Top Things to do in City of Venice
Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in City of Venice, Veneto
Discover the best top things to do in City of Venice, Italy including Isola di Burano, Canal Grande, Piazza San Marco, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Doge's Palace, Basilica di San Marco, Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Campanile di San Marco, San Giorgio Maggiore, Cannaregio.
Restaurants in City of Venice
1. Isola di Burano
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 217 reviews
Just 40 minutes from Venice, Burano is one of the most characteristic islands of the lagoon. Famous for its colorful houses, lace making and local fish cuisine
Reviewed By EcoBean - Kennington, United Kingdom
Burano is like the baby sister of Murano, with plenty of opportunity to buy the fantastic murano glass, but Burano, is actually more famous for it's lace making and products. There are women dotted around the shops demonstrating their lace making skills, and plenty of small lace items to buy a piece of this artwork. The buildings and architecture on this island are really colourful (purportedly the fishermen painted their houses bright colours to find their way home in the frequent fogs that cover the Islands). The maze of brightly painted homes are a delight to wander around and between the shop lined streets are plenty of restaurants, bars and bistros to enjoy a break and refreshments. I recommend the ice-cream parlours!! Can't leave Italy without trying the ice-cream. The frequency of the water buses between Burano, Murano and the main islands of Venice is good, right into the early hours of the morning, and very reasonably priced to make a complete day of island hopping cheaply and easily.
2. Canal Grande
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 41,173 reviews
Venice's main water thoroughfare, lined with great Renaissance palaces, is a colorful and busy spectacle of gondolas and vaporetti.
Reviewed By Bandit-One - Lucerne, Switzerland
We have been in Venice a bunch of times. But still amazes us the same as the first time. It's just a lovely place to be. Countless sights, great food and no (car) traffic. The Canale Grande is one of the most famous sights in the city. And rightly so. You could rent a private water taxi, take a tour boat or just hop on one of the water buses. For us the water bus was fine. Drive along the whole canale or hop and off (buy a day-ticket). You will pass endless interesting sights. Starting from the train station (Ferrovia) the Ponte degli Scalzi, the Chiesa di San Simeon Piccolo, the Chiesa di San Geremia, Rialto Mercato and Rialto Bridge, the Ponte dell’Accademia, the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, the Punta della Dogana and at the other end the Piazza San Marco with the Palazzo Ducale and the Basilica di San Marco. And that's just the very big sights along the way. Of course you also can walk through Venice (we love it) and you will pass the Canale lots of times. It's also fun just to wander around without plan and getting lost in the beautiful backstreets of Venice. This time we were lucky to rent an apartement for a few day directly on the Canale Grande. With views of the canal from every room. Be it in the morning during breakfast or in the evenings when the lights on the canal seemed magical: We never got and never will get bored of that sight. Light or dark, day or night, sunny or rainy. The Canale Grande is a sight to behold. Love it - and we love this town.
3. Piazza San Marco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36,943 reviews
It is said that Napoleon called San Marco "the drawing room of Europe." And it is a breathtakingly beautiful place. But the square has long been a lure for massive numbers of pigeons, drawn by the massive numbers of tourists who readily feed them. While the tourists happily post for photos amid the flock, there are concerns that the birds' presence--and what they leave behind--will damage the centuries old architecture and art work.
Reviewed By usctrojantravelgirl - Los Angeles, United States
I’ve visited St. Mark’s Square many times but truly enjoyed this visit. While the piazza was crowded and even flooded during high tide, the waters quickly diminished, the weather was beautiful and there are enough opportunities to get the perfect photos!
4. Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,962 reviews
The Scuola Grande di San Rocco is a lay confraternity founded in 1478. The popularity of the cult of St. Roch, whose remains had been in the possession of the brotherhood since 1485, contributed to the latter’s rapid expansion to the extent of it becoming the richest Scuola of the city. At that point it was decided to build a new monumental headquarters and engage Tintoretto to decorate it with his most celebrated pictorial cycle, illustrating episodes from the New and Old Testaments. It is the only one of the historic Scuole Grandi to have survived the fall of the republic. It is a unique site, where over 60 paintings are preserved in their original setting in a building that has hardly undergone any alteration since its construction. The confraternity is still active today, carrying out its traditional charitable duties as well as looking after its extraordinary artistic patrimony.
Reviewed By 760billa - Spring Lake, United States
The Scuola Grande di San Rocco is one of those places that I suspect many visitors to Venice have never heard about. But, it should make every tourist's short list of places to see while in Venice. It features the artwork of the Italian painter, and master of the Venetian school, known as Tinteretto. To appreciate the history behind this building and the life story of Tinteretto, I highly recommend using the audio guide which is available for a reasonable charge. The audio guide will lead you through three floors of artwork. You can choose how much or how little detail you care to listen to. Even if you only have an hour, I think this is a must do attraction in Venice.
5. Doge's Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26,297 reviews
A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the building and its sculptural decoration date from various periods. The interior, with works by artists such as Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, A.Vittoria and Tiepolo, includes vast council chambers, superbly decorated residential apartments, and austere prison cells. Along the facades of the Palace run loggias that overlook St. Mark’s Square and the lagoon. The combined entrance ticket to the St. Mark’s Square Museums grants access to the Doge’s Palace, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of Biblioteca Marciana.
Reviewed By I5778HMtrevors - Kidderminster, United Kingdom
As part of a tour through viator including Basillica. Doges Palace is superb with beautiful Paintings everywhere Did tour including dungeons so walked over Bridge of Sighs All amazing Suggest earliest Guided tour available to beat the crowds
6. Basilica di San Marco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28,574 reviews
Blending the architectural styles of East and West, Venice's magnificent basilica was consecrated in 832 AD as an ecclesiastical building to house the remains of St. Mark.
Reviewed By 627brendand
We visited this beautiful church and were blown away by the opulent gold mosaic artwork and beautiful sculptures and architecture. It was a personal goal to visit San Marco and the square so it was for us a dream come true. The disappointing thing was the general level of dishonesty around Venice by business people. To buy anything was a complete rip off, even a coffee and croissant was extortionate. You had to always check your change as we were deliberately short changes several times and my wife was also pick pocketed in Milan the very hour we arrived in Italy. So be careful with your money and I wouldn’t eat or buy any food in tourist areas. Also when we arrived at the train station in Venice the square was under about 12 inches of water. People were everywhere selling waterproof waders to put your feet in. 20 Euro later ...These promptly leaked and we were soaked anyway after 5 minutes of use. This was dishonesty on an industrial scale. Also no one told us that if you simply waited about an hour the tide would recede and you could walk around on dry ground. This basic information was simply not available to tourists. My advice would be, go for the beauty and amazing art and be very careful, as there is unfortunately a rip off culture everywhere.
7. Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,171 reviews
Originally built in the mid-13th century, Santa Maria Glorisoa dei Frari (St. Mary of the Friars) houses many masterpieces of Venetian Renaissance art, notably Giovanni Bellini's triptych "Madonna and Child with Saints," the "Assumption" and the "Pesaro Madonna" by Titian, Saint John the Baptist by Donatello.
Reviewed By rzoe - Cambridge, United States
This Basilica is home to Titian's Assumption of Mary which is one of the most beautiful paintings in the world - it takes your breath away. It's 22 feet high, 11 feet wide and is perfect for its place on the high altar of the church. The church also has some fine Bellini's, but the reason to go there is the Titian. We were there is September and there were very few tourists so were able to sit and look at the painting in peace.
8. Campanile di San Marco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9,064 reviews
Originally built as a lighthouse to assist navigation in the lagoon, visitors can be whisked by elevator to the top of St. Mark's Campanile or bell tower to savor incredible views of Venice, the lagoon and the Alps in the distance.
Reviewed By chicago90Phoenix
If you love priceless views including the multiple domed roof of St. Marks Church, this is the place to be. You will appreciate the beauty and how special and unique Venice is when you have this birds eye view perspective of this empire.
9. San Giorgio Maggiore
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,903 reviews
Reviewed By tg22wa - Seattle, United States
Visit this beautiful church designed by Palladio, the adjoining monastery (owned by the Cini Foundation*). Take the elevator to the top off the church bellower to see Venice, the island grounds and Giudecca from a wonderful distance. The Cini foundations offers regular tours of the former monastery buildings and grounds. You cannot just visit on your own. The tours seem to be about every hour but check ahead to coordinate this visit with the church and belltower visit. You can easily take Vaporetto 2 from several different points including from St. Mark's pier. The grounds include an incredible maze of boxwood created in 2012. Of special note to art lovers: 1. the refrectory of this monastery was the original home of Veronase's Wedding Feast of Cana in the Louvre. It was taken by Napoleon in the early 1800s and never returned. The Cini Foundation has replaced the original with a beautiful digital copy to give a sense of where this huge artwork belongs . . . 2. One of Tintoretto's last paintings, an innovative Last Supper, is located to the right of the main alter. Created for THIS space, the painting is orientated to be seen from the side. Read about both paintings before you go.
10. Cannaregio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,481 reviews
Rival to Castello for bragging rights as the largest of Venice's six sestieri (boroughs).
Reviewed By tobiasr577 - Gothenburg, Sweden
If you Wanna see the ”real” Venice and communicate With the people of Venice you should live and walk around in this area! You Will feel the Italian warmth spread around you and also see How the Venetians live and Maybe even love!
