We love city trips. Each year, we try to visit at least one European city. Venice is a beautiful city for a city trip. Every spot and corner here is gorgeous! This is also a great city to walk around and marvel at all the beautiful, colorful facades. Everyone should visit Venice at least once in their lifetime. Because it’s beautiful, because of the Italian cuisine, and simply because it’s a very romantic city. If you’re planning a city trip to Venice, make sure to set aside at least 3 to 4 days. Here are my tips on what to see and do and where to stay.
What to do today:
- Boat trip on the Grand Canal
- Walk to St. Mark’s Square
- Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica
To get a good impression of Venice right away, it’s nice to sail down the Grand Canal. You don’t do this with a gondola but with the Vaporetto water bus. This is the fastest way to get from point A to point B in Venice. It’s much cheaper than the gondola rides that are offered. The Vaporetto water bus only sails on the larger waterways, while the gondola can also navigate the narrow canals. So, you can best compare the Vaporetto to a regular bus, but just a bit slower.
Along the Grand Canal, there are some impressive palaces with beautifully decorated facades that you would miss while walking. One ticket costs €9.50 per person, and for this, you can use the water bus for 75 minutes.
Afterwards, walk to St. Mark’s Square. It’s always busy with tourists here. Everyone who has only one day to spend in Venice spends it in and around this square. This is by far the busiest, most touristy area.
But it is also the square where you’ll be amazed by its beauty. Moreover, there are a number of very important attractions on this square that are also worth visiting inside. These are St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. Both are next to each other. For the basilica, you need 1 hour, and for the palace, about 2 hours.
Make sure to book your tickets for the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica in advance! This allows you to walk right in. We didn’t have to wait anywhere with our pre-ordered tickets. If you don’t, you might end up waiting in line for an hour at both attractions.
Afternoon:
- Late lunch in the streets behind San Marco
- Visit other sights in the San Marco district and surroundings
- Bridge of Sighs
- Scala Contarini del Bovolo
- La Fenice Theater
By now it’s midday, and you might be getting hungry. Tip: don’t have lunch right on St. Mark’s Square! Instead, find a few streets around San Marco and have lunch in a typical Osteria.
After lunch, continue exploring the beautiful San Marco district. Focus first on the attractions on the right side of St. Mark’s Square, facing the lagoon. Start by finding the hidden Scala Contarini del Bovolo. This is a beautiful tower tucked away in a courtyard. The staircase is shaped like a snail shell, and you can climb up it. Then, head to the La Fenice Theater. This is one of the most famous theaters in Europe, and many famous operas premiered here. The interior is very beautiful, and you can book a ticket for the La Fenice Theater with an audio guide. Afterward, return to St. Mark’s Square to explore the streets on the other side.
If you walk between the Doge’s Palace and the quay, you’ll come to the Bridge of Sighs. This is a great photo opportunity. From there, walk to the Arsenale of Venice, which used to be a shipyard. You can’t visit it because it’s now a military domain. By now, you’ve walked out of the San Marco district. Leave the quay and the lagoon side, and head towards Libreria Acqua Alta, a very unique bookstore. Along the way, you’ll pass beautiful squares and charming houses. From there, walk to the Santa Maria del Miracoli Church.
You’ve already covered a few kilometers by now. It’s time to end with a beautiful view of Venice from above! For this, you MUST go to the Fondaco dei Tedeschi shopping center. On the fourth floor, they have a terrace where you can enjoy a stunning view of Venice for free. You need to book your free time slot online.
Evening:
After a wonderful day, it’s time for a delicious meal! A great place to dine is the former Jewish Quarter, Cannaregio. This is a less touristy and more authentic part of Venice. It was the first Jewish ghetto in the world. Today, you can find many nice bars and restaurants here. Enjoy your meal!
Tonight, have some pasta and an Aperol Spritz as an aperitif. You can find places where Aperol is cheaper than a soda. Tomorrow will be a long but beautiful day full of highlights!
Day 2 – Venice – Island Hopping
After checking off all the highlights of Venice yesterday, today you will explore different islands in the lagoon! Here are the most interesting islands:
- Murano: This island is known for its centuries-old tradition of glassblowing. The most beautiful creations are made here, and you can admire them in many shops in Venice. Many tourists visit a glass factory here and then take a walk around the island.
- Burano: The most colorful island in the lagoon! This is a fishermen’s island that has been inhabited for centuries. The houses are all painted in different bright colors. You can find lace makers at work everywhere, and there are many shops where you can buy lace. You can easily explore this island on foot.
- Torcello: The origin of Venice likely lies on this tiny, almost uninhabited island. Torcello once had many more inhabitants and was the center of church power in the lagoon until malaria killed many residents and the power shifted to Venice. Now, almost no one lives on this quiet, green island. However, you can still visit an impressive basilica from 639 with beautiful Byzantine mosaics.
You can visit these islands independently with the Vaporetto. Murano and Burano with line 12 and for Torcello, transfer in Burano to line 9.
Do you want to combine these three islands in one day without worrying about transportation? Then choose the convenience of an organized tour to the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello with a visit to a glass factory included. This is what we did, and there was always clear communication about the boat’s arrival and departure times. Everything was well organized, and it costs only €30 per person!
Day 3 – Venice – Culinary Delights and Leisurely Walks
Morning
- Light breakfast
- Walk to the starting point of the Cicchetti tour
- Cicchetti tour
Today is another busy day ahead! It’s best to have a very light breakfast because you are expected for a culinary tour at 10:00 or 10:30. Everyone knows the Italian cuisine, especially the delicious pasta and pizza. But Venice has its cicchetti. These are all small bites. Venetians often have cicchetti for lunch. They go to an authentic eatery and order several small bites. These can be either sweet or savory. Sometimes it’s a sandwich or a mini-toast, but it can also be something completely different, like egg with anchovy (delicious!). During this food tour, you will make at least 5 stops and taste at least 8 different cicchetti bites. The tour ends with Italian ice cream.
The starting point for this tour is near the Rialto Bridge. You cross the bridge and explore the colorful Rialto markets. During the tour, you will also explore various squares and the Basilica dei Frari. Your guide will tell you about the history of these neighborhoods and the history of cicchetti and how they are still enjoyed today. After the tour, you will have a good impression of the San Polo and Dorsoduro districts and you will have had a delicious meal. Lunch is no longer needed. We found this a very fun tour and discovered several great places. Cicchetti was also new to us; we thought lunch was all about pasta.
Afternoon
- Further exploration of Dorsoduro and San Polo
- Get a nice souvenir or go shopping near the Rialto Bridge
The districts of Dorsoduro and San Polo are very nice. The major attractions are missing here, but walking through the narrow streets is really fantastic. Your camera will also work overtime here. If you want to shop or get a nice souvenir to take home, you should stay near the Rialto Bridge. Here are the best shopping opportunities.
Evening and return flight
Before you go to dinner and catch your return flight, there is one more thing you absolutely must do: admire Venice from a gondola. Since a private gondola is ridiculously expensive, it is best to opt for a shared gondola ride. This means that in addition to yourself, other people will also participate in the gondola ride, making it significantly cheaper. If you choose a shared ride at sunset, it costs €42.90 per person. This ride lasts 40 to 45 minutes. You can also choose shared gondola rides starting at €33 per person, which are slightly shorter, about 30 minutes.
Afterwards, it’s time for dinner! Then it’s back to the airport, and after a good two-hour flight, you’re already home.
Day 4 – Venice
Most people visit Venice just for a weekend, with only about two nights and three days to spare. As you have read in the program above, there is a lot to see and do in Venice. If you stay one more night, as we did, you can enjoy everything at a slightly more relaxed pace and also visit St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace from the inside.
Those were my tips for a long weekend in Venice. The itinerary above is for three full days and two nights, but this is only feasible if you have an early outbound flight and a late return flight. If that is not the case, then a stay of four days and three nights is actually ideal. This gives you enough time to see all the above attractions and to wander around at a relaxed pace. Every corner and spot in Venice is incredibly beautiful. So, be sure to take the time to just wander around.
Have fun and travel freely,
