Venice

When to go

What to see

St. Mark's Basilica, 45 min visit. Ticket 3 EUR, but add 5 EUR for the Pala d'Oro and 7 EUR for the terrace. You need to book a free time slot online at least one week in advance. No bags allowed. No photography inside.

Doge's Palace, 1.5 hours minimum. Ticket 25 EUR including the Secret Itineraries tour (book that part). Skip the public route if you are short on time. The Secret Tour shows you Casanova's cell and the bridge of sighs from the inside.

Rialto Bridge and Market, 30 minutes. Free. Go at 8 AM when the fish market is active. The bridge itself is always packed. The real magic is watching the produce stalls.

Gallerie dell'Accademia, 1.5 hours. 12 EUR. One of the best Renaissance collections in Italy. Less crowded than the Peggy Guggenheim.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection, 1 hour. 16 EUR. Good for modern art lovers. Skip it if you want Venetian painters. The garden is lovely for a coffee break.

Basilica dei Frari, 40 minutes. 3 EUR. Contains Titian's Assumption. Quiet, dark, and far more peaceful than St. Mark's.

Skip the Glass Museum on Murano unless you are buying glass. The free factory demos are sales pitches. Go to Murano for the island itself, not the museums.

Skip the Gondola ride if you are on a budget. The standard 30 minute ride costs 80 EUR daytime, 100 EUR after 7 PM. Instead, ride the traghetto across the Grand Canal for 2 EUR. Stand up, hold the rail, feel like a local.

3-day itinerary

Day 1: The Core

1. 8:30 AM, St. Mark's Square before the crowds. Visit the Basilica (you already booked). 15 minutes in line max if you arrive at 8:30.
2. 10:00 AM, Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries tour. Book the 10 AM slot.
3. 1:00 PM, Lunch at a bacaro near Rialto. Try cicchetti and a spritz for 15 EUR. Avoid restaurants with pictures of food outside.
4. 3:00 PM, Rialto Bridge and market. Walk the streets north of Rialto, which are quiet.
5. 5:00 PM, Gondola traghetto from Rialto to San Tomà. 2 EUR.
6. 7:00 PM, Aperitivo at Al Prosecco in Cannaregio. Less touristy.

Day 2: Art and Islands

1. 9:00 AM, Gallerie dell'Accademia. Two hours.
2. 11:30 AM, Walk to Basilica dei Frari and Scuola Grande di San Rocco (Tintoretto's cycle, 10 EUR).
3. 1:00 PM, Lunch near San Polo. Try Da Mhia for pasta (12 EUR).
4. 2:30 PM, Vaporetto to Murano. Spend an hour walking the canals away from the glass shops.
5. 4:00 PM, Vaporetto to Burano. The colorful houses are worth the 40 minute ride. Catch the sunset there.
6. 7:00 PM, Return to Venice. Dinner at Osteria da Alberto in Cannaregio. Reserve ahead.

Day 3: Off the beaten path

1. 9:00 AM, Walk to the Cannaregio district. Visit the Jewish Ghetto. The museum is small (5 EUR).
2. 11:00 AM, Walk to the Madonna dell'Orto church (free, Tintoretto's tomb).
3. 12:30 PM, Lunch at Trattoria Al Gatto Nero on Murano if you are going back, or try Ostaria Boccadoro in Cannaregio.
4. 2:00 PM, Take vaporetto line 2 around the Grand Canal. It costs the same as a single ticket but gives a 45 minute loop.
5. 4:00 PM, Final wander: get lost in Dorsoduro. No map. That is the point.
6. 7:00 PM, Last spritz at Caffè Florian on St. Mark's Square. 15 EUR per drink but the orchestra makes it worth one round.

Where to stay

Do not stay in Mestre unless you are on a very tight budget. The commute adds 20 minutes each way and the magic is lost.

Getting around

Vaporetto (water bus), 9.50 EUR per 75 minute ticket. Buy from a tabacchi or ticket machine. Validate before boarding. A 24 hour travel card costs 25 EUR, 48 hours 35 EUR. Do the math: if you ride more than 3 times, get the day pass.

Traghetto (gondola ferry), 2 EUR. Cash only. Four lines cross the Grand Canal. Use them often.

Walking, Venice is walkable. From the train station to St. Mark's is 30 minutes. Wear waterproof shoes from October to March. Acqua alta floods the low areas.

Water taxi, 60-120 EUR per trip. Only for show. Rich people use them. You do not need them.

People mover, 1.50 EUR from Tronchetto to Piazzale Roma. Useful if you arrive by car or cruise ship.

Do not take the gondola from the train station. That route is boring. Do not take any gondola with a flat price quoted in dollars.

Budget

Mistakes to avoid

Paying for coffee at a table. Stand at the bar. A cappuccino costs 1.10 EUR at the bar, 4.50 EUR at a table. Same coffee.

Buying a gondola ride from a tout. Always negotiate directly with the gondolier at the dock. Confirm the price, duration, and route before boarding.

Staying in Mestre. I know it is cheap. But you waste 40 minutes each way and lose the evening atmosphere. Stay on the island or don't come.

Eating near St. Mark's Square. The food is mediocre and the prices are double. Walk 10 minutes away to Cannaregio or Dorsoduro.

Forgetting to validate your vaporetto ticket. The fine is 70 EUR. Validate it in the yellow machine before boarding.

Thinking you can see everything. Venice is a maze. You cannot see all of it in 3 days. Accept this. Wander without a plan for at least half a day.

Buying a mask from a shop that sells imported plastic. Real Venetian masks are made of papier-mâché and cost 30 EUR or more. The 5 EUR ones are from China.