There is no place like Venice! I fell in love with it the moment our train reached the train station Santa Lucia and I saw the Grand Canal flowing right outside.
Before I discuss the tourist attractions of Venice in detail, I'd like to address the many conflicting views that I'd read about Venice on various media platforms prior to our visit. You might also come across many such views.
On the one hand, there are people like me who would swear by the sheer romanticism of the city....an entire city connected by canals! What could be more alluring for tourists who're always looking for picture-perfect backdrops. On the other hand, though, are people who get too flustered by all the crowds that throng the city.
Let me try to put this debate in perspective for you -
- Venice is highly touristy, so much so, that you will hardly come across any locals except the ones working in restaurants or in other service-oriented fields.
There are tourists everywhere, this comes with certain problems for everyone, the prices of all basic commodities shoot up, not to mention the massive toll such tourism takes on the fragile ecosystem of the city.
- More tourists obviously translates into more expensive hotels and restaurants.
- There are tourist traps everywhere in the form of restaurants that over-charge and shops that quote exorbitant prices.
- The only way to enjoy your stay in Venice is one, to have all your bookings in place with a clear-cut itinerary and two, to keep extra time to navigate through all the crazy crowds.
- Most importantly, when to go to Venice is a pertinent question. The best time is the summer months of April to October, with July and August being the heaviest tourist seasons. If you want to go easy on your wallet, then going in winter, December to February might be a good idea.
But this time of the year, usually from October to March, the chances of Venice getting flooded are high. This natural phenomenon of flooding, called Acqua Alta, has been happening for ages in Venice.
So, your two options are -
One, Go in the peak season, April to June.
You will have to pay more and rub shoulders with more tourists. But the chances of rain and flooding will be minuscule. The weather will be warm, so, you will most certainly get to enjoy the canal experience.
We went to Venice in June. As expected, there were too many tourists everywhere but the weather was pleasant and everything fell into place.
Two, go in the low season, September to November.
You get to pay much less, and tourists will be less but then you might have to settle for rainfall in September, which is the month with the heaviest rainfall. The canal will be less crowded but the rain might take away the fun of the gondola ride and walking around the city.
I hope this would help to clarify some common concerns about Venice.
And now our 3-Day Itinerary in Venice....
The beautiful city of Venice is surrounded by the Adriatic Sea on all sides. There are about 118 small islands that are connected by canals and bridges that together make up Venice.
3 days are adequate to see and experience this delightful city.
Day One -
St. Mark's Basilica
Doge's Palace
Grand Canal
Gondola Ride
Anyone visiting Venice for the first time is totally enamoured by the canals. There are boats parked in front of houses instead of cars, giving the city an out-of-this-world feel.
So, on our first day, we spent loitering around the canals and clicking pictures around the city.
There are people everywhere, walking around, shopping in the narrow winding streets for glass jewellery and watches and not to forget, masks.
I also bought some trinkets from the alleys only to discover later that the best place to buy glassware is Murano. We'll come to Murano later in the post.
Keep walking along with the other tourists in the narrow alleyways and you suddenly reach a big public square, called Piazza San Marco or Saint Mark's Square.
There are hundreds of people in the square and we couldn't stop wondering how could so many people walk through the narrow streets to reach here.
Entry to St. Mark's Basilica is free. But that really doesn't help because there are so many people waiting in the queue to gain entry. If you're keen on seeing this basilica, then a guided tour is your best bet.
On the far side of the Basilica, is a beautiful Gothic-style structure called the Doge's Palace. Doge, I learnt later, was the highest authority in the Republic of Venice and this was his residence.
Tickets to the palace are available at the main entrance ticket counter but remember you will have to show some ID to get access to the palace. We were not carrying our passports, so we could not go inside.
The safest way to see the palace is to make advance bookings, you will also be able to beat the crowd.
The square is a popular spot to take a gondola ride on the Grand Canal. We had an interesting experience in Venice while hiring a gondola. You can read about it here -
The ride was a memory worth cherishing. The gondoliers are all dressed up in traditional attires, the boats are spic-and-span and the ride is accompanied by anecdotes of history. Our gondolier, I forget his name, was not just talkative but he also hummed his way melodiously through the entire boat ride.
My Tip -
The gondola ride is not to miss. Be very clear about what you have to pay at the end of the ride. We had an interesting experience that I've narrated in detail in the link pasted above.
Day Two -
Island of Burano
Island of Murano
We started our second day in Venice with a visit to the beautiful islands of Burano and Murano, starting with Burano.
Island of Burano
The easiest and most common way to get to Burano is by Vaporetto, a Water Bus, that takes about 45 minutes to reach.
The island is really small, you can see the entire island in about 2 hours.
The charming seaside village of Burano will entice you with its rows of colourful houses and its shops filled with lacework. The village seems to belong to a different era, you will see elderly women making intricate patterns with lace, oblivious to the tourists watching them.
The island is so beautiful that words fail me to describe it. We spent the first hour just ogling at houses, it seemed as if witches from some fairytale would fly on their brooms out of the chimneys atop these houses.
The locals are friendly. On enquiring about the coloured houses, I learnt from a local shop owner that these houses were painted in bright colours so that fishermen could find their way back to the village even during thick fog. And then, the village came to be recognised by its colourful houses, so the tradition stuck.
You can start your Burano trip by visiting Piazza Baldassare Galuppi, the square with the statue of the famous composer Galuppi in its centre. If you look around, you will see the local church Saint Martin Bishop and the Leaning Tower. Yes, Burano has its very own tower that leans. It's not as dramatic as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, though.
There is a lace museum on the Piazza. If you have time, you can see the museum and get to know about the history of lace in Burano.
Piazza Baldassare Galuppi, Burano
After loitering around Burano, and seeing the beauty of this enchanting village, we headed back to the ferry point to go further to Murano.
Island of Murano
This trip takes about 25 minutes and is as much fun as the ride to Burano from Venice.
Murano is world-renowned for its glassware.
Murano greets you with a beautiful glass sculpture!
The island of Murano is a group of 7 small islands connected by bridges.
Again, we spent an hour just walking around this quaint island, past shops displaying fascinating items made of glass. There are some cafes also where you can sit and bask in the romanticism of this island over a snack or a cup of coffee.
There is a Glass Museum in Morano that takes you on a tour of glass-making techniques and the history of glass-making in Murano.
This was our second last day in Italy and we'd had our fill of museums in Italy. We decided to look at the shops selling very interesting glass artefacts instead.
You can even buy Venetian masks made of glass!
Another beautiful structure to see in Morano is the Basilica di Santa Maria e San Donato.
The church is known for its stunning mosaic floors and rightfully so! You can spend about 30 minutes to an hour inside.
One of the most famous attractions of Murano is its glass factories. If you're interested, then you can book tours of these factories that include taking you around on a tour of the factory and glass-blowing demonstrations, depending on the tour you buy.
My Tip -
If you have limited time, then wandering around this picturesque island is the best way to spend your time. The riot of colour is absolutely fascinating.
If you do have more time, then you should explore the glass factories and book a tour. I've read some great reviews about them.
We had experienced something similar on a tour of the porcelain factories of Meissen, Germany some years back, so we gave this glass factory tour a miss.
Day Three -
St. Marks Campanile (Bell Tower)
Bridge of Sighs
Rialto Bridge
Eating at a canal-side eatery
We started our day with Saint Marks Square again. We wanted to wander the streets of Venice one more time on our last day here.
On our first day in Venice, we had not seen Saint Mark's Campanile. The Bell Tower is situated right next to St. Mark's Basilica. You can buy a ticket and go up the elevator to get scenic views of Venice.
We also wanted to see the famous old baroque bridge the Bridge of Sighs. Normally, tourists see this bridge on the gondola ride from the canal. I might have also seen it, but at that time we were so enamoured with the ride itself that we missed the bridge.
The other good way to see it is from the Bridge of Paglia. This bridge is just behind St. Mark's Square and you can see the Bridge of Sighs from here.
From there, we went to see the iconic Rialto Bridge. It is only a 5 to 6-minute walk from Saint Marks Square.
You don't have to look for the bridge on a map or anywhere, Rialto Bridge is like the central point of Venice, you will see so many signages at various places in the city giving directions to the bridge.
Rialto Bridge is one of the oldest arched bridges in Venice built over the narrowest point of the Grand Canal and the most frequented attraction in Venice.
My Tip -
Very close to the Rialto Bridge is the Rialto Marketplace. A visit to this market will give you an interesting insight into the everyday Venetian life. Here you can get all kinds of fruits and vegetables and some amazing seasonal fruits. You can spend some time here rummaging through preparations with local herbs and spices. We got some ready-to-use Italian sauces and they were amazing.
Rialto Bridge is touristy and crowded. However, the view of the canal is stunning from here. You should plan to spend a day and an evening here.
The Bridge of Sighs is good. I'd read about this bridge and the many myths attached to it. First its name, the 'sighs' refers to the sighs of prisoners who must have passed over it since the bridge connects Doge's Palace to the New Prison. The myth is that if lovers kiss each other right under the bridge, then their love will become eternal. Don't miss the opportunity to do that on the gondola ride.
This was our last day, not just in Venice but also in Italy. We just wanted to soak in the vibe of this romantic city, stroll along its canals and eat at a canal-side restaurant.
And that's what we did before wrapping up our trip to this beautiful vibrant country!
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