One day in Venice

Day by day

1. Day 1: St Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace

   St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, St Mark's Square and St Mark's Campanile, then La Fenice opera house in the evening.

   1. Morning

      St Mark's Basilica

      Cover shoulders and knees, leave large bags at the free deposit nearby and buy the museum ticket for the loggia view. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Doge's Palace

      The Secret Itineraries guided tour shows hidden offices, the torture chamber and Casanova's cell in the roof; book it in advance. Allow 2–3 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cicchetti

      Bacari around the Rialto, along Fondamenta della Misericordia in Cannaregio and near Campo Santa Margherita in Dorsoduro.

   4. Afternoon

      St Mark's Square

      Come at sunrise or after 9pm for the square almost to yourself; sitting at a café with music carries a hefty surcharge. Allow 30 minutes–1 hour.

   5. Late afternoon

      St Mark's Campanile

      Go early or just before sunset; avoid being up there on the hour when the bells ring loudly. Allow 45 minutes.

   6. Evening

      La Fenice opera house

      Even a seat high in the gallery for an opera or concert is worth it for the atmosphere; dress smartly.

Before you go

• 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.
• La Fenice opera house: Performances sell out; book online well ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in Gallerie dell'Accademia (Dorsoduro): Focus on the Bellini, Giorgione and Veronese rooms if time is short.
• Swap in Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Dorsoduro): Step onto the canal terrace beside Marino Marini's horse-and-rider sculpture for one of the best views of the Grand Canal.
• Swap in Basilica dei Frari (San Polo): Combine it with the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a minute's walk away.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–8 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Walking is the main way to get around; yellow signs point to Rialto, San Marco, Ferrovia and Piazzale Roma, and getting lost is part of the experience.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Venice
• 3 days in Venice
• 4 days in Venice
• 5 days in Venice

Questions travellers ask