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Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice

Solo travel · Venice · Italy

Solo travel in Venice

How to enjoy Venice at your own pace.

Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team

Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick answer

Venice is calm and easy to explore alone: getting lost in the lanes is part of the pleasure, bacari make solo eating natural, and early mornings and evenings are peaceful. Accommodation is expensive for one, so hostels in Venice or Mestre help. Many solo travellers base themselves in Cannaregio.

Key facts

Base
Cannaregio
Getting around
Walking
Emergency number
112 (European emergency number)
Language
Italian

Solo travel tips

  • Stay in Cannaregio for bacari, canal-side evenings and easy station access.
  • Eat cicchetti at the bar; it is the most social and affordable way to dine alone.
  • Explore early in the morning, when the city belongs to residents.
  • Keep valuables secure on crowded vaporetti and around the Rialto and St Mark's.
  • Save money by staying in Mestre and commuting by train if you are on a tight budget.

Where to stay

$$ · Best for food lovers, budget, solo travellers and nightlife

Cannaregio

Venice's largest and most residential sestiere stretches from the Santa Lucia railway station to the northern lagoon. The Fondamenta della Misericordia and Fondamenta degli Ormesini are lined with bacari and canal-side tables, the Jewish Ghetto is in its western part, and Strada Nova is a busy local shopping street leading towards the Rialto.

Good
Authentic local atmosphere; Good-value bacari and restaurants; Easy from the station with luggage
Watch out
A 20–30 minute walk to St Mark's; Strada Nova is crowded by day
Nearby
Jewish Ghetto, Ca' d'Oro, Fondamenta della Misericordia, Santa Lucia station

Great on your own

St Mark's Basilica, Venice
Photo: Zairon, Public domain

Religious site · San Marco

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.

Time needed
1–1.5 hours
Cost
Low cost
  • Iconic
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • History
  • Rainy day
Doge's Palace, Venice
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0

Palace · San Marco

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.

Time needed
2–3 hours
Cost
Mid-priced
  • Iconic
  • History
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Rainy day
St Mark's Square, Venice
Photo: Matthias Süßen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Landmark · San Marco

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.

Time needed
30 minutes–1 hour
Cost
Free
  • Iconic
  • Free
  • After dark
  • Photo spot
  • Architecture
St Mark's Campanile, Venice
Photo: Orlando Paride, CC BY-SA 4.0

Viewpoint · San Marco

St Mark's Campanile

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

Time needed
45 minutes
Cost
Low cost
  • Views
  • Iconic
  • Kids
  • Photo spot
Grand Canal by vaporetto, Venice
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0

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
Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0

Museum · Dorsoduro

Gallerie dell'Accademia

Focus on the Bellini, Giorgione and Veronese rooms if time is short.

Time needed
2 hours
Cost
Mid-priced
  • Art
  • Rainy day
  • History

Meeting people

  • Bacaro crawl — Go from bacaro to bacaro in the early evening, having one or two cicchetti and an ombra of wine or a spritz in each, around the Rialto or along the Cannaregio fondamente.
  • Rialto Market morning — Watch fishmongers lay out lagoon fish, soft-shell crabs and cuttlefish in the Pescheria and vegetable stalls selling produce from the lagoon island of Sant'Erasmo, before the day-trippers arrive.
  • Fondamenta della Misericordia and Ormesini — Canal-side bars and bacari in Cannaregio, the liveliest evening strip in Venice.
  • Campo Santa Margherita — A large square in Dorsoduro with student bars and outdoor tables, busy late into the evening.

Sensible precautions

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.

Emergency number
112 (European emergency number)
Staying connected
Wi-Fi is common in hotels and cafés; EU roaming applies to European SIMs, and eSIMs are easy for other visitors.

Questions travellers ask

+Is Venice good for solo travellers?

Venice is calm and easy to explore alone: getting lost in the lanes is part of the pleasure, bacari make solo eating natural, and early mornings and evenings are peaceful. Accommodation is expensive for one, so hostels in Venice or Mestre help.

+Where should solo travellers stay in Venice?

Cannaregio: Canal-side bars, the historic Ghetto and everyday Venetian life near the station.