Venice, Italy Travel Guide

We absolutely adored Venice. As soon as we got off the bus, we were amazed at how dream-like it was. It is a city that is frozen in time and reminded us of Disneyland in the way that it is a created world. Venice is so rich in history and culture. We were so happy that we were able to see it when we did because we would not be surprised to see Venice completely disappear during our lifetime. It is so old and is decaying at a rapid rate. So if you have always wanted to see Venice, do it now!

We spent a total of two full days in Venice, plus one evening and one morning. For a good Venice experience, we would suggest planning two full days and either an evening or a morning to get the full experience.

First Evening:

When we first got to Venice, we just spent the evening wandering and getting lost. And it truly is the best experience we had in Venice. I highly suggest everyone takes a few hours and literally get lost in Venice. We really enjoyed peeking in all of the mask and glass shops, finding a pizza place for dinner and treating ourselves to a double scoop of real Italian gelato. It was the perfect way to get ourselves into the Venetian mood. As we wandered, we took pictures at literally every corner. This city is so picturesque, it is hard to not take hundreds of photos. The evenings seem to have less people which makes it much better for taking pictures and enjoying the atmosphere. 

Day 1:

We suggest starting your morning early. Find a bakery for some pastries for breakfast and get yourselves to St. Mark's Square.  If you can get there before 9:30 or 10:00, you will basically have the square to yourselves. Listen to the Rick Steves Audio Europe track for St. Mark's Square. 

After wandering around the Square listening to Rick, hop in line at St. Mark's Basilica. They open around 10:00, but the line starts forming by 9:30 so make sure you get a spot. The line moves quickly and it won't take too long to get into the Basilica. Make sure you have covered shoulders and knees, but if you don't they have brown plastic you can cover yourself with. Rick Steves also has another Audio Europe track for St. Mark's Basilica. Make sure to check it out while you're there. 

From St. Mark's Basilica, go to the Campanile. If you are lucky enough to be at the top of the tower during the half hour, you are in for a loud treat! You will get to see the bells as they ring the time. You will have amazing views of the city, so definitely take the time to make a stop here. 

From here, if you're ready for lunch, head away from St. Mark's. Everything close to the Square is quite a bit more expensive. We suggest heading towards the Frari Church.  If you can't wait to eat, continue past the Church for a really yummy pizza and calzone place we found behind the church. Not too far away from there is also a really good gelato stand. After you've had your fill, head back to the Frari Church for a calm tour of a beautiful building. Again, listen to Rick to learn more about the history of this beautiful church. 

After you've had a chance to cool down, you can wander around and head toward the Rialto Bridge. There are lots of cute shops and squares along the way. Take your time and soak up the Venetian-ness. Once you get to the Rialto Bridge, hop on a Vaporetto and go back to San Marco Square (St. Mark's Square).

Once there, go to the Correr Museum. It is on the opposite side of St. Mark's Basilica. Once there, buy tickets for the Doge's Palace. Your tickets will be good for a few days so you can choose if you want to go to Doge's Palace or if you want to check out the museums to end your day of sight seeing.

After the museums or the palace, find a place to eat some dinner, grab some gelato and if you have enough energy, spend some more time wandering around this seaside town in the evening. 

Day 2:

This day, set aside for spending on the islands of Murano and Burano. Know that the Vaporetto ride takes a long time to get there. So plan on at least 45 minutes of travel time to get to Murano and add another 30-45 minutes of travel time to get to Burano. Also know that most places won't open until 9:00 or 10:00 in the morning so you can't get too early of a start. When you are are on Murano, enjoy looking at all of the glass shops and purchase some souvenirs. Make sure that you have a safe way to get them home though! After you've had your fill of glass, hop on another Vaporetto and head to Burano. Once there, grab a pizza and some gelato for lunch before exploring this cute little island. There are lots of lace kiosks and stands to buy some famous lace if that's your thing. Also make sure to spend a lot of time wandering the streets and taking in the vibrant colors of the homes along the canals. 

From Burano, take another Vaporetto and head to San Marco's. This is another 45 minute (at least) boat ride. Once you get to the Square finish off the day with either the Doge's Palace and prisons or the Correr Museum. 

After find some of your favorite Italian food and get one last gelato as you enjoy your last evening in Venice. 

Murano and Burano Italy

Just outside of Venice, on a less than an hour vaporetto ride, lay the islands of Murano and Burano. Known for their glass, lace and colorful houses, Murano and Burano are great places to visit and make for a great day trip outside of Venice.

How to Get There:

The only way to get to the islands of Murano and Burano is via boat. If you get on line 12, the first stop is at Murano. You can also stay on that line and will eventually get on Burano. From Burano, you can take another vaporetto and end up back at St. Mark's Square. The boat rides can take a while. From Venice, the boat ride is about 30 minutes to Murano. And from Murano, it is another 30-45 minutes to Burano. 

What You Will See:

The island of Murano is known for it's hand-blown glass. There are many shops that all house beautifully unique pieces. From jewelry to home decor to pens to jewelry, Murano has everything imaginable made out of glass. We happened to be there on a Saturday and we got to the island slightly before 9:00 am and most of the shops were closed. But the more we walked around, a few more shops started to open. We found out because it was a Saturday, lots of glass blowers don't work that day. Because of that, many shops were closed. But it was actually nice to only have a few options to go see (there were still PLENTY of shops to wander through!) There are also glass blowing demonstrations to see. Blogs we read said that there were free demonstrations, but we did not find any for free, but we did find a cute small shop with demonstrations for only 2 Euros per person. 

We had so much fun walking around and exploring the island. The shops were so amazing to see. Because these shops feature people's artwork, most of them do not allow pictures. Also, you need to be extra careful if you have large bags because everything in the shops are made of glass. 

There are lots of choices for souvenirs to take home from Murano, but be careful in your choices. Make sure that what you take is well wrapped and can be easily transported. Some things we brought home were magnets, glass cherries, a Christmas ornament, a fountain pen and some Pandora charms for my charm bracelet. Nothing came home broken even though most of it was packed in our luggage. 

Once you get to Burano, you will see SO MANY COLORS! The homes are all painted in such vibrant colors. Our favorite part was just wandering up and down the canals and seeing all of the different colors. We saw lots of kiosks with lace, but did not find any lace factories or tours. Part of the reason was because we couldn't find that much info on Burano and the fact that we were extremely tired. (This was our last day of our 3 weeks Europe before coming home.) Even though we didn't spend a lot of time on the island because we were tired, you could easily spend hours just wandering around the cute little town. They also have really good gelato there :)

Sum Up:

Murano and Burano are great places to visit if you are spending a couple days in Venice. They make for a great day trip and, just like Venice, are perfect for getting lost in. They are so cute and small enough to explore without feeling like you could get lost. Make sure you buy your souvenirs on Murano and take a TON of pictures and get gelato on Burano.

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St. Mark's Square: Piazza San Marco

St. Mark's Square or the Piazza San Marco in Italian is the main center of action in Venice. It is where a lot of historic places come together like the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica, the Campanile and the Museo Correa. It is also the home to some fancy restaurants. It is the place to see and be seen.

How to Get There:

Getting to St. Mark's Square is pretty easy. Follow the yellow signs or take the vaporetto and get off at either of the San Marco stops. Once you're there, be sure to check out the Rick Steves Audio Europe App and listen to the St. Mark's Square track. We suggest getting there early in the morning before things open (definitely before 10:00 am) to walk around and listen to the audio guide. You will learn a lot of history and learn the layout of the square. 

What You Will See:

Once you are there, it really is just a big square with buildings around it. At one end you will see St. Mark's Basilica and next to that you will see the Doge's Palace.  In front of those two buildings you will see the Campanile. On either side of the Piazza you will see two large restaurants with outdoor and indoor seating. Opposite of the Basilica is Museo Correa. 

Sum Up:

St. Mark's Square is the center of Venice. Lots of shops and stores are close to the square as well as most of the main historical sites of Venice. 

 

The Frari Church in Venice

One of the great artistic secrets of Venice is the Frari church, formerly known as Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. It really is hidden and we wouldn't have known about it at all if it didn't have a dedicated track in the Rick Steves app. We likely would have walked right past it if we hadn't known to look for it. As a church it isn't unimpressive looking, but there are so many churches in Venice, and Europe generally, that it can be hard to know which ones you should go into. They are probably all worth seeing, but as with all things in travel there just isn't enough time.

How to Get There:

Like most things in Venice outside of St. Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge, the Frari Church is not easy to find. I honestly don't know if we would have found it if our friend Holly hadn't had a working phone with data and GPS. Your best shot if you don't have a phone with data may be to use the Lonely Planet guide. Remember that your phone's GPS will still work to show you where you are as long as you have downloaded the map before hand. 

Because of the congested nature of the Venetian alleys you will not see the Frari Church until you are actually in the Campo dei Frari where it stands. It dominates the square as it is a large redbrick gothic basilica. But having already passed a number of churches you may be unsure if you are in the right place. You will see a sign with the word Frari on it, and then you will know you have arrived. 

Before you head out to visit the Frari Church make sure that you are appropriately attired to visit a religious site, this means being modestly covered, removing your hat, putting away your selfie stick, etc. 

When you arrive you will enter through the front door and there will be a small booth to your right where you can purchase your tickets which are just €3 per person. There are some steps just to the left of this booth where you can leave your bag if you would like, although I don't think it was required. 

What You Will See:

Unless you know an awful lot about 16th century Venetian art and the Franciscan order I would definitely recommend using the Rick Steves' audio guide here. I don't pretend to know anything about art of any century so I really liked having something to listen to in the Frari. I am sure I would have enjoyed seeing the religious paintings without the guide, but I certainly wouldn't have understood their significance in context.

One of the really special things about the Frari Church is the chance to see full alter pieces in their intended settings. The church has a number of chapels and each one has an alter piece of its own.

You also get the chance to see the church's reliquary which I was excited about since both Notre Dame and Saint Mark's charge you to see their reliquaries.

In addition to the art, there is a ton of it for a single church, and the relics, you will also see several tombs that are quite impressive. The visit to the church won't take you much longer than total length of Rick's audio guide, depending on how long you want to look at the artwork.

It is worth noting that you are allowed to take pictures in here, which is rare for a church. I did not realize this until we were leaving, which is why we have so few and such low quality images for this post as I just snapped a few on my phone on the way out.

Sum Up:

I really enjoyed visiting the Frari Church and highly recommend it. Not only is it very cool to see, but it is also very cool temperature wise inside. Considering that when we were in Venice it was blistering hot and oppressively humid, this was a great blessing. It is not very expensive to visit, so it is certainly wort the cost of getting in. As a lesser known site in Venice it doesn't get very crowded which in contrast to St. Mark's Basilica gives you the time and attention to enjoy yourself. 

The Doge's Palace and Venetian Prisons

St. Mark's Basilica is arguably the most famous site in Venice, but right next to it, actually connected to it, is the Doge's palace, and just across from the palace via the Bridge of Sighs are the historic prisons of Venice. If you are interested in Venetian history, which you will be once you are in Venice, then these are a must see.

How to Get There:

Finding the Doge's Palace is not hard once you get to St. Mark's square. It is the building to the right when you are facing the basilica. If you come by vaporetto you can get of at either of the San Marco stops on the 1 or the 2 boat, it really doesn't make much difference. The key to visiting the Palace though is not to stand in the line at the palace itself. Instead go to the Correr Museum across the square from the basilica. We were clued into this by the Rick Steve's audio guide for the San Marco Square. There is never a line at this museum and the ticket for it will get you into the Correr, the two other museums attached to it, and the Doge's Palace and prisons for just €19.

Once you have your ticket from the Correr you just go around the right side of the palace. There will be a line full of people, and an empty line. The empty line is for you because you already have tickets. 

What You Will See:

Once inside you will enter the main courtyard of the Palace. When I was there I really wanted to go see the prisons so we followed the signs for them and it took as through the whole palace as well. This palace explains and is dedicated to the history of Venetian government, which is quite fascinating, at least to those of us who studied political science. Walking through the palace reminded us a lot of Versailles in Paris because there was so much gold and incredible murals, and general richness around the place. You can take as long as you want walking around here, but be aware that they close the palace at 6 PM so if you go late in the day like we did you will need to go pretty quick.

Just keep following the signs and you will eventually cross the Bridge of Sighs into the prisons. These are a stark contrast to the beautiful palace you have just walked through. They are thick stone walls with small rooms, double bunks in each room and tiny windows looking out into the hall. Its pretty much what you would imagine a prison being like.

Sum Up:

The Doge's Palace and the Venetian Prisons are some of the most important sites in Venice. They are really cool to see and have the advantage of being indoors which is nice if it is unbearably hot outside, like it was when we were there. The tickets seem a little expensive, but when you figure how many places they let you see and the fact that you are in Venice, they aren't too bad. I would recommend going to see them if you are interested in museums or history. 

St. Mark's Campanile

When you are looking at St. Mark's Square in Venice, the most apparent building in the square is St. Mark's Campanile (or bell tower). It is tall, slightly crooked, and a beautiful red color and stands out amongst the white and creme colored buildings.

How to Get There:

If you are traveling by vaporetto, you can get off at any of the San Marco stops. If you are planning on walking, follow the yellow signs to San Marco. (Check out our post here for more details about getting around Venice.) Once you get to the square you will easily be able to see which building is the bell tower. 

The entrance to the Campanile is on the side of the tower that faces St. Mark's Basilica. You will enter the doors and buy your tickets. From there, you will stand in a very small line area and wait for the elevator to get to the top of the bell tower. The elevator only takes 12-15 people up at once, but the line does move pretty fast.  

What You Will See:

If you are lucky enough to time your visit on the half hour, you will be able to hear the bells ring at the top of the tower. We just happened to go up during the time the bells were ringing. It was such an amazing experience that we highly suggest that you go up while the bells are ringing. It is extremely loud though so if you have little kids, you might want to bring ear plugs for them. 

At the top of the tower you have amazing 360 degree views of the city. It was amazing to me to see how big Venice seemed from up there. It was also neat, and kind of sad, to see how many of the other bell towers and other buildings around Venice are severely leaning to one side due to the unstable foundation of the city. 

As you look out around the city, there are plaques that go with the Venice Panorama app that give you information about what you are looking at. It is a paid app and we did not know about it or download it before we were at the top of the tower, so we can't vouch for how well it works. It is a cool idea and we did wish we knew more of what we were looking at. If any of you have used it we would love to hear your experience with it!

Sum Up:

Visiting St. Mark's Campanile was one of my favorite things we did in Venice. It offers amazing, unique views of Venice. If you make it to the top on or around the half hour, you will be in for a treat of listening to the bells ring. Even though it is extremely noisy, it is such a unique experience and we highly recommend it. Visiting the bell tower is high on our list of Venice must do's and is totally worth the 8 euro price tag.

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Visiting Saint Mark's Basilica

While getting lost and wandering around the beautiful streets of Venice was one of my favorite things we did, Saint Mark's Basilica is definitely a main attraction to this seaside city. Located in Saint Mark's Square, and also known as Basilica San Marco in Italian, the Basilica is a beautiful piece of architecture on the outside and full of beautiful details on the inside.

How to Get There:

Getting to Saint Mark's Basilica is pretty easy because it is one of the main features of Venice. There is lots of signage pointing you towards the basilica if you choose to walk. Or you can get off at either of the San Marco stops on a vaporetto. Saint Mark's Basilica is located at the East end of Saint Mark's Square, right next to Doge's Palace. 

To get inside the building, you will need to stand in line. The line starts at the front of the building and heads towards the Doge's Palace. They do not allow large bags to be brought into the basilica but they do have a bag check. To get there, head north of the basilica, past the lion statues into a little alley way between the yellow and white buildings. If you get lost or confused, just ask someone near-by and they can tell you where to go. There is also a map of where to check your bag near the entrance to the basilica. The bag check is free, but lasts only an hour. 

Also to get inside the building, you will need to be covered. They do not allow bare shoulders or knees inside of the basilica. If you do come with bare shoulders or knees, they do have these plastic table cloths that you can wrap around yourself to cover the bare skin. 

What You Will See:

To get inside of the church is free, and within the church there are areas that you can pay to go see. We only did the free things and it was still a beautiful experience. We suggest listening to Rick Steves Audio Europe app and following along on the St. Mark's Basilica track (the track starts with the outside of the church). It took us about 30 minutes to see the free parts of the church and this included listening to Rick. 

Inside the basilica you will see lots and lots of mosaics. They are all over the place! The floors, the ceilings, the walls, everywhere. The mosaics were my favorite part of the church. They were so detailed and so beautiful! Because Saint Mark's Basilica is an active, working church, they do not allow pictures inside. 

Saint Mark's Basilica is a beautiful place and is a nice way to take a little bit of a break. It is dark and cool and a nice place to relax for a bit before heading back into Venice. The lines to get into Saint Mark's can often be quite long and get especially long during the afternoon. The best time to go is first thing in the morning when they open. But be aware that the line starts forming at least 30 minutes prior to them opening the doors. 

Sum Up:

Saint Mark's Basilica is one of the main attractions to see in Venice. Located in Saint Mark's Square, it is a free site to see with paid options inside. Without doing the paid options it takes about a half an hour. There is a Rick Steves Audio Europe track to listen to while you are visiting the basilica that gives you lots of information and neat history about this beautiful church.