Things to do · Venice · Italy
20 best things to do in Venice
20 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
The essential sights in Venice are St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace and St Mark's Square. Of the 20 picks below, 5 are free, 8 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- St Mark's Basilica
- Free sights
- 5
- Good on a rainy day
- St Mark's Basilica
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Mark's Basilica | San Marco | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Doge's Palace | San Marco | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| St Mark's Square | San Marco | 30 minutes–1 hour | Free |
| St Mark's Campanile | San Marco | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Rialto Bridge and Market | San Polo | 1 hour | Free |
| Grand Canal by vaporetto | Grand Canal | About 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Burano | Northern lagoon | Half a day with Murano | Free |
| Gondola ride | San Marco | 30–40 minutes | Expensive |
| Gallerie dell'Accademia | Dorsoduro | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Peggy Guggenheim Collection | Dorsoduro | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Basilica dei Frari | San Polo | 45 minutes–1 hour | Low cost |
| Scuola Grande di San Rocco | San Polo | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Murano | Northern lagoon | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Torcello | Northern lagoon | 2 hours | Low cost |
| San Giorgio Maggiore | San Giorgio | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Jewish Ghetto | Cannaregio | 1 hour | Free |
| La Fenice opera house | San Marco | 45-minute tour; 3-hour performance | Mid-priced |
| Lido di Venezia | Lido | Half a day | Low cost |
| Ca' Rezzonico | Dorsoduro | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Zattere promenade | Dorsoduro | 1 hour | Free |
The 20 best things to do
Religious site · San Marco
1.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. 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.
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
- Book ahead
- Queues are long from late morning; book a timed entry online for a small fee.
- Iconic
- Art
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Palace · San Marco
2.Doge's Palace
The Gothic palace of the doges was the seat of the Venetian Republic for centuries. 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.
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
- Book ahead
- Buy timed tickets online to avoid ticket queues, especially from spring to autumn.
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Landmark · San Marco
3.St Mark's Square
Venice's only 'piazza' is framed by the basilica, the arcaded Procuratie and the Clock Tower, whose bronze Moors strike the hours. Historic cafés such as Florian, open since 1720, have outdoor orchestras in season. The adjoining Piazzetta opens onto the lagoon between two granite columns topped by the lion of St Mark and St Theodore.
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
Viewpoint · San Marco
4.St Mark's Campanile
The bell tower of St Mark's, nearly 99 metres tall, collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt exactly as before. A lift takes visitors to the belfry for views over the domes of the basilica, the lagoon and, on clear days, the Alps.
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
Landmark · San Polo
5.Rialto Bridge and Market
Completed in 1591, the stone Rialto Bridge was for centuries the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot. On the San Polo side, the Rialto Market sells fruit, vegetables and lagoon fish under the arcades of the Pescheria, a neo-Gothic fish hall.
Visit the market early in the morning, then have cicchetti in one of the bacari around Campo Cesare Battisti.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Food
- Photo spot
Experience · Grand Canal
6.Grand Canal by vaporetto
The slow Line 1 water bus runs the length of the S-shaped, 3.8-km Grand Canal between Piazzale Roma and San Marco, stopping at most landings and passing some 170 palaces, including the Ca' d'Oro, the Rialto Bridge and Santa Maria della Salute. It costs a fraction of a gondola or water taxi.
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
7.Burano
A fishing island in the northern lagoon where every house is painted a different bright colour along small canals. Burano is known for needle lace, displayed in the Lace Museum, and for biscuits called buranelli and risotto made with lagoon fish.
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
8.Gondola ride
A gondola ride through the small back canals is expensive but memorable. Official rates are set by the city per boat for about 30 minutes, with higher prices in the evening; up to five people can share. For a quick taste, a traghetto, a gondola ferry across the Grand Canal at a few points, costs a couple of euros.
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
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Museum · Dorsoduro
1.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.
Focus on the Bellini, Giorgione and Veronese rooms if time is short.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · Dorsoduro
2.Peggy Guggenheim Collection
The American collector's former home, an unfinished single-storey palazzo on the Grand Canal, holds one of Italy's best collections of 20th-century art: Picasso, Pollock, Kandinsky, Magritte, Dalí, Ernst and Brâncuși. Its sculpture garden and canal-side terrace are part of the visit.
Step onto the canal terrace beside Marino Marini's horse-and-rider sculpture for one of the best views of the Grand Canal.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Views
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Religious site · San Polo
3.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.
Combine it with the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a minute's walk away.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
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Gallery · San Polo
4.Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Tintoretto spent more than 20 years covering the walls and ceilings of this confraternity building with over 50 paintings, including an enormous Crucifixion. Hand mirrors are provided so you can study the ceiling of the upper hall without straining your neck.
Pick up a mirror at the entrance to the upper hall and take your time; it is rarely crowded.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
- History
Island · Northern lagoon
5.Murano
Venetian glassmakers were moved to Murano in 1291, and furnaces still operate here. Watch glassblowing demonstrations, visit the Glass Museum, and see the 12th-century mosaic floor in the Basilica of Santa Maria e San Donato.
Ignore touts offering a 'free boat' to a factory; find a furnace on the island yourself and look for the Vetro Artistico Murano mark when buying.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Shopping
- Art
- History
Island · Northern lagoon
6.Torcello
Now home to only a handful of residents, Torcello was one of the first places in the lagoon to be settled. 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.
Reach it from Burano by a short ferry ride and climb the bell tower for the lagoon view.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Off the beaten path
- History
- Art
- Nature
Religious site · San Giorgio
7.San Giorgio Maggiore
Palladio's white church faces St Mark's from its own island across the basin. Inside are two late paintings by Tintoretto, including The Last Supper, and a lift climbs the bell tower to one of the finest views of Venice, usually with far shorter queues than the Campanile.
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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Historic site · Cannaregio
8.Jewish Ghetto
Established in 1516, the Venetian Ghetto gave the world the word 'ghetto', from the foundry (getto) that once stood here. 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.
Look for the Holocaust memorial reliefs on the wall of the Campo del Ghetto Novo, and visit with respect, especially on Saturdays.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Architecture
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Architecture · San Marco
9.La Fenice opera house
One of Italy's most famous opera houses, where Verdi premiered La Traviata and Rigoletto. It burned down in 1996 and reopened in 2003, rebuilt to its 19th-century appearance with gilded tiers of boxes. Self-guided visits run on days without rehearsals.
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
- Book ahead
- Performances sell out; book online well ahead.
- After dark
- Couples
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Beach · Lido
10.Lido di Venezia
The barrier island between the lagoon and the Adriatic has a long sandy beach, Art Nouveau villas and hotels, and the Palazzo del Cinema of the Venice Film Festival. Public beach stretches sit alongside private stabilimenti that rent cabins and umbrellas.
Rent a bike near the vaporetto stop and ride south along the sea wall to the fishing village of Malamocco.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Active
- Nature
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Museum · Dorsoduro
11.Ca' Rezzonico
A baroque palace on the Grand Canal displaying 18th-century Venice: ballrooms with frescoed ceilings by Giambattista Tiepolo, rooms of period furniture, Pietro Longhi's scenes of daily life and Guardi's views of the city.
Combine it with a spritz in nearby Campo Santa Margherita.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Waterfront · Dorsoduro
12.Zattere promenade
This sunny waterfront runs along the southern edge of Dorsoduro facing Giudecca and Palladio's Redentore. Locals walk here for gelato and sunsets, and just behind it the Squero di San Trovaso is one of the few remaining yards where gondolas are built and repaired.
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
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, Gallerie dell'Accademia and Peggy Guggenheim Collection |
| History | St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, Gallerie dell'Accademia and Basilica dei Frari |
| Views | St Mark's Campanile, Grand Canal by vaporetto, Peggy Guggenheim Collection and San Giorgio Maggiore |
| Outdoors and nature | Torcello and Lido di Venezia |
| Food and markets | Rialto Bridge and Market and Zattere promenade |
| After dark | St Mark's Square and La Fenice opera house |
| With children | St Mark's Campanile, Grand Canal by vaporetto, Burano and Murano |
| On a rainy day | St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, Gallerie dell'Accademia and Peggy Guggenheim Collection |
What to book ahead
- 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.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do 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.
+What can you do for free in Venice?
St Mark's Square, Rialto Bridge and Market, Burano, Jewish Ghetto and Zattere promenade. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Venice when it rains?
Head indoors to St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, Gallerie dell'Accademia and Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
+What is there to do in Venice at night?
St Mark's Square and La Fenice opera house are best after dark.