As beautiful as it is, Venice, Italy is tourism central. It’s important to plan accordingly so you can make the most of your experience in this historic and unique floating city. Keep reading to get acquainted with Venice and all it has to offer.
Things to do in Venice
Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square)
Doge’s Palace/Palazzo Ducale: This palace is a must-see in Venice, even if you’re not typically the museum type. That’s because it’s much more than a museum. You’ll want to set aside a couple hours to appreciate the Gothic architecture and incredibly detailed and opulent interior.
The palace includes a courtyard, institutional chambers, apartments where the Doge lived (the Doge was the supreme authority of the Venetian Republic), prisons, and the Bridge of Sighs, which was built to lead to newer prisons (1600’s).
I got into Doge’s Palace with a free ticket. There was barely a line because I visited during the off-season. However, if you plan on visiting multiple museums, it may be worth it to buy a combined entrance ticket. This will get you into Doge’s Palace, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Monumental Rooms of Biblioteca Marciana, and civic museums. Some tickets will also let you skip the line, which will save you frustration during the busy tourist season. You can explore all the different museums and buy tickets here.
St. Mark’s Basilica: Connected to Doge’s Palace, this basilica has Byzantine, Islamic, Romanesque, and Gothic styles. The original structure was begun in the year 829, but what you see today is the third structure, probably begun in 1063.
Museo Correr: This museum covers Venice’s art and history and is located at the end of Piazza San Marco.
Cannaregio
Cannaregio is one of Venice’s six boroughs. It’s one of the busiest areas and also has one of the oldest Jewish ghettos, going back to 1516. There is still a strong Jewish community, historic synagogues, and a Jewish museum.
It’s also where you can catch water taxis to the islands of Burano and Murano. Cannaregio’s main walkway is great for window shopping, too. I came across multiple stores with traditional Venetian masks and artwork, Venice Fashion being my favorite.
Burano and Murano
The small island of Burano is about a 45-minute water taxi ride from Venice’s main island. It’s known for its colorful homes and lace work. The colorful simplicity is a nice break from the ornate detail of the palaces and churches and it’s definitely worth the time.
Murano is in the Venetian Lagoon and about a 20-minute water taxi ride from Venice’s main island. It’s known for its glass work, which you can find in many stores and in the Murano Glass Museum (Museo del Vetro). You can get tickets to see a glass blowing demonstration at the museum or other locations like Fornace Mian. And of course, there are historic churches on Murano. Two to be exact: the Duomo di Murano Santi Maria e Donato and the smaller Chiesa di San Pietro Martire.
I visited Burano and Murano in the same day, including a visit to the Murano Glass Museum and a meal on Burano. So there’s plenty of time to stop at both and still be able to take the day slowly.
Teatre Fenice
I was very excited about visiting Teatre Fenice based on the photos I’d seen online. It’s a beautiful opera house that has been an important landmark in the history of opera since it was built in 1792. Performances still happen here, but you can also buy an admission ticket for 11 euros that includes an audio tour. Fenice means phoenix, symbolizing the many times the theater went up in flames only to be rebuilt.
Grand Canal
This is Venice’s largest and main waterway. You can take a water taxi, private water taxi, or gondola through this and other canals, which gives a great view of the picturesque buildings along the sides.
It passes under the Rialto Bridge and is beautiful during the day, but maybe even more so at night.
Gondola rides
Venice and gondola rides go hand in hand. The prices are consistent throughout Venice at 80 euros during the day and 100 euros at night. If you’re on a budget, traveling with a group makes this much more doable. As touristy as this may be, it’s one of the best ways to get a great view from the canals. Water taxis cost less at 7,50 euros per single ride (you can also get ticket packages), but with everyone clustering at the edges to take photos you’ll often miss out on the view.
Eat & Drink
Prosecco comes from the region of Veneto, so you’ll find plenty of it in Venice. As soon as you step onto the island, you’ll see orange Aperol or Campari Spritzes all over. They’re served everywhere and they’re perfectly refreshing for spring and summer. Naturally, it became my default drink order.
Another thing to look out for is cicchetti, which is the Venetian take on tapas, or small plates. They’re typically served at bàcari , or wine bars, which will have a display case of the different options. You can find all kinds, including seafood, meat, veggies, fried, on crostini, and more. You can spot them because they have limited space inside, so you may see people sitting on the edge of the closest canal with a glass of wine and food.
In my opinion, leave Venice for the off-season. I visited in April and while there were some crowds, it wasn’t nearly as busy as it gets during the summer. Since Venice isn’t a place you go to swim, I see no reason to go during peak months when it will be hot, crowded, and sweaty. Spring was perfect because the weather was still nice, despite a little rain, and hordes of tourists didn’t ruin the experience.
As much as we want to avoid the crowds, Venice is full of tourists for a reason. It’s history, culture, art, architecture, and uniqueness make it one of those places you put on your travel bucket list.
Let me know in the comments whether you’ve been or if you’re still waiting to check it off your list. Then check out my Instagram and TikTok for videos from Venice!
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