A weekend in Venice: the perfect itinerary
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Only have a few days to spend in Venice and looking for the perfect itinerary? Then stick around as we explore the best way to maximise your time ensuring you see the best hot spots and attractions!
Can you really see Venice in a weekend?
Yes you can!
With some know-how and clever planning around when you intend to visit Venice, you can certainly visit most of the main attractions of the island and beyond in a weekend.
We recently did this when we visited during Carnevale (mid-February) despite there being a lot of tourists taking part in the various parties and events that are held annually on the island for Carnival.
Living in Venice
I used to live in Venice during my time at university and have pretty much seen all of the main sights in Venice and the surrounding islands (don’t forget that Venice is more than just one island, there is a whole lagoon of islands to visit!),
Here are some of my top tips and recommendations if you only have a short time to visit.
Day 1 – Piazza San Marco
The most well-known square in all of Venice is Piazza San Marco. You’ll see signs everywhere on the island guiding you here.
💡Pro Tip: You’ll see lots of signs on the side of buildings as you wander around. Yellow signs are for main tourist attractions so if you get lost (easily done in the warren of little alleyways and side streets) just try and follow these yellow signs.
The Piazza is home to multiple attractions including; St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, the Campanile (Belltower) and Correr Museum meaning that you can see a lot of the main sights within the same vicinity – easy!
In order to maximise your time, I’d recommend booking a tour which gets you access to a few of these sights. We recently did this and booked a tour which included a tour guide, access to the Basilica with queue jump, Doge’s Palace and the Correr Museum and it was definitely worth it! Interested? I always use GetYourGuide to book any tours, book your St Mark’s tour here.
Let’s break down each of these attractions and the top tips for visiting…
Basilica di San Marco
This imposing building dominates the square. Take in the frescoes which adorn the front of the basilica depicting the story of the transfer of St Mark’s body from Alexandria to Venice. When looking at the exterior, you’ll also spot a terrace – tourists are permitted up here at an additional cost and provides a unique view of the square.
The interior is one of the most decorative basilicas I’ve visited in Italy, the place just exudes wealth and importance – I mean the whole ceiling is made out of gold! The whole place revolves around St Mark’s tomb who is said to be laid to rest here.
Palazzo Ducale
Probably one of my favourite examples of Italian architecture is the Doge’s Palace with its quintessential Venetian arches. The interior is equally as impressive, with very lavish rooms which were once used for meeting places for governing ministries and councils of the republic of Venice.
While walking through these rooms, it’s easy to forget that it was also a prison, and that’s where the famous Bridge of Sighs comes in.
The Bridge of Sighs was used to transport prisoners from their cells to the courtrooms and with this tour, you get to actually take the same journey as they did. It’s a really surreal experience as you watch hundreds of tourists taking photos of you on the bridge, while you yourself are walking it (see photo below!).
Correr Museum
This museum isn’t your traditional Italian art museum. Don’t get me wrong, it has some stunning art work and sculptures, lots by the famous Canova, but it also features royal apartments. There’s even a ballroom you can visit and it’s a welcome change away from the hustle and bustle of the square just below.
Arrivederci San Marco?
If you’ve had enough of St Mark’s by this time and want to go exploring other areas of Venice, be sure to stop by the famous Rialto bridge, which is about a 10 minute walk away from the square (providing you don’t get lost!).
Day 2 – Get lost and discover other areas of Venice
Exploring the rest of the island is really fun and the best way is to just get lost and wander.
Here’s a breakdown of each area and what you can expect to find there.
Dorsoduro
Once you’ve seen the main sites and want to head away from the crowds, head to another area on the island – Dorsoduro. I feel that this area is quieter with tourists but more popular with locals and students as this is where most of the main university buildings are located. I know this area pretty well from my time studying here and it still remains my favourite. From St Mark’s I love walking right along the edge of Dorsoduro so that you have a great view of Giudecca the island opposite. If you head over to the Guggenheim museum and go all the way to the end, this even provides a unique shot of St Mark’s, away from all the crowds.
From here walk inland and stop for a rest at my absolute favourite place in Venice; Campo Santo Margherita. This square contains a bunch of restaurants, bars and B&Bs and is super popular with students, making it a very cheap place to eat and drink! It is my favourite place to kick back with a spritz and people watch.
Cannaregio
Follow the fish-like shape of the island to the top (yes Venice kind of resembles a fish if you look at a map!) and make your way round to Cannaregio – a very popular area for tourists to stay. This is also where the main train station, Santa Lucia is also located.
💡Pro Tip: Arriving in Venice by train is iconic – if you haven’t arrived this way, head into the station and walk back out again so that you can experience what it’s like! I think it’s breathtaking.
Cannaregio has one main street and if you follow this all the way around, you’ll eventually get back to St Mark’s square. This area is very busy and vibrant and has lots of hotels and restaurants. If you fancy a bite to eat, head off the main street to some of the quieter side streets where you’re sure to find better places.
💡Pro tip: One of my highlights is to visit the Jewish quarter in this area, it is so peaceful and provides incredible views along the coast.
Santa Croce & San Paolo
Fancy getting lost and wandering? Then head to Santa Croce and San Paolo. These areas very might as well be a labyrinth, and I’ve never successfully managed to navigate my way through these areas despite how many times I’ve tried! You could easily spend a couple of hours exploring and and losing yourself in these streets (would advise doing this if you don’t have somewhere important to be!).
Castello
I don’t think many tourists visit this area making it the perfect place to go for a wander. The ‘fish tail’ is probably the greenest bit of the island and is where you get a sense that the locals live. You can easily get to this area by walking past St Mark’s square and continuing down the front past all of the gondolas and fancy hotels where you’ll eventually come into this area.
Day 3 – Island hopping
By now, you’re probably curious as to what there is off the main island. A lot of tourists go to Venice without realising there’s more to the lagoon than just the one island. This is where the vaporetti (water taxis) come in – they are the perfect way to hop from island to island and are very cheap too (get a day ticket so that you can hop on and off all day!).
Murano
Probably one of the most famous places in the world for glass making, Murano is a very cute island home to a number of glass factories and shops. With lots of vaporetto stops, you can get off at whichever is convenient for you and make your way around the island.
Stop here for lunch and buy souvenirs that you won’t find anywhere else.
Burano
The colourful island! Dotted all along this island are houses of various colours, making it a very happy and cheerful place to walk around. Known for its lace, you could easily spend a few hours chilling and walking around here.
Cimitero
Probably a less-known island is Cimitero – Venice’s cemetery. Now it might sound odd to visit a cemetery, but this is honestly one of the most peaceful and idyllic islands I’ve visited. Only a stone’s throw away from Venice, it offers another view of the island as you can see the island from Cimitero di San Michele. Some very famous people are also buried here.
Conclusion
Of course this list isn’t exhaustive, and Venice is a lot bigger than what people think, especially when you consider all of the islands there are too. You could easily spend a week in this area however if you’re short of time, I hope these hints and tips guide you in making the most of your time in Venice and help you wander (and get lost!) around this beautiful island!
Thera are so many tours to choose from when visiting Venice, be sure to check out GetYourGuide to organise your trip.
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