Venice
Planning Your Time
Venice is remarkably small. You can walk across it, from head to tail, in about an hour. Nearly all of your sightseeing is within a 20-minute walk of the Rialto Bridge or St. Mark's Square. Remember that Venice itself is its greatest sight. Make time to wander, explore, shop, and simply be.
Two key considerations: Maximize your evening magic, and avoid the midday crowds around St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace.
Venice in One (Busy) Day
9:00 Walk from St. Mark's Square to Frari Church (following my self-guided St. Mark's to Rialto Walk chapter), taking time to enjoy the Rialto market action.
11:00 Tour Frari Church.
12:00 Lunch near the Frari, then catch the vaporetto (boat) back to St. Mark's to wander and shop.
14:30 Correr Museum.
15:30 St. Mark's Basilica.
16:30 Doge's Palace.
18:00 Go up the Campanile bell tower for city view.
18:30 Pub dinner (crawl or stay put and munch).
20:00 Gondola ride (or follow my self-guided Grand Canal Cruise chapter).
21:00 Enjoy the dueling orchestras with a drink on St. Mark's Square.
Venice in Two Days
Day 1
9:00 Walk from St. Mark's Square to Frari Church. Stop along the way at the Rialto market to browse.
11:00 Tour Frari Church.
12:00 Tour Ca' Rezzonico (Museum of 18th-Century Venice) or Scuola San Rocco (if you prefer Tintoretto to Casanova).
13:00 Lunch in Dorsoduro neighborhood, then take the vaporetto back to St. Mark's Square to wander and shop.
15:00 Correr Museum.
16:00 St. Mark's Basilica.
17:00 Doge's Palace.
19:00 Go up the Campanile for city view.
20:00 Dinner.
22:00 Enjoy the dueling orchestras with a drink on St. Mark's Square.
Day 2
9:00 Shopping or exploring.
11:00 Follow my self-guided Grand Canal Cruise chapter by vaporetto.
13:00 Lunch (pizza near Accademia Bridge?).
14:00 Tour Accademia, explore Dorsoduro neighborhood, visit La Salute Church or Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
17:00 Commence pub crawl, eating dinner along the way.
20:00 Gondola ride.
Venice in Three (or Four) Days
Day 1
9:45 St. Mark's Basilica and Square.
11:00 Correr Museum.
12:00 Shop, wander, and have lunch in St. Mark's area.
16:00 Doge's Palace.
18:00 Ascend Campanile.
19:00 Gondola ride.
20:00 Dinner.
Day 2
9:00 Walk from St. Mark's Square to Frari Church (following my self-guided St. Mark's to Rialto Walk chapter), allowing time to experience the Rialto market scene.
11:00 Tour Frari Church.
12:00 Tour Scuola San Rocco for Tintoretto.
13:00 Lunch.
14:00 Tour Ca' Rezzonico.
15:00 Explore Dorsoduro, the neighborhood around the Accademia.
17:00 Tour the Accademia.
18:00 Cruise Grand Canal.
Day 3
9:00 Explore lagoon by vaporetto or tour boat, visiting Burano and Torcello.
15:00 Walk from St. Mark's to San Zaccaria, then catch a vaporetto to visit the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.
17:00 Start pub crawl.
21:00 Savor a drink while listening to the dueling orchestras on St. Mark's Square.
Day 4
Side-trip to Padua and/or Verona.
For up-to-date specifics, see the latest edition of the Rick Steves' Venice travel guide. We also offer free-spirited Italy tours.