9 Best Things to Do in Venice (from Personal Experience)

1. Get Lost in the Alleyways

Wandering around without much more of a plan than seeing what you stumble upon is easily my favorite thing to do in Venice. Although the main island (what we all think of as Venice) is bigger than you realize, it’s an island. You can’t end up on the wrong side of town or get irrevocably lost. There’s always a ferry stop nearby to get you back to your hotel or the train station if you end up walking too much to backtrack. 

There’s a big difference between the shops, bars, and restaurants you’ll find near the train station, around Rialto Bridge, and St. Mark’s. It’s mainly full of mass produced tourist stuff and low quality food with higher than average prices. That’s not to say there aren’t some gems - La Bottega dei Mascareri is a mask shop right at Rialto that still produces them in the traditional papier-mâché and is one of the best souvenirs you can get here - but it is the overall consensus. 

Navigating with Google Maps can be tough. It works well with ferry routes but for pedestrian routes, it sometimes confuses a ferry line with a pedestrian walkway. There are only 4 bridges over the Grand Canal, although seemingly no one’s told Google yet. This is just another reason to put your phone down, not stress about the exact alleyway you need to turn down, and only cross a bridge at a whim. 

For this activity, don’t worry about arriving at a famous attraction. If anything, I’d suggest you walk in the opposite direction of St. Mark’s or Rialto Bridge. There’s a lot more to Venice than just the most popular areas and while for other items on this list, I’ll recommend those, for at least a small portion of your trip here, try and see the day-to-day side of Venice. I promise it’ll still impress. 

‍

2. Indulge in Cicchetti

Cicchetti, pronounced "chee-keh-ti," are small bites of bread topped with just about anything you can imagine. They're a local delicacy and a great introduction to Venetian cuisine.

You can find cicchetti throughout Northern Italy and beyond but they have their roots in Venice. I highly recommend you head to a local bar or restaurant and try a big variety of them. Top it with a glass of wine or spritz and you have a great aperitivo (before dinner snack) or a light dinner. 

For the most traditional cicchetti experience, try one with baccalà mantecato. It's essentially just super creamy cod that gets its texture not from mayonnaise as it might seem but from the slow, tedious whipping process.

You'll have so many cicchetti places to choose from so don’t stress on finding the “perfect” one. All cicchetti bars have their selection displayed in glass cases at the counter. My biggest suggestion is choosing one that looks fresh and has a variety of toppings you can try. 

‍

3. Visit the Other Islands of Venice

Did you know Venice is actually made up of over 100 islands? While most everyone can imagine the intricate canal system that makes up the city of Venice, few realize this long inhabited city is actually many, many islands. 

Other than just the main island of Venice that's most well-known, the Venice Lagoon is home to plenty of other stunning islands to visit, all with their own unique charm. 

In quick summary, some of the best islands around Venice to visit are:

• Murano: Famous for their hand-blown glass
• Burano: Famous for their brightly painted homes
• Mazzorbo: Famous for their wine vineyards
• Lido di Venezia: Famous for their long, sandy beach

For a day trip option, you’d need to choose between Murano, Burano + Mazzorbo, or Lido. It’s possible to squeeze in Murano, Burano, and Mazzorbo into one day trip but speaking from experience, it packs too much in. This is really only doable if you have a private water taxi as you’ll lose a lot of time with the ferry. 

Mazzorbo is connected by a small pedestrian bridge to Burano. Note that since this is the last remaining vineyard on the islands, the price for a glass of wine is really steep. If you’re into wine, it’s worth visiting, but if you’re not too bothered, you can get about 10 glasses of wine for the price of one elsewhere. 

Torcello is another island near Burano and Murano that might be worth visiting but personally, I’ve never been. 

The quickest way to get around the different islands is by a private water taxi, which your hotel can help you set up. You’ll rent the taxi for a set number of hours and they’ll take you wherever you’d like to go. The most affordable option is by public ferry, or vaporetto. This takes longer but is a fraction of the price.

If you want more information about the islands of Venice, I wrote an article that goes into detail of each one. You can read it here.

‍

4. Take a Gondola Ride

Cheesy and touristy? Maybe. Relaxing and scenic? Yes. The first few trips to Venice, I wasn’t sold on a gondola ride but then my aunt came to visit and wanted a break from walking. Why not sight see while we sit for a while? That seemed like a pretty solid argument to me.

And, well, what I can I say: I loved it. 

You’ll get to see Venice from a different angle, rest your feet, and fully appreciate the absolute skill these gondoliers have. How they don’t crash on the sharp curves or in the sometimes traffic, I’ll never understand. 

My biggest tip though would be to avoid a gondola ride at the Grand Canal. Now that I’ve done it twice, there’s a big difference between rowing along the peaceful narrow canals and rocking around on the Grand Canal as ferries and water taxis make their wake. 

If you want to ride down the Grand Canal, hop on a ferry and stand outside. For a gondola, aim for one nestled in the alleyways. You might still have to get onto the Grand Canal for a second but confirm if most of the ride is off of it first. 

‍

5. Visit a Few of the Biggest Attractions

I’m really not one to chase the major attractions when we travel. I don’t go out of my way for them and hardly pay entrance to one. To me, the joy of traveling is wandering around, seeing what I stumble upon, and eating as much of the local cuisine as I can. 

That said, I know I’m a bit odd in that sense and many of you have come to Venice for the attractions. Some people truly enjoy sitting in the heart of the touristic zone, people watching, and soaking it all in. 

For travelers like that, Venice won’t disappoint. Most of the biggest attractions are all in one centralized area, making it easy to see the major sights back-to-back. Here are a few you won’t want to miss.

St. Mark’s Square / Piazza San Marco

This is the main square in Venice and one you’ve certainly seen pictures of. Here you’ll find the most of the other attractions on this list and a handful of bars that offer live classical music all hours of the day and night. Prices are about triple what you’ll pay elsewhere but for you, the experience alone might be worth it.

Saint Mark's Basilica / Basilica di San Marco‍

This is the central church in Venice, located right on the piazza. I believe you can enter in one part of the church for free if you’re joining for mass but otherwise must have a ticket to enter. While I haven’t done all of the tours, I have done a small group after hours tour. We booked this one. My family and I agreed that the tour was great and it was really special to be in the basilica without crowds but as we’re not overly religious, in hindsight we wouldn’t pay the steep ticket price again. What I did really enjoy was the added Venetian history, alongside the religious history.

Doge's Palace / Palazzo Ducale‍

Right next door is the Doge’s Palace. This was the home to the elected leader of the Venetian Republic (the Doge) for nearly 1000 years. The building is massive and has a lot to uncover but I’ve yet to do a tour. In hindsight, we should have booked this afterhours tour instead that covers both the basilica and the palace. ‍

St Mark's Bell Tower / Campanile di San Marco‍

Also located in the same square is St. Mark’s Bell Tower. I’d only recommend going here on a clear day. When the weather is nice you’ll be able to see all of the islands and even the Dolomites on the horizon. What’s great about visiting in the winter is that this can be a last minute decision as the lines won’t be long to grab a ticket. If visiting in the summer, you’ll want to buy your ticket in advance to avoid long waits in the sun. You take an elevator to the top so this is good for those that wouldn’t want to handle this many stairs. For those that don’t care about the after hours visit, this skip the line ticket gives you access to all 3 attractions.

Fun fact that I learned on the basilica tour, the space that now has the elevator to the top of the bell tower was originally built so wide because the Doge who constructed the tower wanted to be able to ride his horse to the top rather than climb the stairs himself.

Rialto Bridge / Ponte di Rialto

This is the oldest and most famous of the 4 bridges that cross the Grand Canal. It’s a really wide bridge that even has shops that stretch across you, so you can either walk through the center of the bridge for shopping or walk on either side for the views. During daylight hours, the bridge is always crowded but at night it tends to be calmer. It’s certainly worth walking across once but I do prefer using the Ponte dell'Accademia as my main bridge. 

Basilica Santa Maria della Salute‍

Last but not least we have one more basilica, one you’ve likely seen in pictures of Venice or will see for yourself when crossing the Ponte dell'Accademia. The outside alone is really impressive but it’s one I would like to see the inside of. On my last trip to Venice, I planned to walk in this direction but even with 4 days to explore, I somehow ran out of time. Next time!

‍

6. See Some of the Other Neighborhoods

Most people only have a day trip to see Venice and they beeline from the train station, across Rialto Bridge, and into St. Mark’s Square for the attractions. After they’re done sightseeing, they reverse their path and head right back.

Since there are only 4 bridges across the Grand Canal and the alleyways of Venice are truly tiny, this creates a lot of human traffic and will give you the impression you saw more of the backs of people’s heads rather than Venice itself.

Ideally, you have more than just a few hours here to enjoy the collection of islands. If you do, you can see the attractions and get some space, too, which means seeing more than just the San Marco neighborhood of Venice.

A few others I recommend you wander around are:

• Dorsoduro: This is the university district so is a bit younger, livelier, and more affordable than other parts of Venice. This is personally my favorite area to hang around. 
• Cannaregio: This neighborhood sits on the northeastern side of Venice and is easily accessible from the train station. It’s home to the historic Jewish Ghetto and is a really nice area to walk around, the farther you walk away from the station.
• San Polo: San Polo sits right in the center of Venice and the neighborhood you’ll have to go through to cross the Rialto Bridge if coming from the train station. While most cut right across it, I recommend you take your time. If you go a few blocks to the west of the bridge, you’ll find loads of cool cichetti bars and a lively atmosphere. 
• Castello: This is the most residential area of Venice and one I don’t know as well as the other neighborhoods. I’ve only been to the section near the hospital and the famed Acqua Alta bookshop but I would like to see more of the area and one day make it all the way down to the park at the tip of the island. 

‍

7. Visit a Museum or Two

I’ll be honest: I’m not a big museum girlie. I haven’t yet been to a single museum in Venice and have hardly been to any across the entire country. While I’m sure there are plenty I’d enjoy, when it comes time to plan how to spend my trip, they just never seem to pull be in more than other competing activities.

That said, I know a lot of people enjoy museums and Venice has some fantastic ones to choose between. This website in particular does a really great job highlighting a number of museums and adding in a lot of details based on personal experience.

Based on recommendations I’ve gotten from others, consider:

• Doge’s Palace: Already listed as an attraction, it’s essentially a mega museum you can walk through.
• Peggy Guggenheim Collection: For the art lover, here you’ll find a collection of famous pieces in what was once Peggy Guggenheim’s home and private collection.
• Palazzo Grimani: This one has been recommended to me numerous times and if I had to pick one to visit, I’d choose it over the others simply because the architecture in palace looks simply incredible. 

‍

8. End Your Day at a Vivaldi Symphony

Pictures & recordings aren't allowed during the concerts.

Antonio Vivaldi is a composer, violinist, and all-around musical genius from Venice. Although I can't say I often listen to classical music in my spare time, Raf and I went to a Vivaldi concert on one of our trips to Venice and thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so that I’ve now seen this show 3 times as it’s something we always arrange when guests are in town visiting. 

For our second show, we brought my aunt and my mom. My aunt is a true audiophile so it was an easy sell for her. My mom surprised us by enjoying it just as much as her sister, so much so that when she came back to visit with my dad and brother, she insisted we go again. The boys in my family were a bit skeptical but afterwards gushed over the experience.

We always book our tickets on GetYourGuide. I'm sure there are other venues with concerts but I can vouch for this one at Church of San Vidal. If you’re not a huge classical music fan but want the chance to recognize a tune or two, I’d suggest booking for a night they’re playing the Quattro Stagione, or Four Seasons. 

‍

9. Try the Local Cuisine

You might already know this but in case you don't, Italian cuisine is far more than just pizza and pasta with ragù sauce. Every region, and oftentimes even every city, has their own specialties that you might not be able to find in other parts.

Because of this, I highly recommend you eat the local cuisine in each city of Italy that you visit.

In addition to cicchetti, that means, in Venice, look for restaurants that offer:

• Sarde in saor: These are sweet and savory sardines served as an antipasto, or appetizer. They're really unique and personally, I enjoyed them but both my mom and Raf said no more after just one bite.
• Scampi alla Veneziana: These are boiled scampi, dressed lightly in olive oil and lemon. For the best version of this dish, try it in the summer when shrimp are in season.
• Nero di seppia: This is a black ink pasta made with cuttlefish that I really love. From all the dishes in Venice, other than gorging on cicchetti, this is my favorite.
• Risi e bisi: Simply put, rice and peas. It's a bit of a combination between risotto and soup and is known as a comfort food, ideal for cold winter days.

In addition to Venetian foods, drink like you're from Venice and enjoy an Aperol Spritz or a Bellini, both originally from Venice.

‍

What Will You Do in Venice?

Venice is for shopping, eating, drinking, and standing at random intervals thinking, how the hell did they do this? It’s not for rushing through, snapping a selfie at a canal, and hopping back on the train for the next stop. While I know not everyone lives nearby and can spend days wandering about, I highly urge you to use your time here wisely and at least give Venice a chance beyond the most famous bits.

Plus, once you’re a little tired from walking, you can rest on a gondola and fuel up with cichetti.