Must See~£4
St Mark’s Basilica
San Marco
A Byzantine basilica glittering with golden mosaics, at the heart of Venice.
- Suggested time: 1 hr
- Booking recommended
- Suits: Culture lovers
Daily, roughly 9:30–17:00; shorter Sundays
Plan your Venice trip
- Flight + Hotel PackageRecommended Best option if you want the trip arranged together. View Packages Packages
- Hotels Prefer to book accommodation separately? View Hotels Hotels
- Flights Already have accommodation? View Flights Flights
- Things To Do Tours, attractions and experiences. View Activities Activities
Overview
Why go to Venice
Venice is unlike anywhere else: a floating city of bridges, back-street canals and grand palazzi. Go early or stay overnight to enjoy it without the day-trip crowds, and take a boat to the islands for colour and calm.
- Where
- Veneto, Italy
- Recommended stay
- 2–3 nights
- Best time to go
- April–June and September–October; winter can bring flooding, but also mist and atmosphere.
- Approx. daily budget
- £85–165 a dayPer person, excluding flights. Indicative.
What does Venice cost?
Full cost guide- Budget traveller£75–110a day
- Mid-range traveller£150–215a day
- Luxury traveller£295+a day
Approximate per person per day, including a share of a twin room, and excluding flights. Not live prices.
Things To Do
See all 29 Top picks in Venice
Must See~£25
Doge’s Palace
San Marco
A Gothic palace of council chambers and grand staircases, linked by the Bridge of Sighs to the prison.
- Suggested time: 2 hrs
- Book ahead
- Suits: Culture lovers
Daily, roughly 9:00–19:00
Must See~£8
Grand Canal by Vaporetto
Grand Canal
A public waterbus down the Grand Canal is the cheapest way to see the palaces.
- Suggested time: 1 hr
- No booking needed
- Suits: Families · Couples
Daily; lines run until late
Must SeeFree
Rialto Bridge and Market
San Polo
The city’s oldest bridge, beside a market of fish and produce, with bars beyond.
- Suggested time: 1h 30m
- No booking needed
- Suits: Food lovers
Market Tuesday–Saturday mornings
Hidden Gems
See all 12 Beyond the checklist
Day Trips~£10
Burano and Murano Islands
Lagoon islands
Colourful fishermen’s houses in Burano and glass-blowing studios in Murano.
- Suggested time: 5 hrs
- No booking needed
- Suits: Couples
Boats run daily from Fondamente Nove
Hidden GemsFree
Cannaregio and the Jewish Ghetto
Cannaregio
A quieter district of everyday Venice, with canal-side bars and the world’s original ghetto.
- Suggested time: 2h 30m
- No booking needed
- Suits: Couples
Open-air; museums keep their own hours
Culture~£15
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Dorsoduro
A modern art museum in a canal-side palazzo, with Picasso, Pollock and sculpture gardens.
- Suggested time: 1h 30m
- No booking needed
- Suits: Couples · Culture lovers
Wednesday–Monday, roughly 10:00–18:00; closed Tuesdays
Hidden Gems~£12
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
San Polo
A lavish guild hall covered floor to ceiling with Tintoretto’s paintings, nicknamed the “Sistine Chapel of Venice”.
- Suggested time: 1h 15m
- No booking needed
- Suits: Culture lovers
Daily, roughly 9:30–17:30
Hotels
All 3 hotels Best-value hotels in Venice
Well reviewed and fairly priced for what you get: not simply the cheapest.
Great Price
Example listingLido Sea Hotel
Lido, Venice
Excellent valueValue score 87 out of 100
Rated 8.3/10, about 24% below typical 4★ prices in Venice, right by the beach.
From £130 per night · check current availability
Best ValueBest Luxury Value
Example listingPalazzo San Marco Canal
San Marco, Venice
Excellent valueValue score 85 out of 100
Rated 9.1/10, priced in line with similar 5★ hotels in Venice, in a central location.
From £280 per night · check current availability
Best Budget ChoicePopular Choice
Example listingCannaregio Canal House
Cannaregio, Venice
Very good valueValue score 76 out of 100
Rated 8.8/10, priced in line with similar 3★ hotels in Venice, in a central location.
From £110 per night · check current availability
Food & Restaurants
See all 11 Where to eat
Cantina Do Mori
A tiny historic bacaro near Rialto (open since the 15th century, they say), serving cicchetti with a glass of wine.
Known for: Cicchetti, ombra wine
Under about £16 per person
Local favourite Good for Groups · Couples
Osteria alle Testiere
A tiny, much-loved seafood osteria near Piazza San Marco with a set menu of the day’s catch.
Known for: Seafood tasting menu
About £30–55 per person
Local favourite Good for Couples · Groups
Antiche Carampane
A hidden seafood trattoria near Rialto, known for Venetian lagoon fish and fried treats.
Known for: Fried seafood, crudo
About £30–55 per person
Local favourite Good for Couples · Groups
Al Timon
A canal-side bacaro with tables on a boat, famous for cicchetti and wine by the glass.
Known for: Cicchetti
Under about £16 per person
Local favourite Good for Groups · Couples
A suggested Venice itinerary
3 nights Couple
Venice · Highlights
Venice in 3 nights
A balanced first-visit plan built from our Venice picks: the headline sights, a local favourite or two and time to breathe.
- Day 1 · St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Rialto Bridge and Market, Gondola Ride
- Day 2 · Verona Day Trip, Grand Canal by Vaporetto
- Day 3 · Lido Beach Day
Plan Venice your way
Tell us your dates, who’s travelling and what you enjoy. We’ll build a first draft you can edit.