History · Venice · Italy
8 historic sites to see in Venice
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace and Gallerie dell'Accademia. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 12–15 hours across 5 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 12–15 hours
- Areas
- San Marco, Dorsoduro and San Polo
Historic sites in Venice
Religious site · San Marco
1.St Mark's Basilica
Paid extras include the Pala d'Oro, a gold altarpiece set with enamels and gems, and the museum and terrace, where the original bronze horses of St Mark are kept and the loggia looks over the square.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Art
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
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Palace · San Marco
2.Doge's Palace
The route climbs the Golden Staircase to council chambers painted by Tintoretto and Veronese, including the vast Hall of the Great Council with Tintoretto's Paradise, then crosses the Bridge of Sighs to the old prisons.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Museum · Dorsoduro
3.Gallerie dell'Accademia
The definitive collection of Venetian painting from the 14th to the 18th century, with Giovanni Bellini's Madonnas, Giorgione's mysterious The Tempest, late Titian, Tintoretto's Miracles of St Mark and Veronese's huge Feast in the House of Levi.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
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Religious site · San Polo
4.Basilica dei Frari
This vast Franciscan brick church holds Titian's soaring Assumption of the Virgin over the high altar and his Pesaro Madonna, both still in the places they were painted for, along with Titian's tomb, Canova's pyramid-shaped monument and a Bellini triptych in the sacristy.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
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Gallery · San Polo
5.Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Hand mirrors are provided so you can study the ceiling of the upper hall without straining your neck.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
- History
Island · Northern lagoon
6.Murano
Watch glassblowing demonstrations, visit the Glass Museum, and see the 12th-century mosaic floor in the Basilica of Santa Maria e San Donato.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Shopping
- Art
- History
Island · Northern lagoon
7.Torcello
Its Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in 639, has a dazzling Byzantine mosaic of the Last Judgement, and the bell tower looks over marshes and canals.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Off the beaten path
- History
- Art
- Nature
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Historic site · Cannaregio
8.Jewish Ghetto
Its buildings rise unusually high because the community could not expand outwards, and its synagogues are hidden on upper floors around the Campo del Ghetto Novo.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Architecture
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| San Marco | St Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace | 1–1.5 hours + 2–3 hours |
| Dorsoduro | Gallerie dell'Accademia | 2 hours |
| San Polo | Basilica dei Frari and Scuola Grande di San Rocco | 45 minutes–1 hour + 1 hour |
| Northern lagoon | Murano and Torcello | 2–3 hours + 2 hours |
| Cannaregio | Jewish Ghetto | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 1 free, 5 low cost, 2 mid-priced. Book ahead for St Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace. The longest visit is Doge's Palace; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- St Mark's Basilica: Queues are long from late morning; book a timed entry online for a small fee.
- Doge's Palace: Buy timed tickets online to avoid ticket queues, especially from spring to autumn.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (San Marco): St Mark's Basilica → Doge's Palace, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Dorsoduro and San Polo): Gallerie dell'Accademia → Basilica dei Frari → Scuola Grande di San Rocco, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Northern lagoon): Murano → Torcello, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Cannaregio): Jewish Ghetto, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 6 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold, often foggy and very atmospheric, with the quietest streets of the year outside New Year; acqua alta is possible.
- November: highs of 12°C (54°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Damp, foggy and quiet, with low prices; high tides are most likely, though the MOSE barriers now protect against the highest surges.
- March: highs of 13°C (55°F), about 7 rainy days, moderate crowds. Mild, changeable spring weather; a good month for museums before Easter crowds.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- San Marco — St Mark's Square, grand hotels, La Fenice and luxury shopping streets
- Dorsoduro — Art museums, the Zattere waterfront and the student square of Campo Santa Margherita
- Cannaregio — Canal-side bars, the historic Ghetto and everyday Venetian life near the station
- San Polo and Santa Croce — The Rialto Market, Titian's Frari and the bacari around the bridge
More of Venice
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Venice?
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.
+Which of these are free in Venice?
Jewish Ghetto.