If you’re dreaming about a sweet escape to Venice, you’ve come to the right place. We have spent four days in this unique Italian city and have gathered all you need to know before embarking on your journey. Start filling your Venice itinerary, and don’t miss these essential tips for a perfect trip!
We were quite reluctant about Venice because it’s such a touristic destination, with all the cliches, in-love couples and non-sustainable activities. However, during our two-week trip to Italy, we’ve decided to include Venice in our itinerary. Well, it turned into a love affair kind of situation!
We have to say that all the stars were aligned, and everything was in our favor. The sunny weather, the small number of tourists (still a Covid-19 effect), and the lack of expectations in general. As soon as we got off the train, we were completely blown away by Venice’s beauty and charm. It’s one of those places you’ve seen in movies, postcards, and screensavers, but it still has the power to amaze you when you first lay of eyes on it.
How to Get Around Venice
After spending a week exploring the Dolomites by car, we soon realized the obvious: there is no possible way to explore Venice by car. They even have water ambulances for emergencies! But no worries because in case you decide to rent a car like us, we have a solution for you: leave it outside Venice, in the Venice City Park in Mestre. It’s the cheapest parking you’ll find, with security 24h/day and a bus stop to and from Venice just 50m away! The bus ticket will cost you less than 2Eur, and you’ll thank us as soon as you realize how much it costs to leave your car in a Venice parking lot.
In case you don’t have a car, great news: the absolute best way to explore the city is on foot. If you are carrying heavy bags or are just too tired, you can always catch a water taxi or hop on one of the many water buses.
Where to stay in Venice
When searching for a place to stay, you will find many cheap places in Mestre, which is a short train/bus away from Venice. If you’re on a budget, that’s definitely an option to consider, and you’ll save lots of money! However, don’t think twice about staying inside the city if you can afford it. There’s nothing like waking up in Venice…The city is calm, without the hustle of tourists, and you get to genuinely experience it. You can read all about our wonderful stay in Palazzo Pianca in here.
Venice ITINERARY - day 1
Explore Piazza San Marco before everyone
This is arguably the most famous place in Venice and gathers all the popular museums. The later in the day you pass by this Piazza, the crowded it gets with tourists, street vendors and pickpockets – so we strongly recommend to soak up its beauty the sooner you can. Once there, you can visit the inside of Palazzo Ducale, Museo Correr and Basilica di San Marco. Most importantly, don’t eat or drink on any of the many tourist traps of the Piazza. You will likely pay an absurd amount of money for even a coffee.
have lunch at 1000 Gourmet Venezia
Charge some batteries with a proper lunch. We can recommend 1000 Gourmet, which is really close to San Marcos Piazza, has some delicious pizzas and we ensure you that it is not a tourist trap. Oh, and if you’re a cheesecake lover, you need to try it at this place! As usual, try to book it in advance as this restaurant tends to get pretty crowded.
Get Lost in the city
We don’t like to pack our days and leave no time to enjoy the city. After a busy morning (which can easily turn into a busy day if you decide to visit everything we’ve mentioned above), take it lightly and walk around Venice with no specific destination. Google maps tends to get very confused with all the alleys and narrow streets. You will most likely find yourself lost a few times but that’s like a rite of passage to get to know Venice. Pay a visit to Ponte Di Rialto, stare at the amazing architecture of Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo ( you can buy a ticket to climb the staircase), and book your slot at T Fondaco Dei Tedeschi – a Rooftop Terrace which features an overwhelming view of Venice. And it’s free!
If you’re up for some before-dinner gelato, head to Geloteca Suso. We were very reluctant on trying these ones as they appear everywhere on Instagram. But this is one of those cases where the most “instagramable” ice cream is also DELICIOUS. So it’s definitely worth the wait.
Fuel your body (and soul) with a heartwarming dinner
Italy is a “foodies” paradise – you probably know this by now. But especially in Venice, it can be difficult to find a good restaurant with all the tourist traps around. To avoid a disappointing meal, book your table at “6342 A Le Tole Spaghetteria”. If they’re already fully booked, try “Osteria Alla Staffa” which is just a few meters away.
Venice ITINERARY - day 2
Bel- Air Fine art
Bel-Air Fine Art is well established as one of the leading contemporary art galleries group in Europe. The one in Calle Dello Spezier is a feast for your eyes, presenting a selection of artists like Banksy, Patrick Hughes, or Carole A. Feuerman.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Even if you’re not an expert on contemporary art (we certainly are not), the building alone was reason enough for us to visit the museum. It used to be the house of Peggy Guggenheim, and the fact that someone lived in a place like that is just mind-blowing. Book your tickets in advance and prepare yourself to contemplate masterpieces of Picasso, Pollock, Salvador Dali, Kandinsky, and much more. We really enjoyed our time at this special place and it didn’t disappoint.
Grab some Cicchetti
After your daily dose of art, head to Osteria Al Squero and enjoy some Cicchetti. This is kind of the equivalent of Tapas in Spain, so basically small bites of inexpensive food that go very well along with a glass of Wine, Prosseco or Aperol. This was the only place we’ve tried them, so we don’t really have a term of comparison. However, it was packed with both locals and tourists, and the location is just right. All the good vibes and buzzing atmosphere you want to end your afternoon.
Night Tour with Alexander
Gotta love Airbnb Experiences. End your night with a spooky tour of the lesser-known side of Venice. Alexander is a hilarious and captivating guy with a true talent for storytelling. Find out all the legends and ghosts of the city!
Venice ITINERARY - day 3
Ride a Vaporetto
A Vaporetto is the main form of transport in Venice. When we arrived at the train station, we took a Vaporetto to go to our hotel. At the time, we were super tired, and we just wanted to get in our room and put down our bags. However, looking back, it was a unique experience to see Venice from the water! You can take the Nº1 (ACTV) and go from Piazzale Roma to Piazza San Marcos, or really whatever it suits you better. There’s no such thing as an ugly view of Venice.
What about Gondolas? Although we usually try to avoid tourist traps and cliche stuff, we must say that a Gondola ride can definitely be a romantic and unforgettable experience. Nevertheless, it comes with a price tag – it’s set to 80Eur for 30/40 minutes, although you might be able to negotiate it. For us, it didn’t make sense to spend that amount of money, and we prefer to use it on something else. But if riding a Gondola is on your bucket list, we would say go for it!
Explore other islands
While there’s still much more to do in Venice, at this point, you already had your dose of museums, picturesque bridges, and beautiful historical buildings. Opt to spend a different afternoon by heading to the nearby islands of Burano and/or Murano. The ferry to Murano takes about 10 minutes, while to get to Burano, you’ll spend around 45 minutes ( one way)! We were a little short in time, so Murano was our choice! Honestly, we felt like there was not that much to see and do, but it was a lovely trip and definitely a different side of Venice. We’ve ended up sipping Aperol with some canal views, so what more could we ask for?
Go to an iconic bar
A trip to Venice already feels like you’ve stepped into a classic movie, filled with the most incredible sceneries. Walk into one of the many famous bars in town to get the full experience! We went to Longhi Bar at Gritti Palace, more for its vibe than to actually have a specific drink. While even an expresso will cost you a small fortune (like 7Euros), those luxury interiors have to be witnessed for yourself! We’re talking about Piero Longhi paintings on the walls, tuxedoed bartenders, and Fortuny fabrics. The crowd is classy and don’t be surprised if you bump into someone famous: the hotel has hosted people like Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, and Charlie Chaplin (go to the bathroom and pass through their hall of fame to see what we mean). I guess this is how the other half lives…
do you have more time?
The way we like to travel is more about enjoying the small things than going with a strict itinerary, from place A to B just to check some boxes on a list. Venice is the perfect city to do that. While there’s a crazy amount of art galleries, palaces, and things to visit, we felt like spending the day walking through those streets was already like spending the day in an open-air museum. With this itinerary, you’ll pass through the main points of the city, and probably more than once. However, if you have more days on the island, we advise you to do a little research according to your interests. More art? Go to Gallerie dell’Accademia or to Ca’ Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art. Are you a history lover? Visit the Museo Storico Navale or Scuola Grande di San Marco. Still with an empty stomach? Try all the best local food or splurge yourself with a fancy dinner in a place like Wisteria. The list is endless and if you don’t feel the magic of this city, you’re doing something wrong.
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