Shopping · Venice · Italy
Shopping in Venice
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Anton Volnuhin, CC BY 4.0
Quick answer
Venice's best buys are its own crafts: Murano glass, Burano lace, handmade masks, marbled paper and gondola-inspired woodwork. Much cheap 'Venetian' glass and many masks are imported, so buy from workshops and certified sellers. Best souvenirs: Murano glass, Carnival masks and Burano lace.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 3
- Top souvenir
- Murano glass
Where to shop
Mercerie and Calle Larga XXII Marzo
The main shopping streets between St Mark's and the Rialto, with designer labels and jewellers.
Rialto
Shops on and around the bridge, plus the food market and specialist grocers.
Dorsoduro artisan lanes
Mask workshops, glass studios and bookbinders around San Barnaba and the Accademia.
Strada Nova
Cannaregio's everyday shopping street, where Venetians buy groceries and clothes.
Markets
Rialto Market
The city's historic fish and produce market, at its best early in the morning.
Fruit and vegetable barge
A floating greengrocer moored on the Rio di San Barnaba in Dorsoduro, near the Ponte dei Pugni.
Christmas market in Campo Santo Stefano
Wooden chalets selling crafts and festive food in December.
What to buy
Murano glass
Beads, jewellery, glasses and sculpture; look for the Vetro Artistico Murano trademark to be sure it was made on the island.
Carnival masks
Papier-mâché and leather masks made and painted by hand in workshops, far better than mass-produced versions.
Burano lace
Handmade lace is expensive and rare; ask for proof of origin, as much is imported.
Marbled paper
Hand-marbled paper, notebooks and bookbinding from traditional legatorie.
Forcole
Sculptural wooden oarlocks for gondolas, made by specialist craftsmen and sold as art objects.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Island · Northern lagoon
Murano
Venetian glassmakers were moved to Murano in 1291, and furnaces still operate here.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Shopping
- Art
- History
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Cicchetti, Baccalà mantecato, Tramezzini and Spritz. Bacari around the Rialto, along Fondamenta della Misericordia in Cannaregio and near Campo Santa Margherita in Dorsoduro. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| San Marco | $$$$ | St Mark's Square, grand hotels, La Fenice and luxury shopping streets |
| Cannaregio | $$ | Canal-side bars, the historic Ghetto and everyday Venetian life near the station |
| Castello | $$ | The Arsenale shipyards, Biennale gardens and laundry lines on Via Garibaldi |
| San Polo and Santa Croce | $$$ | The Rialto Market, Titian's Frari and the bacari around the bridge |
| Giudecca | $$$ | A residential island across the canal with Palladio's Redentore and skyline views |
| Mestre | $ | The mainland district with lower hotel prices, 10 minutes by train from Venice |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in EUR. A cover charge is standard and service may be included. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated but not expected; gondoliers and water-taxi drivers do not expect a tip on the official fare.
- Give way on vaporetti to residents with shopping and let passengers off before boarding.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January and November; the busiest months are May–September.
- August: Venice Film Festival on the Lido (late August to early September)
- December: Christmas market in Campo Santo Stefano (December)
Staying near the shops
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Venice?
Murano glass, Carnival masks, Burano lace and Marbled paper.
+Where is the best shopping in Venice?
Mercerie and Calle Larga XXII Marzo: The main shopping streets between St Mark's and the Rialto, with designer labels and jewellers.
+What are the best markets in Venice?
Rialto Market, Fruit and vegetable barge and Christmas market in Campo Santo Stefano.