All Posts, Europe, Italy · How To Spend Two Days In Venice Looking for the best things to do in Venice in 2 days? Hoping to see all the best sights and some hidden gems? Keep reading for a detailed guide on How To Spend 2 Days in Venice! With its turquoise waters, famous gondolas, winding canals, and romantic ambiance, Venice is unlike any other destination in the world. This floating city is on every traveler’s bucket list, and rightfully so! Venice is certainly more than just a pretty face, with centuries of history lurking between its canals. From around 1100 to 1500, Venice was Europe’s richest city. It grew wealthy as the middleman in trade between Europe and Asia. Merchants would sail the Mediterranean, then return to Venice’s Grand Canal and sell their goods for profit. You can imagine all the wealthy people of their time cruising along Venice’s canals and walking along its narrow streets. Here you’ll find a 2-day itinerary to explore “The Floating City”. Feel free to use this as-is, or as a starting guide to building your own perfect Venice itinerary. When to Go When you decide to visit Venice is based on what you want to experience in the city. I recommend avoiding the summer months of July and August if possible as it’s hot and that leads to the canals sometimes smelling. Not exactly what you imagined when you see that picture-postcard photo of Venice, huh? Here is more info on the “best” times to visit: Best Time for Sightseeing: The shoulder season of Spring and Autumn are the best times to enjoy sightseeing in Venice. You’ll experience reduced crowds, the best weather, and cheaper accommodations. Personally, this is my favorite time to visit! Best Time to attend Carnivale: The famous Carnival lines the streets of Venice in February during the 2 weeks preceding Lent. World-famous for its elaborate masks, the festival is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I visited Carnivale in 2013 and it was an amazing experience, though definitely crowded, to say the least! Best Time to avoid the crowds: Venice sees up to 4.5 million tourists navigate their way through its winding canals each year. If you want to avoid the brunt of the tourist season, December through early February is the best time to visit. While temperatures average in the 30s and 40s, this time of year still has its advantages with discounted accommodation rates and fewer crowds. I visited once in early March and, while a bit overcast, you really can’t complain. Plus, the cheap flights and hotels were a nice bonus. Arriving in Venice Most travelers arrive in Venice via the Venice Marco Polo airport (VCE). There are a couple of options to reach the city center from the airport: via water or land. What more appropriate way to enter Venice than on a boat (got your swim trunks and your flippie-floppies)? There are 2 main options when entering via the lagoon: Water Taxi – The more expensive option at 120 euros round trip, this has the perk of dropping you off right at your hotel. You can purchase your ticket in advance here. You can also book a shared water taxi (minimum of 2 people), for 50 euros per person round trip. Book here. Alilaguna (water bus) – This is the method I used to reach Venice when visiting. While it takes some time to figure out the timetables and routes (depending on where your hotel is located), I found that it was easy to hop on a boat and be within a 5-minute walking distance of our hotel. Good to note that this is the cheaper option of arriving via water (27 euros per person round trip), but it can take up to 75 minutes to reach the city center. You can book your tickets here. If you prefer to arrive in Venice on land, you also have a couple of options: Bus: the cheapest option is via bus. It will cost 8 euros for a single ticket and 15 euros for a return. In about 20-25 minutes, you will arrive at Piazzale Roma, the last point in Venice where cars can go. From there, you can either take a water bus or simply walk to your hotel. Taxi: You can also take a taxi from Marco Polo. Rates run about 40 euros and take about 20 minutes to reach Piazzale Roma. You’ll then have to connect to your hotel via a Vaporetto or walk. Getting Around Once you’ve reached your hotel in Venice, getting around the city is relatively easy. Venice is best explored on foot, so you’ll find that you may not even need to take any public transportation. However, it’s helpful to know how Venice’s public transportation works, as it’s unlike any you’ve ever seen before. Instead of using buses and cars (which are banned within Venice itself), Venice takes advantage of its web of canals by offering all their public transportation on boats. How cool! There are several different types of boats, each with different names and meanings. It can be a bit confusing to most tourists (including myself!), so here’s what you need to know: Vaporetto: Basically what would be a public transportation bus in a normal city. This large boat has a fixed schedule and many stops, mostly transporting locals around the city. If you follow this 2-day guide, we take advantage of this “bus” to see the city how it’s meant to be seen – on the water! You can also use this to get to Venice’s surrounding islands like Murano and Burano. Alilaguna: Another water bus, but only travels to and from the Marco Polo Airport. I recommend arriving in the city via this route if you book a centrally located hotel. Gondola: Of course, everyone knows what a gondola is! This traditional boat is only used for sightseeing around Venice’s canals and is not a means of transportation to and from a particular area.Traghetto: Only 2-3 euros per trip, this gondola-looking boat is only used for the short trip to cross the Grand Canal. This is a good alternative if you want to experience a gondola ride, but don’t want to pay the hefty price. Top Tips for Venice Make sure you have a good map of Venice and clear directions on how to reach your hotel before your arrival. Your phone GPS is not accurate in the maze of Venice’s streetsPack light as you may be carrying your luggage over cobblestone streets and bridgesDon’t be afraid to get lost (spoiler: you will). Venice is a small island, so you can’t go too far. Plus getting lost is half the fun here 2 Days in Venice Itinerary Now, for the good stuff! Below you’ll find how to spend 2 days in Venice. The timetable lists each event, so you can see ‘big picture’ of how your 2 days will be spent. I have also included Google Maps of each landmark, restaurant, and more! Enjoy! Rialto Bridge & Market T Fondaco Rooftop Frairi Church Grand Canal Tour Explore! St. Marks Square Doges Palace Saint Marks Basilica Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo Acqua Alta library Explore! Day 1 Day 2 Rialto Bridge & Market St. Marks Square T Fondaco Rooftop Doges Palace Frairi Church Grand Canal Tour Saint Marks Basilica Explore! Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo Acqua Alta library Explore! Day 1 Day 2 Rialto Bridge & Market Day 1 Day 2 T Fondaco Rooftop Day 1 Day 2 Frairi Church Day 1 Day 2 Grand Canal Tour Day 1 Day 2 Explore! Day 1 Day 2 St. Marks Square Day 1 Day 2 Doges Palace Day 1 Day 2 Saint Marks Basilica Day 1 Day 2 Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo Day 1 Day 2 Acqua Alta library Day 1 Day 2 Explore! How to use this Google Map: Click on each icon (color coded by day) to get more information about each place. Save this Google Map to use on your trip by clicking the star next to the title of the map. To view the saved map on your smartphone or PC, open Google Maps, click the menu button and go to “Your Places — Maps”. Day 1 – Explore Venice RIALTO BRIDGE Start your first day in Venice strolling along the Grand Canal – the main waterway in Venice – until you reach the Rialto Bridge. Considered the true “heart of Venice,” Rialto Bridge is the city’s oldest and most charming bridge. From atop the bridge, you’ll see the postcard-perfect view of Venice, where you can look out at the many gondolas and boats lining the famous canal – welcome to the ‘Floating City’! Hours: All hoursLocation: Sestiere San Polo, 30125 Venezia VE, ItalySuggested Duration: 30 minutesTips: This bridge can get very busy, so be prepared for crowds! RIALTO MARKET If you pass over the Rialto Bridge, you will come across the Rialto Market, a colorful market packed with fruit, vegetables, and even fish. I always love finding markets, so this is a fun surprise to stumble on. This market has been selling the freshest fresh straight from the Adriatic at this exact location since 1097! It is always bustling with activity and is a great way to see Venice locals going about their daily routines. Head here early in the morning as vendors start selling at 7:30 AM and by 11 most of the fresh produce is gone. Also, if you don’t like the smell of fish, you may want to avoid this market. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 7:30 AM – 1 PMLocation: Campo Della Pescheria and its surrounding streetsSuggested Duration: 30 minutesTips: Don’t touch the produce or fish – even if you plan on buying! Simply point to what you want. T FONDACO ROOFTOP Close to the Rialto Bridge, take advantage of viewing the Grand Canal from above at the luxurious T Fondaco mall. Offering FREE panoramic views of Venice, you are treated to spectacular views of the Rialto Bridge, Grand Canal, and the many orange-tiled roofs of Venice. The T Fondaco mall is very fancy and filled with expensive designer shops, so be sure to marvel and its impressive architecture on your way up. Also, don’t forget to bring your sunglasses or you’ll end up blinded by Venice’s beauty like us! Hours: Every Day 9:45 AM – 7:15 PMLocation: Rialto Bridge, Ramo del Fontego dei Tedeschi, 30100 Venezia VE, ItalySuggested Duration: 15 minutesTips: Access is completely free, but I recommend reserving your ticket in advance here. Visits are limited to 15 minutes, so be sure to arrive on time for your designated time slot. BASILICA OF SAINT MARY FRARI This often-overlooked church is one of the largest in Venice. While it may not look like much on the exterior, it’s what’s on the inside that counts here. Holding a small collection of exquisite Italian masterpieces, the highlight is a painting by Titian called “Assumption of the Virgin”. It is located in the main altar surrounded by stained glass windows. This church really surprised me. By looking at the dull exterior, you would never know how impressive the interior would be. There are several famous sculptures and artwork that make this basilica one of the top attractions in Venice and well worth visiting. Hours: Monday to Saturday: 9 AM – 6 PM; Sunday and festive days: 1 PM – 6 PMLocation: Calle del Scaleter, 3072, 30125 Venezia VE, ItalySuggested Duration: 30 minutes GRAND CANAL TOUR Looking to explore the Grand Canal, but don’t want to spend all your money on a gondola ride? Take advantage of Venice’s public transportation and a free audio guide with Rick Steves. Rick Steves is a Europe travel guru and has produced loads of helpful travel info. For this tour, download a free app called “Rick Steves Audio Europe.” Within the app, download the “Venice – Grand Canal Cruise” audio guide.” This tour is a self-guided tour on a public-transit bus-boat called a vaporetto. Take the vaporetto line 1, which travels from Venice’s train station to St. Mark’s Square via the canal. Start at the Ferrovia stop, purchase your ticket from a ticket booth, validate your ticket, and hop on board. Start the audio guide and learn all about Venice’s unique history as you cruise down one of the largest and most important canals in Italy. The journey will take about 45 minutes, where you’ll learn all about this historic waterway. The journey includes the Ca’ d’Oro Palazzo, Gallerie dell’Accademia, the palazzo Ca’Rezzonico, Santa Maria della Salute, and the famous Rialto Bridge. The end of the tour will drop you off near the most popular spot in Venice – St Mark’s Square. Hours: 5 AM – 11 PMLocation: Venice Train Station to St. Marks SquareSuggested Duration: 1 hour Tips: Catch the vaporetto line #1 from the Ferrovia stopOne- way adult ticket is 7.50 euros You must validate your ticket before use. Look for the white electronic card reader near the walkway that leads to the floating vaporetto platform Sit either on the front of the boat or along the rail on the left side for the best viewsBoats run at intervals of about 12 minutes during the day and 20 minutes in the early morning and late evening Don’t forget to bring your headphones for the audio guide OR.. GONDOLA RIDE Of course, the most famous thing to do in Venice is to cruise its canals on a gondola. While it may be touristy and expensive, it’s worth it to have that bucket-list experience. Expect to pay at least €80 for a 40-minute ride, with evening rides costing upwards of €100. Be sure to agree on a price and ride duration with your gondolier before departing. You can start your ride at various spots around Venice, with the waterside of Doge’s Palace and the Rialto Bridge being the most popular spots. Fun fact: Only 4 gondolier licenses are issued each year! Eager applicants go through extensive training and must pass a rigorous exam to officially wear that striped shirt. EXPLORE Spend the rest of the day getting lost in the hidden, narrow streets and simply indulging yourselves in the beauty of every corner. Oh, and maybe grab a gelato.. or 2! Day 2 – Venice Highlights ST MARKS SQUARE / PIAZZA SAN MARCO The iconic Saint Mark’s Square, which Napoleon called “ the drawing room of Europe” is the most famous and visited site in Venice. Home to St Mark’s Basilica, its bell tower, and Doge’s Palace, this two-and-a-half-acre square is huge, but it feels intimate with its quaint cafes and live orchestras. If you have enough time, grab a coffee at one of the world’s oldest cafes, Caffe Florian. And speaking of time, don’t miss St Mark’s clock tower on the north side of the square. Hours: All hoursLocation: St. Mark’s SquareSuggested Duration: 30 minutesTips – Watch out for the many pigeons that float around the square. If you do get pooped on, they say its good luck! DOGE’S PALACE Formerly the palace of Venice’s ruler, this masterpiece of Gothic architecture is one of the most important buildings in Venice. Home to a maze of rooms lavishly decorated for a king, Doge’s Palace offers a peek into former Venetian power and wealth. Don’t miss the world’s largest oil painting, Il Paradiso by Tintoretto, located in the Chamber of the Great Council. Hours: April 1-October 31: Sundays to Thursdays 8.30 AM – 9 PM; Friday and Saturday 8:30 AM – 11 PM. November 1-March 31: 8:30 AM – 7 PMoximately 1 hour before duskLocation: Palazzo Ducale San Marco,1 30135 VeneziaSuggested Duration: Around 2 hoursTips: It’s worth taking the secret itineraries tour – you’ll get a much more personalized and interesting glimpse into the stories behind the rule of the Doges and the history of the Venetian republic. Plus you get to skip the line. English tours start at 9:55am, 10:45am and 11:35am ST MARK’S BASILICA Named after the apostle Mark, St. Mark’s Basilica a treasure chest of booty looted during Venice’s glory days. From the Roman-style arches over the doors, Greek-style columns, and Russian-style onion-shaped domes, this basilica shows just how many different cultures Venice was associated with during its heyday. Take the time to enter this basilica and marvel at the glittering mosaics made from 24-carat gold. This is one of the most “bedazzled” churches I’ve ever seen! Prefer to take a tour? This combined tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace guides you through all the best art and history of Venice’s most famous landmarks. Hours: Monday to Saturday: 9:30 AM – 5 PM; Sunday and holidays: 2 PM – 4:30 PMLocation: Merceria Orologio, 30124 Venezia VE, ItalySuggested Duration: Around 1 hourTips: If you have a backpack, you cannot enter the basilica. You will have to check it at a shop around the corner. There are signs at the entrance of the church to show you where to drop it off. I saw several people that stood in line with us that didn’t know about this rule, so they had to drop off their backpack and then get back at the end of the line. BRIDGE OF SIGHS For one of the most famous bridges in Venice, walk around the corner of Saint Marks Square and find the Bridge of Sighs. You won’t have to search for long – just follow all the other tourists! While you may think that this bridge got its name from onlookers “sighing” at its beauty, unfortunately, the history behind this bridge is much darker than that, Connecting the Doge’s Palace prison and interrogation room, the Bridge of Sighs has inherited its name from the condemned prisoners crossing it on the way to their execution. They would sigh as they took one last look at the beautiful city as they were escorted into their prison cell. Such a sad history for something so beautiful today. For some lighter history, legend says that if you pass under this bridge when the bells of St Mark’s Campanile ring at sunset and kiss your loved one, your love will be eternal! SCALA CONTARINI DEL BOVOLO Looking to escape the crowds of Venice? Look no further than one of Venice’s most beautiful pieces of architecture: Scala Contarini Del Bovolo. Hidden away in a small courtyard, this 500-year old snail spiral staircase was recently renovated and back to its former glory. After the 112 step climb, you’ll be treated with views of St. Mark’s Campanile floating among a sea of Venice’s orange rooftops – quite a sight to see! Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMLocation: del Bovolo, Corte Contarina, 4303, 30124 Venice VE, ItalySuggested Duration: <1 hour LIBRERIA ACQUA ALTA For one of the quirkiest bookshops in the world, stop by Libreria Acqualta, meaning high-water bookshop. This store is not your average library – instead, its books are stacked in bathtubs, gondolas, and boats to protect the books from the seasonal flooding from the lagoon. Hence the name! This unique stop also includes local cats hanging around the books, making for the most unusual stop in Venice. EXPLORE MORE! Spend the rest of your final day wandering around the maze of canals and wishing you could stay in Venice forever! Where to Eat If you’re anything like me, you probably just came to Italy for all the pizza, pasta, and, of course, GELATO! Here are some of my favorite restaurants. I have also included a pin for each of these in the Google Maps at the top of this post. 6342 a le Tole – the best thing about this restaurant is that you can make a dinner reservation. No more bouncing around from restaurant to restaurant because they’re all full and you’re starving. Make your reservation here.Gelatoteca Suso – best Gelato in Venice! They have tons of yummy flavors to choose from. My favorites were chocolate pistachio peanut butter (basically my 3 favorite foods) and the strawberry cheesecake. YUM.Bar All’Arco– Fresh seafood sourced from the Rialto Market, located just right across the street. Go here for some of the best cicheti, aka Venetian tapas, in town.Ai Mercanti – while a bit more expensive than my other recommendations, I promise this hidden gem is worth it. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu – there’s a reason why it’s listed in the Michelin guide and has a 4.6-star rating on Google. Al Giardinetto da Severino – for down-home traditional Venetian cooking, visit this former 1400s chapel with an adorable vine-covered courtyard. Helpful Phrases While Venice is very touristy and everyone speaks a little English, I always think it’s best to know a few words in the local language. Here are some helpful words and phrases to impress the locals: ENGLISHITALIANPRONOUNCEHelloCiaoChowThank youGrazieGraz-eeGoodbyeArrivederciAree-ved-ercheePleasePer favorePair fav-aw-rayDon’t mention it / you’re welcomePregoPray-goGood morning / good afternoonBuongiornoBwon jaw-no So there you go, that’s how to spend 2 days in Venice! Are you visiting soon? Have you been before? Let me know in the comments! Visiting other parts of Italy? Check out my other blog posts about Italy: 10 Photos to Inspire You to Visit ItalyHow to Spend 3 Epic Days in RomeItaly Travel Guide DID YOU LIKE THIS POST? PIN IT FOR LATER!
