Who has never dreamed of a trip to the City of Doges? Discover our routes to visit Venice in 3, 4 or 5 days!
Romantic, sublime and unique in the world, Venice is the city-reine of northern Italy. Famous and recognized throughout the world for its beauty, its topographical peculiarity makes this city a place to visit as soon as possible. Thanks to a long and impressive history, the Cité des Doges is rich in an extraordinary cultural and architectural heritage. You will soon discover it, Venice is not one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world for nothing! Fortunately, it is quite easy to visit Venice in 3, 4 or 5 days, limiting itself to the essentials.
Is this your case soon? Then follow the guide and discover our ideas of Venice itineraries that must be done in 3, 4 or 5 days. Andiamo !
Venice in 3 days
Day 1: San Marco
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Pani Garmyder
Uncontournable: Place Saint-Marc, Saint-Marc Basilica, the Doge Palace and the La Fenice Theatre
Districts where to stay: San Marco , San Polo
Our advice: plan to visit the main monuments of Place Saint-Marc in the morning to avoid crowds.
Whether you were visiting Venice in 3, 4 or 5 days, you should always start with the monuments of the San Marco district! The starting point of this route in Venice will obviously be the very famous Place Saint-Marc . It is the center of the city, its hub, the place where tourists and locals mix and intertwin.
All around this iconic square, you will find monuments and museums just as essential. Dating from the 11th century, the Basilica of Saint Mark is easily recognizable to its floral decorations and with its facade displaying a golden lion with wings, the symbol of Venice. It is obviously worth visiting, whether for its domes, statues, ornaments, mosaics or altar that would contain the bones of Saint Mark. After this first visit, climb to the top of Campanile de Saint-Marc . There you will enjoy a panoramic view of Venice!
Then borrow the sadly famous Pont Des Soupirs to join the Doges Palace . This palace rich in history was the residence of the leaders of the Sérénissime République . It houses some exceptional works by Bellini, Titian or many other illustrious artists. Finally, take the time to walk in the Royal Gardens, behind Place Saint-Marc, for a moment of excalmity.
After visiting the Place Saint-Marc, you can reach the Rialto Bridge the oldest and most charming bridge in Venice. On this occasion, or on the way back, lose yourself in the narrow streets of Venice, in the middle of its countless canals. This is one of the most pleasant things to do in Venice.
If you are not too exhausted, you can finally visit the theatre Fenice , one of the most prestigious places in all of Italy. Otherwise, it will probably be time to relax and enjoy a small Spritz, the favorite aperitif of the Venetians.
Day 2: Dorsoduro District
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Uncontournable: Campo Santa Margherita, Rialto Market, Accademia Gallery, Basilica Santa Maria della Salute
Districts where to stay: San Marco, San Polo, Dorsoduro
Our advice: plan to arrive on Campo Santa Margherita around noon
For this second day of our routes in Venice, we offer you to discover one of the city's most artistic districts: the Dorsoduro. To start your day, you should take a tour Rialto Market . This local market is a must. Very lively, it is rich in colours and flavors! Then take the direction of Campo Santa Margherita . On the way, you cross the picturesque San Polo district. On this occasion, stop on his place, the Campo San Polo To visit his charming little church. The latter houses paintings of great Venetian masters such as Tintoret, Veronese and Tiepolo.
Then join the Dorsoduro and Campo Santa Margherita. This very lively place is surrounded by the most recommended restaurants to eat a good pizza at unbeatable prices! After this delicious typical lunch, continue south to reach the Galleria dell’Accademia . She is one of the world’s largest pinnacles. This gallery is unavoidable, even for non-amat·eurs d’art. You will discover extraordinary works from the 13th to 18th centuries, including paintings by Titien, Canaletto and Tiepolo.
After this visit, head west to the impressive Basilica Santa Maria della Salute . His dome is one of the city's symbols. It is to be included in any route in Venice! Located at the southern end of the Grand Canal, it stands on a narrow strip of land facing San Marco. Art amatists can then visit the Punta della Dogana . This magical place certainly houses one of the most extraordinary contemporary art collections in the world.
Finally, to finish this beautiful day, we can only recommend you to make one gondola ride At sunset. If you come to visit Venice in 3 days and in love, then it is a must!
Day 3: The districts of Cannaregio and Castello
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Uncontournable: Church of the Madonna dell’Orto, the Ca’ d’Oro, the Arsenal of Venice, the Naval History Museum, the Papadopoli Gardens
Districts where to stay: Cannaregio , Castello , Santa Croce , San Polo
Our advice: make the neighborhood you want to deepen the visit and monuments in the afternoon
If you have not already done so, take one vaporetto to reach either of the neighborhoods in the morning. For the third of our routes in Venice, we will start with the Cannaregio district . It houses the former Ghetto, a district reserved for the Jewish community from the 16th century. To discover its history, we recommend visiting the Jewish Museum of Venice.
Other museums and monuments are also to be found in this typical area. The first is the church of the Madonna dell’Orto, sublime thanks to its Gothic facade composed of bricks and white stones.
On foot or in vaporetto, then join the Castello area . On the way, you can stop at the Ca’ d’Oro one of the most famous palaces in Venice. As for the Castello, it holds its name from an ancient fortress which is now missing. This neighborhood is the largest in the city. Among its must-sees are the Arsenal of Venice, which made the glory and strength of Venice, as well as the Museum of Naval History. But the strength of Castello is that it is very little frequented by tourists. He thus kept his soul and its authentic atmosphere. Take the time to get lost in its streets, stop in its typical shops, enjoy a coffee or an aperitif on the terrace. To finish your day, finally make a tour gardens Papadopoli . This park of about 8,800 m2 has three plots where you can walk peacefully.
Venice in 4 days
Uncontournable: Murano, Burano, Torcello, Basilica Santa Maria dell’Assunta, Rialto Market,
Districts where to stay: Murano , Burano , Cannaregio
Our advice: make the neighborhood you want to deepen the visit and monuments in the afternoon
Your first three days in Venice allowed you to visit the must-see areas and their monuments, through mythical routes of Venice. If you plan to stay a day or more, then you can discover the islands of the lagoon or enjoy a gourmet day!
The islands of the lagoon
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There are three islands: Murano, Burano and Torcello. To visit them, you can opt for a guided tour or you can discover them by yourself taking a vaporetto. Each has its own specificities that make them unique.
The island of Murano is internationally recognized for its glassware art. Don’t miss visiting her glass museum . As for Burano, it is certainly the most appreciated tourist. Its colorful houses have decorations worthy of postcards! This island is also known for its lace industry. Think about it if you want to bring back unique memories.
Finally, you can visit the largest of the three islands, Torcello. Boiled by tourists, it still houses one of the oldest churches in Venice: the Basilica Santa Maria dell’Assunta . The latter was founded in the year 639!
For food addicts: a gourmet day in Venice
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Like any Italian city, Venice is a high place of gastronomy! If you are greedy, why not dedicate your fourth day to the Venetian cuisine?
Start your day with a coffee, alone or accompanied by a cornetto (a crescent filled with jam or cream). Visit the Café del Doge in San Polo or Torrefazione Cannaregio for a well-fragrant coffee! Then join the Rialto Market for local shopping: the Casa del Parmigiano for its cheeses or the Mascari drogheria for spices are a must.
At noon, enjoy some cicchetti, Venetian bites comparable to tapas, accompanied by a glass of white wine. The best addresses are Al Merca, next to Casa del Parmigiano, or Al Bancogiro, whose terrace overlooks the Grand Canal.
If you are still hungry, order a few tramezini At Cantina Do Mori, an establishment opened since 1462. ♪ tramezini are Italian sandwiches with very fine mie bread and cut through. You can also buy one fritto misto fresh fish to be carried in a paper picket at Acqua e Mais. You can enjoy them on the way.
To taste, you can opt for an artisanal ice cream. One of the best addresses is Il Doge, in the Dorsoduro district. This glacier is known for its traditional perfumes, like the hazelnut of the Piedmont ! You can also enjoy Venetian pastries at the Rizzardini, the oldest pastry shop in the city. In the San Marco district, also take a tour of the Rosa Salva pastry shop.
At the hour of the aperitif, enjoy a Spritz to relax and admire the sunset! In terms of addresses, you are recommended the terrace of Chioschetto facing the island of Giudecca. You can also go to We Crociferi, the ideal place to meet Italian students!
Finally, to finish your gourmet day, dine in a trattoria a family restaurant comparable to French bistros! If you like seafood, go to La Madonna, near Rialto. You can also go to Trattoria Pontini or Trattoria Da Gigio, Cannaregio.
Venice in 5 days
Did you plan to visit Venice in 5 days? So you will be able to do one of the activities set out in Day 4! If none of them please you then here are some other ideas of itineraries in Venice:
The beach of Lido
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Yuriy Biryukov
If you come to visit Venice during the summer, then you should take a tour at the Lido beach. This place is one of the most hupped in Venice, but it is also the favorite place of numberu·x·ses Venetian·nes. The island of Lido houses a long sandy beach, with beautiful natural dunes and delicious transparent water. This enchanting setting is reinforced by rows of colorful bungalows. A true haven of peace away from the tourist tumult!
Trévise
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Just 40 kilometres from Venice, Treviso is an elegant, quiet and charming medieval town. If you have a little time, don’t miss to include it to your itinerary in Venice!
On site you can visit its many churches decorated with magnificent frescoes, its Piazza dei Signori but also its museums, parks and canals! This authentic city is therefore ideal to enjoy a little quiet, away from the crowds. It is fortunately very easy to reach it from Venice. You can choose a guided tour or take a bus or train.
Venice in a week
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Are you staying in Venice for a week? Perfect! Therefore, you have the opportunity to complete all the routes in Venice that we have just seen. We reassure you, it will be much enough to take care of you! However, if some of the places presented above do not attract your curiosity, here is a list of other interesting places you can include in your itineraries in Prague:
- Visit the city Padua ;
- Push until **Verona**even to the beautiful Lake Garda ;
- Go and admire the Palace Contarini del Bovolo in Venice;
- Take a tour of the famous Acqua Alta ;
- Participate in **Carnival of Venice**if you come in February;
- Join the city Chioggia, a miniature replica of Venice, with its few channels and its superb sandy beach of Sottomarina;
- Or go to the discovery of Regional park of the Po Deltasouth of Chioggia.
Transportation to Venice
Despite its unique location, you will have no difficulty moving to Venice. It is simply enough to identify the possibilities of on-site transport. To circulate between monuments, walking is obviously the ideal means of transport.
But to facilitate your walks, the city also has three types of boat transport: the vaporetti , gondolas and traghetti . They will help you to visit Venice in 3, 4 or 5 days very easily :
- ♪ Vaporetti are the great boats that have regular lines along the Grand Canal for example, or from Venice to Murano and Burano.
- The Gondoles, emblematic of Venice, can be rented for a romantic ride on the canals. Attention, however, this activity costs quite expensive!
- As for Traghetti, they are totally like gondolas, but they are only used to cross the Grand Canal in various places. Traghetto stations are available throughout the Grand Canal. These boats regularly carry passengers from one shore to another for only 2€ per person (non-resident rate).
Finally, if you choose the means of transport to move you in your routes to Venice, the ACTV You will be very useful. Both practical and economic.
You're on the itineraries in Venice! You can now organize your travel and enjoy this unique city!
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