For couples · Venice · Italy
Romantic things to do in Venice
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Venice is one of the world's great romantic cities, best enjoyed early in the morning and in the evening, when canals are quiet and the light turns gold on the water. Couples tend to stay in San Marco.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 6
- Couple-friendly sights
- 6
- Area for couples
- San Marco
- Best months
- April–May and September–October
Romantic ideas
1.Gondola at sunset
Glide through the back canals of Dorsoduro or Cannaregio as the sun goes down, away from the busy Grand Canal.
2.Sunset on the Zattere
Walk the waterfront with a gelato as the sun sets over the Giudecca Canal.
3.San Giorgio Maggiore bell tower
See Venice laid out across the basin from Palladio's island church at golden hour.
4.Night at La Fenice
Dress up for an opera or concert in the gilded, candlelit-feeling opera house.
5.Lunch on Torcello
Escape to the quiet northern lagoon for a long lunch among the marshes and Byzantine mosaics.
6.St Mark's at dawn
Walk into an empty St Mark's Square at sunrise, before the city wakes.
Sights couples love
Experience · Grand Canal
Grand Canal by vaporetto
Board at Piazzale Roma or Ferrovia to get a seat at the front or rear outdoor sections, and ride towards San Marco.
- Time needed
- About 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Island · Northern lagoon
Burano
Take vaporetto line 12 from Fondamente Nove (about 45 minutes) and arrive in the morning or late afternoon to avoid tour groups.
- Time needed
- Half a day with Murano
- Cost
- Free
- Photo spot
- Kids
- Couples
- Free
- Iconic
Experience · San Marco
Gondola ride
Pick a gondola station away from St Mark's for quieter canals, agree the price and route before boarding, and try a traghetto at Santa Sofia or San Tomà.
- Time needed
- 30–40 minutes
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Couples
- Kids
- Photo spot
Religious site · San Giorgio
San Giorgio Maggiore
Take vaporetto line 2 from San Zaccaria for a two-minute crossing, and go up the tower in late afternoon.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Architecture
- Art
- Couples
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Architecture · San Marco
La Fenice opera house
Even a seat high in the gallery for an opera or concert is worth it for the atmosphere; dress smartly.
- Time needed
- 45-minute tour; 3-hour performance
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- After dark
- Couples
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Dorsoduro
Zattere promenade
Look across the canal at the Squero di San Trovaso from the opposite bank, then walk the Zattere at sunset with a gelato.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Views
- Food
- Off the beaten path
Where couples should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, luxury and couples
San Marco
The San Marco sestiere wraps around St Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace and runs along the Grand Canal towards the Rialto and the Accademia bridge. It has the city's grandest hotels, the La Fenice opera house and designer shops on Calle Larga XXII Marzo and the Mercerie, but it is also the most crowded and expensive part of Venice.
- Good
- Steps from the main sights; Grand hotels with canal views; Vaporetto stops everywhere
- Watch out
- Heavy crowds by day; Highest prices for food and drink; Floods first during acqua alta
- Nearby
- St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, La Fenice, Rialto Bridge
Romantic day trips
- Verona (About 1 hour 10 minutes by fast train) — Verona has a near-complete Roman arena still used for summer opera, a medieval centre around Piazza delle Erbe, the Scaliger tombs and the courtyard said to be Juliet's house, all along a loop of the Adige river.
- Treviso (About 30 minutes by train) — A relaxed walled town of canals, frescoed houses and arcades, known as the birthplace of tiramisù and as a gateway to the Prosecco hills.
- Prosecco hills (About 1 hour by train to Conegliano) — The steep vineyard hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the home of Prosecco Superiore.
- Brenta Riviera (About 45 minutes by bus, or a full day by canal boat) — Venetian nobles built summer villas along the Brenta Canal between Venice and Padua.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Sarde in saor, Squid-ink pasta and Bigoli in salsa. Book dinner at good trattorie, especially on weekends and during Carnival and the Biennale.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Venice romantic?
Venice is one of the world's great romantic cities, best enjoyed early in the morning and in the evening, when canals are quiet and the light turns gold on the water.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Venice?
Gondola at sunset: Glide through the back canals of Dorsoduro or Cannaregio as the sun goes down, away from the busy Grand Canal.
+Where should couples stay in Venice?
San Marco: St Mark's Square, grand hotels, La Fenice and luxury shopping streets.