Venice is the most beautiful city in Italy to get lost in, and also the one most likely to wear you out, which is why the things to do in Venice need choosing carefully. The crowds around St Mark's, the bridges with steps, the café prices: all real. So this list of the best things to do in Venice is built to help you pick, not just pile on. Each entry says what to book ahead, what's free, what's overrated and what we'd skip. Updated October 2026 with prices and opening days checked on official sites.
We haven't walked these streets for this article: it's researched from the museums', the city's and the transport operators' own pages, plus what first-time visitors keep asking. We don't claim a tour or a hotel we haven't taken, and every ticket link below was checked and live in October 2026.
Short on Time? Don't Miss These Things to Do in Venice
If you only have a day or two, these four do the most for the least stress:
- St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace: the two big sights, a few steps apart. A guided tour of both (4.7 from more than 2,500 reviews on GetYourGuide when we checked) sorts out the tickets and the story in one go.
- A vaporetto ride down the Grand Canal: the cheapest "tour" in Venice, on line 1. A multi-day waterbus pass pays for itself after three rides.
- Cannaregio at golden hour: the quiet neighbourhood where Venetians still live. It's free.
- Cicchetti at a bacaro: standing at a wine-bar counter with small bites is the best-value meal in the city. A cicchetti and wine tasting tour (4.9 from more than 600 reviews) takes the guesswork out of it.
What's Changed in Venice for 2026–27
The day-tripper access fee ended its 2026 run on 26 July.
For 2027 the city has approved 72 fee days, from 26 March to 15 August, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at no more than €10. Overnight guests anywhere in the municipality don't pay, and neither do under-14s. The lagoon islands (Murano, Burano, Torcello) aren't charged. Exact prices and booking details for 2027 hadn't been published when we checked, so look at the city's official access-fee site before you go.
The Biennale Arte runs until 22 November 2026, which matters if you're in Venice this autumn: more on that under item 6. And the Doge's Palace price rose to €35 on 1 January 2026.
Things to Do Around St Mark's Square
Everything on the postcards is here, which is exactly why it's crowded. Be at the square before the day-trip boats arrive, and book timed entries.
1. Cross St Mark's Square Before 9 A.M.
At 7:30 a.m. the arcades are quiet, the pigeons have the place to themselves and the light hits the Basilica front first.
By 11 it's a conveyor belt. Sit-down coffee under the arcades is expensive: at Caffè Florian expect a music supplement of about €6 when the orchestra plays. Stand at the bar inside and you skip it.
Tip: don't eat or sit on the ground on the square: fines start at €100.
2. Go Inside St Mark's Basilica
Gold mosaics from floor to dome, and no photos of it do the ceiling justice.
Named tickets are sold online on the Basilica's official site: €10 for the church, €20 with the Pala d'Oro altarpiece, €20 for the museum and the terrace with the bronze horses, €30 for everything. Large bags aren't allowed in, and there's a free deposit nearby at Ateneo San Basso. Dress as you would for any church. On Sunday mornings only the museum and terrace open.
The terrace is the part we'd pay for: you look over the square from the Basilica's own front, bronze horses beside you. If you want a guide for the mosaics, this Basilica tour with terrace and museum is rated 4.7. We cover timing in detail in our St Mark's Basilica guide.
3. Spend Two Hours in the Doge's Palace
The seat of the Venetian Republic: a Gothic façade outside and the Republic's grand state rooms inside. The route also takes in the Bridge of Sighs and the prisons.
A ticket is €35, or €30 if you book online 30 or more days ahead, and it includes the Museo Correr. It's open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. April to October (last entry 6 p.m.) and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. November to March. Bulky bags go in a free cloakroom.
You can book a reserved-entry ticket (4.6 from more than 46,000 reviews) to skip the ticket line, or a guided tour of the palace and the Basilica if you'd rather have the story. The Secret Itineraries tour (€40, reservation only, and latecomers are refused) takes you through the hidden rooms. See our Doge's Palace page for the full routes.
The best view of the Bridge of Sighs from outside is from the Ponte della Paglia, free, a minute away. Go early, before the photo crowd arrives.
4. Climb the Campanile (Or Don't)
There's a lift up the bell tower. The ticket is €15 on the Basilica's official site.
Is it worth it? On a clear day, yes: the whole lagoon is laid out. But if you've already booked the Basilica terrace, we'd pick one of the two. If the sky is hazy, skip the tower and save the €15.
5. Book the Clock Tower Tour
The Torre dell'Orologio is the only way into the clock mechanism and onto the roof terrace above the square. It's guided only, takes about an hour and costs €15 (€11 reduced). Booking is required, and children under 6 aren't admitted.
It's not included in the Museum Pass. It's the pick for people who've done the Basilica and the Palace and want something few visitors book.
6. See the Biennale Before It Closes
The Venice Art Biennale runs from 9 May to 22 November 2026, mostly in the Giardini and the Arsenale in Castello. If your trip falls inside those dates, it's the best reason in autumn to walk out to Castello, the part of Venice most day-trippers never reach.
We haven't verified current ticket prices, so check the Biennale's official site. After 22 November, Castello is simply the calm neighbourhood east of St Mark's.
7. Browse Libreria Acqua Alta
A bookshop where books are kept in bathtubs and a gondola, and there's a staircase of old books you can climb to look over the canal. It's free, open daily from 9 a.m. to about 7:10 p.m., and the outdoor staircase has a last entry around 5:15 p.m.
It's small and gets packed. Go at opening or skip it. If you do buy something, buy a postcard. Nobody needs to carry a waterlogged atlas home.
Things to Do Along the Grand Canal and in San Polo
8. Ride Vaporetto Line 1 Down the Grand Canal
Take line 1 slowly from Piazzale Roma or the station all the way to San Marco. It takes around 45 minutes, stopping at almost every landing, and you pass the Rialto Bridge and nearly every palace you've seen in photos.
A single ACTV ticket is €9.50 and valid for 75 minutes. Day cards are €25 (24 hours), €35 (48 hours) and €45 (72 hours); a 7-day card is €65. If you plan to ride more than three times, the pass is cheaper. Line 2 is faster but makes fewer stops. A waterbus pass from GetYourGuide is the easy way to buy before you arrive.
Sit outside at the front or back. Inside is for commuters.
9. Cross the Rialto Bridge at Dawn
The Rialto Bridge is free, and the shops on it are not why you come. You come for the view up and down the canal.
At 8 a.m. you can stand at the top without elbowing anyone. Then walk five minutes to the Rialto market for produce and the fish stalls. The fish market is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
10. Take a Traghetto Across the Canal
The gondola for locals. Traghetti are plain, standing-room-only gondolas that ferry you across the Grand Canal for about €2 at a handful of crossings. You get a short gondola ride for the price of a coffee.
Not every crossing runs every day, so check at the landing. It's the nearest thing to a gondola ride that Venetians actually take.
11. Visit the Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Tintoretto covered the walls and ceilings of this building with enormous paintings, and the effect is overwhelming. Admission is €12 (€14 with the church), daily 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There are no online tickets, so you buy at the door.
Bring something to rest your neck on: you'll spend a lot of time looking up.
Things to Do in Dorsoduro
12. See the Gallerie dell'Accademia
The best collection of Venetian painting in the world, from Bellini to Veronese and Tintoretto. The official full price is €15, Tuesday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with ticket sales ending at 6 p.m. Under-18s are free, and the first Sunday of the month is free for everyone (arrive early). Online tickets go through the official reseller, TicketOne.
Check the museum's opening calendar before you go for any closures. Allow two hours. If you only have time for one museum, make it this one, not the Doge's Palace.
13. Visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Picasso, Pollock and Dalí in the former home of the American collector, right on the Grand Canal. It costs €17 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Tuesdays. You can book a skip-the-line ticket in advance (4.4 from more than 300 reviews when we checked).
It's small and manageable in an hour and a half, and the sculpture garden is the best place to sit down in Dorsoduro. A good pick when the weather turns.
14. See the Salute and the Zattere at Sunset
The great white dome at the mouth of the Grand Canal. The church itself is free; the sacristy, with its paintings, has a separate small ticket.
Then walk along the Zattere, the long waterfront promenade facing Giudecca, with an aperitivo at one of the cafés. It's a popular sunset walk, and it's free.
15. Pick One Palace: Ca' Rezzonico
A palace on the Grand Canal that now works as a museum of 18th-century Venice. Entry is €20, and it's closed on Tuesdays.
It's a lot of ticket for a house. If you've seen the Accademia and the Palace, we'd skip this one, unless you love rooms with frescoed ceilings.
Things to Do in Cannaregio
16. Wander Cannaregio and the Fondamenta della Misericordia
The neighbourhood where Venetians still live and eat. The canal-side street Fondamenta della Misericordia has bars with outdoor tables, and in the evening it's the place for a spritz. It's free.
Come after 5 p.m., when the day-trippers have gone. Come hungry.
17. Walk the Jewish Ghetto
The world's first ghetto, created in 1516 and still the centre of Jewish life in Venice. The small campo with its tall buildings is free to walk. The Jewish Museum charges €18 and is closed on Saturdays, but its official page says a renovation was due to finish with a reopening in the autumn, so check before you go.
A guided walk with synagogue visits is rated 4.7 from more than 400 reviews, and it's the way to get inside the synagogues.
Experiences Worth Booking in Venice
18. Take a Gondola Ride (Or Don't)
The official rate set by the city is €90 for 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., and €110 for 35 minutes between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. The price is for the whole boat, up to five people. Agree the route and price before you step in.
Is it worth it? It depends.
The Grand Canal is better by vaporetto. The side canals, in the quiet back streets, are where a gondola earns its price, and a boat split five ways costs about €18 each. Alone or as a couple, we'd skip it and take the traghetto. If you want to book, this Grand Canal gondola ride with commentary is rated 4.2 from more than 18,000 reviews on GetYourGuide. Our Venice gondola ride guide explains how to avoid overpaying.
19. Eat Cicchetti at a Bacaro
Cicchetti are small bites (often on bread) served with a glass of wine at a bacaro, usually standing. Head for the side streets, not the square. A few euros a plate is typical, which is why it's the best-value meal in the city.
If you'd rather not guess, a food tour is a good first-night plan: this cicchetti street-food and sightseeing walk is rated 4.8, and the food tasting tour with wine 4.9. Our best restaurants in Venice list covers sit-down meals.
20. See La Fenice
Venice's opera house, rebuilt after fires, is one of the most beautiful theatres in Italy. You can tour it by day, or hear a performance. Visits run daily, roughly 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., booked on the theatre's site. A La Fenice entry ticket with audio guide is rated 4.6 from more than 13,000 reviews.
Go if it's raining: it's one of the best indoor options in the city.
21. Join a Walking Tour for the Back Streets
Venice has no street grid, so a guide pays for itself on your first morning. A highlights and hidden gems walk is rated 4.6 and takes two hours. See our Venice tours roundup for more.
Things to Do on the Lagoon Islands
The islands aren't charged the access fee, and they're the easiest escape from the crowds.
22. See Glass-Blowing on Murano
Murano is Venice's glass island. Reach it from Fondamente Nove on vaporetto lines 4.1 or 4.2. The Glass Museum costs €15 and is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April to October.
Beware the free "factory tours" that end in a showroom. The cheapest honest way to see glass blown is a demonstration (about 20 minutes, rated 4.6 from nearly 700 reviews).
23. Spend Half a Day on Burano and Torcello
Burano is the island of brightly painted houses and lace. The Lace Museum costs €7 and is closed on Mondays. Torcello, a short hop beyond, is much quieter, with a basilica full of Byzantine mosaics. A three-museum combined ticket (Glass, Lace and Torcello) costs €20 if you visit all three.
Don't try to do it all by yourself. For a first trip, a guided Murano and Burano visit takes 4.5–5.5 hours and rates 4.5 from nearly 9,000 reviews. To include Torcello, take the Murano, Burano and Torcello boat tour (4.4 from more than 6,700 reviews, around 6 to 7.5 hours). Our day trips from Venice page covers Verona and the Dolomites too.
Tip: Is the Museum Pass Worth It?
The Museum Pass for St Mark's Square costs €50 and is valid for six months. The Doge's Palace alone is €35, so the pass only pays if you'll visit the Palace, the Correr and several other civic museums. It doesn't include the Clock Tower. For most first-timers, the single Palace ticket is the better buy.
How Many Days in Venice?
Two to three full days is right for a first visit, whatever you decide to do in Venice.
That's enough for St Mark's and the Palace, a day among the museums and quiet neighbourhoods, and half a day on the islands. One day works as a stop on a longer trip. Seven days in Venice is too long for most people, unless you're using it as a base for day trips to Verona and Padua. If you're wondering what to do in Venice with a single day, take the first four items on this list and add a cicchetti lunch. Our Venice itinerary lays out each day, and our Italy itinerary shows how Venice fits with Florence and Rome.
Getting Around Venice
You walk.
Venice has no cars, and most things to do in Venice are within walking distance of each other. The vaporetto covers longer distances; see item 8 for fares. Trains arrive at Santa Lucia station (not Mestre, on the mainland), and you can compare times on Omio's Venice to Florence page. Our guides to Rome to Venice, Florence to Venice and Milan to Venice cover the main routes, and our trains in Italy guide explains tickets. For the airport, see our Venice airport guide, or pre-book a transfer with Welcome Pickups.
Best Time to Visit Venice
Spring and early autumn are the best balance of weather and crowds; summer is the busiest. Our best time to visit Venice guide goes month by month, and the Venice Carnival page covers the pre-Lent crowds.
Where to Stay in Venice
Stay on the island if you can: you'll see the city at night and early morning, when it's at its best. Three we'd consider:
- Combo Venezia: budget, in a former convent in Cannaregio (rated 9.1 on Booking.com when we checked).
- Centauro Hotel: mid-range, on Campo Manin between Rialto and St Mark's (rated 8.4).
- The Gritti Palace: the splurge, on the Grand Canal (rated 9.5).
Our guides to where to stay in Venice and the best hotels in Venice go further, and our Venice travel guide covers fees, costs and the rules. Comparing cities? Read our Florence vs Venice page.
Plan Your Venice Trip
- Hotel: pick your area first (see above).
- Tickets: book the Doge's Palace and St Mark's ahead.
- Airport transfer: Welcome Pickups or the bus.
- eSIM: get data before you land with Yesim.
- Insurance: cover medical costs and cancellations with Visitors Coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7 days in Venice too long?
For most people, yes. Two to three full days covers St Mark's, the Doge's Palace, the museums and a half day on the islands. Seven days only makes sense if you're using Venice as a base for day trips to places like Verona and Padua, or you want a very slow trip.
How much is a gondola ride in Venice?
The city's official rate is €90 for 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., and €110 for 35 minutes between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. The price covers the whole boat, which takes up to five people. Agree the route and price before you get in.
Do you have to pay to enter Venice?
Only day-trippers, and only on set days. For 2027 the city has approved 72 fee days from 26 March to 15 August, with a fee of no more than €10. Overnight guests in the municipality and children under 14 don't pay, and the lagoon islands aren't charged.
What are some fun things to do in Venice on a Sunday?
Walk Cannaregio, ride vaporetto line 1 and have cicchetti, which all work on a Sunday. Note that the Rialto fish market is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and St Mark's Basilica only opens the museum and terrace on Sunday mornings. The first Sunday of the month is free at the Accademia.
What is there to do in Venice when it rains?
Go indoors: the Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Ca' Rezzonico and La Fenice are all covered. The Doge's Palace is the biggest indoor visit and takes about two hours.
Can you wear jeans in Venice?
Yes, jeans are fine in the streets. For St Mark's Basilica and other churches, cover your shoulders and knees. Shirtless or swimwear-only walking in the city centre can be fined.
Is Venice walkable?
Yes. Venice has no cars and most of the main sights are a short walk apart, but expect many bridges with steps. Use the vaporetto for longer hops, such as the length of the Grand Canal or the trip to the islands.
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