VENICE: BEST TIPS TO DISCOVER THE QUEEN OF THE ADRIATIC

Do you want to experience a Venice sunset? Wander through the streets of Venice? Are you wondering how many days in Venice do you need? Then this article is for you!

Italy has been one of the most desirable holiday destinations for a while now, and Venice is arguably the most popular city in the country. I was incredibly surprised when I realized that Venice was more crowded than Rome or Positano!

Read more>>> Venice – Ultimate 2-day itinerary

All the hype around Venice allows the city to be quite pricey, but it’s a destination you must visit at least once in your life.

That’s why I’m bringing you my top tips how to experience Venice in the best way possible!

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WHEN TO GO TO VENICE

Venice is beautiful all year round, but some times are surely better than others for a visit. My suggestion is to go in September – October in the fall, or March – April in the spring.

Why?

Summer months are high season for Venice, so starting in May, the crowds and prices only go up. Things start settling down somewhere mid-September.

The reason why you should potentially avoid Venice during November and December is Acqua Alta. The phenomenon Acqua Alta, or “high water”, is essentially the flooding of the Venetian Lagoon which happens every year in the winter months.

So, unless you want to walk around in knee high water, forget the winter months.

WHERE TO STAY IN VENICE

Venice is not a huge city, therefore during the high season, it can be hard to find accommodation in the city. Luckily there are other options too.

Stay in the city of Venice – the hotels in the city are the most expensive option, but they also allow you to simply step out of your suite and be at the center of everything. You can stay at Hotel Santa Marina (close to Rialto),Bauer Palazzo (close to St. Mark’s Square), or Hotel Londra Palace (also close to St. Mark’s).

Stay at the Lido – the Lido is kind of an extension of Venice, a small island that offers resorts for people who want to visit Venice. You can stay at Ausonia Hungaria, Hotel Excelsior, or more affordably at Hotel Petit Palais or New Reiter Hotel.

Stay in Mestre – this is my favourite option, and I always stay here. It’s outside of the city of Venice, so hotels are much cheaper. If you get a hotel close to the train station, you can take a train to Venice which has only one stop, lasts less than 10 minutes, and the ticket is 1.8 Euro. This way, you will save A LOT on your accommodation. You can stay at Hilton Garden Inn, Leonardo Royal Hotel, Elite Hotel Residence, or at Quality Hotel Delfino, where we stayed. It was really cheap, yet still clean and comfortable.

BEST TIPS TO DISCOVER VENICE

1. GO SIGHTSEEING EARLY IN THE MORNING

As you may already know, the crowds LOVE Venice. If you’ve seen any pictures of Venice during the day, you must have noticed that people just walk in lines one after another, and there isn’t much “sightseeing” you can do when you can’t even walk freely.

What you should do is get up early and explore when only the locals are awake. In the early morning, you can only see locals going to work, and an occasional influencer/tourist who is also taking this advice.

Obviously, some museums and attractions are going to be closed if you’re out there before 9 a.m., but you will see the whole city without a rush. On top of that, your photos are going to look amazing!

If you want to escape the crowds and still visit the museums or attractions which have working hours, buy a ticket with a time slot. That way you know you must come at a certain time, and you are going in immediately.

Now, let’s go through some attractions you must see!

St. Mark’s Basilica/Square

The most popular and most magnificent church in Venice (and one of the most famous in the world) is the number one must-see landmark. The church is home to the body of St. Mark, the Apostle who was brought all the way from Alexandria.

The entry to the church is free on all days except holidays. You can visit it every day from 9:30 until 5 p.m. but do an additional check for Sundays!

The Bridge of Sighs

A truly special and unique bridge is right next to St. Mark’s Basilica. It’s a closed bridge that has windows with stone bars.

There’s a very famous story of how the bridge was named the Bridge of Sighs because criminals crossed that bridge on the way to their cells. As that was the last time they got to see the incredible Venice, the view would cause them to sigh.

To walk across the bridge, you must visit the Doge’s Palace!

Doge’s Palace

Doge’s Palace was the home to the most powerful man in the Republic of Venice back in the Middle Ages. It’s to this day one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice and you must visit it if you find yourself near.

The palace is now a museum open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. The basic admission ticket is around 26 Euros, but that one is not skip-the-line, so pick the one you prefer!

Rialto Bridge

Rialto Bridge is the oldest bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice and it’s a huge tourist attraction.

It’s relatively close to the central train station St. Lucia (20 minutes of walking), so tourists often see Rialto as the first significant tourist attraction. The huge bridge hosts pedestrians and various shops on each side of it.

If you want to experience the bridge without the crowds, you MUST get up early in the morning, because during the day you can barely walk over it.

2. BURANO IS A MUST-SEE!

Burano is a very special destination that makes a perfect day trip from Venice. All you need to do in order to get to the colorful island is take a 45-minute Vaporetto ride (Vaporetto is a Venetian water bus – it’s cheap and it can get you anywhere, check them out if you don’t want to walk all the time).

Read more >>> BURANO: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO A STUNNING DAY TRIP FROM VENICE

Burano’s formation looks similar to Venice, with incredible architecture and many canals passing in-between. The colors of the houses are carefully planned, and their contrasting colors make for amazing pictures.

Another sight you must see is the island’s leaning bell tower.

The island is famous for its lacemaking, so a lot of shops sell handmade lace, and you can even see how they make it.

3. EXPLORE THE SMALLER, MYSTERIOUS STREETS OF VENICE

There’s no point in coming to Venice only to walk through the main streets a foot away from the huge crowds. Sure, take a day and see all the famous landmarks and streets, but afterward, take the time to just get lost in the streets of Venice.

The streets are so confusing that sometimes not even Google will be able to help you!

Start from your hotel and just walk – enter any little street you think looks interesting! Venice is one of the safest cities in the world, so there is no danger in getting lost, and you can only make your experience even better by aimlessly walking through.

It’s incredible how only a couple of streets off the beaten path you can see Venetian grandmas cooking, children yelling while playing football, or even babies making their first steps on a little secluded square.

By venturing off, you will get to meet the locals and Venice will become much more real for you.

4. TAKE A GONDOLA RIDE THROUGH VENICE

One of the most famous and the most expensive activities you can do is take a Gondola ride. The Gondola is a uniquely Venetian activity, and it definitely is an incredible experience!

A Gondola ride starts at 80 Euros for 30-40 minutes if you want a ride during the day. Once the sun starts to set, it’s 100 Euros. Prepare your wallets if you want to experience sunset in a Gondola!

Of course, if you want romantic singing or anything additional during your ride, you’re going to pay extra.

Pro tip: definitely try to talk about the price of the ride and agree on it with the Gondolier, just to be sure that’s what you’re going to pay in the end.

5. VISIT THE LIDO – THE HOME TO VENICE’S BEACHES!

The Lido is a Venetian barrier island – an island situated between the Venetian lagoon and the Adriatic Sea. The Lido is essentially the “seaside“ of Venice as it offers several miles of private and public beaches. If you’ve ever seen people on a beach in Venice – it was at the Lido!

You can reach the Lido from Piazzale Roma or the railway station St. Lucia by using ACTV waterbus number 5.1 or 6.

You’ve probably also heard about The Venice Film Festival, which is held….. you guessed it……. also at the Lido!

Although the Lido is an island for itself, it’s imminently tied to Venice in many ways, so if you’re able to visit it, make sure you do!

I hope I gave you some insight into what’s a must-see while visiting the City of Canals. Leave me a comment if you’ve visited Venice and tell me what was your experience like!