Venice is one of the most famous and popular destinations in Italy: the unique charm of the streets that turn into canals and the elegant buildings that are reflected on the water attracts millions of tourists every year. Often visitors stop only a few hours, but we recommend you to spend at least 3 days in Venice to have the time to appreciate even the less known corners. Summarizing in an article all the things to see in the capital of Veneto is definitely reductive, but below we want to advise you what to do in Venice absolutely: we have selected the 5 experiences that, in our opinion, are the best to understand and admire what is one of the most beautiful and fascinating cities in the world.
1. Sailing on the Grand Canal
The first advice on what to do in Venice can only be to sail the Grand Canal.
This is an unmissable experience: Venice is always fascinating, but seen from the water is a different story.
The Grand Canal crosses the entire city dividing it in two. It is 4 km long, 70 meters wide and in some points it reaches a depth of 5 meters: a very important presence in the heart of the city and a stop not to be missed during a tourist itinerary.
As we said, a tour on the Grand Canal is a unique opportunity to admire the palaces that overlook it, discovering a different face of Venice, perhaps the most fascinating.
There are many sightseeing tours that leave from Santa Lucia Station and lead to St. Mark’s Square, but you can also take advantage of the many public water buses.
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Skip-the-Line 30-Minute Grand Canal Gondola Ride in Venice
2. Embark for the nearby islands
Venice is synonymous with canals and islands and for this reason we suggest not to concentrate your visit only in the city center.
By moving away from the usual routes, you will be able to discover hidden corners and incredibly quiet and solitary.
Having some time at your disposal, you can enjoy a day discovering the islands around Venice: Murano, Burano and Torcello, for example, are one more beautiful than the other.
In Murano you will have the opportunity to know the art of blown glass, in Burano the art of lace, while in Torcello you will find yourself in a corner of the world out of time, where life flows slowly and light years away from the frenzy of nearby Venice.
Murano, Burano, and Torcello Cruise from Venice
3. Getting lost in the crowd of St. Mark’s Square
During a walking tour of Venice there is one stop that cannot be missed: it is the one in St. Mark’s Square.
This huge square that stands in the heart of the Venetian capital is certainly the most touristy place in the city, but also one of the most fascinating.
St. Mark’s Basilica, the Bell Tower and the Doge’s Palace overlook the square. The remaining perimeter is surrounded by a series of buildings characterized by high arches now famous all over the world.
Not far from St. Mark’s Square there is another famous stop: the Bridge of Sighs, the bridge that connected the Doge’s Palace to the prisons.
4. Discover the local gastronomy by participating in a food tour
In Venice you can eat very well and there are still several places that offer a typical and authentic cuisine as it once was: the bacari, tiny and lively taverns with a family atmosphere.
Here you can taste the sardines in saor, the baccalà mantecato and the mozzarella in carrozza.
The best time to enter a Venetian bacaro is aperitif time when, in front of a Spritz or a shadow (small glasses of local wine), you will have the opportunity to chat with many local people who gather daily to spend a few minutes of leisure after the working day.
This is one of the reasons why it is worth taking part in our Food Tour of Venice: our gastronomic guided tours of the Venetian capital are organized just to let you enjoy the everyday life of a city considered too touristy and often not very authentic. If you take part in our Food Tour in Venice we will take you to the discovery of the Cannaregio district and, between one bacaro and another, we will tell you its history and curiosities, showing you its most characteristic and suggestive corners. You will have the opportunity to admire a different, more authentic and hidden Venice and in the meantime you will taste some of the most delicious local delicacies.
5. Let yourself be charmed by Venice at nightfall
Finally, among the suggestions on what to do in the capital of Veneto, you can not miss the advice to enjoy Venice at night. The city, when the sun goes down, changes its appearance, becoming an even more fascinating, romantic and sometimes mysterious place.
You can stroll through its calli or organize a gondola ride: whatever your choice, you will certainly not make a mistake. Venice in the dark shines with the thousand lights of the buildings that are reflected on the water and leaves the tourist breathless. Wait for daily visitors to leave the city and then start your walk in the shadows and silence.
We hope that our suggestions on what to do in Venice will be useful and we are waiting for you to go together to taste the many delicacies of Venetian cuisine!
