Discover Venice Italy

Actually, I am Italian and my family is from the Veneto so I knew all about Venice before. My husband (not Italian) is another story!

Enjoy Venice...

Where to Start

First I suggest a visit to our Pictures of Venice Italy page for an idea of just how wonderful the city is. If you get lost then visit our maps of Venice page – the geography of Venice isn't always easy.

Let’s begin exploring the “must see” Venice tourist attractions. Sometimes these are so crowded and overrun with tourists that they can be a little unpleasant but most are worth the effort.

Try to visit during the times of year when Venice is less crowded – further down the page we suggest the best months. In July Venice can seem like a theme park.

The good news is that most of the main sights are within walking distance of each other so, if you are on a Europe in ten days type trip, a day or two is enough to see them all.

The top six sights of Venice Italy, many of which are in my video up top, are...

1) The Rialto Bridge

2) The Doge’s Palace

3) St Mark’s Square

4) The Grand Canal

5) St Mark’s Basilica

6) The Bridge of Sighs

Two other Venice attractions that are often considered as "must see" are the St Marks Bell Tower – the Campanile di San Marco and the Academia Bridge.

In my opinion the bridge can be crossed of the "things to do in Venice" list as an overrated nonentity. The bell tower is worth the trip to the top for the view alone but if there is a long wait, which is normally the case, then don’t bother.

Walking tours in Venice Italy

By far the best way of getting around Venice is on foot. Venice is not a big city and even if you aren’t much of a walker you should have no trouble making it.

Walking is really the only way you can discover the secret places of Venice.

Walking tours of Venice can be done independently though some very good organized walks are available .

Want to do it yourself? Then my advice is to just get completely lost. Venice is the perfect city to do this. You will be amazed at how many interesting places you discover.

Little Known Venice

These are the places I love. They are far less crowded and filled with authentically colorful Venetian life. I often just sit quietly soaking up the vibrant atmosphere of this the real Venice.

My favourite spots, ranging from the Hebrew Ghetto through to Dorsoduro, can be seen here.

Best Places to Stay in Venice

Venice is an elegant city and if you are visiting Venice for any sort of special occasion, or if it is to be a once in a lifetime trip, then I would suggest you stay in one of the wonderfully elegant hotels that best epitomize the history and style of the city.

If you are on a tighter budget then my advice is to stay in one of the outer sestriere (suburbs)or Mestre which is only ten minutes by train from Venice and a whole lot cheaper.

Best Luxury Hotel in Venice

Venice is full of splendid luxury hotels. Hotels like the Hotel Cipriani, the Danieli and the Venice Metropole Hotel are superb. I once rated the Cipriani and Danieli the best hotels in Venice but I now prefer the Bauer Palladio Hotel & Spa - a very special place indeed

Best 3 and 4 Star Hotels in Venice

A really superb hotel, with very reasonable rates is the Foscari Palace Hotel (click to read more). The hotel is in Cannaregio, right on the Grand Canal and a short walk to all the main tourist attractions. The fact that you get to spend your stay in Venice in a 16th century palace is just the cherry on top.

For an even cheaper hotel you could try the Hotel Abbazia (read what others say here) which is also in Cannaregio. Great rates, well located and well run.

If you can, avoid July and August. The climate in Venice Italy is often hot, humid and overcrowded during these months and they are the only months in which I have found Venice to be “stinky”.

November through February can be cold and the damp can get into your bones but apart from the high water in November and December I love Venice in winter. When Venice is misty or covered with snow, it really does feel magical. You can walk down nearly empty alleyways or alongside canals and feel transported back to another age – quite wonderful.

Visiting during the Venice Carnival

A great occasion to make a trip Venice is during the Venice Carnival in February (read more here). The city gets very full for this and you need to book months beforehand but it is well worth it.

The atmosphere is second to none and this together with the Ivrea carnival is my favourite Italian festa. The gorgeous Venice Carnival masks worn for the occasion are an art form of their own.

If you don’t feel like dealing with the cold winter Venice weather, or the crowds of summer, then May/June and late September to October are good months. Check out our weather in Venice Italy page for more.



Best Restaurants in Venice

Visit our Venice restaurant guide for the places my family and I eat at.

What to Buy in Venice Italy

This is where you have to be careful. Few places are easier to get ripped off in than Venice Italy and prices can be ridiculously inflated.

Avoid buying anything at all in St Marks Square. Most of the Venice glass works (view our guide to buying glass here) and the Venetian carnival masks you find in St Marks cost double and many of them are of poor quality. Once you see the real thing you will easily spot a cheap imitation a mile away. For more tips on carnival and buying carnival masks visit my guide.

If you aren’t up to doing much walking then a good idea is to get the Venice Card.

They come in three options of 12 hours, 48 hours and 7 days and allow you unlimited use of public transportation in Venice and free entrance into a whole lot of museums and churches.

Good news for passionate shoppers and I am one of the world champions and it drives my husband pazzo (crazy), is that the card gives you discounts at over 200 shops.

ACTV is the company that runs the public transport water bus service in Venice Italy and if you don’t have a Venice Italy Card then tickets are available in newsagents, bars and tobacconists (tobaccai). Some of the best routes, with great views, are those along the Giudecca canal and on the lagoon.

A Venice Gondolier Trip

If you have money to spend you can take a water taxi or a famous Venice gondolier.

The taxis are expensive and generally you are better off using public transport but I would suggest you take a trip on a Gondolier. Venice’s gondoliers are very romantic and very expensive but they are an essential and lovely part of the history of Venice.

I always take a trip in order to do my part in ensuring that this tradition lives on.

Getting to Venice

Many airline such as Ryanair offer cheap flights to Venice. A lot of the flights are to Venice Treviso airport but the connection is pretty easy. Visit our guide on Getting to Venice for more.



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