Thinking About what to do in Venice? 8 Reasons Why It's Time To Stop!
Venice is one of the most beautiful and unique cities globally, and many people wish to visit it. Venice has a lot to offer for a city built on more than 100 islands, from its beautiful canals filled with gondolas to its maze of narrow streets where you can get lost. Even though the city is highly crowded, touristic, and costlier, it is one of the most beautiful cities globally, offering a truly unique experience that you should not miss.
The historic city comprises about a hundred small islands, each with its own set of buildings. Water is used to construct all of the city's monuments and buildings. These structures and monuments appear to emerge from the water, giving tourists the impression that they are in a floating city.
Venice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Italy's most visited tourist sites. Tourists come from all over the world to see Venice's canals, historic buildings, and art-filled churches. The entire city of Venice is built on a one-of-a-kind foundation system that was regarded as a civil engineering marvel.
By the way, if you want to explore more of Italy, Venice is a terrific place to add to your Northeast Italy road trip.
Visit St. Mark's Square and Doge's Palace
The island of Venice is largely made up of narrow lanes, which explains why cars are not permitted. St. Mark's Plaza, on the other hand, is a big square directly on the water.
The Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica, Campanile, and a plethora of gorgeous but pricey cafés are located in St. Mark's Plaza, the city's central square. Caffè Florian is a well-known example. It is the world's oldest and most prestigious café, established in 1720. Expect to pay more than 20€ for two coffees, as the costs are appropriately high. The Doge's Palace is, without a doubt, the most spectacular edifice in St. Mark's Square. I recommend booking tours ahead of time to see it from the inside. Special excursions can be purchased, such as the Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica Fast-Track Tour or the Doge's Palace Priority Admission Ticket.
Most travelers’ itineraries in Venice include visiting the Doge's Palace, which has served as for nearly 700 years, the Venetian Republic's ancient seat of power has been here. The palace has two facades, one overlooking the Grand Canal and overlooking the Piazzetta of St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco). A third facade looms over the tiny Rio del Palazzo canal, and Europe's back of the structure abuts the Basilica di San Marco complex. It is one of Europe's most breathtaking situated monuments.
The Doge's Palace, popularly known as the Palazzo Ducale, is today a major tourist destination in Venice. It has a rich and colorful history that is intrinsically related to Venice's rise to power and its dominance over centuries of rule over broad swathes of southern and central Europe.
The Doge's Palace, one of Venice's most popular attractions, for every day of the year is open for tours. The introductory tour is a self-guided tour of a few of the palace's most influential elements, but it leaves out several key areas. The Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries Tour is highly recommended for visiting the ancient and contemporary prisons, which include Casanova's cell, the Bridge of Sighs, and various other well-maintained rooms. English-language tours sell out months in advance, so make your reservations early.
Many of these tours include a visit to St. Mark's Basilica. Travel toward the sea and turn left after passing through the Doge's Palace to get there. When you reach the top of the small bridge, you'll see one of the city's most famous bridges. Don't miss the iconic Bridge of Sighs perspective.
Admire Venice from Above at Campanile
Is there a better way to get a bird's eye view of Venice than from the top of the city's tallest structure?
The city's most famous building is the renowned bell tower Campanile, frequently the first known emblem seen from afar. Only an elevator can take you to the top of the nearly 100-meter-high bell tower. It's good for us because we can't fathom how exhausting it would be if all we had were stairs.
A ticket costs ten euros and can be purchased at the counter. If you don't want to wait in line for half an hour, go early in the morning or after 5 p.m. There was a long line, and we had to wait for a little before getting up. We knew it was worth it as soon as we arrived at the top and exited the elevator. The views were breathtaking, and seeing Venice from such a high vantage point was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Do a (Romantic) Gondola Ride
Even though it is not cheap, a gondola ride in Venice has long been at the top of my Italy bucket list. We asked a lot of other travelers and bloggers about it, and some said it wasn't worth it, while others almost pushed us to do it. After some deliberation, we decided to take the plunge and board one of these Venetian boats. We both agreed that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we couldn't afford to pass up — no matter how expensive it was.
When will we have another opportunity to do something like that?
Perhaps we were just highly fortunate on that particular day, but we had the best time of our lives! First, we got a cheaper ride than usual, and second, our Gondolier was super awesome, and he sang for us. Our Gondolier was super awesome and even sang for us!
After viewing Venice from above, seeing the city from this vantage point was a unique but equally rewarding experience. Every first-time visitor to Venice should take a gondola ride. Whether you're traveling alone, with friends, your spouse, or your complete family, there's something for everyone.
Eat as much Italian Gelato as you can
Which ice cream flavor do you prefer?
It's great that the vegan movement is gaining traction because more and more ice salons worldwide are now offering dairy-free options. It's no surprise that finding good Italian Gelato in Venice was not difficult. Around the block from our hotel in Venice, there was even an ice salon with vegan tastes! Dark chocolate and raspberry ice cream from Gelatoteca Suso are best. They had a few additional vegan options in addition to this one.
If you aren't vegan, there are plenty of beautiful flavors to pick from, both classic and exotic! In general, ice cream is relatively easy to come by in Venice. There's an ice salon on virtually every street corner!
So, if you're yearning for some delicious Italian gelato, don't worry: you won't have to travel far!
Pizza and Pasta!
Amore, Pizza, and Pasta
Pizza and pasta are the two things we should eat the most in Venice. The main reason is that few other excellent vegan options were available on the menu. As a result, pizza sans cheese and tomato sauce pasta was virtually always on the menu. It didn't bother you in the least. Many restaurants serve Italian cuisine, but this does not always imply that it is authentic or delicious.
Al Paradiso near Rialto Bridge is one restaurant which should be strongly recommended. We came across it while hunting for a decent dining spot. Restaurants at big attractions aren't necessarily tourist traps, but they are frequently. The food is frequently of poor quality, and the prices are excessive. We chose against eating at any of the restaurants along the Grand Canal, even though they all had beautiful views of Rialto Bridge.
We took a right and headed away from the canal on a side street. We were standing in front of the restaurant just a few minutes later.
Even though it had excellent TripAdvisor reviews, we were the only guests. We were initially perplexed as to why no one was sitting there, but we soon discovered that it was truly off the beaten path, with hardly any tourists passing by. The tomato sauce pasta was delicious and tasted so fresh. In addition, the service was excellent, and the blue furniture was stunning! We sat down and placed our order after some reluctance.
Take a Vaporetto Along the Grand Canal
Buses, trains, and subways make up the majority of public transportation options in most cities. In Venice, however, this is not the case. A water bus called Vaporetto must move from point A to point B or any of the other islands.
However, don't take the term at face value; they appear to be any other little ferry.
Vaporettos are the best (and only) way to get around Venice, but the fares are, in my opinion, far too pricey. A single ticket costs 8 euros, while a 24-hour pass costs 20 euros!!!
Some distances on the main island can be walked, but you'll have to take a water bus if you wish to visit the other islands. We don't want to only bash the Vaporettos because they're a fun way to see Venice from the water without taking a gondola ride. We can observe numerous notable buildings while riding along the Grand Canal. It adds a beautiful touch to the trip to Venice.
Visit the Acqua Alta Bookstore
Visit the Acqua Alta Bookstore, which is another excellent activity to do in Venice. You'll notice a bright sign welcoming you to the world's most beautiful bookshop right in front of it before you enter.
Isn't it exciting? Acqua Alta Bookstore is a book store located in Acqua Alta, California. It's easy to see why this shop is so unique. The majority of the books are on old shelves, but there was one exception: a book-filled gondola in the center of the central aisle. This is fantastic, although somewhat unusual, shelf design! Prepare to be met by some furry friends, i.e., the cats who live there, as soon as you arrive.
If you walk to the back, you'll come across the location for the bookshop's most prominent feature. A delightful and small back courtyard can be used as a reading spot, located right on the canal. Remember to climb the book's staircase for a great perspective of the canal!
The majority of the books in Acqua Alta are in Italian, but there are also a few in English and German. Even if you aren't a book lover, paying a visit to this location is recommended because it is undoubtedly one of Venice's trendiest attractions.
Plan a Day Trip to Nurani & Murano
It's a day trip to Burano and Murano, the beautiful island of Burano and the birthplace of the famous Murano glass. It may be necessary to skip it depending on the length of your visit, as it takes one entire day.
Burano: Burano is one of Venice's largest and most visited islands. The latter is primarily due to the many adorable colorfully painted houses found across the island. There's no hue you won't find there, whether blue, pink, orange, yellow, purple, or green! It makes deciding on a future home quite challenging.
Murano: Murano, unlike Burano, is not as vibrant and is known mainly for its glass production. Murano glass can be purchased in a variety of shops throughout the city. You may be able to observe a glassmaker at work if you're lucky.
Although it isn't extraordinary, Murano is a beautiful island to visit. It was a bit of a letdown when compared to Burano. Regardless, it's fascinating to learn more about the origins of the well-known glass. In addition, miniature glass creatures are excellent souvenirs, so don't forget to purchase one!
With this long discussion on Venice about what you can do around the city, we hope you visit Venice soon, stay in an amazing hotel, roam in the city, experience the hospitality, and make your time memorable!!