24 Hours In Venice: What To See & Do?
Are you looking for the perfect way to spend 24 hours in Venice? Whether it is your first visit to this beautiful city or a repeat trip, exploring within a limited timeframe can be daunting. However, with careful planning and an open mind, you can experience everything that makes Venice unique in just 24 Hours!
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Is it possible to see the best of Venice in 24 hours? Ideally, I would say no, you need to spend at least a few days in Venice to make the most of this beautiful city. However, if you are short on time like I was, this guide to 24 hours in Venice is just what you need!
Venice, also known as the ‘Floating City’, is an archipelago of 118 islands connected by numerous canals and bridges. The main island has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. At its height, Venice was one of the wealthiest trading posts in Europe, and most of its buildings date to this period between the 13th and 18th centuries. Venice has some stringent laws about historic preservation, so the views you see today are probably the same as back then.
Where To Stay In Venice?
Venice is renowned for being one of the most expensive cities in Europe, and accommodation is no exception. Hotels on the main Island near St Marks Square are the most costly, and as you move away to the surrounding islands and even the mainland, the prices become considerably cheaper. Here’s my pick of accommodation for every budget, all located in the San Marco district of Venice. All prices are based on a stay in April 2023. Expect to pay double in July/August.
For the best deals, I recommend using Booking.com! This website will give you all options for any budget, and you can even filter results by price, star rating, facilities and location, helping you make the right accommodation choices.
££££ Hotel Ai Reali – The Hotel Ai Reali is a beautiful hotel situated just around the corner from the Rialto Bridge. Starting at £330 a night for a basic room and £1,400 for a suite with a canal view, it’s not the option for most budgets.
£££ Hotel Flora – I’m usually a budget traveller but as this trip was to celebrate my parent’s wedding anniversary we decided to up our budget and booked a night at the fabulous Hotel Flora. This hotel is conveniently situated close to St Mark’s Square, tucked out the way on the popular Calle del Petrin.
This hotel is in the perfect location and has beautiful rooms looking out into the private courtyard, where various homemade delights are served for breakfast. Room prices start from £250 a night for a budget room to £400 for a deluxe room with a garden view.
££ Hotel San Samuele – Hotel San Samuele is a beautiful, simple hotel set within a historic building, just a short walk from St Mark’s Square. Rooms cost around £90 a night.
£ Hotel San Maurizio – For budget travellers, you can’t get much better in the centre of Venice than the Hotel San Maurizio. Situated in a noble, carefully restored sixteenth-century palace, this hotel offers an affordable option for a perfect stay in Venice. Prices are around £80 a night for a double room with a shared bathroom.
£ Generator Venice – For single travellers, staying in a hostel may be a better option, especially on a tight budget. Generator Venice is not located in the centre of Venice, but just a short ferry ride from St Mark’s Square. For only £26 a night for a bed in a shared dorm, this hotel offers excellent value for money! If you are unsure about staying in hostels, check out my guide to surviving hostels.
How To Get To Venice?
Plane
Venice Marco Polo is the nearest airport to Venice, which is served by most major airlines. Located just 7 miles from the city centre, it’s the easiest option if travelling from outside Italy. For the best flight deals, I recommend using Skyscanner.
You can get from the airport to Venice by either bus or boat. Buses are the cheapest option at €10 one way and €18 return. Boats offer a more traditional way of getting into the city, costing €15 one way and €27 return. Tickets for both options can be purchased in the arrivals hall.
Treviso airport is another option, located 19 miles outside the city. The more low-cost budget operators generally use this airport. Buses into the city are available for €12 one-way €22 return and take around 70 minutes.
Train
The main station is Venezia Santa Lucia, conveniently located on the Grand Canal. If travelling from other cities in Italy, taking the train is a great option. The national rail operator in Italy is Trenitalia; tickets can be bought online on the TrainLine. Once at the station, you can get to most places around Venice from the many waterboat services outside the entrance.
Bus
You can get to Venice from surrounding cities in Italy and beyond by various bus networks. A useful website for finding bus services in Europe is Omio.
Getting Around Venice
The Grand Canal is the main waterway in Venice and runs for 3.8 km through the city.
Water buses, or vaporetti, are the most popular way to get around Venice. There are two main Vaporetto routes: from Santa Lucia train station and Piazzale Roma road terminus. Vaporetto tickets cost €9.50 per single, valid for 75 minutes with any number of changes in the same direction. If you plan to use the water buses a lot, invest in a travel card (€25 for 24 hours; up to €65 for a week). Just note that it’s not possible to buy Vaporetto tickets at some of the smaller Vaporetto stops.
Things To See & Do In Venice:
If you only have 24 hours in the city, I recommend arriving as early as possible in the morning and leaving as late as possible the next day to maximise your time in this beautiful city. Unfortunately, we arrived via train from Lake Garda around noon, and the crowds were already in full force! It didn’t help that it was the end of July, the height of peak season.
However, it didn’t stop us from seeing most of the main sights. I would recommend visiting the main sights on the first day and then taking a morning trip out to Burano Island the next day before leaving Venice in the evening.
If you want to see as much as possible in a short space of time, then consider taking an organised tour. Depending on what you want to see, these tours will make the best use of your time whilst in Venice. Some options to consider are:
Basilica Di San Marco
A visit to the Basilica di San Marco is a must for a first-time tourist to Venice!
Considered one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture in the world, the Basilica di San Marco is known for its opulent design and gilded interior mosaics, and nicknamed Chiesa d’Oro, “Church of Gold”. Its design is a mixture of eastern and western architectural styles resulting in a unique architecture typical for Venice.
The lines to visit the Basilica di San Marco can be extremely long, especially in the summer, therefore I recommend booking skip-the-line tickets in advance! This will save you time, especially only in Venice for a short time.
Doge’s Palace
A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the Doge’s Palace is an impressive structure thought to have been built in the 10th Century.
The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the former Venetian Republic, opening as a museum in 1923. Entrance fees are €25; tickets can be purchased online.
St Mark’s Campanile
St Mark’s Campanile is the bell tower of St Mark’s Basilica, located in the Piazza San Marco. It is one of the most recognisable symbols of the city.
The tower stands alone in a corner of St Mark’s Square, near the front of the basilica. With its 99 metres in height, St Mark’s Campanile offers the best view over the city and its lagoon! Entrance is €10
Bridge Of Sighs
Believed by many to be the most beautiful bridge in Venice, the Bridge of Sighs is a must-see!
Built in the 17th century, this fully enclosed bridge is made of white limestone and is attached to what was once the interrogation rooms in Doge’s Palace. Poet Lord Byron once described the bridge as the last point where condemned prisoners could see Venice’s beautiful city before being brought to their executioner.
Rialto Bridge
The Ponte di Rialto was built between 1588 and 1591 to replace the boat bridge and three wooden bridges that had spanned the Grand Canal at various times since the 12th Century.
The bridge has three walkways: two along the outer balustrades and a wider central walkway leading between two rows of small shops that sell jewellery, linens, Murano glass, and other items for the tourist trade. Beware, though, this bridge can get extremely busy and can be an effort to cross due to the crowds and the many steps.
Gondola Ride
No trip to Venice is complete without a ride on a gondola. Although quite expensive, this has got to be the best way to explore Venice’s unique waterways and bridges. Gondola stands are located throughout the city. Some trips include a tour down the Grand Canal, while others paddle along the quieter side canals.
Gondola rides are offered at a fixed price set by the city government. However, many gondoliers do not always adhere to these costs, so some negotiation may be necessary! Expect to pay around €80 for 30 minutes and €40 for every extra 20 minutes. These prices will also increase after 7 pm.
Get Lost
Venice is not only famous for its beautiful architecture and waterways but also its crowds! Even in low season, it can appear crowded.
For some reason, most visitors walk along one or two major arterials from the train station or cruise port to the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square and then back again. However, spend a few hours wandering around its side streets, and you will almost have the place to yourself.
Not only will you find tranquillity in one of Europe’s busiest cities, but you will also see some beautiful architecture and some hidden gems.
Explore At Night
Venice at night is magical; you can wander the streets and hardly see a soul, and the places packed out during the day feel and look completely different!
My favourite place to visit in the evening was the Piazza San Marco! It’s immensely crowded during the day, but come nightfall, it’s magical! Like the rest of Venice, once the day trippers have left, you almost have this beautiful city to yourself!
You can sit listening to the restaurant musicians playing beautiful music whilst taking in the stunning Basilica di San Marco and the bell tower all lit up. This was my favourite experience in Venice; to see this place all lit up in the evening brought tears to my eyes! Simply stunning!
Burano Island
A small fishing village in the Venetian lagoon, Burano, is a fun day trip. Its small houses are brightly painted, creating a rainbow-coloured backdrop, perfect for popping Instagram photographs.
Burano is easily accessible by Venetian water bus from St. Mark’s Square. However, if you are short on time, I recommend booking a morning tour, some of which may also take you to other nearby islands.
Visiting Venice Tips:
- Eat authentic local food; there is something for any budget. Cheaper options are always away from the main tourist hot spots!
- Wear comfortable walking shoes, you will do a lot of walking around Venice!
- Carry a refillable water bottle, not only good for the environment but also for your wallet. Almost every main square has a working fountain where you can refill your bottle.
- Buy attraction tickets in advance, and if possible, skip the line tickets as queues can sometimes be hours long.
- Venice is extremely safe, just keep an eye on your belongings, especially in crowded areas.
- Always be prepared for the unexpected, and make sure you always travel with Insurance!
Final Thoughts
So there you have it! A jam-packed itinerary for a day in Venice that will leave you feeling like you’ve seen and done it all. From riding a gondola to getting lost in winding alleyways, add these activities to your list when planning your next trip to Italy’s floating city!
Thanks so much for stopping by; I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read and make it to the end! I have lots of exciting new content in the next few weeks, so make sure you pop back to catch up!
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Happy travels!
