Things To Do in Venice

Things to do in Venice 

Venice Italy

Are you planning to visit Venice, Italy in 2019? Continue reading for things to do to make a very memorable visit to the City of Canals. Rosita and I have been twice now. We went in 2015 and again in 2017 for a little longer. To be honest on the first trip I was sure I would not like the place but it was one of Rosita’s top choices to visit in Italy. Since we returned you can rightly assume that I liked the city much more than I thought I would. In fact, it is now one of my favorite cities in Europe to visit.  We are even talking about squeezing in a few days in Venice on our next trip to Europe. If you follow our suggestions for things to do, I know you will have a great time. Now I know there are other great thing to do in Venice, but these are our top things to do in Venice and we enjoyed our visit here immensely.   

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Gondola in Venice, Italy

Gondola, Venice italy

Take a Gondola ride 

On our first trip to Venice, taking a ride in a Gondola was Rosita’s top thing she wanted to do and the main reason she had for wanting to visit.  This can get a little pricey. From my research it looks like you will pay from 80 to 150 Euro depending on where the boat is based and the time of the day. It seems like ones near the Rialto Bridge and San Marcos Piazza will cost more and if you find one a little off the beaten path it will be a little less. Also, if you take a ride midday it will be a little less than going in the evening. Go ahead and bite the bullet because this will be the one thing you will regret the most if you don’t do it.  

Alleyway in Venice Italy

Get up early and get lost 

Leave your hotel early in the morning and go exploring on foot. It is an island so you can’t get lost. You will see some interesting things and will probably run into some locals. Also, you will beat the crowds before the tourists staying on the mainland and the cruise ship passengers descend on the city. Then you can enjoy a leisurely lunch, maybe take a nap and get some rest and then wander the city in the evening when the tourists have gone back to the mainland and to their ship. I packed my Canon in my anti-theft PacSafe CamSafe and Rosita took her Travelon anti-theft purse and we spent the morning taking photos and wandering around the island.  

Water Taxi

Water Taxi Venice Italy

Take a ride in a water taxi 

You will see some of the most beautiful wooden motorboats in Venice. Most of these will be water taxis. These, like the Gondolas, can get a little pricey but will probably be the second most thing you will regret if you don’t ride in one. Our ride from the train station to our hotel took about 15 minutes and cost 80 Euro.  

Alilaguna Vaporetto in Venice Italy

Vaporetto Venice Italy

Take a ride on a Vaporetto 

Vaporettos, or water buses are the large boats that operate like buses. These are a great way to travel around the city, the outlying islands and to the airport on the mainland. These compared to buses in Europe are expensive. A one-way ticket will cost you 7.50 Euro. A day pass will cost you 20 Euro and will be a much better deal if you are going to ride at least 3 times a day. Rosita and I bought a a day pass and spent most of one afternoon sightseeing around the city. I packed my Canon Eos 80D in my PacSafe CamSafe and took photos as we toured the city. Line 1 stops at just about every stop and goes the length of the grand canal. This one can get a little crowded but people will be getting on and off constantly so you can grab a seat. There are other express Vaporettos that make way less stops.  I took most of the photos for my article, The Boats of Venice while riding the vaporetto.   

Trattoria Misericordia, Venice Italy

Eat a meal as far away from San Marcos Square as you can 

It seems like the further away from San Marcos Square the better the meal, the less expensive the meal and the more relaxed the atmosphere. Now there are some great restaurants at San Marcos Square and we had a great lunch one day just out of the square, but overall, we enjoyed our meals the further away that we were from the hustle and bustle. Our hotel was in the northeast section of Venice and we had several good meals near it. Our favorite dining experience was at a small restaurant sitting on a canal named Trattoria Misericordia. This is a fantastic little restaurant that we stumbled on while walking back to our hotel one evening.  

Canal in Murano, Italy

Glass Blowing in Murano, Italy

Take a day trip to Murano  

If you have at least half a day, take a trip to the nearby island of Murano. Murano is famous for glass blowing. You can take a Vaporetto or water taxi or some hotels arrange a free trip to a glass company they have an arrangement with. Our hotel provided transportation and entrance to a nice glass company, but we and were on their schedule as to when to watch glass blowing and look at their items for sale. This was a nice facility but we preferred when we went to one of the glass blowing places along the main drag and payed to watch the glass blowers. We enjoyed leisurely shopping on our on time and I purchased a beautiful glass sculpture. The island is a great place to wander around and look at a great variety of glass pieces.

Burano, Italy

Canal in Burano, Italy

Take a day trip to Burano 

Go to Burano and buy some lace. We spent most of an afternoon walking around Burano looking at lace and other things in the small shops. Burano is known for its lace and Rosita enjoyed looking in most of the shops. I people watched and took photos of the very colorful buildings. In the early years the houses were painted very brightly so the fishermen could find their way home, even in heavy fog.  This tradition continues and there are color restrictions and regulations   and residents have to have government approval to paint their houses.  This islands pairs well with Murano to make a full day excursion. There are a few other islands in the area that you can visit but we did not have time to go to any of them  .  

San Marcos Square, Venice, Italy

Wander around Piazza San Marcos 

This is a must stop area. This is the main hub of Venice and will be the most crowded. This is a great spot to people watch and wander around. There will be a band or 2 playing most times of the day. There are many cafes around the square where you can eat, drink a cup of coffee or have a drink. One tip is to go inside the café to order coffee as it will be much cheaper than ordering from the wait staff.  

St Mark’s Basilica

Tour St Mark’s Basilica 

This is the last and one thing that Rosita and I did not do. We ran out of time and headed back to our hotel before we got a chance to tour the church. Since our trip I have seen quite a few beautiful photos of the inside of this church. This is the one thing I regret that we did not do. On our next trip to Venice St. Mark’s Basilica will be the first thing on my list.  

I hope you have enjoyed this article and that you find it useful in the planning of your trip to Venice. If you enjoyed it, I have written a couple of other articles on Venice, Italy.  If you would like you can follow these links to   

Venice, Explore the City of Canals 

The Boats of Venice, Italy 

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