Location: Venice
Top Things to do in Venice
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What to do and see in Venice, Veneto: The Best Things to do
With its gondolas, canals, amazing restaurants, and unforgettable romantic ambiance, Venice is definitely a city for one's bucket list. Waterfront palazzos, palaces, and churches make drifting down the Grand Canal feel like cruising through a painting. To really experience Venice you must go to the opera or to a classical music performance, nibble fresh pasta and pastries, and linger in the exhibit halls of an art gallery. Label lovers will drool over the high-end shopping in Piazza San Marco.
Restaurants in Venice
1. Canal Grande
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 41,173 reviews
Venice's main water thoroughfare, lined with great Renaissance palaces, is a colorful and busy spectacle of gondolas and vaporetti.
Reviewed By Bandit-One - Lucerne, Switzerland
We have been in Venice a bunch of times. But still amazes us the same as the first time. It's just a lovely place to be. Countless sights, great food and no (car) traffic. The Canale Grande is one of the most famous sights in the city. And rightly so. You could rent a private water taxi, take a tour boat or just hop on one of the water buses. For us the water bus was fine. Drive along the whole canale or hop and off (buy a day-ticket). You will pass endless interesting sights. Starting from the train station (Ferrovia) the Ponte degli Scalzi, the Chiesa di San Simeon Piccolo, the Chiesa di San Geremia, Rialto Mercato and Rialto Bridge, the Ponte dell’Accademia, the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, the Punta della Dogana and at the other end the Piazza San Marco with the Palazzo Ducale and the Basilica di San Marco. And that's just the very big sights along the way. Of course you also can walk through Venice (we love it) and you will pass the Canale lots of times. It's also fun just to wander around without plan and getting lost in the beautiful backstreets of Venice. This time we were lucky to rent an apartement for a few day directly on the Canale Grande. With views of the canal from every room. Be it in the morning during breakfast or in the evenings when the lights on the canal seemed magical: We never got and never will get bored of that sight. Light or dark, day or night, sunny or rainy. The Canale Grande is a sight to behold. Love it - and we love this town.
2. Piazza San Marco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36,943 reviews
It is said that Napoleon called San Marco "the drawing room of Europe." And it is a breathtakingly beautiful place. But the square has long been a lure for massive numbers of pigeons, drawn by the massive numbers of tourists who readily feed them. While the tourists happily post for photos amid the flock, there are concerns that the birds' presence--and what they leave behind--will damage the centuries old architecture and art work.
Reviewed By usctrojantravelgirl - Los Angeles, United States
I’ve visited St. Mark’s Square many times but truly enjoyed this visit. While the piazza was crowded and even flooded during high tide, the waters quickly diminished, the weather was beautiful and there are enough opportunities to get the perfect photos!
3. Basilica di San Marco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28,574 reviews
Blending the architectural styles of East and West, Venice's magnificent basilica was consecrated in 832 AD as an ecclesiastical building to house the remains of St. Mark.
Reviewed By 627brendand
We visited this beautiful church and were blown away by the opulent gold mosaic artwork and beautiful sculptures and architecture. It was a personal goal to visit San Marco and the square so it was for us a dream come true. The disappointing thing was the general level of dishonesty around Venice by business people. To buy anything was a complete rip off, even a coffee and croissant was extortionate. You had to always check your change as we were deliberately short changes several times and my wife was also pick pocketed in Milan the very hour we arrived in Italy. So be careful with your money and I wouldn’t eat or buy any food in tourist areas. Also when we arrived at the train station in Venice the square was under about 12 inches of water. People were everywhere selling waterproof waders to put your feet in. 20 Euro later ...These promptly leaked and we were soaked anyway after 5 minutes of use. This was dishonesty on an industrial scale. Also no one told us that if you simply waited about an hour the tide would recede and you could walk around on dry ground. This basic information was simply not available to tourists. My advice would be, go for the beauty and amazing art and be very careful, as there is unfortunately a rip off culture everywhere.
4. Doge's Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26,297 reviews
A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the building and its sculptural decoration date from various periods. The interior, with works by artists such as Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, A.Vittoria and Tiepolo, includes vast council chambers, superbly decorated residential apartments, and austere prison cells. Along the facades of the Palace run loggias that overlook St. Mark’s Square and the lagoon. The combined entrance ticket to the St. Mark’s Square Museums grants access to the Doge’s Palace, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of Biblioteca Marciana.
Reviewed By I5778HMtrevors - Kidderminster, United Kingdom
As part of a tour through viator including Basillica. Doges Palace is superb with beautiful Paintings everywhere Did tour including dungeons so walked over Bridge of Sighs All amazing Suggest earliest Guided tour available to beat the crowds
5. Campanile di San Marco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9,064 reviews
Originally built as a lighthouse to assist navigation in the lagoon, visitors can be whisked by elevator to the top of St. Mark's Campanile or bell tower to savor incredible views of Venice, the lagoon and the Alps in the distance.
Reviewed By chicago90Phoenix
If you love priceless views including the multiple domed roof of St. Marks Church, this is the place to be. You will appreciate the beauty and how special and unique Venice is when you have this birds eye view perspective of this empire.
6. Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,434 reviews
This satellite gallery of the famous Guggenheim in New York occupies the 17th-century Customs House in Venice, featuring modern and contemporary works of art.
Reviewed By MarlsGo
This is well worth a visit for any fans of surrealist art! Married to Max Ernst - Peggy Guggenheim collated a fantastic art collection - Magritte, Mondrian, Pollock, Dali and Miro to name a few are all amongst the notable collection.
7. Teatro La Fenice
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,410 reviews
This world famous opera house, burned to the ground in 1996, has been rebuilt amongst much scandal and drama: its modern beauty and complex history ensure its place among the most celebrated monuments in Italian history.
Reviewed By enrico_wem - London, United Kingdom
Very interesting visit for 10 euros, beautiful theatre and fascinating history Visita molto interessante per una decina di euro
8. San Giorgio Maggiore
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,903 reviews
Reviewed By tg22wa - Seattle, United States
Visit this beautiful church designed by Palladio, the adjoining monastery (owned by the Cini Foundation*). Take the elevator to the top off the church bellower to see Venice, the island grounds and Giudecca from a wonderful distance. The Cini foundations offers regular tours of the former monastery buildings and grounds. You cannot just visit on your own. The tours seem to be about every hour but check ahead to coordinate this visit with the church and belltower visit. You can easily take Vaporetto 2 from several different points including from St. Mark's pier. The grounds include an incredible maze of boxwood created in 2012. Of special note to art lovers: 1. the refrectory of this monastery was the original home of Veronase's Wedding Feast of Cana in the Louvre. It was taken by Napoleon in the early 1800s and never returned. The Cini Foundation has replaced the original with a beautiful digital copy to give a sense of where this huge artwork belongs . . . 2. One of Tintoretto's last paintings, an innovative Last Supper, is located to the right of the main alter. Created for THIS space, the painting is orientated to be seen from the side. Read about both paintings before you go.
9. Cannaregio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,481 reviews
Rival to Castello for bragging rights as the largest of Venice's six sestieri (boroughs).
Reviewed By tobiasr577 - Gothenburg, Sweden
If you Wanna see the ”real” Venice and communicate With the people of Venice you should live and walk around in this area! You Will feel the Italian warmth spread around you and also see How the Venetians live and Maybe even love!
10. Dorsoduro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,398 reviews
This Venetian district is home to some of the city’s most renowned art collections, including Galleria dell’Accademia—which is packed with Venetian Renaissance works—and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, which houses 20th century art in a gorgeous palazzo setting.
Reviewed By Raffiella11 - Leicestershire, United Kingdom
The left hand side of Dorosoduro you have the sunny Zattere a long paved area where locals walk their dogs, children on scooters, more local life - the righthand side is the Grande Canale which is lined with some fabulous Palazzo's, my favourite is Palazzo Dario with its beautiful ornate frontage and extremely tall chimneys - it has a very chequered past. There are many squares both large and small, my favourite is Campo Santa Margherita, one of the city's liveliest , its fish stall, flower stall, numerous, outdoor cafés/ restaurants, excellent ice-cream shops and very small ones. At the far end leads into Campo San Barnaba where an unusal canal barge is moored selling fabulous fresh vegetables and fruit. The bridge at the side, Ponte dei Pugni notice the footsteps - this is were rival families used to fight. Leaving Zattere you walk at the side of the Rio di San Trovaso, Church of San Trovaso looking out over a grassy square, next door is Venice's oldest boatyards, gondolas are still made and maintained. This area is a true oasis of peace - small stone bridges, pretty canals, mansions. The crowning glory is the most beautiful and majestic San Salute church and a little further down the customs house. Jump on a waterbus at San Salute, as you slowly meander along the Grande Canale you will see the most amazing beautiful Palazzo's Take time to wander around this wonderful quarter of the city, it is fascinating - we have stayed here 6 times, and always find something new to see every time.
