Top places to visit in Venice

• Grand Canal

  Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 1.5 h

  Venice's 3.8 km main artery, lined with 200 palazzos spanning five centuries of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture. Vaporetto line 1 (slow route) is the world's best urban boat ride.

• Rialto Bridge

  Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 0.3 h

  Antonio da Ponte's 1591 stone bridge — first to cross the Grand Canal — was the heart of Venetian commerce for centuries. Its covered central arcade flanked by shops is one of Venice's most iconic images.

• St Mark's Basilica

  Church · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · entry EUR 5

  Consecrated 1094, San Marco is Venice's Byzantine-Gothic masterpiece: 8,000 sq metres of gold mosaic, the Pala d'Oro altarpiece set with 2,000 gems, and four bronze horses looted from Constantinople.

• Doge's Palace

  Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 2 h · entry EUR 25

  The seat of Venetian government for nearly 1,000 years: the Doge's apartments, Grand Council Chamber with Tintoretto's Paradise (world's largest oil painting), the Bridge of Sighs, and the Leads prison.

• Murano Island

  Cultural · 4.4 rating · about 2 h

  Venice's glassblowing island since 1291 — watch live furnace demonstrations, visit the Glass Museum, and browse galleries selling authentic Murano glass. Beware of "free factory tour" sales traps.

• Vaporetto Grand Canal Ride (Line 1)

  Activity · 4.8 rating · about 0.8 h

  The €9.50 vaporetto (Line 1) that travels the entire Grand Canal — the slowest and most magnificent boat ride in Europe, past 100 Gothic and Renaissance palaces from San Marco to Piazzale Roma.

• Piazza San Marco

  Cultural · 4.7 rating · about 1 h

  Venice's grand civic salon: the arcaded square flanked by the Procuratie, the Campanile, and St Mark's Basilica. The lowest point in Venice — frequently flooded during acqua alta.

• Burano Island

  Cultural · 4.7 rating · about 3 h

  The lacemaking island north of Venice — famous for its vividly painted fishermen's houses, the Museo del Merletto (lace museum) and the Lido of the lagoon's most distinctive visual landscape.

• Bridge of Sighs

  Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.3 h · entry EUR 35

  The enclosed 17th-century limestone bridge connecting the Doge's Palace to the prisons; named for the sighs of condemned prisoners — now one of Venice's most photographed sights.

• Campanile di San Marco (Bell Tower)

  Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.5 h · entry EUR 8

  The 98m brick bell tower rebuilt exactly as it was after the 1902 collapse — with the finest city-level panorama in Venice from the top, and the only lift in Venice.

• St Mark's Campanile

  Viewpoint · 4.6 rating · about 0.5 h · entry EUR 15

  The 98.6 m brick bell tower of St Mark's — rebuilt after its 1902 collapse — offers the finest panorama of Venice's rooftops, lagoon, and the Alps on clear days.

• Libreria Acqua Alta

  Cultural · 4.6 rating · about 0.5 h

  The most eccentric bookshop in the world — books piled in gondolas, bathtubs and staircases to avoid flood damage, with a staircase of books leading to a view of the canal, and a resident gallery of cats.

Things to do

• Gondola Ride at Sunset Sightseeing · 0.5 h · from EUR 41 per person
• Doge's Palace & St Mark's Museum · 3 h · from EUR 50 per person
• Private Gondola Ride through Venice Canals Adventure · 0.6 h · from EUR 66 per person
• Murano & Burano Day Trip Day Trip · 5 h · from EUR 35 per person
• Doges Palace and Bridge of Sighs Heritage · 2.5 h · from EUR 33 per person
• St Marks Basilica Skip the Line Heritage · 1 h · from EUR 25 per person
• Murano Burano Torcello Boat Tour Day Trip · 5 h · from EUR 33 per person
• Venice Walking Tour Walking Tour · 2 h · from EUR 16 per person

Day trips and tours

• Venice Walking & Gondola Experience 3.5 h · from EUR 66
• Murano & Burano Island Boat Tour 5 h · from EUR 33
• Doge's Palace & St Mark's Secret Passages Tour 2.5 h · from EUR 29

Where to stay in Venice

• San Marco / Castello about EUR 320 per night

  Most central but most expensive; minutes from all sights; avoid the tourist traps

• Cannaregio about EUR 180 per night

  Least touristy sestiere; local bakeries, cichetti bars, and direct access to the Grand Canal

Hotels

• Hotel Cipriani Belmond 5-star · INR 55,000 to INR 220,000 per night
• The Gritti Palace Venice 5-star · INR 45,000 to INR 180,000 per night
• Aman Venice 5-star · INR 75,000 to INR 300,000 per night
• Hotel Danieli Venice 5-star · INR 30,000 to INR 100,000 per night
• Hotel Danieli, Venice 5-star · EUR 580 to EUR 2,500 per night
• The St. Regis Venice 5-star · INR 25,000 to INR 75,000 per night

Where to eat

• Caffè Florian italian, venetian, brasserie · about EUR 45 per person
• Cantine del Vino già Schiavi italian, venetian, traditional · about EUR 10 per person
• Gran Caffè Quadri italian, venetian, traditional · about EUR 55 per person
• Ristorante Pizzeria Antico Capon italian, pizza, traditional · about EUR 22 per person
• Caffè Quadri italian, venetian, brasserie · about EUR 45 per person
• Gelateria Nico italian, venetian, dessert · about EUR 6 per person
• AlfreDo Spritz italian, venetian, wine_bar · about EUR 15 per person
• Bacareto da Lele italian, venetian, traditional · about EUR 3 per person

Getting around

• Ferry main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Walking main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

Safety and scams to avoid

• Pigeon Corn Sellers

  Piazza San Marco

  Men scatter corn at your feet while pigeons land on you; demand money for the photos

  How to avoid it: Walk away immediately and do not take any corn/food handed to you

• Restaurant Rip-offs Near Rialto

  Rialto Bridge tourist restaurants

  Menus with unlisted prices; lobster and fresh fish charged by weight at extreme mark-ups

  How to avoid it: Eat one or two streets back from tourist landmarks; confirm all prices before ordering

• Overpriced Gondola Rides

  Gondola stations across Venice

  Unofficial gondoliers offer rides below official prices (€80/35 min) then add fuel surcharges

  How to avoid it: Only board gondolas displaying official tariffs at official gondola stazioni

More in Italy

• Rome
• Florence
• Milan
• Naples
• Cinque Terre
• Verona