How many Days for Seeing Venice

Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy and a must-see destination in your travel diary. Its charm lies in its ancient cultural heritage and the magic of its bridges and canals. Not for nothing is it known worldwide as the "Queen of the Adriatic".

How many days does it take to see a city as spectacular as this one? Spending 3 days in Venice is the ideal getaway, but if you have less time, here's how you can organise your visit.

Venice is an exciting city, one of those whose beauty sticks in your mind and you can never get enough of it. However, many tourists do not have as much time as they would like to enjoy the "City of Canals" slowly and have to optimise their time to see the highlights in just one day.

In a city as old as Venice it is easy to get lost in its streets. Not only because as a first-time visitor you don't know them, but also because at some points it can become a bit of a labyrinth.

Take a guided tour

With little time for sightseeing, my advice is to play it safe and make the most of it by booking a guided tour of Venice to discover its most emblematic sights.

Taking a guided tour of Venice will ensure you get the most out of your time in the city and with the help of a professional guide you'll get more context about the history of the place you're visiting as well as learning a lot of interesting facts.

If you are on your own

However, if you have an adventurous spirit and love the idea of discovering the treasures hidden in the streets of Venice on your own, then don't hesitate and explore the city at your own pace. Even if you decide to explore Venice on your own, it's always a good idea to map out a little itinerary to guide you. Here it is!

• The Grand Canal: Enjoy the enchanting scenery of Venice surrounded by water with a guided boat ride on Venice's Grand Canal that will show you some of the city's most popular spots such as the Rialto Bridge, St Mark's Square or Ca' Rezzonico.
• **St Mark'**s Square: The heart of Venice. It is home to some of the city's most iconic buildings and you can take a guided tour of the Doge's Palace, St Mark's Basilica and its Campanile or the Clock Tower, among others.
• Church of Santa Maria della Salute: One of the most important temples in Venice. It was erected in gratitude to the Virgin at the end of the plague epidemic that devastated the city in the 16th century. Its dome can be seen from many different places.
• Bridge of Sighs: Behind St. Mark's Square is this famous bridge that owes its name to the sad walk that prisoners took for the last time before being executed.
• The Rialto Bridge: This is the oldest and most famous bridge in Venice. Until the 19th century, Venetians had no other way to cross the Grand Canal. Cross it to take some pictures and get to the Rialto Market, a very colourful place especially in spring and summer.

These are just a few of the places you can see in Venice in a day. If you want to know the rest I recommend you to read the post Venice in a day where you will find a guide to get the most out of your visit.

If you plan to spend at least two days in Venice, you'll be able to enjoy the city's charms at a leisurely pace. However, it is still necessary to optimise your time in order to take in as many sights as possible.

1. What to do on the first day?

Take a guided tour on the first day

Even if you want to see Venice in two days, I recommend booking a guided tour of Venice on the first day so that you can get an insight into Venetian history and culture. Especially if it is your first time there.

During the whole tour you will be accompanied by a professional guide who will show you the most emblematic places of Venice that have made it world famous (canals, churches, bridges) while telling you fascinating stories and interesting anecdotes about the "Queen of the Adriatic".

At the end, you can always retrace your steps to see at your own pace all those monuments that have caught your attention during the guided tour and take as many pictures as you want.

What to see on a tour?

Normally, guided tours usually start at St. Mark's Square, which is the heart of Venice and home to some of its most representative buildings such as St. Mark's Basilica and the Campanile, the Doge's Palace, the Clock Tower and the Correr Museum. Napoleon Bonaparte called it "the most beautiful salon in Europe", so you'll need your camera well charged to immortalise all the wonders you'll see along the way, and you can even Venice Saint Mark's Square Tour with Basilica Guided Tour.

Then you'll have time to wander the narrow streets of the city and its beautiful canals, seeing other sites such as the Rialto Bridge or the Bridge of Sighs, for example.

After your guided tour of Venice, you'll have free time to spend as you please, whether it's shopping, hopping on a vaporetto to cruise the Grand Canal or sipping a Spritz, the popular Venetian aperitif, like a local.

What to do on the second day?

The second day in Venice can be spent in the morning getting an inside look at some of the buildings you saw during your guided tour of the city the day before, such as the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace or the museums in St. Mark's Square.

Then in the afternoon you can book an excursion to Murano, Burano and Torcello, the three most famous islands in the Venice lagoon. They are amazing! During the visit you will be accompanied by a professional guide and you will have the opportunity to visit a factory where the famous Murano glass is made, see the first cathedral of Venice in Torcello or buy beautiful handmade lace as a souvenir in Burano. And when you return to the centre of Venice, it's time to treat yourself to a delicious Italian-style dinner in a restaurant or even take a gastronomic tour.

As you can see, two days in Venice are a lot of fun, but there's even more to do! If you want to discover it, I advise you to take a look at the post Venice in 2 days: everything you need to know.

The ideal way to enjoy Venice at your leisure is to spend three days in the city. This way you'll have time to see most of the city centre's sights, do a few activities and even go on an excursion.

What to do on the first day?

Whether you are going to spend one or three days in Venice, during the first day I recommend you to take a guided tour of the city as a first contact with the culture and history of the "Queen of the Adriatic", especially if you haven't been here before. You will optimise your time to the maximum and it will give you the necessary context to get to know better each of the main tourist attractions that have made it world famous.

In addition, you will learn numerous amazing anecdotes from the professional guide who will accompany you. In short, everything you see during a guided tour of Venice will serve as a basis for the rest of your trip.

Guided tours usually start in St. Mark's Square, considered the heart of Venice, because this is where several of the must-see sights are located: the Correr Museum, the Clock Tower, the Doge's Palace or St. Mark's Basilica and the Campanile. In the afternoon, after lunch around the iconic St. Mark's Square, you can continue through the centre and retrace your steps to see the monuments you saw in the morning at your own pace and in detail - you'll get some amazing photos!

What to do on the second day?

The morning of the second day can be spent on an excursion to Murano, Burano and Torcello, the three most famous islands in the Venice lagoon. During the tour you will visit the fishermen's island of Burano, the first cathedral of Venice in Torcello or the famous glass workshops of Murano. It's a super complete experience and you'll get some great pictures to add to your album.

After being out all morning, when you get back to the city centre after the tour you'll want to recover your strength by going for lunch at a cheap restaurant.

Afterwards, go back to your hotel to relax and then join a gastronomic tour of Venice with a local guide to discover the best wines and typical dishes of the area. Venice is famous for its seafood and ice cream, so you're sure to get your money's worth!

What to see on the third day?

There's so much to see and do in Venice! No matter what time of year you go, you'll always find something interesting and fun to do. So on the third day, you can spend the morning getting an inside look at some of the buildings you saw during your guided tour of the city the day before, such as the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica or the museums in St. Mark's Square.

Sightseeing is pretty hungry! You'll be looking forward to a lunch break at the end of your tour. As it's your last day in the city, stay for lunch near St Mark's Basilica to enjoy the spectacular views. Afterwards, instead of a long lunch break, you can use the time to go shopping in the streets of Venice, attend a Venetian music concert or take a class to make your own Carnival mask- the options are endless!

And to round off an unforgettable trip to Venice, you can't miss a romantic gondola ride along the canals that have made this city world famous. Watching the sunset over the palaces and churches of Venice from the water is an experience you will remember for the rest of your life! These are some of the most interesting and fun things to do in Venice. If you liked these suggestions, don't miss the post Venice in 3 days where you'll find many more great ideas.