Many tourists come to one of the most unusual and beautiful cities in the world. What to see in Venice on your own in 1, 2 and 3 days? Find out about the top attractions and admission fees.
Saint Mark's Square
Each city has its own center. In Venice, this is the old Piazza San Marco. All roads that lead to the ancient city on the water converge here. The architectural ensemble of the main square is formed by the famous Doge's Palace, the picturesque Cathedral of St. Mark, a library, a clock tower and some other historical buildings.
The spacious square in front of the cathedral appeared in the 9th century, and the gray cobbled pavement "herringbone" was made in the 13th century. People come to the square to see the slender columns of St. Mark and Theodore, climb the observation deck of the Campanile, listen to the melodic chime of the clock on the tower and feed the pigeons.
This part of the city is easy to reach by waterbus - vaporetto from Santa Lucia train station or Piazza Roma. You need to get off at the S.Marco Vallaresso stop.
St. Mark's Cathedral
What to see in Venice? Particularly noteworthy is the beautiful cathedral - the most popular and famous Christian church in the city. She received a high status at the beginning of the 19th century, and before that she was the doge's court chapel.
Admire the facades of the luxurious building and look inside. The multi-colored mosaic paintings cover 4000 sq. m of the temple. The earliest of them were laid out in the XI century. On the huge dome of the Creation of the world there are 26 mosaic scenes from the Bible. The "Golden Altar" consists of religious miniatures, which were made using the cloisonné enamel technique. The unique treasury of the basilica has been converted into a museum.
The cathedral rises on St. Mark's Square. The entrance to the basilica is free. A ticket to the museum costs 5 €, the entrance to the Golden Altar is 2 €, and the climb to the bell tower is 8 €.
Doge's palace
Not far from the Basilica of San Marco is the picturesque residence of the rulers of the city - the Doge's Palace, or Palazzo Ducale. If you have not yet decided what to see in Venice, consider taking a walk through the museum inside the palace.
The ceilings of the residence are decorated by renowned artists Tintoretto and Veronese. The Hall of Cards leaves a great impression. Its walls are decorated with old maps, which were compiled by the best Italian masters.
The palace is located in Piazza San Marco. A full ticket costs 20 €.
Tower of San Giorgio Maggiore
Venice is built on 118 islands, and one has an old 17th century cathedral. The square brick tower of San Giorgio Maggiore is understood at 60 m. It serves as a bell tower and serves as an excellent observation deck from which a wonderful view of the central part of Venice opens. The lift lifts the tourists upstairs. Several paintings by the famous painter Tintoretto are kept inside the three-nave church.
The tower is located on a small "cypress" island in the center of the city. The entrance to the temple is free, and the rise to the tower is 6 €.
Rialto Market
What to see in Venice to experience the daily life of the Venetians? Visit the old market, which has been operating in the city center since the 16th century. Translated from Italian, its name means "high coast". Here they sell fish, vegetables, herbs and fruits. The largest selection of fresh seafood is available in the morning.
Visio Virtu chocolate shop is open near the market. Try different types of chocolate made according to traditional Venetian recipes. Visit the Parmesan Palace shop, which sells delicious cheeses.
The market is located on the right bank of the Grand Canal, west of the Rialto Bridge. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday in the morning. The entrance is free.
Murano island
Murano attracts history buffs and art aficionados. It was here, in the artisan part of the city, that mirrors and glass decorations were invented, which created the glory of Venice. Glass souvenirs are still sold in Murano today.
Wander the narrow streets and admire the medieval temples and the summer residence of the Venetian rulers, Palazzo Da Mula. On a tour of the factory, see how the famous glass is made.
The island town is 1.5 km from the historic center of Venice. The entrance to the Glass Museum costs 4 €.
Torcello island
We advise you to see the island of Torcello in Venice on your own, where the oldest churches in the city are located. Since the 7th century, Torcello has been one of the most prosperous settlements in the lagoon. There was an active trade on the island, and wool products were made. Then two rivers flooded the land, and most of the inhabitants moved to the larger islands.
Visit the ancient Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. See massive stone shutters and golden doomsday mosaics. Walk over the water along the Devil's Bridge and visit the Temple of Santa Fosca.
Torcello is located in the north of the Venetian Lagoon and can be reached by vaporetto.
Burano island
In Venice, visit the famous colorful island of Burano, the center of Venetian lace-making. The island is divided into quarters and is famous for the bright facades of houses that overlook the canal. A real paradise for photographers!
In addition to colorful buildings, the island's attractions include the Temple of San Martino and the Lace Museum. Local craftswomen's products are sold in many shops. If they are cheap, this is a factory handicraft that was brought from far away. Real handmade Buran lace makers are expensive.
Burano is located in the north of the city, next to the island of Torcello. Tickets to the Lace Museum cost 5 €.
Cemetery of San Michele Island
What to see in Venice for lovers of secluded walks? Perhaps the quietest place is on the square island, which bears the name of the Archangel Michael. The old cemetery is surrounded by a brick wall and occupies the whole of San Michele.
The area with cypress trees is divided into Orthodox, Catholic and Jewish sections. The graves of many Venetians are located here. Tourists from Russia visit the burial places of Joseph Brodsky, Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Diaghilev. Out of respect for the dead people in the cemetery, you cannot take pictures.
The island is reached by vaporetto, which goes in the direction of Murano.
Lido island
If a walk through the San Michele cemetery is a little sad, then a trip to the island of Lido will help you to relax. There are luxurious beaches and huge hotels, often referred to as the Venetian Riviera. If you find yourself in the city in the summer - go there to sunbathe!
The beach island is located south of the Venetian Lagoon. It closes the central part of the city from the Adriatic Sea.
La Fenice
Many tourists dream of seeing a performance at the La Fenice opera house. The theater appeared at the end of the 18th century and, like the fabulous Phoenix, was rebuilt three times after the fires. If time is short, a visit to the performance can be replaced with an excursion - the theater has a permanent exhibition about the opera diva Maria Callas. The guide will show you the temple of the arts and tell entertaining theatrical stories. Don't forget the dress code!
The theater is located in the San Marco area. Tickets cost 15-110 €, guided tour with audio guide in five languages - 13 €. Children under 6 years old are admitted free of charge.
Carnival mask shop
Where do you buy accessories for the famous Venice Carnival? Multicolored paper and plastic masks are sold on the streets of the city, but most of them are Made in China. For a truly exclusive look, head to the old Venetian mask shop.
The small shop Il Canovaccio makes and sells painted masks for carnival participants. Traditional materials for them are leather, papier-mâché, ceramics and metal. True, today plastic is often used.Visitors are allowed to take pictures of any product, but masked people cannot be filmed!
The mask store is located in the city center, at Calle Larga Rosa, 6076. On the streets, masks are sold for 15-20 €, and in the store an empty blank costs 30 €. You can paint it yourself. The prices for large masks in the form of luxurious animal heads go up to 1,500 €.
Colorful bookstore
Connoisseurs of good books are advised to look in Venice at the real Aladdin's shop for book lovers - the Libreria Acqua Alta store. The unusual shop is popular with tourists. The editions are displayed in wooden boats and gondolas, and one of the stairs is made of paper volumes. Two thirds of the books are new. Cats sleep on the shelves.
The bookstore is located near Piazza San Marco, at Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa, 5176 - Castello.
Bridge of Sighs
What to see in Venice for lovers of unusual places? A suitable attraction is the small bridge between the Doge's Palace and the old prison. It was built at the beginning of the 17th century in the best Baroque traditions and is decorated with marble carvings.
The graceful bridge is closed from the eyes by walls and has only four windows - two on each side. Once upon a time, criminals were taken across the bridge. Through small windows, they looked at the waters of the canal and said goodbye to freedom. The city legends tell about the sad sighs of the prisoners. The old building causes sighs of admiration for modern tourists.
The bridge runs across the Rio di Palazio canal. Attend it for free.
Scuola San Rocco
Venice is a real Klondike for art lovers! What to see on your own? Connoisseurs of beauty are advised to go to the most beautiful gallery of San Rocco. The two-storey building in the Venetian Renaissance style was founded in 1515. Walk through the huge halls and admire the gilded stucco, decorative panels, paintings by Tintoretto and Titian.
The gallery is located in Piazza San Rocco. Take vaparetto to the S. Toma stop and walk towards the museum. A ticket with an audio guide costs 11 €.
Old Jewish ghetto
In 2016, the historic district of Venice turned 500 years old, that is, the city's Jewish ghetto is older than many countries in the world. Now the plot of land isolated by canals is protected by the state. Since the Second World War, there are almost no Jews left in the ghetto, but old bakeries, cafes and a trattoria still work. There is also a Jewish museum, two synagogues and a Holocaust memorial.
The ghetto is located in a non-tourist area of the city - Cannaregio. The visit is free.
Giudecca island
The large island is separated from the historic part of the city by the Giudecchi Canal. They come here to admire the views of the buildings of San Marco and see three medieval churches.
There is a luxury hotel on Giudecca. The neo-Gothic building was built in the 19th century and was originally intended for a pasta factory. Lovers of Art Nouveau architecture cannot indifferently pass by the spectacular Casa dei Tre Oci.
The colorful island is part of the urban area of Dorsoduro.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
This is the name of a small museum, where 400 paintings by Picasso, Dali, Modigliani, Rothko, Miro, Chagall, Malevich, Ernst, Kandinsky and other famous artists of the 20th century are exhibited.
The exhibition is located in the Venier dei Leoni palazzo, which is located in the Dorsoduro district. The ticket costs 16.5 €.
Ca-d'Oro palace
One of the places on the Grand Canal that is worth seeing in Venice is called the "Golden House". The fact is that in the 15th century, gold leaf was used to decorate the palace. The richly decorated Gothic walls were visible from afar and reflected in the waters of the canal.
Since the 20s of the last century, the Franchetti Gallery has been located inside, where rare art objects and old paintings are collected. Minus one - you can't take pictures.
The elegant palace stands in the San Marco area. Ticket price -11 €.
Old shipyard
Squero di San Trovaso is a 17th century building where artisans still work. Squero means a team of people who make boats together. The shipyard produces long gondolas and other types of Venetian traditional boats. The craftsmen make 10 boats a year. Tourists are not allowed inside, but the entire shipyard is clearly visible from the canal.
The place where the boats are made is in the Dorsoduro area, 1097.
What to see in Venice in 1 day
Venice is oversaturated with sights - we offer you to see only the very best in 1 day:
- St. Mark's Square and the Cathedral of the same name.
- Doge's Palace.
- Tower of San Giorgio Maggiore - at least from the side.
- Grand Canal.
- Bridge of Sighs.
- Rialto Bridge and Rialto Market.
- Ca-d'Oro Palace.
What to see in Venice in 2 days
If you have 2 days to Venice, we advise you to see its islands and swim plenty of vaporetto and targhetto:
- Burano island.
- Murano island.
- Giuzhekka island.
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
- Merchery.
What to see in Venice in 3 days
- Scuola San Rocco
- Jewish ghetto.
- Teatro La Fenice.
- Cemetery of the island of San Michele.
- Torcello Island.
