Venice is one of those fairytale cities that a huge number of people dream of visiting. In my opinion, despite being a massive tourist magnet and often a bit too crowded, Venice still does live up to the hype, and that’s mostly because as a canal city it’s pretty unique. Like Paris or London or Berlin, I consider Venice a city that everyone should try out at least once. Venice is featured in our best cities to visit in Europe post. Here is my list of the top ten things to do in Venice.

Anyone for a gondola ride in Venice?

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Piazza San Marco/St Mark’s Square

Arguably the most photographed Venice attraction, and certainly the place with the highest concentration of pigeons!, St Mark’s Square is a must-see. Venetian authorities have been trying to crack down on inappropriate tourist behaviour in recent years (no bare chests, no feeding the pigeons) to make it a more glamorous place, but it’s still a mix of every kind of tourist imaginable and a crowded one at that. Just the same, you can’t miss it.

San Marco Piazza at dusk by Rmonty119

Basilica San Marco/St Mark’s Basilica

While you’re there, check out St Mark’s Basilica as well, as another must-see Venice sight. If you want to go inside, the queue can sometimes be interminably long, so plan ahead (you can book online to cut down waiting time). It’s a simply beautiful church inside, plus you can get good views over Venice from the roof.

Basilica San Marco by alag_pl

Doge’s Palace

Next door to the Basilica is Doge’s Palace, an impressive Gothic building dating back to the 1300s which used to house the city administration. These days it’s full of priceless artwork and has the special feature of the Bridge of Sighs – touring Doge’s Palace is the only way to have a chance to walk over this famous bridge.

Courtyard view of Doge’s Palace by Szilveszter Farkas

Campanile di San Marco/Bell Tower of St Mark’s

The Campanile is by far the best place to go for views over Venice – not being a city full of tall buildings, opportunities like this are rare. The tower is not the original as the first one collapsed, but I think it’s more about the view than what you’re climbing, anyway!

View from Campanile di San Marco by HarshLight

Rialto Bridge and Accademia Bridge

Hop in the #1 vaporetto (you don’t need a canal tour – just utilise Venice’s public transport) down the Grand Canal and you’ll get great views of some of the most famous Venetian bridges like the Rialto Bridge and Accademia Bridge. There’s also heaps of shopping to be done in the Rialto Bridge area. 

Glass-blowing on Murano

Venetian glass is definitely one of the most popular souvenirs to take away from Venice, and seeing how its made is one of the most popular tourist outings. On the island of Murano there are numerous large and small glass factories, most of which are adept at providing tourists with demonstrations of glass-blowing techniques (and then doing a good job of selling you the finished products!). Try to find a less crowded factory, but it really is interesting to see these masters in action.

Glass blowing on Murano by LunaMoth116

Britt-Arnhild also has an interesting tip about a glass-blower on the mainland side of Venice who sounds worth checking out, too.

Stroll around Burano

Like a small companion island to Murano, the lesser-known Burano is the next stop and is well worth a visit. Its houses and cottages are colourfully painted and it’s great to take a stroll around Burano with your camera at the ready. There are also some small shops with interesting gifts and the island is famous for its lace-making.

Colourful houses on Burano by o_palsson

Gondola rides

I know that riding in a gondola is an absolutely touristy thing to do; I know it’s usually not too cheap. I knocked it before I actually jumped in a gondola too. But afterwards, I can only say that it’s a quintessential Venice experience that is easy to enjoy (as long as you don’t dwell on the cost!).

Gondola ride by ell brown

Peggy Guggenheim Museum

I floated past the Guggenheim Museum on a boat but never had the chance to get inside this Venice attraction. It’s home to a sculpture garden plus art from Picasso, Pollock and Dali among many others.

Guggenheim

Collection entrance by isapisa

Lido

Another island and a short ferry ride from Venice, Lido is famous for its annual film festival but it also a relaxing place to visit during your Venice trip, for a meal or a stroll or to hang out at the beach.

Lido beach by mlsj1_99

Click here for the lowest prices on Venice hotels

Guides to Other Cities in Italy

Our Europe city guides cover these Italian cities:

• Things to Do in Naples
• Things to Do in Siena
• Things to Do in Bologna
• What to Do in Rome

Venice – a beautiful Italian city. The canals, the gondolas, the romance. It is a city rich with history and culture and one of the best cities to visit in Europe.

When visiting Venice, there are a number of things to see and do – St Mark’s Square, a gondola ride, the Grand Canal, The Doge’s Palace, the Rialto bridge. Crossing over the many bridges in the city, you pass over the canals and wander the streets leading you through the beauty that is Venice.

While Venice is a beautiful city which rises above the water, it’s a city that remains standing because of tourism.  The many sights that the city has to offer won’t let you see what lies behind it’s canals, squares, and tourist shops.  To experience Venice, you must get lost in its people and culture.

Leaving St Mark’s Square, you can walk along the water on the Riva degli Schiavoni.  While this is a popular spot for many people to walk along, most don’t get much further than three or four canals down before turning around.  However, continuing down this long promenade, the name changes a few times but so does the scenery.

Wandering deeper into Venice, you discover a side of the city which resembles your own town – grocery stores, kids playing in the streets, schools, and parks.  It’s not a part of Venice that many people choose to discover or even realize that it exists.  However, it can be the most enjoyable part of this city.

While daring to go deeper into this city, I saw parents and kids playing in the park.  I saw locals hanging outside the store chatting.  I got lost in the canals and found streets that were quiet and empty.  Everywhere I turned, I found a found a dead end – another canal.  Yet in these dead ends, I discovered the real city.  Away from the crowds in St Mark’s, I found a quiet “peace” of Venice.

Near the back of the main island of Venice, you find the Giardini Pubblici – a public garden.  Never would people imagine that they could see so many trees in Venice.  Walk along the water, listen to the sounds of the trees, or just enjoy the scene on a bench.  Experience the side of Venice that many locals see beyond the usual Venice attractions.

While many people come to Venice for the beauty, romance, and it’s unique design, I discovered that there is more to Venice than the canals and grand squares.  For all of it’s history and sights, there is a culture and people which still thrives today, deep inside the city. My travel tip is to get lost in this city and sample the flavour of  Venice off the beaten track.

If reading this post has inspired you to visit Venice, you can find best deals on Venice hotels using the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Venice and glass goes together like hands and gloves. And tourists visiting Venice often want to visit a glass factory. Out at Murano, the glass blowing island in the laguna, you can get that possibility. All through the day tourists are welcome to one of the many glass workshops to watch artists working.

You don’t need to visit Murano to meet glass artists though. You find them in Venice as well, and the best ones, the most charming ones, are those out of the busy tourists calles (streets). A few years ago we stumbled upon Mauro Vianello quite by chance. Through his studio window we saw him working with his long, colourful sticks of glass, we opened the door, walked into his studio Glasshandmade, and right there and then we were hooked.

Mauro kept on working while talking with our daughter, asking her what she wanted him to make, all the time letting her see how he worked with his art, how he created small animals, a heart for a necklace, a pinocchio……… Marta, and also both her parents were hooked, and there and then we started a collection: glass art from handmade glass.

Are you interested in a quiet place to stay in Venice? What about choosing a small flat instead of a hotel? Let me recommend Nati House. It is a small flat situated in Cannaregio, well out of the tourist crowds. There you can make your own meal if you want to, shop groceries from the small local stores, you can sit on the small terrace watching the boats passing by, and still you are only a short walk from the railways station, Canal Grande and Piazzale Roma.

To find out more about Mauro Vianello you can visit his blog, or you can read about him at tripadvisor (where his is No 1 among Venezian attractions)

The authorities in Venice have had enough of bare chested, napping, takeaway munching, litter dropping tourists. They’ve employed six stewards to maintain respect and decorum at the much visited square. The authorities are discouraging cafes from offering takeaways and would prefer visitors to sit at cafes or restaurants.

St Marks Square by lancemuz

I can understand why the authorities want to clamp down on what they consider to be anti-social behaviour. However it is a bit difficult to be such a tourist magnet and only attract the “right type of tourist”.

I visited Venice for the day on a cloudy, cold Tuesday one February. It was still really full of tourists. It is a wonderful city and I’m glad I’ve been there. I would recommend that you stay somewhere close to Venice, such as Treviso. In Treviso you’ll feel as though you are in the real Italy and you can easily reach Venice for a day trip.

Treviso by sukkulaati
[tags]Venice, St Marks Square, Italy, Treviso[/tags]