The best things to do in Venice: top places, tours and experiences you’ll love
Our expert travel guide to the best things to do in Venice as a first time visitor: in this guide, we share the best things you can see in Venice, top tours and unique actives to make the most of your time in La Serenissima.
I’m completely in love with Venice.
I visit Venice as often as I can, and every time it visit feels like stepping into a dream.
The quiet lapping of the canals, the play of light on the water, the timeless beauty of its bridges and squares…. Venice has a magic unlike anywhere else, and if you’re visiting for the first time, you’re in for a real treat.
However, I didn’t fall in love with Venice at first sight!
At first sight I liked it and I appreciated its uniqueness, but to actually fall head over heels in love with Venice, it took more than just go and spend a bit of time at its main sites.
The falling in love bit happened when I experienced Venice by living it as a real city: by strolling, eating, rowing, talking to local artisans, going to concerts and, of course, marvelling at its top sites.
I guess I should have known: I am from Rome and this is just the way I recommend visitors to experience my city. Yet somehow, I missed my own memo when I first went to Venice!
So today, I want to save you from making the same error as me, so that you can have a wonderful experience of Venice straight away. Important, especially if you come from far away and may not have the change to hop back here often.
This page is my travel guide to Venice for first time visitors. It gathers my favorite things to do in Venice so you can experience its highlights at an easy, enjoyable pace and get a taste for its very special atmosphere.
If you like what you read and wan to get these tips into an easy to follow itinerary, you can find here >> my Venice itinerary ideas, for one to three days in the city. Safe travels!
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Wander and Get Lost
You’ve probably heard it before: the best thing to do in Venice is to wander aimlessly and get lost. And it’s true!
Venice’s heart is a maze of narrow lanes and bridges that twist and turn through the historic center, an immersive place and open air museum you need to experience all around you.
Getting lost is the best thing to do in Venice to feel what the city is about and it is also a bit of an inevitability as truly: it is hard not to lose your way at least some of the time!
But please, don’t worry: when I say ‘get lost’, I don’t mean you’ll be wandering forever in a panic looking for a way out.
Venice is small, walkable, and very safe so while you may lose your bearings, you’ll always find your way back to familiar landmarks before long and you won’t step into dangerous areas.
Venice is all a big center so it does’t really matter where you wander. however, I believe the nicest areas are Dorsoduro, Cannaregio and Castello, each with their own charm, tourist friendly, yet in parts still authentic and not overrun.
You can read here >> why these are my favorite Venice neighbourhoods for a stroll and what to see in each.
Visit Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica
St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) are two of the top attractions in Venice and both must see Venice landmarks.
The Basilica is a unique masterpiece of Venetian architecture, with incredible Byzantine style mosaic: it is like nothing else in Italy and a true gem, a place where the uniqueness and variety of influences that made Venice become visible in architectural details.
Just beside it, the Doge’s Palace is a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic architecture, filled with ornate halls, secret passageways, and centuries of history.
The palace is fantastic to see both outside and inside: outside, the palace is the one you have most likely seen in Venice photos, with a column portico that seems made of lace. Inside, you have grand halls, and the old Venice prisons, very popular with visitors.
The palace is full of stories and intrigues and one of the few places I really recommend to visit with guide: without the background info, the place is beautiful but you miss the most interesting and unique things about it which is the lives that passed these halls.
The basilica and Doges’ Palace are easily visited together, an approach that makes sense for logistics but also historically.
Because of this, may tours offer the combination of both. These are my favourites:
A good group tour option is this one: a mid budget option, it includes entry ticket, visit to the basilica, the Palace and the Bridge of Sighs, basically the cluster of top landmarks in Venice.
If you have the budget to join a smaller group or even go private, then I recommend to go with LivTours; they have private and semi private tours with a maximum of 6 people and they are exceptional quality. I find their semi private tours especially are perfect if you want a personal experience yet you may want to have some company while visiting or just keep the cost down. Have a look at their Doge’s Palace and San Mark’s basilica tour here.
If you prefer exploring on your own, of course it is possible: you can book entry tickets in advance from the official site or from GetYourGuide, often easier to use: this is the direct link to their skip the line tickets to the palace.
Top Tip for families: Kids tend to love the Doge’s Palace if done with a good guide: it’s full of mysteries and legends! We fond that a family-friendly tour made a big difference for them to enjoy a place that can, otherwise, be a bit dry for them. We liked this one that includes both the palace and basilica and has with interactive games and storytelling that make them fun.
Cross the Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge is one of Venice’s most iconic landmarks, a large, impressive stone bridge crossing the Grand Canal.
Rialto bridge is one of the main landmarks of Venice and it is stunning to see, yet unfortunately it is also overrun by overtourism, one of those places you often see in photos of Venice to show how bad things can get crowd wise.
Getting a good view of Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto) without the crowds is not easy but possible and worth it!
My recommendations is to come to Venice and stay a few nights, so you can come here early in the morning and later in the evening, where the day trippers and cruisers are gone.
Join a Food or Cicchetti Tour
One of the best ways to understand Venice is through its food.
Venice’s culinary traditions reflect centuries of trade with the Mediterranean and beyond, creating a cuisine that’s full of surprising flavors.
If you know my website, you may have already read my guide to what to eat in Venice: if you haven’t, you may want to save it for later, you can save it with the little heart button on the bottom right of the page!
If you stay several days in Venice you can of course taste a lot while eating in my favorite Venice restaurants, or you can get some guidance by joining a cicchetti tour.
A cicchetti tour (cicchetti are Venetian tapas-style small plates served in bacari, or wine bars) is a really fun way to learn about Venice food, see some nice food establishments and also have company for a meal, if you are feeling social!
You can do it in any season: if visiting Venice in winter, I love it as a way to hop between cozy spots and warning up with a glass of wine, but is summer is also a great way to enjoy terraces and a cooling spritz.
This is a delicious way to experience local culture, meet Venetians, and discover hidden gems beyond the tourist paths. There are two I recommend: this one by Devour Tours and this one by Raphael Tours: both excellent!
Try a Mask-Making Workshop
Venice carnival is world famous and a tradition that seeps through the city’s culture well beyond the dates of the event itself.
A great way to tap into this tradition, no matter when in the year you are visiting, is by learning the art of mask making / mask decorating.
In Venice, mask making is a centuries old, significant tradition and nowadays you have several real mask workshops giving classes so you can experience this art yourself.
During these classes, you learn how to decorate your own mask using traditional technique and you will of course bring your mask with you: much nicer souvenir that the mass produced ones you find in tourist shops.
There are two places I recommend for mask making in Venice: this one in the center and this one on Giudecca island, which I love as it is in a small group and also gives the opportunity to visit a lesser know area of Venice, Giudecca which is really worth seeing and blissfully quiet!
Explore the Jewish Ghetto
Venice historic ghetto is a beautiful and meaningful part of Venice worth visiting.
You can simply have a stroll by yourself, and take in the atmosphere, or I highly recommend getting a local guide to get into the ins and out of its history which is unique and important and the Venice ghetto is the first and oldest ghetto in Italy, established in 1516.
A great tour of this area is this one.
Discover Venice’s Museums and Indoor Gems
When it rains or the fog rolls in, Venice’s museums are the perfect refuge. Some I recommend you see are:
- Gallerie dell’Accademia – A stunning collection of Venetian art from the 14th to 18th centuries.
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection – A modern art treasure and great for families too, since the museum has a kid-friendly atmosphere and even family days
- Ca’ Rezzonico – A fascinating look at Venetian life in the 18th century.
- Museo Correr – History, art, and Venetian culture right on St. Mark’s Square.
Enjoy the Views from San Giorgio Maggiore
Many people like to climb St Mark’s Tower to get a view of the city but there is another tower I recommend even more, the one of San Giorgio Maggiore.
San Giorgio Maggiore is a church on a small island by the same name, at the end of the Grand Canal. The islands is quiet and pretty, off the beaten track and has a tower you can climb with beautiful views of the Byzantine domes of San Giorgio itself, the Grand Canal and St Mark’s just in front!
No need to book and usually no line at the door either.
Experience Venice from the Water
Water is an essential part of Venice life and soul and so there is no better way to get to know the city than getting onto the water itself.
There are several ways to do it.
For tourists, the best known way is to get a gondola ride.
Gondolas are old Venice vessels, typical of the city. Once a means of transport, gondolas are now almost entirely devoted to sightseeing rides and they are easy to get: you find gondola stations all over the city and the city of Venice has a standard rate for them so you don’t even need to shop around for a good one. You can find the official prices here >> Official site <<
A different and, in my opinion, more enjoyable way to experience Venice canals is by taking rowing class. Rowing is an important skill in Venice and there are organisations devoted to keeping this art alive. I took a rowing class with my daughter and I highly recommend it as a really cool, fun and interesting thing to do.
The class we took was this one and we had the best time: the teacher told us how to manoeuvre the boat, got us to small canals, the lagoon and even on the Grand Canal, while chatting with us about rowing and Venice in general.
This is not a class just for children but it is child-friendly and, for us, one of the best things do in Venice with kids!
This is not a tour and the teacher is not a guide but this is a plus in my opinion as it means you have the chance to speak with a local in a more natural, spontaneous way.
Tip! if you like gondolas, a cool thing to do is go and visit a squero, aka a gondola maker! A really cool one is in Dorsoduro.
Visit Murano and Burano
Venice is surrounded by islands, some of which area really easy and fun to visit. The two main and most famous ones are Murano and Burano, respectively famous for glass blowing (Murano) and for lace making (Burano, although Burano is also famous for being super pretty and colorful!).
Visiting the islands of Venice is easy and you can do it by yourself or with a tour. If you want to go self guided, I recommend you read my guide here >>> how to visit the main island of Venice.
Go to a Concert
Venice’s musical heritage is rich, alive and easy to tap into! A fantastic way to do so is by visiting the famous Fenice Theatre or by going to a concert: Venice is proud of being the hometown of Vivaldi and a concerts of its Four Seasons are fantastic and easy to attend .
As you can see, Venice truly rewards those who take their time to get to know it! I hope this Venice travel guide inspires you to stay and gave you ideas on the best things to do in Venice to make your visit as beautiful and meaningful as possible. Safe travels!
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Marta Correale
Marta Correale is an Italian mama of two. Born and raised in Rome, Marta has a passion for travel and especially enjoys showing off Italy to her kids, who are growing up to love it as much as she does! A classics graduate from the University of Rome, Marta channeled her passion for culture and travel into the creation of family travel websites that inspire, support and help curious visitors to make the most of a trip to Italy and learn about Italian culture on the way. Marta also manages the thriving online community of parents 'Italy with kids' who turn to her for expert advice and competent Italy travel planning support. She is the author of the travel guides 'Best of Rome with kids' and 'Best of Florence with kids' available on Amazon and of an array of kids printables (scavenger hunts, info booklets etc) available on her Etsy shop 'Mama Loves To Print'
