Venice

12 quieter places to add to the big sights: viewpoints, markets, walks, small museums and local favourites.

12 places in Venice

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

Hidden GemsFree

Libreria Acqua Alta

Castello

A wonderfully quirky bookshop with books stacked in gondolas and bathtubs, with a staircase made of old volumes.

  • Suggested time: 30 min
  • No booking needed
  • Suits: Food lovers

Daily, roughly 9:00–19:00

Hidden GemsFree

Squero di San Trovaso

Dorsoduro

One of the last working gondola boatyards in Venice, seen from the canal bank.

  • Suggested time: 20 min
  • No booking needed
  • Suits: Everyone

Open-air; the yard is viewable from the canal

Hidden GemsFree

Zattere Promenade

Dorsoduro

A sunny waterfront promenade facing the Giudecca canal, beloved by locals for ice cream and evening strolls.

  • Suggested time: 1 hr
  • No booking needed
  • Suits: Couples

Open-air; always accessible

Hidden Gems~£8

San Giorgio Maggiore Bell Tower

San Giorgio Maggiore

A lift up a bell tower on its own island for the finest view of the St Mark’s skyline.

  • Suggested time: 45 min
  • No booking needed
  • Suits: Culture lovers · Photographers

Daily; hours vary

Hidden gems are the quieter alternatives to the headline sights. Prices, hours and booking advice are approximate, so check the official site before you go.

The big sights in Venice