The Complete Travel Guide: Venice, Italy

We had such a wonderful time in Venice last year, that I just had to share a travel guide with you! With the high tides and water issues this city has had over the past year, it’s crazy to think what this city will look like in the future. What I learned visiting Venice was the deep history, how water is part of every day life (taking boats instead of cars places), and what tourism means for the future of the city. If you’re planning on visiting Venice here are some things we really enjoyed doing, places we would definitely eat at again, and where we stayed.

Things to Do

St. Mark’s Basilica – The church is beautiful and free to get in.

Rialto Bridge – This bridge is stunning! Take a public boat route that goes under the bridge because the view from the water is amazing.

Campanile di San Marco – The bell tower is a fun way to get a great view of the city. It does cost money to go up the elevator to the top, but it’s worth it.

St. Mark’s Square – My favorite thing is to sit here and people watch.

Bridge of Sighs – This bridge connects to the Doge’s Palace and is a popular tourist attraction to see.

Doge’s Palace – I would suggest buying tickets for this ahead of time. I bought my ticket the day before and it was easy to purchase online. The lines can get really long, so if you already have your ticket you’ll have an easier time getting in.

Murano & Burano Islands – We took the public boats out to these islands and they were amazing. Murano is home to the glass factories and Burano is known for their lace and colorful buildings. Doing these islands was almost a full day of sightseeing so just budget your time.

Where we Stayed

Hilton Molino Stucky Venice – We loved staying here because it was a little more removed from the busy city center. The historic building is really quite amazing and the room was very comfortable.

Hotel Indigo Venice – This hotel was also removed from the busy city center, but easy to get around via boat. The hotel was recently updated and it was perfect for two nights.

Places to Eat & Drink:

Caffe Vergnano 1882– A good spot for happy hour or coffee.

Cantina Do Mori– This is one of the oldest wine bars in Venice. We came here for lunch for some Cicchetti (these are small sandwiches very common in Venice). Be prepared for a line and for it to be busy.

Osteria Al Squero– This was one of our favorite spots on the trip. Perfect spot for enjoying an Aperol Spritz and Cicchetti at great prices. Everyone sits outside with their food and drink so its fun to people watch.

Osteria alle Testiere– If you like fish you have to go here. This was our favorite dinner because everything was so fresh. The chef goes to the market in the morning and only brings back what he can find from the market.

Panificio Marcato– If you go to Murano this bakery had some amazing breads and sweets.

Riva Rosa Ristorante– Burano is known for their fish and fish risotto specifically. We had a really good lunch here.

Algiubagio– We had a wonderful dinner here on the deck over the water. You can’t beat the views here.

Suso Gelatoteca– This place has some seriously good gelato.