Top 12 Things to Do in Venice, Italy: Canals, Landmarks & Hidden Gems

When you first arrive in Venice, it hardly feels like a typical city. Instead, it’s more like stepping onto a movie set, with water everywhere, stone bridges, and boats instead of cars. The best things to do in Venice, Italy, aren’t always listed in guidebooks, because many of them happen as soon as you wander outside and let yourself get a little lost. In this guide, you’ll find 12 experiences worth your time, from famous canals and landmarks to quieter spots, along with tips on food, prices, and the local habits that make Venice unique.

Which canal experiences should top your list?

Glide down the Grand Canal by gondola 

Counted among the top things to do in Venice, Italy is gliding down by gondola. While it might be a cliche, it's still worth trying. A 30-minute ride costs €90 during the day or €110 after 7pm. The price is for the whole boat, not per person, so you can split the cost with up to five people.

• Don't Miss: Be sure to see the row of palaces near the Rialto.
• Good to Know: It’s helpful to know that prices are set by the Venice city, and you’ll need to pay in cash. If you want a cheaper option, a traghetto will take you across the Grand Canal for about €2.

Hop a vaporetto to San Giorgio Maggiore 

The vaporetto is Venice’s version of a city bus, but it runs on water. For the best affordable sightseeing, hop on line 1 along the Grand Canal. Take it over to San Giorgio Maggiore island and ride the lift up the bell tower for a postcard-worthy view of Venice. Note this in your list of things to do in Venice, Italy when planning your holiday. 

• Don't Miss: Be sure to visit the San Giorgio bell tower, which is much quieter than the one in San Marco.
• Good to Know: It’s helpful to know that a single ticket is expensive for just one ride, so buying a day pass is usually a better deal.   

Which Venice landmarks are unmissable? 

Step inside St Mark's Basilica 

For over nine centuries, this church has dazzled visitors with its gold mosaics and treasures, a reminder of when Venice ruled the Mediterranean. You can enter for free, but seeing the highlights like the golden Pala d'Oro and the upstairs terrace costs a few euros.

• Don't Miss: Be sure to see the bronze horses and step out onto the balcony overlooking the square.
• Good to Know: It's helpful to book a timed slot online to avoid long lines, and remember to cover your shoulders before you go.

Stand in the middle of Piazza San Marco

Napoleon is said to have called this the finest drawing room in Europe, and if you visit on a quiet morning, you’ll probably agree. Coffee at the centuries-old Caffè Florian is expensive, but you’re really paying for the music and the history.

• Don't Miss: The Campanile right when it opens, before the crowds arrive.
• Good to Know: Sitting down on the square is pricey, so stand at the bar if you want a regular-priced espresso.

Tour the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs  

For centuries, this was where Venetian rulers held power, surrounded by painted ceilings and a huge Tintoretto. Behind the palace, the Bridge of Sighs connects to the old prison. The bridge got its name from the idea that prisoners sighed as they caught their last view of the lagoon.

• Don't Miss: The Secret Itineraries tour, which leads you through the old prison cells.
• Good to Know: The romantic story is a 19th-century invention, but it still makes for a great photo.

Cross the Rialto Bridge and raid the market 

The Rialto is the oldest bridge over the Grand Canal and Venice city’s most popular spot for photos. Try to visit early, when the nearby Rialto Market is busy with locals shopping, just as they have for centuries.

• Don't Miss: The fish market in the morning. It’s closed on Sundays and Mondays.
• Good to Know: The bridge gets crowded by midday, so it’s best to take photos at sunrise.

Where do you eat and drink like a local? 

Eat cicchetti and drink spritz in a Cannaregio bacaro 

Try skipping a sit-down restaurant for one meal. Instead, visit a bacaro, a small Venetian bar where you can enjoy cicchetti - small plates such as creamy baccalà mantecato or sweet-and-sour sarde in saor, along with a spritz or a small glass of wine called an ombra. The canal-side bars in Cannaregio are perfect for this experience.

• Don't Miss: Baccalà mantecato and a Bellini, the famous peach cocktail created at Harry's Bar.
• Good to Know: Stand at the bar, point to whatever looks good, and keep ordering as you go.

Which hidden gems make Venice feel like yours? 

Walk the Jewish Ghetto 

The word "ghetto" first appeared here in 1516, after the old foundry that once stood on this site. The buildings are unusually tall because the community could only expand upward. Shakespeare set Shylock’s story here in The Merchant of Venice.

• Don't Miss: The synagogues and the Jewish Museum on Campo del Ghetto Nuovo.
• Good to Know: This area is in Cannaregio, so you can easily combine your visit with a cicchetti crawl.

Watch glass being blown on Murano 

Just a quick trip across the lagoon, Murano has been making glass since the 1290s, when the furnaces were moved from the main islands because of fire risks. You can watch a master shape a horse from molten glass in seconds, and then pick up an authentic piece instead of the imported fakes sold near San Marco.

• Don't Miss: A live furnace demonstration.
• Good to Know: Genuine Murano glass has a trademark sticker, so look for it when you shop.

Photograph the painted houses of Burano 

Burano is that colourful fishing island you’ve probably seen online, where each house is painted a different bright colour. Locals say fishermen did this so they could spot their homes in the lagoon’s fog. The island is also famous for Venetian lace, which makes a classic souvenir.

• Don't Miss: The leaning bell tower and visit the lace museum.
• Good to Know: It takes about 45 minutes to reach Burano by vaporetto, so it’s a good idea to go early and visit Murano on the same trip.

Find Libreria Acqua Alta 

This bookshop stores its books in bathtubs and a real gondola to protect them from flooding. Outside, you’ll find a staircase made of old books that takes you up to a small canal view. It’s wonderfully quirky and truly Venetian.

• Don't Miss: The book staircase in the courtyard.
• Good to Know: It’s a small and popular spot, so try to visit early.

Get pleasantly lost in Dorsoduro 

One of the best free things to do in Venice, is to put your map away and just wander. Dorsoduro is perfect for this, with its quiet canals, student vibe, modern art at the Peggy Guggenheim on the Grand Canal, and fewer crowds.

• Don't Miss: The Peggy Guggenheim Collection and enjoy a spritz on Campo Santa Margherita.
• Good to Know: This area still feels like a real, lived-in part of Venice city.

Tribe Travel Tip

Plan your visit carefully. The best Venice weather is the best in spring and autumn. Summer is usually hot and humid, and winter brings Carnival (31 January to 17 February in 2026) and occasional high water that can flood the squares for a few hours. On 60 busy days between April and July, day visitors must pay a €5 access fee to enter the historic centre, or €10 if you book late, so keep this in mind.

Plan Your Venice Holiday 

Venice is best enjoyed at a slower pace. The famous sights are worth the wait, but what really stays with you are the small moments: a quiet canal at dusk, a cheap spritz, or a boat ride past glowing palazzi. Many travellers come for the canals, but those who stay a little longer always have the best stories. At Holiday Tribe, we create land-only holidays in Italy tailored to your travel style. Our AI planning tool helps map out your route, pace, and places to stay for every kind of traveller. When you’re ready to turn your ideas into a real trip, our holiday advisors are here to help you plan.