Before you go

Your trip to Veneza.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

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Veneza – Vêneto Capital

How to get there

  • Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo (VCE) 13 km
  • Aeroporto di Treviso Antonio Canova (TSF) Treviso · 40 km
  • Venezia Santa Lucia 2 km

Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.

Check before buying. From Venezia Marco Polo Airport (VCE), buses run to Piazzale Roma and the Alilaguna boats travel the lagoon to the center. Treviso Airport (TSF) handles European flights. From Milan, Florence and Rome, high-speed trains by Trenitalia and Italo arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia, on the edge of the Canal Grande.

How many days

Two days allow you to see the San Marco area, Rialto, the museums of Dorsoduro and the Basilica dei Frari, and to ride the vaporetto along the Canal Grande. With three days, you'll have a full day left for Murano, Burano and Torcello. If you have only one day, focus on San Marco, Rialto and the Canal Grande.

When to go

April to June and September to October usually have mild temperatures. Summer, from June to August, is hot, humid and crowded. Winter, from December to February, is cold and can be foggy. The acqua alta, the high tide that floods Piazza San Marco and other low areas for a few hours, typically occurs from October to January. During Carnival, in February or March, the city becomes very busy.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

Do you need a car?

No. Veneza has no car streets: everything is on foot, via alleys and bridges with steps, or by vaporetto, the city's water-bus. Those arriving by car park at Piazzale Roma or on the island of Tronchetto at the city's entrance, or in Mestre. Bring luggage you can carry up the steps on the bridges.

Suggested itinerary

An order that works

Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.

One day in Veneza
  1. Morning
    Piazza San Marco and the basilica

    Start early at Piazza San Marco, before the tour groups arrive. Enter the Basilica di San Marco at your reserved time, with shoulders and knees covered, and admire the golden mosaics. If time allows, go up the Campanile to see the lagoon from above.

  2. Afternoon
    Palazzo Ducale and Ponte dei Sospiri

    Have lunch around 1:00 PM near the square and head to the Palazzo Ducale, with the government halls of the Republic and the prisons. On the internal route you cross the Ponte dei Sospiri. On exit, view the bridge from the outside at the Ponte della Paglia on the Riva degli Schiavoni.

  3. Late afternoon
    Ponte di Rialto and Canal Grande

    Walk through the alleys of San Marco to the Ponte di Rialto, following the yellow Per Rialto signs. From the top of the bridge, look out over the Canal Grande. Then take vaporetto line 1 at Rialto toward the station to see the palaces along the canal.

  4. Evening
    Dinner in Cannaregio

    Get off the vaporetto near the station and walk to the fondamente of Cannaregio, the sidewalks by the canals, where there are bacari — Venetian snack bars serving cicchetti. Dinner typically begins from 7:30 PM.

2 days in Veneza

Day 1

  1. Morning
    Basilica and Campanile of San Marco

    Open the day at the Basilica di San Marco at your reserved time, then go up the Campanile, which has an elevator. From the top you can see the Giudecca, San Giorgio Maggiore and the rooftops of Veneza.

  2. Afternoon
    Palazzo Ducale inside

    Reserve the afternoon for the Palazzo Ducale, seat of the doges, with the Sala del Maggior Consiglio and the prisons connected by the Ponte dei Sospiri. If you want to see the hidden rooms and the Piombi, you can book the guided Itinerari Segreti tour.

  3. Late afternoon
    Gondola ride

    Leave from Bacino Orseolo, behind the square, for a gondola ride through San Marco's narrow canals. Agree the route and confirm the fare with the gondolier before boarding.

  4. Evening
    The square at night

    Return to Piazza San Marco after the day groups have left. The historic cafés of the Procuratie often have live music at the tables in the square. Dine in Castello, in the streets behind the Riva degli Schiavoni.

Day 2

  1. Morning
    Market and Ponte di Rialto

    Go early to the Mercato di Rialto, where Venetians buy fish and vegetables, and cross the Ponte di Rialto before it gets crowded. Have a standing coffee at the counter of a nearby bar.

  2. Afternoon
    Frari and San Rocco

    Walk through San Polo to the Basilica dei Frari, which houses the Assunta by Ticiano on the high altar. Beside it, the Scuola Grande di San Rocco holds Tintoretto's cycle of paintings.

  3. Late afternoon
    Ponte dell'Accademia and Salute

    Walk to Dorsoduro, view the Canal Grande from the top of the Ponte dell'Accademia and reach the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute before it closes. The tip of Dorsoduro next to it opens onto the Bacino di San Marco.

  4. Evening
    Canal Grande illuminated

    Take vaporetto line 1 at the Salute stop and travel the Canal Grande to the station, with the palaces lit up. End the night in a bacaro on the Fondamenta della Misericordia in Cannaregio.

3 days in Veneza

Day 1

  1. Morning
    San Marco early

    Arrive at Piazza San Marco very early, enter the basilica at your reserved time and go up the Campanile. Notice the Torre dell'Orologio on the north side of the square and the columns of San Marco and San Teodoro in the Piazzetta.

  2. Afternoon
    Palazzo Ducale

    After lunch, visit the Palazzo Ducale and cross the Ponte dei Sospiri via the palace's internal route. If you booked the Itinerari Segreti, schedule it for this afternoon.

  3. Late afternoon
    San Giorgio Maggiore

    From the San Zaccaria stop, take the vaporetto to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Visit Palladio's church and take the elevator up the campanile to see Piazza San Marco from the other side of the water.

  4. Evening
    Gondola and dinner in Castello

    Back in San Marco, take a short gondola ride through the canals and dine in the streets of Castello, near Campo Santa Maria Formosa.

Day 2

  1. Morning
    Rialto, Frari and San Rocco

    Start at the Mercato di Rialto, cross the bridge and walk through San Polo to the Basilica dei Frari and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, the two just a short walk from each other.

  2. Afternoon
    Accademia and Guggenheim

    In Dorsoduro, see Venetian painting at the Gallerie dell'Accademia and, a ten-minute walk away, modern art at the Collezione Peggy Guggenheim, which is closed on Tuesdays: check before you go.

  3. Late afternoon
    Basilica della Salute

    Continue along the shore of the Canal Grande to the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, erected as a vow for the end of the 1630 plague, and arrive before it closes.

  4. Evening
    Vaporetto line 1

    Board at the Salute stop and take vaporetto line 1 along the Canal Grande. Get off at Ca' d'Oro or at the station and dine in Cannaregio.

Day 3

  1. Morning
    Murano and glass

    From the Fondamente Nove in Cannaregio, take the vaporetto to Murano. Watch a glass furnace in action, visit the Museo del Vetro and the Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato.

  2. Afternoon
    Burano and Torcello

    Take the vaporetto to Burano, have lunch on the island and walk among the colorful houses. Take the short boat to Torcello and visit the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, with its mosaics.

  3. Late afternoon
    Return across the lagoon

    Return by vaporetto across the lagoon to the Fondamente Nove. On arrival, walk to the Ghetto in Cannaregio and the Campo del Ghetto Novo.

  4. Evening
    Fondamenta della Misericordia

    Finish the trip at the fondamente da Misericordia and dos Ormesini, where Venetians gather for cicchetti and a glass of Veneto wine before dinner.

Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

What is the vaporetto and how do you use it?

The vaporetto is Venice's water bus, operated by the municipal transport company. It runs on numbered lines, with floating stops called imbarcaderi. Line 1 runs the Canal Grande, stopping at every stop. There are single tickets and passes for one or more days; validate your ticket at the reader at the entrance of the pier before boarding. Check fares and routes before you go.

What is the acqua alta?

It is the high tide that, on some days, floods the lowest parts of the city, starting with the Piazza San Marco, for a few hours. It usually occurs from October to January, when winds and tide combine. The city has a system of barriers called MOSE, activated during the strongest tides, and sirens that warn of the approaching water. On those days, rubber boots help, and some shops and churches may close their ground floor.

Is there a fee to visit Veneza?

The city government has charged the Contributo di Accesso, a daily fee for visitors who do not stay overnight, only on dates it specifies. Rules and dates change from year to year: check the official channel of the municipality of Veneza before your visit. Those who stay in the city pay the tourist tax at their accommodation.

Where do I leave the car to visit Veneza?

In the parking lots at Piazzale Roma, the bus terminal, or on the island of Tronchetto, connected to Piazzale Roma by the People Mover, a short suspended train. Another option is to leave the car in Mestre and continue by train or bus. From there, only on foot or by boat.

How to get from Marco Polo airport to the center?

There are buses from the airport to Piazzale Roma, from where you continue on foot or by vaporetto. The Alilaguna boats depart from the airport pier and stop at various points in the city, such as Fondamente Nove, Rialto and San Marco, on a longer trip across the lagoon. Water taxis also make the trip. Check schedules and prices before you go.

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