easily spent more days there, just walking the quiet lanes and sipping coffee (or Aperol Spritz) in a tiny square. Make the best of your weekend with our list of things to do in “The Floating City”. Let’s explore it!
Things to see in Venice
Venice is that the city is completely different from anything you have ever seen. The Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge and many other attractions can be reached in just a few minutes walking, making Venice the ideal tourist destination for anyone. Venice might be a small island, but you can’t grasp the charm of the city in one day. We recommend staying at least 2 days and nights, as there are so many unique things to see and do here!
Rialto
One of the landmarks of Venice, the Rialto Bridge connects the districts (sestieri) of San Marco and San Polo. First construction of the Ponte di Rialto dating back to the 12th century. The oldest of the 4 bridges that cross the Grand Canal and it is considered one of the architectural icons of Venice. The best thing about the bridge is the views over the vibrant Grand Canal.
St. Mark’s Basilica
St. Mark’s Basilica is a historic Roman Catholic Church which was constructed back in the 9th century. The interiors have 8,000 square feet of golden mosaics that represent the stories of the life of Christ and other saints. The wonderful drama of its façade and domes impress immediately. Its magnificent architecture is something that you cannot miss during your trip to Venice.
San Marco
The most crowded place to visit in Venice, Piazza San Marco is situated in front of St. Mark’s Basilica. Sadly, right after 8 am the St. Mark’s Square is full of terrible souvenir stalls selling T-shirts made in China. It is always better to visit this place as early in the morning as possible. Yes! It’s the only way to enjoy Piazza San Marco in all its glory. After that time, you need to go back to explore less touristy places of interest and hidden gems that only locals know about.
Santa Maria Della Salute
The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute is one of the most beautiful sights along Venice’s Grand Canal. Santa Maria della Salute church was built after the terrible epidemic of plague in the 17th century, which killed about a third of Venice’s population.
The dome of the Salute is picturesque, and surely one of the not to be missed places to visit in Venice for free.
Libreria Acqua Alta
Make your way to the Libreria Acqua Alta to explore one of the most fascinating bookshop in the world where all the books are piled up on shelves, old gondolas and whatever can float to protect them from Venice’s rising water level.
We love these special staircases made of books in the courtyard of a library leading to admire the view of a canal. If you decide to visit, Libreria Acqua Alta is located on Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa 5176/B and is open daily from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Doge’s Palace
From Piazza San Marco, make your way to the impressive Doge’s Palace. During the early days, it was the vital place of the Serenissima Republic and official residence of Doge (the head of the Republic of Venice). Be delight yourself in the breathtaking artistic masterpieces realized by the most famous artists of history. The nearby Bridge of Sighs connects the Doge’s Palace to the prison at Rio di Palazzo.
Bridge of Sighs
The iconic Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) is an enclosed passage which connects the Palazzo Ducale to the adjacent prison. The bridge is named so because legends have it that the prisoners sighing at their final view of the beautiful Venice harbour. The most famous prisoner was Giacomo Casanova, who escaped from the prison through a hole made in the roof.
Grand Canal
The Grand Canal (or Canalazzo) is the major waterway of Venice. It’s about 3 km long and 30 to 90 m wide. Ride the vaporetto (Venice ferry) along the Grand Canal, and admire all the incredible buildings facing the canal. This is a great way to see some of the best sights in Venice easily.
T Fondaco Rooftop Terrace
Dreaming of seeing something really spectacular? This popular Instagram spot in Venice is actually a luxury shopping center with a breathtaking 4th-floor roof terrace with 360º views. Entrance to the roof terrace is free, though numbers are limited. Book your visit to Fondaco Rooftop Terrace today.
Get around in a gondola
When visiting La Serenissima, you’re almost required to get into this special boat to discover the canals all over the city. But…Do you want all the through? This private gondola tour is perfect only for capturing photos of your time in Venice.
As you walk around Venice you will find there are gondola parking spots all throughout the city and that they are all priced the same. The city of Venice sets official rates for gondola rides, 80€ for 30 minutes (but you can share your gondola among up to 6 people), or €100 after 7pm. It is also likely to be more expensive than it is enjoyable. Otherwise, save your cash for Aperol Spritz and take a traghetto instead.
Get Lost and find the real Venice
Venice is one of those rare places where you truly want to get lost while exploring and navigating the 118 islands. So we left the crowds of Piazza San Marco to meander through the city’s passageways and over its many bridges and find picturesque parts of the city we hadn’t expected. But what happens if you want to cross the Grand Canal? Head for the nearest traghetto pier and get rowed to the other side.
Acqua alta
This natural phenomenon doesn’t happen all the time. Acqua alta generally takes place in autumn and winter time, when a combination of astronomical high tides (high tide means about 90 cm above its normal level) and strong seasonal wind cause a larger inflow of water into the Venetian lagoon. Don’t worry, Acqua alta normally lasts a few hours.
Burano
You do not want to get so close and miss this incredible little island. Escape the tourist crowds of central Venice in a day trip to Burano, Murano and Torcello. It’s only a 1 hour ride by boat and worth every second. Murano is known all over the world for the ancient art of glass blowing, and Burano is best known for its lace and rainbow-colored houses. A miniature-sized Venice, with its beautiful houses all painted in bright colors. We could barely get 10 feet without taking a photo.
The least expensive option for getting to Burano, Murano or Torcello is to take vaporetto. Line number 12 is the way to go. It’s about a 1-hour trip and a one-way trip on the vaporetto costs €7.50.
While on the island enjoy some fresh seafood lunch at Trattoria al Gatto Nero (where Jamie Oliver was taught how to cook a perfect white cuttlefish risotto). We know you’ll love it!
How to Get to Venice
As Venice was our starting point in an Italy trip itinerary that included Florence, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, and Rome, we arrived by plane to Marco Polo Airport and took the Alilaguna water bus to Fondamente Nuove. Alilaguna (blue, orange and red lines) is the direct passenger water bus service between the airport and various locations in Venice. Check with your hotel for information on the nearest Alilaguna stop and the line you should choose. It will take you about 60 minutes and €15 (€27 return) to reach Venice city center from Marco Polo Airport.
Сheck timetable on www.alilaguna.it.
What is more, if you are in the mood for some luxury, taking a private water taxi and captain will bring you as close as possible to your hotel. And how expensive is it? Average price from the airport is 120€.
Venice also has a train station Santa Lucia and from there, you can take the vaporetto line 1 or 2 directly to San Marco.
Stay
Honestly anywhere on the island of Venice is a good place. The City of Water is full of unique neighborhoods—find yours.
Skip the large hotels and opt for a family run bed & breakfast situated in a quiet residential area. If you want an authentic experience, you can find lovely, well-kept apartments in quiet neighborhoods on Booking all over the island. Our accommodation was well located, right in the heart of Venice, just a few minutes walk from the Piazza San Marco. It meant that we could get to anywhere we wanted to easily and fast.
Stay Details: Appartamento Romantico
Things to remember: The majority of the hotels do not have direct access by boat. It will therefore not always be possible to be dropped off by a water taxi at the front door with your luggage. So, when it comes to traveling to Venice, less is best – travel light.
Food
Forget Spaghetti Сarbonara and Pizza and try authentic Venetian cicchetti. You can find pasta and pizza anywhere else in Italy, but not cicchetti. Every real bacaro (place to grab a quick glass of wine, and a few small bites) serves delicious cicchetti that will leave you full and satisfied. They are constantly making it fresh all day long because they are always running out. These bites usually cost a couple of euros. Pair your cicchetti with a glass of Aperol Spritz.
Don’t get us wrong, but… in Venice, after 10 AM, it’s always the right time for a drink! You probably already have had Spritz, a typical Venetian drink that has become popular all over the world in past years. The real, traditional, Venetian Spritz, which you can drink in Venice, is made with equal parts of Prosecco, Sparkling Water, and one either Select, Aperol, Campari, or Cynar.
Locals rarely sit down, preferring to hang out at the bar for a quick drink before heading off to the next bacaro. Drink your coffee the way it’s done in Italy, standing up, you will pay about 1.50 Euro for a cup of coffee that is just as delicious. Save money by standing!
Best places to eat in Venice:
- Bacareto da Lele (The most famous and known)
- Il Mercante (Typical Venetian food right here!)
- Osteria Al Bacco is another good option for skipping the tourist crowds and eating with Venetians
- Osteria alla Frasca
If you want to feel the real taste of Italian cuisine we’d recommend staying away from Piazza San Marco. Pretty basic food, which was grossly overpriced. Venetians would never sit out in Piazza San Marco ordering food in a restaurant.
Best time to Visit
Try to time your visit for the shoulder season (spring, fall) or even the off season. We visited Venice in late May, right before the busy summer season. Pleasantly warm during the daytime but not too hot for sightseeing – and it’s not too crowded.
Getting Around
There are only two ways to get around Venice: on foot, or by boat. Once you get there, the best way to explore Venice is on foot. The labyrinth of narrow streets will take you everywhere you want to go is at most within a 30 minute walk.
We walked for the first two days. Then we bought 1-day tickets on our last day in Venice which allowed us to hop on and off the vaporetto for 24h (including a trip to Burano). This way you will see the most spectacular water road and palaces of Venice.
Vaporetto
Venice is best seen from the water. Vaporetto’s are large waterbuses and only use the Canal Grande and the waterways around the city. There are about 20 water bus lines and a single ticket is about €7.50. Invest in a vaporetto pass (30,00 € – 48 hour travel card) if you plan to be in Venice for several days.
The ACTV public service ferries tickets can be purchased on the various ticket offices, tobacco shops or self-service ticket machines close to the boardings. You need to validate your ticket every time before entering the platform.
Traghetto
If you don’t want to travel the length of the Grand Canal or search for a bridge, but you do want to get from one side to the other, take a traghetto. The traghetto gondolas served as a way to get across the canal before the bridges were built. They only cost 4 Euros and leave at various points along the Grand Canal.
Gondola
A slower and more romantic alternative to a taxi tour is taking a private gondola tour. Just like its worldwide celebrated Carnival, the gondolas have turned into a symbol of Venice. A gondola ride will take you for a ~30 minutes round trip along the smaller and quieter canals in the surroundings of your gondola’s starting point. A gondola can welcome up to 6 people and has a cost of 80 euros/ 30 minutes tour during the daytime. Hiring a gondola in Venice isn’t tricky. Gondola stations (servizio gondole) are set up at the edges of canals all over Venice, so it isn’t difficult to find one.
Private water taxi
Taxis, which are beautifully maintained wooden boats, are a good way to get from A to B if you are in a rush and have plenty of money.
Venice is sliding into the sea at a rate of 2 mm per year, this is 5 times faster than predicted. What are you waiting for?
