Travel guide · Italy
Venice travel guide
Canals, Byzantine mosaics and lagoon islands with no cars at all
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Venice is built on more than a hundred small islands in a lagoon at the top of the Adriatic, laced with canals and linked by some 400 bridges. There are no cars: you walk through narrow calli and campi or ride the vaporetto water buses along the Grand Canal. St Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace and the Rialto Bridge draw the crowds, while Dorsoduro, Cannaregio and Castello and the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello show a quieter, everyday Venice. Plan 3 days for a first visit; the best months are April–May and September–October.
Key facts
- Country
- Italy
- Best time to visit
- April–May and September–October
- Ideal stay
- 3 days
- Main airports
- VCE, TSF
- Mid-range daily budget
- $200–$350 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Grand Canal, Gondolas, St Mark's Basilica and Carnival masks
Why visit Venice
- St Mark's Basilica's golden mosaics, the Doge's Palace and the Grand Canal are unlike anything else in Europe.
- Venetian painting — Titian, Tintoretto, Bellini and Veronese — fills the Accademia, the Frari and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in the places it was made for.
- The lagoon islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello offer glassblowing, colourful fishermen's houses and some of the oldest mosaics in the region.
- Evenings in bacari, with cicchetti and a spritz or a small glass of wine, are a distinctly Venetian way to eat.
- Once day-trippers leave, early mornings and evenings bring quiet canals and empty squares.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 20 things to do.
Religious site · San Marco
St Mark's Basilica
Venice's cathedral, rebuilt in the 11th century on a Byzantine plan, is covered inside with more than 8,000 square metres of gold-ground mosaics.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Art
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
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Palace · San Marco
Doge's Palace
The Gothic palace of the doges was the seat of the Venetian Republic for centuries.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Landmark · San Marco
St Mark's Square
Venice's only 'piazza' is framed by the basilica, the arcaded Procuratie and the Clock Tower, whose bronze Moors strike the hours.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
- Photo spot
- Architecture
Viewpoint · San Marco
St Mark's Campanile
The bell tower of St Mark's, nearly 99 metres tall, collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt exactly as before.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Iconic
- Kids
- Photo spot
Landmark · San Polo
Rialto Bridge and Market
Completed in 1591, the stone Rialto Bridge was for centuries the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Food
- Photo spot
Experience · Grand Canal
Grand Canal by vaporetto
The slow Line 1 water bus runs the length of the S-shaped, 3.8-km Grand Canal between Piazzale Roma and San Marco, stopping at most landings and passing some 170 palaces, including the Ca' d'Oro, the Rialto Bridge and Santa Maria della Salute.
- Time needed
- About 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Where to stay
San Marco is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, luxury and couples
San Marco
St Mark's Square, grand hotels, La Fenice and luxury shopping streets
$$$ · Best for couples, culture, nightlife and quiet stays
Dorsoduro
Art museums, the Zattere waterfront and the student square of Campo Santa Margherita
$$ · Best for food lovers, budget, solo travellers and nightlife
Cannaregio
Canal-side bars, the historic Ghetto and everyday Venetian life near the station
$$ · Best for quiet stays, families, budget and culture
Castello
The Arsenale shipyards, Biennale gardens and laundry lines on Via Garibaldi
What to eat
- Cicchetti — Venice's bar snacks: small crostini topped with salt cod, sardines or cured meats, fried meatballs (polpette), stuffed olives and seafood bites, eaten standing with a small glass of wine (an 'ombra').
- Sarde in saor — Fried sardines layered with slow-cooked sweet-and-sour onions, vinegar, pine nuts and raisins, a preserving method from the days of long sea voyages.
- Baccalà mantecato — Dried cod soaked, poached and whipped with olive oil into a silky cream, spread on crostini or grilled polenta.
- Squid-ink pasta — Pasta in a glossy black sauce made with cuttlefish and its ink, with a deep taste of the sea.
- Bigoli in salsa — Thick wholewheat spaghetti-like pasta in a sauce of onions slowly cooked with anchovies or sardines.
- Fegato alla veneziana — Thin strips of calf's liver cooked quickly with lots of soft white onion and served with polenta — Venice's best-known meat dish.
When to go
The best times to visit Venice are April to early June and September to October, when the weather is mild and long days suit walking and the lagoon islands. July and August are hot, humid and crowded; November to March is cold and damp, with possible acqua alta, but brings the quietest streets and lowest prices, apart from Carnival.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Mild days and blossom on the islands; Easter, 25 April and May weekends are crowded, and the Biennale opens. |
| Summer | June–August | Hot and humid with the heaviest crowds, beach days on the Lido and big festivals such as the Redentore. |
| Autumn | September–November | Warm September with the Film Festival and Regata Storica, golden October and foggy, quiet November with acqua alta possible. |
| Winter | December–February | Cold, misty and magical, with low prices except at Christmas, New Year and Carnival in February. |
Getting there and around
Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is on the mainland about 8 km from the city. Buses reach Piazzale Roma in about 20–30 minutes, Alilaguna water buses go to stops including Fondamente Nove, Rialto and San Marco in about 60–90 minutes, and private water taxis take about 30 minutes. Treviso Airport (TSF), used by some low-cost airlines, is about 30 km away, with coaches to Piazzale Roma.
Venice has no cars or bikes in its historic centre: you walk or take a boat. Distances are short — crossing the city on foot takes under an hour — but the lanes are a maze and every bridge has steps. ACTV vaporetti run along the Grand Canal, around the edges of the city and out to the islands.
Plan your days
Two days covers St Mark's, the Doge's Palace, the Rialto, a Grand Canal ride and an evening of cicchetti. Three days adds the Accademia or Guggenheim and a half-day on Murano and Burano; with longer, add Torcello, the Lido and Padua or Verona.
Practical information
- Currency
- EUR
- Language
- Italian
- Plugs
- Type C, F and L sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe, and public drinking fountains in many campi provide free water.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Tipping
- A cover charge is standard and service may be included.
Venice has little serious crime, but pickpockets work on crowded vaporetti and around the Rialto and St Mark's. Stone steps and fondamente are slippery when wet, and during acqua alta raised walkways appear on main routes; check tide forecasts in autumn and winter.
Flights to Venice
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Venice?
Two days covers St Mark's, the Doge's Palace, the Rialto, a Grand Canal ride and an evening of cicchetti. Three days adds the Accademia or Guggenheim and a half-day on Murano and Burano; with longer, add Torcello, the Lido and Padua or Verona. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Venice?
The best times to visit Venice are April to early June and September to October, when the weather is mild and long days suit walking and the lagoon islands. July and August are hot, humid and crowded; November to March is cold and damp, with possible acqua alta, but brings the quietest streets and lowest prices, apart from Carnival.
+What is Venice known for?
Grand Canal, Gondolas, St Mark's Basilica, Carnival masks, Murano glass, Cicchetti and spritz and Venetian painting. St Mark's Basilica's golden mosaics, the Doge's Palace and the Grand Canal are unlike anything else in Europe.
+Is Venice expensive?
Venice is expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $200–$350 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Venice?
No. Cars cannot enter the historic centre; drivers must park at Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto or in Mestre. A car is only useful for touring the Veneto, the Prosecco hills or the Dolomites.