Related Articles
Must Do Things In Venice Italy – Venice is one of our favorite places in Italy. Why? Venice is romantic, historic and beautiful. It’s also small and compact, perfect for exploring in a few days. The list of places to visit in Venice is long. So long, in fact, that it would take days to see them all. Most people only have a few days in this magical city. Here is a short list of the best things to do in Venice, a good starting point for having the best vacation here.
So far we have visited Venice three times, our most recent visit being in the summer of 2022. Every time we are here we discover new things to do and new areas to explore. 20 things may sound like a lot to do, and it is, but Venice is full of amazing experiences. Below we list our favorite things to do in Venice, followed by advice on how to plan your time, where to stay and more.
Must Do Things In Venice Italy
Venice is built on a group of 118 islands and these small islands are connected by 400 bridges. These islands are located in the Venetian Lagoon, just off mainland Italy.
Two Days In Venice, Italy: The Ultimate Itinerary For First Timers!
With its Venetian Gothic architecture, Renaissance and Baroque buildings, wide squares and narrow canals, Venice is often described as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
San Marco is the tourist heart of Venice and home to the Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge. Most tourists spend most of their time here, along with Dorsoduro (Pont dell’Accademia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute) and San Polo.
Santa Croce, located on the west side of Venice, is the main transport hub. Here are the bus station, the parking garages and the train station.
Cannaregio, Castello and Giudecca are home to many local Venetians, but these sestieri are great places to walk if you want to escape the tourist crowds in the heart of Venice.
The Best Free Things To Do In Venice
Finally, Murano, Burano, and Lido make great day trips from Venice, but you’ll need to be in Venice for a minimum of three days to allow enough time to do this.
I do my best to keep the opening hours and prices for each attraction up to date, but these can change at any time. I recommend getting updated hours and prices for your travel dates. The link to the official website is provided for each site.
Tourist entrance fee in Venice: From sometime in 2023 (the date keeps getting pushed back and as of March 2023 there is no set start date), visitors will have to pay a fee to enter Venice. This fee varies from €3 to €10, depending on the season and the number of visitors in Venice. Residents and those staying overnight in the city of Venice are exempt from the fee. Read more here.
Put down your map and just wander around. Forget the big, popular sites (we’ll get to that soon). The smaller canals off the main tourist route are perfect for wandering.
Venice At Night
The main city of Venice is so small that you can walk there in a few hours. Explore the canals, sit and relax in the small squares that characterize the city, go café hopping for coffee or wine and just enjoy this city without feeling like you have to check off a ton of sites from your to-do list.
St. Mark’s Square is the heart of Venice. From here you can easily visit most other important sites. The best things to do here? Take a 360° panoramic photo and go people watching.
The Campanile is the bell tower that dominates the Venice skyline. The only way to go up is by elevator. From the top, your reward is one of the best views of the city.
Hours: Hours vary by season. April 16 to September 30: 8:30 AM to 9:00 PM (last admission 8:45 PM). Fewer hours the rest of the year. Download the full schedule here.
Venice And Its Lagoon
PRO TRAVEL TIP: There can be long lines to enter the clock tower. For your visit to Venice, book a time slot on the official website of St. Mark’s Basilica. There are only 30 tickets available for each time slot, so I recommend making your reservation as soon as you know your travel dates to Venice.
Over the Grand Canal, Venice’s most popular bridge, the Ponte di Rialtois. Enjoy another fantastic, iconic view of this city from the top of the bridge. See it at sunrise, see it at sunset, join the throngs of tourists in the middle of the day. It is fascinating to watch the gondolas, vaporettos and ferries go up and down the Grand Canal from this spot.
Expect to share this space with many other travelers. Find a spot, take lots of selfies and smile because you’re in Venice!
Yes, it may be cliché and super touristy, but as far as we’re concerned, no visit to Venice is complete without a gondola ride through the canals.
An Insider’s Guide To The 15+ Best Things To Do In Venice
How much is a gondola ride? That is a good question. The city of Venice sets the rate at €80 per 40 minutes (€100 after 7pm), but that doesn’t mean that’s the rate you’ll get. You must negotiate with your gondolier before riding. Make sure you agree on the price and how long you will ride before you get on the gondola. And if you want him to sing, it costs extra. Here’s a great article if you want to know more.
The Doge’s Palace is a palace built in Venetian Gothic styles. For centuries, this building served as the residence of the Doge, seat of government and courthouse. Now it is a museum. Without a doubt, a visit to the Doge’s Palace is a must-have experience in Venice. The history that has taken place here is incredible. A tour of this palace is one of the best things to do in Venice.
You can visit the palace on your own or book a guided tour. As you travel through the palace, you’ll have even more amazing views of Venice. Yes, we love great views of the cities we visit, especially those that are unique or from a high vantage point. The Doge’s Palace offers a fantastic view of Venice.
One of the most unique views of Venice is from the Bridge of Sighs. From this window, prisoners on their way to execution would have this last view of the city.
Best Things To Do In Venice
Website: Get updated prices, learn more about the Secret Itineraries tour and book your tickets in advance on the official website.
You can also join one of these highly rated skip-the-line tours of the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica.
So from the Doge’s Palace you walked across the Bridge of Sighs. Now it’s time to see the Bridge of Sighs from outside the Doge’s Palace.
Take a stroll along Riva degli Schiavoni, a wide promenade along the Venetian Lagoon near the Doge’s Palace. As you cross the Ponte della Paglia, look along the canal for the iconic view of the Bridge of Sighs.
Best Things To Do In Venice, Italy: The Ultimate Bucket List
St. Mark’s Basilica dates back to the 9th century AD. Over the course of eight centuries, mosaics were added to the interior of the cathedral, as well as treasures from the Crusades. The Pala d’Oro is a Byzantine altarpiece covered in gold and studded with nearly 2,000 precious stones.
This cathedral is one of Venice’s top attractions. The lines to get in are legendary, but you can now book a ticket online in advance to skip the line.
When visiting St. Mark’s Cathedral, you pay a few euros to enter the basilica. For an additional fee, you can add the Pala d’Oro, the Loggia dei Cavalli, and look out over St. Mark’s Square from the terrace. We cover each of these sites and their costs in much more detail in our Guide to St. Mark’s Basilica. It also includes tips to help you have the best experience, plenty of photos both inside and outside the basilica, and information on how to skip the line.
St. Mark’s Basilica opens at 9:30am (2pm on Sundays). I recommend getting in line at 9am, or even earlier, to minimize your wait time if you plan to buy your ticket on the spot. But for the best experience, book your entrance ticket online for entry at 9:30am. Get updates on opening times here before you go.
Best Places To Visit In Venice Italy
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:30 am to 5:15 pm; Sunday 2 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.; last entry at 4:45 PM
Costs: 3€ on site, 6€ in advance online; Pala d’Oro, the museum and Loggia dei Cavalli have additional costs which you can see here.
Skip-the-Line: This tour has skip-the-line access and includes a visit to St. Mark’s Terrace for great views of the city.
Night Tour of St Mark’s Basilica: If you like the idea of visiting the Basilica with few people, consider taking a night tour of St Mark’s Basilica. Offered after hours, this small group
Must See Venice Attractions & Their Histories
Must do things in florence italy, must do in venice italy, must see things in venice italy, romantic things to do in venice italy, must see places in venice italy, top things to do in venice italy, things you must see in venice italy, must see in venice italy, must eat in venice italy, best things to do in venice italy, things you must do in venice italy, must do things in rome italy
