Insider's Venice Travel Guide

Venice is where you can come alone, with a lover or friend, or with your family. This floating city has lots of interesting things that combine arts, history, culture, and architecture, but the seamless blend is just like a masterpiece. You will slow down your pace unconsciously, and take photos crazily. After reading this ultimate travel guide, do consider putting Venice on your must-see for a lifetime list and travel to Italy with Odynovo!

Why You Can't Miss Venice

Strolling through such a place that looks like a medieval painting, wearing a mask to attend the Venice Carnival (Carnevale di Venezia), experiencing a gondola ride, discovering the interesting spots from different islands and various corners, and having a romantic experience. Venice will become a place that once you come, and you will never forget.

Veince's Stunning View

When to Visit Venice

Personally, I think the best times to visit Venice are in spring or autumn. The generally comfortable weather and the incomparable sunrises and sunsets during these seasons are truly amazing.

Summer is the busiest season for tourists but good enough for an Italy family vacation, especially suitable for sunbathing tours.

If you want to avoid the crowds, consider coming to Venice in the winter. Find a quiet spot to feed the pigeons and enjoy a serene and peaceful time.

Special note: If you are traveling from February 16 to March 4, I highly recommend you attend the festival of feasting and revelry, the Venice Carnival. A cheerful atmosphere permeates every corner. You can immerse yourself in dancing, drinking, watching exciting indoor music and theatrical performances, and participating in public carnivals while wearing a local mask on the streets and squares.

Recommended Tour Itinerary

Best of Italy With Venice Carnival 2026 7 DAYS Explore This Tour

How Many Days in Venice Is Enough

Venice is a place where you can enjoy not only the hustle and bustle of a crowd but also the silence and solitude during the sea breeze, which is why some travelers have settled here, especially in the Lido island of Venice.

Most of our customers will choose to stay in Venice for one to three days. Spending one day can give a general opinion of Venice while spending two or three days to find some hidden corners belonging to yourself. Maybe you will love to stay longer, who knows?

How to Explore Venice

One Day Trip

You are suggested to go to Piazza San Marco, then to Basilica di San Marco and Campanile di San Marco, as they are adjacent. Bridge Rialto and Bridge Ponte dei Sospiri are also attractive enough to go. Island Burano and Murano have unique styles compared to the main island. Do go there and have a look.

Two to Three Days Trip

There are plenty of museums, churches, bridges, and boutiques in Venice. Two or three-day trips are good for you to stroll along and find more hot places, e.g. Libreria Acqua Alta, Gran Teatro La Fenice, and Cafe Florian. There's scenery everywhere. Slow down and enjoy yourself.

What to See in Venice

The Grand Canal

Enjoy a water city like no other in the world with the Grand Canal. It is like the $56.6 million painting called Le Grand Canal et Santa Maria della Salute by Claude Monet jumping out to reality. Take a cruise on Venice's Grand Canal, taking the waterways of Venice's inner canals, where the boat passes by both sides of the amazing architecture of hundreds of years ago, but also a variety of filming locations, all kinds of celebrities touring Venice with the same style!

Venice's Inner Canals

Bridge Rialto

Famous for its unique arch design and magnificent exterior, the Rialto Bridge is a marvel of Venice and one of its landmarks. There are lots of traditional rowing boats, which are named gondolas, next to the Rialto Bridge. Don't forget to take a photo of the bridge, gondolas, and your smile. If this is your first time in Venice, the gondola ride is especially recommended as you can't experience this anywhere else.

Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square)

There are lots of things to do around Piazza San Marco. Marvel at Basilica di San Marco, one of the most prestigious Christian cathedrals built over one thousand years ago, combining several architectural styles and showing a glamorous rich art collection. Take a stroll through the shopping district or pace yourself for a drink at Café Florian, a café founded in 1720.

Libreria Acqua Alta

This bookshop was once described by the BBC as 'the most beautiful bookshop in the world'. Every year, the owner and his staff move the books to a safe place before the tide rises, then move them back again when the tide fades! The bookshop is a hot spot with a sense of history. Why not buy a particular book to take back home?

Island Murano

Maybe there is nowhere else that you could see so many elaborate-designed glass decorations outside Island Murano. Skillful glassblowers know that adding different minerals can give the product different colors comparable to gemstones. You could book a workshop to watch the handmade glass-making process, then buy something as a gift.

How to Get to Venice

By Plane

There are two airports in Venice: the Marco Polo Airport in Venice (Tessera), VCE, and the Antonio Canova Airport in Treviso, TSF.

If you're traveling from somewhere far away like America or Australia, consider flying to a big European city like Rome or Paris before connecting to Venice. You could easily take national or international flights from different European countries, the Middle East, or other Italian cities to Venice.

A Road Trip

There are several tourist cities near Venice, making it easy to travel around Italy by car. After arriving in Venice, you could park your car at Venezia Tronchetto Parking. Keep an eye out to see if your driving habits are in line with the local area.

A private tour by a quality travel agency will help you not only have a perfect tour in Venice but also a great European or Italian journey. Like Odynovo, we can arrange everything including the complex transportation for you.

By Train

If you travel to Venice by train from another city, there are two train stations to choose from: the main island train station Santa Lucia, and the off-island railway station Mestre.

Vehicles in Venice

How to Get Around Venice

You can easily find a canal, but it is hard to find a road. It is not accessible by car to arrive at many places in Venice, and transport is mainly by water buses or water taxis. For many hot spots, you could choose to walk or take a water taxi.

A private tour guide can help you avoid walking too much and make your trip more enjoyable because of all the bridges, alleys, and streets. Anyway, a city walk in Venice is always happy since you can easily find nice boutiques, have a cafe, or taste local ice cream.

Where to Stay in Venice

Living off Main Island

Many travelers live off the island and choose to stay near Mestre Stazione because there are many good-priced hotels and restaurants, and you could take a train or bus to the main island easily.

The Main Island

The main island is the center of attractions. Sunrises and sunsets are quite pretty in the watery city, so it's best to stay on the main island to try to have a look. In this way, you could enjoy a wonderful early morning in Venice with fewer tourists.

Island Lido

Lido is like a big and peaceful garden without many attractions. But if you prefer to stay a long time in Venice, it is your first selection. It is accessible to the main island.

Other Islands

There are 126 islands in Venice. You could find some Boutique hotels as you like. Please pay attention that the transportation from some hotels to the main island is inconvenient. Anyway, you are always able to take a water taxi.

Venice Travel Tips

The Dress of Visiting Churches

Be careful what you wear when you enter the church (no exposed shoulders or midriffs).

Preparing Sensible Shoes

Some of the ground in Venice is not flat, so it is better to prepare a pair of sensible shoes.

La Biennale DI Venezia for Art Lovers

La Biennale di Venezia is one of the leading international art events in the world, inviting active, experimental artists from all over the world every two years. All art lovers are crazy about it! If you travel at that time, do remember to book your tour as early as possible.

Try Dorona Wines and Cuttlefish Noodles

For wine lovers, you could taste Dorona wines made of this grape variety in danger of extinction exclusively in Venice. For food lovers, why not try the black color cuttlefish noodles?

Recommended Italy Tours Including Venice

8-Day Classic Tour of Italy: Rome, Florence, Venice

Starting from Rome and concluding with Venice, this 8-day classic tour covers the most-visited destinations in Italy. You will have the first impression of Italy's glorious history, mesmerizing culture, exquisite art, and luscious food from this tour.

12-Day Essential of Italy With Train Tour

From south to north, this 12-day train tour provides plenty of opportunities to experience Italy's charm. Discover the ancient wonders of Rome, delve into the Renaissance allure of Florence, relax in the scenic beauty of Cinque Terre, wander through the fashion capital of Milan, and glide along the canals of the lagoon city, Venice.