One day in Venice is very fun. During 24 hours in this Italian city, you can discover a lot of sights and amazing highlights. There are lots of reasons to go to Venice.
But it can be difficult to decide where to go and when to go somewhere in this beautiful city in Italy. With this itinerary, I will help you out! If you follow this guide, you can make the most of one day in Venice.
Furthermore, I'll tell you about how to get to Venice, how to move around and where to stay.
Table of Contents
How to get to Venice?
You can find the city of Venice in the northeast of Italy. Venice has many islands in the Adriatic sea.
There are a few ways to get to the city. Moreover, you can go there by train, airplane, bus, and boat.
Train
One of the best ways to get to the city is by train. You can go by high-speed train to various other places in Italy.
Because of that, many parts of Italy are only a few hours away from the city. For example, the journey from Florence to Venice only takes about 2 hours. And going from Rome to Venice is less than 4 hours by train!
Often going by train is far better than going by airplane when you travel within Italy.
If you want to go to Venice by train from another country, you need to transfer in another Italian city. For example, to go from Paris to Venice by train, you have to transfer in Milan.
When you travel by train you end up at the Santa Lucia train station of Venice. From here you can take a boat to other parts of the city or you can walk!
Airplane
Another way to get to the city of Venice is by airplane. There are two airports that serve Venice.
The main airport in Venice is Venice Marco Polo Airport. You can find this one on the mainland.
This is where most flights go. Moreover, both European flights and international flights go to this airport.
From Venice Marco Polo Airport you can take a bus to Piazzale Roma, which is the bus terminal in Venice. Also, you can take a water shuttle or a water taxi to the city center.
Another airport in Venice is Treviso Airport. This airport is a bit farther away from the city. Many low-cost airlines go here, such as Ryanair and Wizzair.
Since this airport is farther away, it's not very convenient if you're one day in Venice.
From Treviso Airport you can reach the city of Venice by bus.
Bus
There are several bus companies that serve the city. One of these is Flixbus.
Whether you want to go to Venice from a destination in Italy or another country, you can do so.
For example, you can take an overnight bus from Venice to Lucerne in Switzerland.
The bus is often cheaper than other means of transport such as the airplane or the train. Furthermore, if you take overnight buses you save a lot of time.
Boat
Venice wouldn't be Venice if you couldn't get to the city by boat.
There are many ferries that connect Venice with other countries. These countries are Slovenia, Croatia, and Greece.
Furthermore, you can take a ferry from destinations within Italy itself.
Getting around in Venice
So you arrived in Venice, now you want to go somewhere! What way can you get around in Venice?
You almost always arrive at the train or bus station in Venice. From here you have two ways to explore the city.
Venice is a rather small city. Most sights are near each other. Furthermore, there are no cars in Venice, which makes walking easier. Thus, one of the best ways to move around is on foot.
On foot, you can also better explore lesser-known parts of Venice!
But if you want to get around a bit faster you can go over the water. There are two options to do so.
The first one is the water bus or vaporetto. Routes 1 and 2 take you from the train station to St. Mark's Square. They go through the Grand Canal. Along the way, you can stop at famous sights. Furthermore, routes 3 and 4 go around the island and not through the Grand Canal.
Your second option is to take a water taxi. These are private boats that take you anywhere you need to be in Venice. For example, if you want to go straight to your hotel, you can take a water taxi there.
Where to stay in Venice?
There are six great neighborhoods in Venice. Where you want to stay in Venice depends on your preferences.
All neighborhoods offer something different. Because the city is small, you can get everywhere fast from all neighborhoods. So it doesn't matter where you stay for exploring the city, even if you're only one day in Venice.
If you like to stay in the busiest part of Venice, then I would recommend the San Marco neighborhood. This is where you find most sights. Here, you'll also find some of the best hotels in Venice.
Another good neighborhood is Cannaregio. This neighborhood is very close to the railway station. Furthermore, it is much quieter than the San Marco neighborhood. Thus you will feel more like a local here.
Itinerary for one day in Venice
Alright, let's start with the itinerary for 24 hours in Venice!
For this itinerary, I assume you start your day near the railway station of Venice.
Morning
Take the vaporetto
From the railway station, the best way to start your day is on the water. More specifically, on the Grand Canal!
You can take a vaporetto or water bus from the railway station. This water bus goes through the Grand Canal. The journey takes about 1 hour.
From the water, you can see the beautiful city of Venice. The houses next to the water are amazing to see. The blue water is great. And seeing daily life on the water is very interesting to see.
Furthermore, you'll see the most famous parts of the city that you'll visit later!
The water bus ends up at St. Mark's Square. This is the most famous place in Venice!
The view from St. Mark's Square is very beautiful as well. You have a great view of the water and gondolas.
Have Italian breakfast
Typical Italian breakfast is quick. Italians go to a cafe, get a cup of coffee and a small pastry. For example, cappuccino with an Italian brioche.
One of the best cafes for this is Gran Caffè Quadri. It exists since 1638 and served many famous guests over the years! They have delicious coffee and pastries! Furthermore, the interior of the place is amazing.
Wander around St. Mark's Square
St. Mark's Square is a beautiful square in the city center. This is the main public square of Venice. You find here some of the most famous sights such as Saint Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs!
Furthermore, the square itself is impressive. It is huge and there are many buildings with amazing architecture.
This is one of the most famous things you should see during your one day in Venice.
See Saint Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, and the bridge of sighs
Saint Mark's Basilica is the city's cathedral. It is a great one to visit and the most famous church in Venice. Moreover, it is an example of Italian-Byzantine architecture, which is beautiful to see.
You can also visit the Basilica from the inside. This is one of the free things to do in Venice. Keep in mind, there can be a queue.
If you want to get inside, I recommend doing this immediately after breakfast.
Connected to the Saint Mark's Basilica is the Doge's Palace. This 700-year-old palace is where the Doge of Venice lived. The Doge of Venice was the leader of the Venetian Republic. It is a beautiful building in the Venetian Gothic style.
You could go inside and learn more about the place. But if you are only one day in Venice, that will take too long.
Also, next to the Doge's Palace is the Bridge of Sighs. This is one of the most famous bridges in Venice.
It is an enclosed limestone bridge and has stone bars in front of the windows. The bridge connects the Doge's Palace with the prison next to it. Through the windows of the bridge, convicts got their last view of Venice. After that, they went to prison.
See the city from above
There is so much to see around St. Mark's Square! Now it is time for the last sight, the Campanile.
This tower is the largest structure of Venice and is the bell tower of Saint Mark's Basilica. It is one of the most recognizable sights of the city!
Furthermore, you can go to the top of the tower. From the top, you have the best view of Venice. You can see the Grand Canal and many other places in Venice. It is great to get an overview of the city!
Afternoon
Lunch
After all these amazing sights of Venice, it is time for lunch.
What's a better lunch in Italy than pasta? But we don't want to waste time in this beautiful city. So let's go for takeaway pasta!
One of the most popular places for this is Dal Moro's. In this small restaurant, you can choose the type of pasta you want, the sauce, and any extra toppings!
The pasta is delicious! You get it with you in a box and you can eat it while walking to the next sight! This makes getting food here very convenient.
See the Rialto Bridge
After lunch, it is time for yet another famous sight of Venice: The Rialto Bridge.
Of the four bridges that cross the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge is the oldest. It connects the neighborhoods of San Marco and San Polo.
You have to visit the bridge, as it is so beautiful and so well-known! Even if you're only 24 hours in Venice, it's worth your time.
The Rialto Bridge is also one of the best photo spots in Venice.
Get lost in the city
After Rialto Bridge, you should do what everyone recommends when you are in Venice. You should get lost in the city. Cross the Rialto Bridge to San Polo and walk through it!
All parts of Venice are beautiful. By walking a bit without thinking you will stumble upon the most unique places. You see canals, buildings, gondolas, little shops, and much more!
Have ice cream
While walking through the city you will see an ice cream parlor for sure!
Having ice cream in this Italian city is great! And I recommend doing so while wandering through the city.
Cross the Grand Canal on the Ponte dell'Accademia
If you walk a bit along the Grand Canal you'll end up at the Ponte dell'Accademia. This is another one of the four bridges that span the Grand Canal.
The view from this bridge is breathtaking! You see the Grand Canal with beautiful Venetian buildings.
Furthermore, the bridge goes to the Gallerie dell'Accademia. This is one of the best museums in Venice. When you stay in Venice for longer, I would recommend going here. For one day in Venice, it is a bit too much.
Evening
Dinner
Now it is time for dinner. There are many great restaurants in Venice to choose from.
One of the best restaurants in Venice is La Perla. They have delicious pizza that I'm sure you will like! Furthermore, the restaurant is in the center of Venice. So you can get here fast from Ponte dell'Accademia!
End your day with a gondola ride
The gondolas of Venice are very popular and fun to ride! It is a private gondola ride and suits a few people. During the ride, you tour a part of the small canals of Venice.
If you are with your partner in Venice it is also a very romantic thing to do. And during the evening the gondola ride is even more romantic!
On each gondola, there is a gondolier. This person propels and steers the gondola with one paddle. You can also ride a gondola with a gondolier that sings, which is great as well!
But they are quite expensive. If you can afford to ride one, I recommend doing so. But if not, seeing the gondolas pass by is great as well!
Save this post to Pinterest if you like it!
Blog comments (0)