Named as the capital of Northern Italy, Venice is the perfect place to spend a weekend getting to know the Italian culture. Many small islands make up Venice with it’s canals being graced with beautiful blue and green water from the Adriatic sea.

We visited Venice for a weekend and packed it full of the top things to do. Venice was a very beautiful city that we could imagine ourselves visiting time and time again without getting bored of the instagrammable locations at every turn.

We have now visited Venice both in the summer and in the winter and the contrast is great. Summer days can be spent boat hopping, al fresco dining and picnicking on the various canals whilst winter days are better spent inside the cosy Italian restaurants and small atmospheric wine bars.

Venice will always remain to us the most romantic city in Europe. After visiting Paris the city of love and many other European cities we always come back from Venice saying the same thing it is totally the most romantic city in the world.

Getting around Venice

Venice is a city on an island with no cars. The easiest way to move around Venice is by boat or walking as much as you can. The island is well connected by architecturally beautiful bridges connecting the islands together. Walking over the bridges provides you with the opportunity to see Venice from another perspective. The main bridge the Rialto bridge connects the two main islands over the grand canal and is an attraction in itself. Small bridges down small streets and alleyways spark wonder and are all worthy of a photo.

Several boats are on offer to get you around Venice depending on your schedule and budget.

Water bus

You can take the water bus which is the most budget way to explore Venice by boat. A single way ticket will cost around 8 euros whilst a return ticket is around 15 euros. Choose to sit either inside or outside depending on the weather and your viewing options. This is the most budget way to see the canals of Venice and marvel at the excellent bridges as you pass under them.

Taxi boat

Taxi boats are far more luxurious than the water bus, however the price reflects this also. You will pay for stepping aboard and then often every minute after that. Some water taxi’s will offer you a flat rate of around 60-80 euros to get to certain parts on the city. Depending on how many people you are travelling with depends on whether this works out a good price for you.

Gondola

A gondola is a traditional Venetian boat guided by a traditional Venetian clothed driver around the canals of Venice. This is often a bucket list experience for those travelling to Venice and rightly so. The small boat allows you to nip through small alleyways and mind your head as you go under small bridges as part of your journey. Some drivers allow you to choose from vising the grand canal or exploring smaller water ways. Gondola’s are a very expensive way to explore Venice and can cost upwards of 60 euros for a 20 minute ride. You can often barter with the gondola owners to get a better price. Up to 6 people can fit in a gondola so you can choose a private or shared boat.

Where to stay in Venice

Choosing where to stay in Venice can change your whole trip. staying close to the main tourist attractions can save time, but might cost you a little more. Whilst accommodation further away will cosy way less you may spend more money on boats and buses.

In the city areas

San Marco

San Marco is undoubtedly the touristic centre of Venice. The hotels in this area are often filled with history and graced with an excellent location. Prices here will be higher due to location. Also bare in mind that as this is the touristic heart of the city that this is the most busy area in Venice. Accommodation in San Marco can also have some exceptional views of the main tourist attractions.

San Polo

Located in the centre of Venice along the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge, staying at San Polo often leads to exceptional views of this. You will pay a premium for this if it’s within your budget, but what an exceptional view to wake up to.

Dorsoduro

Closely connected to main tourist areas such as San Marco but with a quieter feel Dorsoduro has some excellent accommodations with quiet canal views of side streets and alley ways. Staying here will involve some walking but also have a clear price difference to San Marco.

Santa Croce

Still on the main island of Venice, but closer to the outer parts too lies Santa Croce. The main bus station is located here making it a great location if you are planning on doing some travelling and day trips. Still within easy reach of San Marco with an approximate 20-30 minuet walk down some of the beautiful canals.

Out of the city areas

Lido

Lido is a long shaped island located just off of central Venice and surrounded by the Adriatic sea. The island has turned into somewhat of a seaside town and it’s beachy shores are graced with beach huts and loungers. The island is easily accessible by the water bus from San Marco. Lido is beautiful and a contrast to the main city of Venice.

Mestre

Mestre is located on the main land of Venice and you can easily access Venice by taking a bus or train. This will normally take around 15-30 minutes depending on where in Mestre you are staying. Unless you know people in Mestre there isn’t much to do in the area, so taking the bus and train into the centre of Venice is a must.

Things to do in Venice

Whilst wandering the canals and eating our weight in pizza and pasta we created a list of our top 8 things to do in Venice for the weekend.

Boat trips

Take a boat trip to the 3 islands Burano, Murano and Torcello islands taking in the views of small town Venice and the colourful houses gracing the shore. These island are located within the Venice district and made up of several smaller islands.

Burano

Burano is potentially the most beautiful island of the three. Famed for it’s colourful fishing houses and boats that grace the small canals making it an Instagrammers dream. Al fresco dining spots make for a perfect place to sit and marvel at the scenery. Wander the small handy shops selling hand made traditional lace and buscotti.

Murano

Murano is a beautiful small town full of charm for dining in cosy small restaurants on the smaller canals located here. With some main attractions such as the Basilica dei Santa Maria, the Campo Santo Stefano and the Palazzo Da Mula. View the factories making glass and watch in wonder as they demonstrate this to you.

Torcello

Torcello is the furthest island from Venice around 45 minutes by boat away and the main attractions is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. A small canal leads you from where the boat docks all the way to the church allowing you to see the charm of this quiet island.

The three islands make for the perfect half day or full day trip depending on your time and allow you to see the Venice water ways and take a trip past Lido island.

Gondola ride

Taking a gondola ride in Venice is very much a bucket list tick. Get off the beaten track and ask your driver to explore the more hidden canals and gems and see the smaller alleyways and bridges.

Gondola rides can be expensive and it’s well worth shopping around and trying to haggle when you are there. Nevertheless it is still one of the most authentic ways to see Venice.

Venice sunsets

There are several excellent places to watch sunset in Venice and we made sure to try and catch sunset everyday during our trip due to the excellent weather.

Our favourite places to watch are;

Enjoy sunset from St Marco

Sit at one if the many bars or restaurants on the edge of the canal and watch as the sun dips. Or do as we did and grab 2 local beers and sit on the edge of the canal.

On the boat over to Lido island

The water bus boat from San Marco to Lido islands offers excellent views of the sunset if the time is right. We recommend hopping on board 15 minutes before sunset.

Fondamenta Delle Zattere

With all round views of St Marks Basin this is an excellent place to watch the sun go down over a main tourist attraction.

Accademia bridge

Watch from this wooden bridge and see a sunset from a perspective you won’t see anywhere else in Venice.

Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge in prime position over the grand canal is also an excellent place to watch the sunset down the grand canal. Arrive early to get a good spot on the bridge it can get super busy.

Book shop on the water

Visit the book shop on the water – Libreria Acqua Alta. Browse the old and new books and magazines or enjoy a read in store on the edge of the water by the canal.

For all of the Instagrammers and photographers out there, there are several photo set up locations in the store to make for the perfect Instagram shot.

San Marco Campanile

Take in the views from the tower in St Mark’s Square (San Marco Campanile). You can almost see the whole of Venice from the viewing platform up there.

The San Marco square itself also offers an array of things to do such as dining in the main square, San Marco Bastille and the traditonal Venetian shops for you to wander.

The Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is aptly named, you will stare in wander down the busy canal and marvel at the emerald green water as the water bus, taxi’s and gondola’s float by.

We recommend exploring the Grand Canal for food, drinks and gelato. You can eat in some excellent restaurants down the grand canal or take your food to go and sit on the open spots of the canal. Some quieter spots have excellent views over the Rialto bridge.

Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge connects the two main parts of Venice together and is situated on the grand canal. The bridge is impressive in itself and is the oldest bridge on the grand canal. Walking over the Rialto Bridge is a special experience. Be there in time for sunset to see an amazing site.