There is nowhere like Venice — a city of canals, palaces and no cars. Beyond the famous sights, the magic is in getting lost. Here are the best things to do.
The 8 best things to do in Venice
The golden Byzantine basilica and Piazza San Marco — go early or late to beat the crush.
The Gothic seat of Venetian power, linked to the prisons by the Bridge of Sighs.
Ride the No. 1 water bus end to end — the world’s most beautiful “bus route.”
The iconic bridge and the morning fish-and-produce market beside it.
Island-hop to glass-blowing Murano and rainbow-housed, lace-making Burano.
Venice’s real joy — wander Cannaregio and Dorsoduro away from the crowds.
Hop between bacari bars for Venetian small plates and an ombra of wine.
A superb modern-art museum in an unfinished palazzo on the Grand Canal.
Suggested itinerary
Day 1: St Mark’s, Doge’s Palace, Rialto, then a cicchetti crawl. Day 2: Murano and Burano, plus getting lost in Dorsoduro.
Tips for visiting Venice
- Buy a multi-day vaporetto pass — single rides add up fast
- Visit St Mark’s Square at dawn for empty, magical photos
- A gondola is pricey but iconic; split the cost between up to 5 people
Don’t pay 90 euros for a gondola, and know exactly when the city charges you to enter
The €90 gondola ride (€110 after 7 p.m.) for 30 minutes is the single most oversold thing in Venice. It holds up to five people, so it’s bearable split four ways, but if you just want the feeling of standing in a gondola on the Grand Canal, locals use the traghetto. These are working gondolas that ferry people straight across the canal for €2. The crossings at San Toma and Santa Sofia (by the Rialto fish market) are the easiest to find. It’s a two-minute ride, you usually stand, and nobody sings, which is the point.
The logistics fact that catches day-trippers in 2026: Venice charges an access fee on roughly 60 peak days, every Friday through Sunday from April 3 to July 26, plus the late-April and early-June stretches. It’s €5 if you book online a few days ahead, €10 if you wait. It only applies to day visitors. Book even one night inside the municipality and you’re exempt (you pay the hotel tax instead).
Skip restaurants near San Marco with photo menus. Go to a bacaro in Cannaregio along Fondamenta della Misericordia for cicchetti and an ombra of wine for a couple of euros each, standing at the bar like everyone else.
Venice FAQ
How many days do you need in Venice?
Two to three — one for the icons, one for the islands, time to wander.
Is Venice worth it despite the crowds?
Yes — stay overnight and explore early/late when the day-trippers leave.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.