Venice in 2 Days: everything you need to know

If you have a weekend or a couple of days to get away to Venice, it is advisable to know in advance what to see and do in the city of canals. Although there are many monuments and places of interest, in two days we have time to see the essential sights of Venice and its surroundings.

We have a whole day to get to know the heart of the city, St. Mark's Square and all the places of interest around it, and a second day to round off our visit with a gondola ride and an unforgettable sunset.

On our first day in Venice we will focus on visiting its main monuments. Luckily, most of them are located in or around the famous St. Mark's Square.

I will also tell you some tips to save you time (and some queues) and to optimize your visit in this itinerary through St. Mark's Square and its surroundings.

Arriving in St Mark's Square via the Grand Canal

90% of the time, tourists arrive in Venice via the Santa Lucia train station. This is where our day starts. From the station we will take a Vaporetto which will take us along the Grand Canal to St. Mark' s Square or to our accommodation before we start our tour.

The Grand Canal is the artery of the city and walking along it at least once is a must if you are visiting Venice. You can also book a trip along the Grand Canal once you've settled in Venice to enjoy the tour even more.

Panoramic view of St Mark's Square

Descending at St. Mark's quay, we arrive at the square with the same name. St. Mark's is the heart of Venice and the main buildings of the city were built around it.

Take the time to discover St. Mark's Square, which Napoleon himself defined as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe.

The Campanile of Venice

It is an impressive tower that rises 98 metres above the ground of the square and you can climb it to admire the best views of Venice.

It's the first thing I recommend you do if you arrive early as there are usually long queues as the day gets earlier in the day.

Entrance costs 10 euros and you can go up on foot or in a lift.

St Mark's Basilica

After climbing up to the Campanile it's time to go down to visit St Mark's Basilica. This Byzantine temple was built to house the relics of the saint and attracts all who visit for its imposing beauty. Its golden and bluish shapes and colours stand out on the outside and the same happens on the inside.

The entrance to St. Mark's Basilica is free although you can pay extra to visit the treasury, the golden shovel and the museum. The latter includes the possibility to see the square from your balcony next to the famous St Mark's horses.

My recommendation is that it's worth booking the paid entrance to St Mark's Basilica, not only for all it has to offer, but also to save queuing to get in and have your guided tour.

Stop for lunch and a coffee in an iconic location.

After visiting the basilica it may already be time for lunch. The restaurants in the square are prohibitively expensive for most, but around St Mark's Basilica there are many good value options.

I recommend the Rossopomodoro Venezia restaurant with a good value menu where you can try traditional Italian pasta. For a coffee after lunch, go to Caffè Florian, the most important coffee shop in Venice, which has been frequented by some of Venice's most iconic figures.

Of course, you also have the option of booking a food tour of Venice if you feel like getting to know the area's gastronomy in depth accompanied by a guide.

Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs

Now that we've recovered our strength, it's time to get to know another icon of Venice. The Doge's Palace is a symbol of the power of the city of Venice. It was the residence of the Doges and served not only as a palace, but also as the seat of government, a courthouse and even a prison.

You must buy a ticket for the Doge's Palace to enter the interior and see the impressive decoration of the Doge's Palace. Its halls are decorated with works of art and frescoes of great value and it is extremely beautiful.

The Bridge of Sighs is part of the complex. It is known by this name because, when the palace was used as a prison, prisoners used to cross it and sigh in longing for the freedom they were about to lose.

Clock Tower

In the square there is another smaller but also striking tower known as the Clock Tower. This building right next to the entrance to the basilica houses an astronomical clock on its façade.

Designed by Mauro Codussi, it was built in the mid-16th century and is also known as the tower of the Moors because of the figures next to its campaign at the top.

Standing next to the tower at an hour on the hour and watching its bell ring won't take more than a few minutes and is a good way to round off a tour of St. Mark's Square.

Rialto Bridge

To end the day we will go to see one of the most important bridges in Venice. The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges that crosses the Grand Canal and is the oldest of them.

Its particular shape and the semicircular arches that compose it have made it one of the most visited tourist attractions in Venice. In fact, it is almost impossible to see it without the presence of hundreds of tourists who want to take pictures of it.

To conclude our first day, we can have dinner near the Rialto Bridge and crown the day with a delicious Italian gelato.

The second day is a chance to get away from the crowds and enjoy a quieter day visiting the islands of Murano and Burano, taking a gondola ride and ending the day with a spectacular sunset by the church of Santa Maria della Salute.

Murano

The island of Murano is world famous for its glass and the works of art that its artisans make with it. Our first visit on the second day will be a trip to Murano on the Vaporetto line 4.

The journey usually takes around 40 minutes and once on the island our visit will focus on learning about the craft and art surrounding the famous glass. To do this, you should book a visit to a glass factory, which are usually quite cheap and very interesting.

And you can't miss the opportunity to buy a glass souvenir. Although you'll have to be very careful the rest of the day not to break it.

Burano

In most cases, visitors to Murano take advantage of the same excursion to go to its sister island, Burano. And my recommendation is that you do too, and you can book an excursion to Murano and Burano.

But you can still go on your own from Murano by taking the same Vaporetto line. The trip is a bit longer and takes about an hour. There is a lot to do and see in Murano butthe main thing is as simple as strolling through the streets.

When you arrive on the island you will be amazed. Its houses, each one in a different colour, form an incredible composition and together with its canals, give us a postcard from a magazine. As in Murano, handicrafts also play a fundamental role on the island, in this case for its thread lace.

Gondola ride

On our return to Venice we can opt for a relaxing gondola ride. This is a must if you want the full Venetian experience. They can be taken anywhere in the city and the only thing you have to do is decide in which area you want to go.

Don't trust them if they ask for more than 80 euros, so the more people in your group the better, up to a maximum of 6. Although you can always play it safe and book a gondola ride online and avoid scams.

If you want to go through emblematic points of the city, such as the Bridge of Sighs, you' ll be charged extra. I recommend that your ride ends at the docks of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute where we will end our second day's tour.

Santa Maria della Salute and its sunsets

The Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute is a spectacular church that was built to honour the Virgin of Health after the plague epidemic that affected three quarters of Venice's population.

The baroque façade gives access to the interior of the church, in whose dome we can see several works by the famous painter Titian, such as the Death of Abel, the Sacrifice of Abraham and David against Goliath.

We leave the church and head to Punta della Dogana to put an end to our two-day visit to Venice. And to put the perfect finishing touch we will contemplate the sunset in one of the most spectacular places in the city to do so.

• On arrival at Santa Lucia train station, visit the tourist office and get a map of the city.
• These maps usually show the lines and timetables of the Vaporetti, the best and fastest way to get around Venice.
• Buy tickets online in advance for monuments such as the Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica.
• Monuments start opening at around 9am and transport starts running at around 8am. So, make sure you start your day around that time to give you time to visit everything.
• For a cheap meal, avoid the restaurants in St Mark's Square. Without going too far away and in the adjoining streets, there are many options with better value for money.