Essential Things To See And Do In Venice

Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and it has entranced visitors for centuries. Immortalized in art, film, and story, it’s on the bucket list of most aspiring travelers. Whether it’s your first time visiting Venice or your fiftieth, here are a few things you simply can’t miss:

A gondola ride
It may seem touristy, but you simply can’t miss out on the opportunity to see the city in this iconic way. The gondoliers of Venice belong to an elite group, rowing unique boats that are still hand-made in Venice, designed specifically for navigating the city, for an experience unlike anywhere else on earth.

How to get a ride in a gondola: You can book a tour in advance, through a gondola service or often through your hotel, and it’s a good idea if you have something special in mind or are on a specific time frame. Otherwise, gondolas are available throughout the city, queued up a bit like taxis in other places, and you can simply choose one. They are less available at the height of tourist season and are busier at night than they are during the day.

What to expect: Your gondolier will generally offer you a choice of a few different routes that are offered from your location. Longer rides will cost more than shorter rides. Venice sets base rates for gondolas, but generally speaking, your gondolier will ask for more, particularly during busy times. Negotiate the rate and the length of the ride before you get in. Do not expect your gondolier to serenade, unless that was part of the service you negotiated, and do not expect them to point out sights along the way, although they might do either or both if they feel like it.

How to make the most of it: If you simply want to ride in a gondola and check it off your bucket list, use the traghetti. For just a couple euros, you can take this public gondola ferry across the Grand Canal. It’s a charming way to make the trip, and the least expensive gondola experience in Venice. If you want a more leisurely, private ride, in a gondola with the fancy furnishings and luxury experience, then go to the neighborhood you want to see and take a gondola tour from there.

Piazza San Marco/San Marco Square
La Piazza is the spiritual, social, and political heart of Venice, and it’s one of those places you literally can’t miss. Even if it’s not on your list, due to the centrality and importance of la Piazza, you will find yourself there sooner than you think. Dominated by the gorgeous Church of Saint Mark, and defined by spacious arcades, it is a magnet for locals and visitors alike.

How to get there: This landmark is so important that not only are there multiple vaporetto and gondola stops designated for it, but an endless stream of foot traffic unerringly guides the way.
What to expect: It’s a fabulous spot for a walk, marveling at the architecture, enjoying the pigeons, and window-shopping at the boutiques that line the square. Take your time, sit down at a cafe, and people-watch.

How to make the most of it: Get up early in the morning, enjoy some wonderful Italian coffee, and head to St. Mark’s Basilica. During tourist season and later in the day, the lines will be quite long, so a morning visit allows you to make the most of your visit. Admission is free, but entrance to the museum, pala d’oro, treasury, and bell tower (the bell tower is open only a few months a year) all cost a few euros each: do all of them and expect it to cost 15-20€. Have an early lunch or brunch at the cafes on la Piazza, and then head across the square to the Doge’s Palace. Due to long lines for tickets, it may be a good idea to buy tickets online ahead of time.

Get Lost. With its narrow alleyways and cobbled streets snaking away from the bustling watery thoroughfare of the Grand Canal, Venice is the perfect place to get utterly and completely lost. Most of our clients who have extra time to wander in Venice report this being one of their most magical memories of the city–the wonderful little shop, museum, café, neighborhood they happened upon along the way and how finding it is generally the highlight of their visit!

Eat and drink like a local. Venice’s culinary scene is notable for its overpriced, inauthentic tourist restaurants but luckily also for her charming, hidden-away backstreet Osterie and Bàcari where you can enjoy cicheti (Italian tapas) and some local wine.

See Venice from above. Another approach for experiencing the beauty of Venice is to gain a bird’s eye view. To do so, there are two bell towers in the city that offer different, yet equally striking, perspectives of the famous Italian city, St. Mark’s Campanile or San Giorgio’s Campanile. Another option is the roof of the newly opened Fondazione di Tedeschi department store. Highly recommended!

Glass-blowing demonstration on Murano Island. On Murano Island you can get an inside look into the centuries-old art of glassblowing which is home to the world’s finest artisan glass.

Visit the Mercati di Rialto (Rialto Market). Located near the landmark and arched Rialto Bridge this busy daily market stands in the commercial center of the city alongside the city’s famed Grand Canal. Venetian locals and international tourists alike frequent this centuries-old market for fruit, fish, and vegetables.

Bridges. There are several good spots to see the Bridge of Sighs from the outside if you don’t tour the Doge’s Palace, or you can take a gondola ride beneath it. The Rialto Bridge is another can’t-miss spot, as in, it’s so central it’s nearly impossible to avoid. This beautiful, legendary bridge is a great place to see the Grand Canal and enjoy fantastic views of Venice, but avoid buying overpriced trinkets from the shops.

If you only have a short time in Venice, make sure to not miss these three essential experiences before delving deeper into the life of the city.

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