As much as I loved visiting different parts of Italy, Venice took my breath away as soon as we stepped out of the train station! If you can only visit one city in Italy, make it Venice! You won’t regret experiencing a gondola ride along the beautiful canals that only Venice can offer.
Here’s a map of the sites we stopped at while visiting Venice:
There are no motorized vehicles or bikes allowed on the island so the only transportation available is by boat. Because of this law, get ready for some heavy walking! We loved exploring the maze of cobblestone streets, bridges and canals in Venice’s different districts, but it is extremely easy to get lost here! Be a smart tourist and read the signs or ask a nice local!
My first piece of advice while visiting Venice is to acclimate yourself to it’s layout by taking a free guided walking tour! We went with a company called Venice Free Walking Tour and had a fantastic experience with our tour guide Mary.
We asked what traditional Venetian food consisted of and she said it typically will have some combination of noodles and seafood. Mary even recommended to us an authentic restaurant called Osteria Il Paradiso Perduto and told us to just “point to anything on the menu and it will be delicious. Italy might have its other problems, but it certainly isn’t food.”
So there you have it, straight from a local Venetian. Don’t be afraid to try something new and let me tell you she was right! If you do decide to check out this local joint, be sure to bring CASH!
At this particular restaurant, we were seated at a table that was designed for 4 people and that already had 2 people at it. I’m not going to lie, it was a little awkward to sit and try to have a dinner conversation with two other strangers right next to us but we made it and the food was delicious!
Alright, I better stop talking about food and talk about some of the sights that you should check out!
Doge’s Palace:
Make this your first stop of the day and get there early for good pictures without hordes of other tourists. Like I mentioned in my Milan post, I bought most of the tickets for this trip off of getyourguide.com and for this specific spot we bought “Skip the line” passes to avoid wasting time. I’m thankful I did because the lines were definitely long!
This palace was stunning and HUGE! I felt like the tour would never end as we walked through room after room of gorgeous paintings, frescoed ceilings and unique wooden carvings. It was easy to see that this was built when Venice was in its prime. Make sure to visit the Bridge of Sighs while you’re here. It’s a small bridge connecting the palace to the prison, where the prisoners could catch their one last glimpse of the ocean before being executed. There’s some serious history here folks!
St. Mark’s Basilica:
I would recommend making this stop number 2 of your day because the lines will probably be long! It’s right next door to Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Campanile. Again book your tickets ahead of time and grab some patience! But the interior is stunning, so it’s definitely worth stopping at.
Yes, I’m telling you to go visit a shopping mall. But not to shop. Here you can take an elevator up to the top floor to catch a great view of Venice for FREE! Yep, trust me it’s worth checking out. You will have to make reservations on their website, so do that in advance!
Take a Gondola Ride:
I had to convince my husband to do this, but I think in the end he was happy that we did it. I know this might be viewed as one of those cliche touristy things, but when in Venice — ride a gondola.
We chose to save money and book a shared 20 min. gondola ride (I used Getyourguide.com again). I know this maybe isn’t the most “romantic” option but we did this trip on a budget. Saving the money! Whoo!
I have heard that you can hail a gondola on your own, by going to any canal and flagging down a gondolier, but since we were visiting Venice during August (high tourist season and Italy’s holiday season) I figured I would go the safe route and book through a service. As of 2019, it was 80 Euros per person for a 25-30 min. private ride. I think at night it increases to 120 Euros for a 25-30 min. ride.
Do your research and decide which kind of ride is best for you and your traveling party.
Honestly, this turned out to be one of my favorite activities on our whole trip. If you check out this video, you’ll see how busy the canals were with tourists (including us) but I think it was still a magical experience. I loved seeing Venice from the water and I think you will too!
St. Mark’s Campanile:
This is the tall tower on the same main square where you’ll find St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. You can pay to take an elevator (or hike the stairs) up to the top for a great view!
Other Noteworthy Sites:
If you feel like wandering through some side streets, check out these neat places: Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, the Venetian Arsenal andthe site of Marco Polo’s house. Of course, don’t miss the Rialto Bridge.
Murano and Burano:
Although Chris and I didn’t have time to visit these neighboring islands, I have heard nothing but wonderful things about them. They contain colorful homes and fun local artisan shops that tourists love to visit. I truly hope that we make it back to Venice at some point so we can check out these islands.
There are so many other amazing places that I didn’t list, but if you decide to take one of the free walking tours, your guide will be able to show you them first hand. This is truly a unique city and I hope you have a wonderful experience seeing the “Queen of the Adriatic”.
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Where we stayed:
Ca’Pozzo Inn–Cannaregio District
Where we ate:
Breakfasts and Lunches: Coop/Despar (grocery stores)
Dinner: Osteria Il Paradiso Perduto