Day 1 - The top sights in town
9:00am Campanile di San Marco
Since the Campanile di San Marco (bell tower) actually opens before the basilica itself, hit this one first for stupendous city panoramas from the top. (Though please note that, in winter, it does not open until 9:30am, so adjust accordingly.)
Take a bit less than half an hour for the elevator ride up, photo ops at the top, and the ride back down—because you want to be in line at the Basilica of St. Mark's before it opens at 9:45am to avoid the long lines
9:45am St. Mark's Basilica
75 min.
Kill two birds with one stone by being at the Basilica di San Marco before it opens at 9:45am; that way you (a) get to see its treasures and the thousands of square feet of glittering mosaics swathing its interior, and (b) won't have to wait in a long line, which can stretch the wait to as long as an hour or more later in the day.
Do pay the small, separate admission fees to see the Pala d'Oro altarpiece and to visit the Marciana Museum upstairs (great close-up view of the mosaics from the balcony level). Don't dawdle too long, however, because you have to be next door at the Doge's Palace by 11:20am for the 11:35am "Secret Itineraries" tour
Kill two birds with one stone by being at the Basilica di San Marco before it opens at 9:45am; that way you (a) get to see its treasures and the thousands of square feet of glittering mosaics swathing its interior, and (b) won't have to wait in a long line, which can stretch the wait to as long as an hour or more later in the day.Do pay the small, separate admission fees to see the Pala d'Oro altarpiece and to visit the Marciana Museum upstairs (great close-up view of the mosaics from the balcony level). Don't dawdle too long, however, because you have to be next door at the Doge's Palace by 11:20am for the 11:35am "Secret Itineraries" tour
11:20pm Doge's Palace
120 min.
Be at the Doge's Palacebefore 11:35pm to take your (pre-booked) "Secret Itineraries" tour, which in 90 minutes gives you an amazing insider's glimpse into the hidden offices, courtrooms, archives, and prisons from which the true Venetian Republic ruled for 900 years.
Then take another 30 minutes for a spin on your own through the palazzo's public rooms, smothered in paintings by Titian, Tintoretto, and other giants of the Venetian Renaissance.
Be at the Doge's Palacebefore 11:35pm to take your (pre-booked) "Secret Itineraries" tour, which in 90 minutes gives you an amazing insider's glimpse into the hidden offices, courtrooms, archives, and prisons from which the true Venetian Republic ruled for 900 years.Then take another 30 minutes for a spin on your own through the palazzo's public rooms, smothered in paintings by Titian, Tintoretto, and other giants of the Venetian Renaissance.
1:30pm Lunch
75 min.
There are several great places to eat between Piazza San Marco and your next stop (Ca' d'Oro). I recommend either the simple yet hearty and authentic fare at Osteria La Campana hidden in plain sight on the main drag (or, a bit out of the way,Trattoria Cea), or splashing out on lunch at the excellent Bistrot de Venise, many of its recipes from Renaissance-era Italian and French cookbooks.
If you prefer a quick, cheap bite, there are two excellent tavola calda joints selling hot, prepared foods near the Rialto Bridge: Rosticceria San Bartolomeo and Rosticceria Teatro Goldoni.
There are several great places to eat between Piazza San Marco and your next stop (Ca' d'Oro). I recommend either the simple yet hearty and authentic fare at Osteria La Campana hidden in plain sight on the main drag (or, a bit out of the way,Trattoria Cea), or splashing out on lunch at the excellent Bistrot de Venise, many of its recipes from Renaissance-era Italian and French cookbooks.If you prefer a quick, cheap bite, there are two excellent tavola calda joints selling hot, prepared foods near the Rialto Bridge: Rosticceria San Bartolomeo and Rosticceria Teatro Goldoni.
3:00pm Ca' d'Oro
75 min.
After lunch, tour the Ca' d'Oro, a glorious private palace on the Grand Canal now turned into a museum and art gallery.
After lunch, tour the Ca' d'Oro, a glorious private palace on the Grand Canal now turned into a museum and art gallery.
4:30pm Rialto Bridge & Market
15 min.
Cross over the Grand Canal on the Rialto Bridge, a Renaissance stone span lined by shops.
Take a few minutes to wander the stalls of the Rialto Market on the far (S. Polo) side, then thread your way south through the S. Polo district to the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.
(Note: If you're running ahead of schedule, along the way you can take 15–20 minutes to hit the church of I Frari with its art by Bellini, Donatello, and especially Titian, who is buried here.
Cross over the Grand Canal on the Rialto Bridge, a Renaissance stone span lined by shops.Take a few minutes to wander the stalls of the Rialto Market on the far (S. Polo) side, then thread your way south through the S. Polo district to the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.
(Note: If you're running ahead of schedule, along the way you can take 15–20 minutes to hit the church of I Frari with its art by Bellini, Donatello, and especially Titian, who is buried here.
4:45pm Scuola Grande di San Rocco
45 min.
Admire the dozens (yes, dozens) of spectacular Tintoretto paintings in the amazingScuola Grande di San Rocco, basically a Renaissance frat house for Venetian bigwigs, all dark wood and big oil paintings in a suitably clubby atmosphere
Admire the dozens (yes, dozens) of spectacular Tintoretto paintings in the amazingScuola Grande di San Rocco, basically a Renaissance frat house for Venetian bigwigs, all dark wood and big oil paintings in a suitably clubby atmosphere
5:30pm Cicchetti crawl
75 min.
Round off the day with an early evening cicchetticrawl through the bacari bars around the Rialto Market area. A personal favorite: Cantina Do Mori..
Round off the day with an early evening cicchetticrawl through the bacari bars around the Rialto Market area. A personal favorite: Cantina Do Mori..
7:00pm Dinner
90 min.
Congratulations. It's been a long day, stuffed with art and history. Time to celebrate by digging into a sumptuous meal—seafood, if that's your thing, because it certainly is Venice's.
Just remember: Venice is unlike the rest of Italy, where 7:30pm is considered an early dinner. In Venice, 7pm is about normal for starting dinner, and many restaurants shut their kitchens before 9pm (when, in southern parts of Italy, things are just getting going). Here are my recommendations for the best places to eat in Venice.
Congratulations. It's been a long day, stuffed with art and history. Time to celebrate by digging into a sumptuous meal—seafood, if that's your thing, because it certainly is Venice's.Just remember: Venice is unlike the rest of Italy, where 7:30pm is considered an early dinner. In Venice, 7pm is about normal for starting dinner, and many restaurants shut their kitchens before 9pm (when, in southern parts of Italy, things are just getting going). Here are my recommendations for the best places to eat in Venice.
Day 2 - Museums, gondolas, and getting lost
9:00am Get lost
120 min.
Venice has its fair share of monuments, museums, and decorated churches, but frankly just about the best thing you can do with your second morning is ignore all the sights and just wander the streets aimlessly.
If you can, try to get lost. Honestly. I do it all the time, and it's great. You'll stroll past slowly decaying Gothic palaces decorated with pointy Byzantine windows, stumble across pocket-sized campielli (squares) where local kids are kicking a soccer ball around a medieval well, and duck into the shade of a tiny bar to share a glass of wine with the well-weathered locals. Ahhhh; perfect.
You can seek out secondary sights if you like. Orshop for Murano glass or Carnival masks. Pop into random small churches. Grab an espresso from a bar. Just experience Venice.
Venice has its fair share of monuments, museums, and decorated churches, but frankly just about the best thing you can do with your second morning is ignore all the sights and just wander the streets aimlessly.If you can, try to get lost. Honestly. I do it all the time, and it's great. You'll stroll past slowly decaying Gothic palaces decorated with pointy Byzantine windows, stumble across pocket-sized campielli (squares) where local kids are kicking a soccer ball around a medieval well, and duck into the shade of a tiny bar to share a glass of wine with the well-weathered locals. Ahhhh; perfect.
You can seek out secondary sights if you like. Orshop for Murano glass or Carnival masks. Pop into random small churches. Grab an espresso from a bar. Just experience Venice.
11:00am Accademia Galleries
90 min.
Visit the Accademia Galleryfor its stupendous collection of Old Masters paintings, on of the best in Italy. Venetians (naturally) reign, with canvasses by Titian, Tintoretto, Giovanni Bellini, Paolo Veronese, Paolo Veneziano, Giorgione, and Carpaccio
Visit the Accademia Galleryfor its stupendous collection of Old Masters paintings, on of the best in Italy. Venetians (naturally) reign, with canvasses by Titian, Tintoretto, Giovanni Bellini, Paolo Veronese, Paolo Veneziano, Giorgione, and Carpaccio
12:40pm Lunch
80 min.
Have lunch at the family-runTrattoria Ai Cugnai, ruled by a gaggle of Venetian Aunties (sisters-in-law, actually) who turn out authentic home-cooking
Have lunch at the family-runTrattoria Ai Cugnai, ruled by a gaggle of Venetian Aunties (sisters-in-law, actually) who turn out authentic home-cooking
2:00pm Peggy Guggenheim Museum
60 min.
Continue to the nearbyPeggy Guggenheim for one of Europe's best galleries of early modern works from the 20th century, including Picasso, Dalí, Chagall, Miró, Mondrian, Brancusi, Duchamp, Kadinsky, Giacometti—not to mention Peggy's one-time hubby (Max Ernst) and her most famous discovery (Jackson Pollock)
Continue to the nearbyPeggy Guggenheim for one of Europe's best galleries of early modern works from the 20th century, including Picasso, Dalí, Chagall, Miró, Mondrian, Brancusi, Duchamp, Kadinsky, Giacometti—not to mention Peggy's one-time hubby (Max Ernst) and her most famous discovery (Jackson Pollock)
3:20pm Ca' Rezzonico
45 min.
If you find you still have the time (and energy), try to squeeze in a visit to the Ca' Rezzonico, another historic patrician palace restored with a small painting gallery devoted to daily life in 18th-century Venice.
If you find you still have the time (and energy), try to squeeze in a visit to the Ca' Rezzonico, another historic patrician palace restored with a small painting gallery devoted to daily life in 18th-century Venice.
4:15pm Grand Canal cruise
60 min.
Hop aboard the no. 1 or no. 2 vaporetto line to for a poor man's cruise of the Grand Canalbetween Piazza San Marco and theFerrovia (train station) or Piazzale Roma (car park). Make sure you sit up in the open prow for the best views.
I am sticking this here in the afternoon of Day 2, but you can do it at any point on your visit—even when you arrive or as you are preparing to leave, since it conveniently doubles as transportation
Hop aboard the no. 1 or no. 2 vaporetto line to for a poor man's cruise of the Grand Canalbetween Piazza San Marco and theFerrovia (train station) or Piazzale Roma (car park). Make sure you sit up in the open prow for the best views.I am sticking this here in the afternoon of Day 2, but you can do it at any point on your visit—even when you arrive or as you are preparing to leave, since it conveniently doubles as transportation
5:30pm Piazza San Marco
45 min.
Spend the early evening just wandering aimlessly around Venice's labyrinth of alleyways. Or take a load off and sit on Piazza San Marco to listen to the dueling string trios and piano players playing for the tables in front of competing chichi cafes.
Spend the early evening just wandering aimlessly around Venice's labyrinth of alleyways. Or take a load off and sit on Piazza San Marco to listen to the dueling string trios and piano players playing for the tables in front of competing chichi cafes.
6:00pm Gondola ride
60 min.
Yes, they're touristy, yes they're overpriced, and yes they're hackneyed, but if you can put all that out of your mind, they're also pretty cool, relaxing, and romantic—and who wants to go all the way to Venice and not ride in a gondola anyway?
Yes, they're touristy, yes they're overpriced, and yes they're hackneyed, but if you can put all that out of your mind, they're also pretty cool, relaxing, and romantic—and who wants to go all the way to Venice and not ride in a gondola anyway?
7:00pm Dinner
90 min.Tonight I'd say keep up the morning's spirit of Zen wandering and root around to find your own special place to eat.
Just look for menus in Italian (not five languages) and a clientele that seems at least partly local (this is Venice, so every restaurant will be at least half filled with tourists). (Just in case you want some advice, here, again, are my recommendations for some favorite Venice restaurants.
Tonight I'd say keep up the morning's spirit of Zen wandering and root around to find your own special place to eat.Just look for menus in Italian (not five languages) and a clientele that seems at least partly local (this is Venice, so every restaurant will be at least half filled with tourists). (Just in case you want some advice, here, again, are my recommendations for some favorite Venice restaurants.
Adjusting for Sundays and Mondays
Keep in mind that you may have to adjust these itineraries in case one of the days you're in town happens to fall on a Monday(when most museums are closed) or aSunday (when many things are closed, and those that remain open tend to operate on shorter hours).
A special bonus on Sundays
If any of your days in Venice happens to be a Sunday, do not miss the 6:345pm mass in theCathedral of St. Mark's—the only time they throw on all the light switches to illuminate all of those amazing gold mosaics.
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