Venice was the last city that my parents and I visited on our trip to Italy and what a place to end the trip! Known as “The Floating City,” Venice is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Venice is made up of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. There are so many things to do in Venice, such as visiting the numerous beautiful churches, palaces, and museums. Venice is a great city to wander around and admire the various canals and bridges. I hope that this two day itinerary for Venice helps you on your future trips to the city!
NOTE: On November 12, 2019, Venice experienced its worst flood since 1966. At the time of this post (March, 2020), Venice is still dealing with the aftermath of the flood. Of course you can still visit Venice, but some attractions may be inaccessible and during the winter months, there is still some risk of flooding. Many of Venice’s buildings and homes have been significantly damaged. If you would like to donate to restoration funds, you can visit these two links:
City of Venice – https://www.comune.venezia.it/it/content/donazioni-emergenza-acqua-alta
SaveVenice.org – https://www.savevenice.org/
DAY 1
Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is the main water-traffic channel in Venice. The banks of the Grand Canal are lined with more than 170 buildings that were built to demonstrate the welfare and art of the Venetian citizens. Some of the city’s most important buildings are seen from the Grand Canal, especially many notable palazzos (palaces). The noble Venetian families faced huge expenses to show off their wealth with palazzos located on the Grand Canal.
The best way to experience the Grand Canal is by boat. We were able to take these great photos from the public water bus, which takes you from Venice airport to San Marco.
Piazza San Marco/St Mark’s Square
Piazza San Marco is the principal square of Venice. This famous square is the social, religious and political centre of Venice. Some of Venice’s most important buildings and symbols can be found at St Mark’s Square, including St Mark’s Basilica, St Mark’s Campanile, St Mark’s Clocktower, Museo Correr, and the Doge’s Palace. You absolutely cannot miss visiting St Mark’s Square!
St Mark’s Basilica
This beautiful basilica located in St Mark’s Square is the most famous of Venice’s churches. Originally, it was the chapel of the Doge, and has been the city’s cathedral only since 1807. The basilica is open to visitors every day, although it is sometimes closed due to religious services. Guided tours are also available and you can even book an entrance reservation to avoid long lineups.
More info on visiting St Mark’s Basilica: http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/?lang=en
Bridge of Sighs
The Bridge of Sighs is an enclosed bridge that connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace. Prisoners would cross the Bridge of Sighs from the courtroom to their cell in which they would serve their sentence. The prisoners would take one last look at freedom from the small window on the bridge and sigh, hence the name the Bridge of Sighs.
Doge’s Palace/Palazzo Ducale
The Palazzo Ducale was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the former Venetian Republic. The palace was founded in 1340 and it is one of Venice’s main landmarks. A tour of the palace is available and I highly recommend visiting. On the tour you will see the Doge’s apartments, beautiful state rooms and chambers, and an old prison. You will even get to walk across the Bridge of Sighs and look through the small window, just as the prisoners would have done.
More info on visiting the Doge’s Palace: https://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/home/
Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge is the oldest, and most famous, of the four bridges that cross the Grand Canal. This bridge has been rebuilt several times since its first construction as a pontoon bridge in the 12th century. The views from the Rialto Bridge are beautiful, especially at sunset!
DAY 2
Ponte dell’Accademia
The Ponte Dell’Accademia is one of the four bridges that cross the Grand Canal. From atop the bridge, you’ll get a great view of the Grand Canal with the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute in the distance.
Ca’ Rezzonico Palace
The Ca’ Rezzonico Palace is located on the Grand Canal. This palace is a notable example of 18th century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and interior decoration. Ca’ Rezzonico is filled with stunning rooms, halls, and paintings by the leading Venetian painters of the period. I highly recommend visiting this beautiful palace museum. Private tours are also available.
More info on visiting Ca’ Rezzonico Palace: https://carezzonico.visitmuve.it/en/home/
Ponte degli Scalzi
The Ponte degli Scalzi is another bridge that crosses the Grand Canal. It is a beautiful stone arch bridge.
Chiesa di San Zaccaria
The Church of San Zaccaria is a beautiful 15th-century former monastic church. I recommend checking out the interior, there is a creepy crypt inside!
Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Greci
Located almost directly across the canal from the Church of San Zaccaria is the Church of San Giorgio dei Greci. This is another beautiful white church and it has a leaning campanile (tower).
Gondola ride
Tourist trap or a must-do? My parents insisted that we take a gondola ride because it was my birthday when we visited Venice. It is definitely an experience I will never forget and I’m glad that we did it. However, the price of a gondola ride is very high, so you will have to decide if it will be worth it for you to spend the money. Usually, a 20-25 minute gondola ride costs 80 euros during the day and 120 euros at night.
Additional things to do in Venice:
- Basilica dei Frari
- Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
- Venetian Arsenal
- Giardini Della Biennale
- Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo
- Grassi Palace
- Gallerie dell’Accademia
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection
- Ca’ d’Oro
- Ca’ Pesaro
- Museo Correr
- Punta della Dogana
- Church of San Giorgio Maggiore
- Visit Murano island to see the famous glass-making factory and museum
- Visit Burano island to see the famous colourful houses
I hope you enjoyed this two day itinerary for Venice and that it inspires you to visit this amazing city!
To read my blog post, “A Complete Rome Itinerary,” click here.
To read my blog post, “3 Days in Florence: A Perfect Itinerary,” click here.
To read my blog post, “A Guide to Lake Como,” click here.
