Essential Tips for Visiting Venice

1: Get yourself the Venezia Unica Card. This will give you access to Venice's public transport system (the water buses called vaporetti), allowing you to get around the city with ease. Another good thing about this card is that you also get to benefit from discounts at museums, etc.

Acqua Alta Bookstore in Venice

2: Visit the Acqua Alta Bookstore. Visit the Acqua Alta Bookstore. Unlike any bookstore you’ve likely seen, it’s one of Venice’s hidden treasures. Quaint, atmospheric, and full of character—it’s a must-see in my book. Also, spend time in a magical mask shop; it is tucked away down one of Venice's many secret back streets and inside you'll discover authentic Venetian craftsmanship passed on through many generations. Click here for more details on both the Aqua Alta Bookstore and the mask store.

Venice at Dawn

3: Saint Mark's Square is the most popular attraction in Venice, and everyone should visit it at least once in their lifetime. One of our top tips for Venice is to visit St. Mark's Square early in the morning, at first light if possible, to avoid the crowds. The sight of the sun slowly lighting up a deserted piazza is one you will never forget.

4: Take a day trip out to Burano. Definitely worth a visit, Burano is an enchanting little island near Venice filled with colorful fisherman's cottages. 

5:  Skip a sit-down lunch and do as the locals do—hop from bàcaro to bàcaro and enjoy cicchetti (Venetian tapas) with a small glass of wine called an “ombra.” It's tasty, inexpensive, and culturally immersive.

6: Try to avoid eating at McDonald's and KFC. While you're in Venice why not sample the local cuisine? There are many great affordable restaurants in Venice, and after all the city does have over a thousand years of culinary history. 

7: Don't drink any Starbucks-style coffee. Rather drop by one of the many local bars and treat yourself to a real Italian cappuccino or espresso. One thing to take note of is that if you stand at the bar, you pay a lot less than if you were to sit. You'll find a list of things not to do in Italy here.

8: Some of Venice's best sights are down the lanes alongside quieter, smaller canals. Here you can savor the true beauty of Venice. These are some of the best moments to experience in Venice. Don't let your phone or tablet steal your attention and cause you to miss the moment.

9: One of the top tips for Venice is to simply sit somewhere, even alongside a canal, and watch the world go by.

10: Visit Venice's Jewish Ghetto. In Cannaregio, you’ll find the world’s first ghetto. It’s steeped in history, moving, and beautiful. The synagogues and museum give deep insight into Jewish life in Venice through the centuries. Here's everything you need to plan your ghetto visit.

Rialto Market

11: Don't miss the Rialto market. Once again, it's best to visit early in the morning to discover everything this market has to offer before the hustle and bustle of the day begins. Staying nearby would help. There's a great hotel around the corner that used to be the old post office called The Poste Vecie. Find details here.

12:  Download offline maps before you go. Venice is a maze—and GPS isn’t always reliable. Download offline maps (e.g., Google Maps or Maps.me) in advance to navigate without Wi-Fi.

13:  Visit artisan workshops—not just shops. Look for open studios where glassblowers, mask makers, and other craftspeople are still practicing centuries-old trades. These places are often hidden down alleyways and much more rewarding than touristy shops. You'll find a list of some of them in our shopping in Venice guide.

14:  Use traghettos like a local. Want to cross the Grand Canal without hunting down a bridge or paying for a gondola ride? Hop on a traghetto—a stripped-down gondola locals use for a quick, cheap crossing (usually around €2). Here's more about this amazing tradition.