Venice is completely unique and bursting with incredible sights, so you’ll be raring to get out and explore. Even just wandering around this incredible city is an attraction in itself – so take your time to enjoy it!
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My 3 day Venice itinerary
Here are my recommendations for what to do in Venice – pick and choose or make this your itinerary for a long weekend!
If you’re in Venice for longer, check out this list the best things to do in Venice for every budget – there’s plenty more in there!
Day 1
It pays to get out early and explore! If you’re staying on the mainland, you can get started right away. If you’re in Mestre, hop on the bus to Piazzale Roma or the train to Venezia Santa Lucia. It’ll take about 10-15 minutes.
Grab breakfast
If your accommodation doesn’t serve breakfast, then head for a nearby cafe to grab a coffee and a delicious pastry.
The cheapest way to do this is standing at the bar – like the Italians do. If you sit at a table to eat and drink, you’ll generally be charged more.
The local spots are often the best, so ask your hotel or host what’s nearby. Otherwise, for delicious pastries there’s Majer, a bakery with a few different outposts across town. At carnival time (Jan/ Feb) they do unreal fritelle, a sort of filled mini donut that is a taste sensation!
Italians are very serious about their coffee! They don’t commonly drink as many types as we do in the UK, or have the alternative milks, so just be prepared if your usual coffee order is met with a raised eyebrow or two!
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Do a walking tour
Start with a walking tour to get your bearings. Either do it yourself with the help of Google – search ‘self guided walking tour’ and ‘Venice’, choose a free tour that you tip for at the end, or book onto a dedicated tour with a site like Get Your Guide. You can even find themed tours like foodie or art tours, or tours after dark!
A tour should get you around the central district of San Marco and its major spots – St Mark’s Square, St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace and Bridge of Sighs. Plus you’re likely to take in the other central areas of Dorsoduro and San Polo, where you can get great views up and down the Grand Canal from the Accademia bridge, and see the iconic Rialto bridge as well.
Make a mental note of anywhere you see or learn about that you’d like to go back to for a look inside.
St Mark’s for example costs €10 to get in, and the bell tower costs another €15 – although our recommendation is actually to skip this and go up a different one – more on that later!
Stop for lunch
For a cheap lunch, grab some sandwiches, find a spot to munch and watch the world go by.
You can get no-frills ham sandwiches from Bacareto da Lele to wash down with a little glass of house wine for super-cheap – or try Arcicchetti Bakaro or I’ Bacaro De’ Bischeri.
Or find a little bar with seating where you can fill up on a load of light bites (cicchetti) that cost a few euros each. If you’re central at this point, there are a bunch of decent places near the Rialto – try Al Mercà or Cantina Do Mori, both traditional bacaro bars, little more than ‘hole in the wall’ spots where you can grab a bunch of snacks and wash them down with an Aperol Spritz or two. For a well-priced spot with more seating, try Cantina do Spade or Ostaria dai Zemei.
If you do want to splash out on a sit down meal, do your research and be prepared to make a reservation if you want to be sure of a delicious and authentic meal. Osteria Della Zucca in Santa Croce does a banging lasagne.
Get lost in the streets!
One of the best things to do in Venice is to just wander and get lost in the maze of streets, called calle. This way you can find gorgeous corners and quiet canals, and get a break from the hustle and bustle.
All across the city there are loads of yellow signs that point to key destinations – Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s square), Rialto bridge, the train station – so you can’t go too far wrong. Put your phone away and embrace the chaos!
Want to save money on your Venice trip?
Check out these 8 ways to save money on your Venice trip
Recharge with an aperitivo
You might have heard of aperitivo, the Italian institution of an evening drink with a few snacks (cichetti). Traditionally these would be complementary with the price of your drink, but these days you generally pay a few euro each for them.
My tip is to head to the Zattere where you can bask like a seal in the late afternoon sun. There are spots with outdoor seating all along the strip, or head to Cantine del Vino già Schiavi – squeeze inside or prop your wine and snacks on the canalside wall.
Looking for Venice hotel inspo?
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Day 2
A good way to save money on getting around in Venice is to do most of your public transport travel in one 24 hour period.
Journeys on the vaporetto (water taxi) are not cheap, so buy a 24h pass for €25, and make it count! Plan your day right, and you can cover all your major trips on the water – canal rides, trips to the islands and getting back to your accommodation – without having to shell out for multiple tickets.
Go up the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore
Get up bright and early and take a trip by water taxi over to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Here you get a great view back towards the Venice skyline – and a great photo opportunity!
The easiest way to buy your water taxi ticket is from a machine at the water taxi stop. In Italy, your ticket isn’t valid until you stamp (validate) it, so you can also pick one up at the airport or the main bus or train station, or from a licenced shop like a tabaccheria (corner shop), and save it to use when you need it.
You can buy a transport pass online too – you’ll get a code or voucher to use when you collect it at a machine or ticket office, but is more of a faff!
Once you’ve arrived on San Giorgio Maggiore, pop inside the church and head towards the lift that will take you up the bell tower. From up there, you’ll get a panoramic view of the Venetian skyline that’s even better than the one from St. Mark’s – and with way fewer people jostling for a photo. It’s an unbeatable view of the city and its lagoon – you can even spot snowy mountain tops in the distance! – and the perfect way to start the day.
This will cost you €8, but it’s definitely worth it. Just be aware of the time you catch the lift up – if it’s almost on the hour, you might hear some very loud bells!
Get a boat along the Grand Canal
Next, get back on the water taxi for a scenic jaunt up the Grand Canal, to see the incredible buildings from the water and watch the gondolas go by.
The Grand Canal is like the main street of Venice, and chugging along it on a boat almost doesn’t feel real. Get a load of the stunning architecture and decide which epic palace is your favourite – and which fancy hotel you’d stay at if you had the cash!
Depending on the season, the boats can get pretty crowded. Stay outside for the best views and photo opportunities.
At this point you’ve got a couple of options – you could get off at Rialto and mooch through the market area, then walk across to Fondamente Nove and catch another vaporetto over to the islands of Murano and Burano.
Or, stay on till Cannaregio, and have a roam around this quieter part of Venice, which has a slower pace and gives you a bit of a break from the crowds.
Visit Murano or Burano
I’d definitely suggest a trip to one of Venice’s beautiful islands, Murano or Burano, while you’re here. Murano is the closest, and famous for its glass blowing tradition. Burano is a little further on and is known for its lace making and fishing, and colourful houses.
In Murano, you can watch glass blowers at work, showing skills that have been honed for generations. You can see some seriously impressive things being made – think vases, chandeliers and ornaments – just by strolling around and watching talented artisans at work through their windows. Or you could always book onto a workshop or formal tour.
Another 40 minutes or so on the vaporetto takes you to Burano. Here you really feel like you’ve stepped into a different world. It’s a smaller, quieter island, and the brightly coloured houses are like something out of a story book – or a kids TV show! The story goes that the houses are painted different colours so that fishermen could find them in foggy weather – which may or may not be true!
You can also examine the local lace and find a spot to chill out. There aren’t loads of restaurants and cafes here – and remember lots of places will shut around lunchtime! When you’ve had your fill of the islands, head back to Venice for an aperitivo and dinner.
On a budget?
Check out these best things to do in Venice for every budget
Day 3
Visit a church, gallery or shop
Spend today seeing some of Venice’s world-famous art and architecture. Even if you aren’t one for galleries and museums, you’re likely to be impressed by what’s on offer here! Here are some to pique your interest.
Guggenheim Collection
€17
You can see famous modern art at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice – bonus is that it’s in a lovely historic palazzo with gardens and a terrace right on the Grand Canal.
Palazzo Grassi and Punta Della Dogana
Prices vary
These two galleries rotate works from the ginormous modern art collection of billionaire businessman Francois Pinault. You’ll need to check there’s an exhibition running, but if you’re into your contemporary art you won’t want to miss it.
Querini Stampalia
€15
Querini Stampalia museum features the art and book collection that once belonged to a wealthy local family – you can see historic paintings, ceramics, carpets and more.
Murano Glass Museum
€15
If a trip to Murano is on your list, definitely check out the glass museum, with loads of beautiful historic glass pieces like vases and chandeliers – there are even some very old pieces from Roman times.
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
€12
This place was a kind of HQ for a city guild and is pretty bling, with some amazing Renaissance artworks inside.
Gallerie dell'Accademia
€15
The Accademia is kind of like a national gallery of Venice, with a whole load of Venetian masterpieces. If you like your art traditional, this one is for you.
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
Free
This is the iconic church you can see from the Accademia bridge – it’s free to pop in.
Chiesa della Pietà
€3
This gorgeous church just beyond the Bridge of Sighs often has classical music concerts, if you’re after a bit of atmosphere. Otherwise you can pop in for €3, unless it’s inexplicably closed when you try – which isn’t unheard of in Venice!
Libreria Acqua Alta
This TikTok famous bookshop is a pretty cool experience – you might even find a cat ringing up your bill. Go early before it gets busy (the gondola wedged inside means it’s quite snug!) – they have books in various languages and some cute souvenirs.
Enjoy the Best of Venice With Our Ultimate 3 Day Venice Itinerary
We hope you have a great trip and you enjoy our ultimate 3 day Venice itinerary.
This is a truly special city and whether you’re on a solo adventure, holiday with friends or a romantic break, you’ll be sure to fall in love!
Whether you follow my itinerary or just choose the bits you like the most, let us know how your trip went!
