If you're spending time in Italy, Venice is one of those iconic places you should try to visit. I justified visiting Venice since it's a sinking city and won't be around forever. 2 to 3 days is a perfect amount of time to sight-see and experience the wonders Venice has to offer. We visited in May before boarding a Mediterranean cruise in Ravenna.
Venice tourist attractions
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| Gondola ride |
Gondola ride in the canal
This is a "when in Rome" type of activity, except you're in Venice. It's a must. There's no need to reserve or pre-book, you can just walk up to one of the stops (be sure to have Euros on hand). There will be a sign posted with fixed pricing and you can let the gondolier know you're interested. Rides start at €80 during the daytime, and goes up to €100 in the evening. The price goes up if you want a longer ride.
Personally, I booked through GetYourGuide since I was trying to conserve my cash, but we had no issues redeeming our digital voucher at the meeting point. I recommend getting a gondola anywhere away from the tourist stops (St. Mark's Square or the Rialto Bridge) if you don't want to wait in line.
Tour St. Mark's Basilica
Even if you're not religious, take a chance to appreciate St. Mark's Basilica. As an avid Assassin's Creed player back in the day, seeing the Basilica's interior was an amazing experience to get a sense of scale (and size up what Ezio was climbing).
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| St. Mark's Cathedral |
I booked a tour through Walks of Italy, and it was a fantastic experience. I wanted to do the after hours tour of St. Mark's Basilica, but sadly it was sold out. Definitely book in advance!
We ended up doing the VIP Doge's Palace Secret Passages tour and felt it was well worth it since we skipped the line and saw spaces not normally open to the public. Our guide was incredibly knowledgable, and we got to go through a secret passageway that exited through a disguised cabinet.
Get lost in Venice
No, seriously; get lost. Since the streets and buildings are packed so closely together, GPS can't always pinpoint your location accurately. With Venice's tiny, winding streets, it's easy (and fun) to just wander around and admire the ancient city. You'll sometimes lose phone/internet connection, which means your Google Maps won't work (definitely download the map for offline access if you can). Enjoy the process of getting to your destination (and leave at least 15 minutes early!)
Where to stay in Venice
Because of its size and walkability, you can really stay anywhere in Venice without being too far from anything you want to see.
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| Outside Santi Giovanni e Paolo |
I stayed in an apartment called Ca Serenissima near the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, and it was perfect. It was only an 8-minute walk away from the Rialto Bridge, but not in a super touristy or crowded area. It was right by the Ospedale water taxi stop, so it made our trip from the airport incredibly easy. For our 3 day/2 night stay, the apartment had everything we needed for a travel group:
- 3 bedrooms
- 3 bathrooms
- Kitchen & full-sized dining table
That said, if you want to be at the center of the action, staying near St. Mark's Square can't be beat. As backups, I had rooms at these hotels booked for their central locations:
Hidden Gem in Venice
I booked this since it was literally around the corner from Piazza San Marco and had great reviews. Since we had an early morning start for our tour of St. Mark's Basilica, it would have been awesome to just take a short stroll and not worry about being late!
Best Windows hotel
This hotel was on my short-list since the suites are inside a 15th-century clock tower! How cool is that?! You literally step out into St. Mark's Square since you're staying inside the landmark. If I ever make it back to Venice, I'm definitely booking this place.
Gelato near a canal
Things to know about visiting Venice
- Staying overnight, even if it's just one night will unlock so much of the city's charm. A lot of people spend only the day in Venice (whether they're driving by or stopping on a cruise ship), so the evenings are significantly less crowded. It's also gorgeous to see the twinkling lights on the canal.
- This might be a given, but don't eat anywhere near tourist hotspots. Venice is already a giant tourist attraction, but the food near St. Mark's Square or the Rialto bridge will likely have the highest markup and lowest quality.
- Avoid acqua alta (high water). This period typically ranges from October to January and is when water levels rise, causing parts of Venice to flood. Not fun, unless you want to be sporting rain boots on your trip.
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