Venice Tours &
Things to Do
Discover the best Venice tours, gondola rides, St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace skip-the-line tickets, Grand Canal cruises, food tours and lagoon trips to Murano and Burano. Compare top-rated activities and plan your perfect Venice itinerary.
rating
Explore Venice by interest
Whatever brings you to Venice — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
St. Mark’s & Doge’s
The golden basilica and the Doge’s Palace.
ExploreGondola rides
The timeless, romantic glide through the canals.
ExploreGrand Canal cruises
Palaces and the Rialto from the water.
ExploreFood tours
Cicchetti, spritz and the Rialto Market.
ExploreMurano & Burano
Glass furnaces and rainbow-coloured houses.
ExploreCity tours
St. Mark’s, the Rialto and hidden Venice.
ExploreVerona
Romeo and Juliet’s city and Roman arena.
ExploreDolomites
The dramatic UNESCO mountain peaks.
ExploreTop attractions in Venice
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
St. Mark’s & Doge’s
The golden basilica and the Doge’s Palace.
Gondola rides
The timeless glide through the canals.
Grand Canal
Palaces and the Rialto Bridge from the water.
Rialto & food
Cicchetti, spritz and the Rialto Market.
Murano & Burano
Glass furnaces and rainbow houses.
Carnival & masks
The masked magic of Venice’s famous Carnival.
Verona
Romeo and Juliet’s city and Roman arena.
Dolomites
The dramatic UNESCO mountain peaks.
Venice in 1 day
- 1St. Mark’s Square & Basilica
- 2Doge’s Palace
- 3Rialto & Grand Canal
- 4Sunset gondola ride
Venice in 2 days
- 1Day 1: St. Mark’s & gondola
- 2Food tour
- 3Day 2: Murano & Burano
- 4Hidden Venice walk
Venice in 3 days
- 1Day 1: St. Mark’s & gondola
- 2Day 2: Murano & Burano
- 3Day 3: Verona
- 4Food & sunset evenings
Venice with kids
- 1Vaporetto & gondola
- 2Doge’s Palace & prisons
- 3Murano glass-blowing
- 4Burano’s colours
1.5 hrs awayVerona
Romeo and Juliet’s city and the Roman Arena.
2 hrs awayDolomites
Dramatic UNESCO peaks and Alpine lakes.
40 min awayMurano & Burano
Glass furnaces and rainbow-coloured houses.
45 min awayPadua
Giotto’s frescoes and a historic university city.
2 hrs awayLake Garda
Italy’s largest lake, with resorts and castles.
1 hr awayTreviso & Prosecco
Canals and the rolling Prosecco wine hills.
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Venice visitor asks before booking.
The sweet-spot months
Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) bring mild weather and slightly thinner crowds — the best times to visit.
Spring (Apr–Jun)
Mild and pleasant, ideal for the canals and islands, though Easter and May are busy.
Summer (Jul–Aug)
Hot, humid and very crowded, with high prices; start early and book skip-the-line tickets.
Autumn (Sep–Oct)
Warm, atmospheric days with fewer crowds; note occasional acqua alta (high water) from late autumn.
Winter (Nov–Feb)
Cool, misty and quiet, with the spectacular Carnival in February; the lowest crowds outside Carnival.
Carnival (Feb)
Venice’s famous masked Carnival fills the city with costumes and balls — magical but very busy, so book well ahead.
One day
Enough for St. Mark’s, the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto and a gondola ride.
Two days
Add a cicchetti food tour and a Murano and Burano island trip.
Three days
The sweet spot: the city, the islands, and a day trip to Verona.
Four to five days
Add the Dolomites, Padua or Lake Garda, and quieter corners of the city.
A week or more
Use Venice as a base for the Veneto, the lagoon and the mountains.
Travelling with kids
Mix boat rides, the islands and getting lost in the maze at a gentle pace.
On foot
Venice is a walkable maze of bridges and lanes; getting (a little) lost is part of the magic.
Vaporetto
The vaporetto water buses are the city’s public transport along the Grand Canal and to the islands; a multi-day pass is good value.
Gondola & water taxi
Gondolas are for romantic rides, while water taxis are a fast (pricey) way to your hotel or the airport.
Traghetto
The traghetto gondola ferries cross the Grand Canal for a small fee — a cheap, quick way over where bridges are few.
Day-trip transport
Trains from Santa Lucia station reach Verona, Padua and beyond; tours bundle transport for the Dolomites.
From the airport
Marco Polo Airport links to the city by the Alilaguna water bus, a land bus to Piazzale Roma, or a private water taxi.
Book key sights ahead
St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace have long queues — book skip-the-line tickets, especially in peak season.
Gondola prices
Gondola rates are fixed (around €90 for 30 minutes per boat); sharing with others or booking a set ride keeps it good value.
Venice access fee
On busy days Venice charges a day-tripper access fee for visitors not staying overnight — check the dates and register if needed.
Dress for churches
Cover shoulders and knees to enter St. Mark’s Basilica and other churches.
Acqua alta
In late autumn and winter, occasional high water (acqua alta) floods low areas; raised walkways and boots help — check forecasts.
Eat away from St. Mark’s
Step into the back streets and bacari for better-value, authentic food; a food tour points you to the best.
St. Mark’s & Doge’s
Skip-the-line tickets save long queues — book ahead.
Gondola rides
Shared and private gondola rides fill up at peak times — reserve ahead.
Food tours & classes
Small-group cicchetti tours and cooking classes have limited places — book early.
Island tours
Popular Murano and Burano boat tours fill up — reserve ahead.
Carnival
February’s Carnival and its balls sell out months ahead — plan early.
Day trips
Verona and Dolomites tours fill up in summer — book ahead.
St. Mark’s & Doge’s
Around €30–60 for skip-the-line tickets or a guided tour.
Gondola rides
About €90 per gondola (up to 5) for 30 minutes; shared rides are around €30–40 per person.
Food tours
Roughly €60–95 for a guided cicchetti and wine tour with tastings.
Murano & Burano
Around €25–45 for a half-day island boat tour.
Day trips
About €55–120 for Verona, the Dolomites or Lake Garda.
How to save
Ride the vaporetto for canal views, share a gondola, and eat in the back-street bacari.
Venice through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
- Best for
- Mild, pleasant days — ideal for the canals and islands.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- A top time, though Easter and May are busy.
- Best for
- Long, warm days, though hot, humid and very crowded.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Book skip-the-line tickets and start early.
- Best for
- Warm, atmospheric days with fewer crowds.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Lovely, but watch for acqua alta from late autumn.
- Best for
- Misty, quiet days and the spectacular February Carnival.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Quietest outside Carnival; pack warm layers.