Venice Activities

Venice is a floating city in northeastern Italy, built on a system of 118 islands and recognized worldwide both for its canals and its important architectural legacy. It is a destination with a wide range of cultural and leisure activities, aimed at all types of tourists.

During your stay in the city you can take a gondola ride, join a Venetian mask workshop or learn the art of glass blowing. You will also have the opportunity to visit St. Mark's Basilica, visit the local market, and even participate in a food class, among other recommended activities to see and do in Venice, which I will tell you about in a moment.

Delve into the local culture during your 1 day or longer stay in Venice by making your own Venetian mask. Together with a professional artisan you will learn a series of design, painting and decoration techniques that will allow you to create unique pieces.

In the city you will find several options for mask making classes, some of them being the following:

Mask making class in Venice

This activity is ideal whether you visit Venice in winter, summer or any other time of the year. You will be able to put your ingenuity to the test, creating a mask that will have your personal stamp on it.

In this mask making class in Venice you will have the opportunity to decide the design, colors and decorations you will apply to your work. All this together with a professional artist.

• Price: the price of this activity starts at 58€ per person.
• Duration: about 1 hour.

average price

Venetian carnival mask creation or decoration class

You will be able to choose between creating a mask from scratch or decorating a previously made one. In the first case, the artisan will teach you step by step how to build the structure. While if you choose the decoration modality, you will give free rein to your imagination by adding color to the mask.

In addition, in this Carnival mask making workshop the maschereri (local artisan) will tell you a little about the history of the Venice Carnival, one of the most famous in the world.

• Price: the class costs 64€ per person (approx.).
• Duration: the duration time corresponds to 1 hour.

Mask decoration class

This mask making workshop is the perfect complement to your 1-3 day itinerary in Venice or longer. The instructor will show you some Venetian masks that will inspire you and will teach you the decoration techniques that you can apply to your design.

You will have at your disposal a sand-colored mask and a set of materials (paints, feathers, threads, fabrics, crystals, etc). This way, you will be able to make the decoration according to your taste.

• Price: the approximate cost of this type of mask making workshop is 61€ per person.
• Duration: the average duration is 1 hour.

Private mask making class

This is a timeless activity, whether you visit Venice in February during its famous carnival or at any other time of the year. You can take this private mask making workshop in two sessions.

On the first day you will learn step by step the process of making this popular accessory. The next day you will return to the studio, but this time to learn the techniques for decorating traditional and contemporary masks. You will be able to color them with paints, fabrics, feathers, crystals and other materials.

• Price: the value of this workshop corresponds to about 255€ per person.
• Duration: the workshop lasts an average of 4 hours divided into two days (2 hours each day).

Take advantage of your visit to the floating city to discover all that it hides: beautiful landscapes led by a series of canals of crystal clear water, stunning architecture, exquisite cuisine, and more. Take a walk through its streets and immerse yourself in its history and culture.

This activity can be done on your own or with a local guide, who will tell you the history of each destination. Whichever the case, you will be able to observe closely the most emblematic destinations of the city and other less known ones.

Some of the places you will see on this tour, depending on the route you adopt, could be the following:

• The Rialto Bridge, considered among the best bridges in Venice and from which you will get a mind-blowing panoramic view of the Grand Canal with the gondolas.
• Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, which will capture your attention immediately due to its spiral staircase protruding from a column.
• Teatro La Fenice, which served as a stage for the premiere of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata, among other masterpieces. Today it is a venue for the best opera concerts in Venice.
• The Campo Santa Margherita square, dotted with bars, terraces and many of the best restaurants for cheap food in Venice.

Discover the millenary art of blown glass is an activity you can do during your visit to Venice. You will live a unique artisan experience by creating a glass piece with an original design, all with the help of an expert craftsman.

You will be welcomed by a local craftsman in his workshop and you will immediately start the activity. The expert will explain the main techniques of glassblowing and the step-by-step process of making an artifact. You will also do some practice without hot glass before you start blowing the glass.

If you wish, you can make a sketch on paper with your own ideas for the manufacture of your piece: a vase, a cup, etc. Whatever your proposal is, the craftsman in charge will help you. Finally, you will blow by yourself an original piece that you can take home to decorate the spaces.

Also, if you plan to make an excursion to Murano and Burano from Venice, you should know that in these islands there are many glassblowing factories. So you could take the opportunity to join some of the glass activities and workshops in Murano and Burano.

Useful information

• Price: the cost of this experience is about 69€ per person.
• Duration: the activity lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

During your 1 to 4 day trip in Venice or longer, you can enjoy all kinds of gastronomy, even classic American. Come to the Hard Rock Café and have a different time while watching the gondolas sail down the Grand Canal. You will eat well and listen to some rock and roll classics.

With tickets to the Hard Rock Café you will have the opportunity to choose from a 2 or 3 course menu. You can try classic burgers, chicken tenders, salads, barbecue chicken sandwiches, ribs, among other dishes. There is also a children's menu for children up to 10 years old.

Information of interest

• Price: the entrance fee for the Hard Rock Café starts at 32€ per person.
• Opening hours: from 11:30 am to 11:00 pm (Sunday to Thursday) and from 11:30 am to midnight (Friday and Saturday).

Any time of the year is the best time to travel to Venice and take part in a cooking class. You will feel like a local as you discover the flavors, aromas and textures of Venetian gastronomy.

The activity usually starts with a visit to a local market. This could be the Rialto Market, considered the oldest in the city and an obligatory stop on the best food tours in Venice.

At the market you will find a picturesque atmosphere: stalls selling fish, vegetables, fruits and more. You can explore the place with a culinary expert and buy all the fresh ingredients you need. Afterwards, you will head to a private kitchen to begin the class.

Some of the local preparations you will learn to make and taste before the end of this local market visit and private cooking class experience in Venice include the following:

• Risotto de gò: rice with fish from the Venetian lagoon.
• The Fritole: popular fritters that are usually eaten during the carnival season.
• La Sarde in saor: sardines with sweet and sour sauce.

Interesting information

• Price: this activity usually costs 199€ per person.
• Duration: this experience can last up to a maximum of 5 hours.

Visiting the Peggy Guggenheim collection during your stay in Venice is a must if you are interested in modern art. You will be amazed by the paintings and sculpture on display in the halls.

Upon arriving at the museum, located in Palazzo Venier dei Leoni (a historic 18th century building), you will find the personal collection of American Peggy Guggenheim. You will see works by iconic artists such as Calder, Dali, Magritte, Picasso, Pollock, among others.

With tickets to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, you will not only see the impressive evolution of art from Cubism to the abstract. You will also have access to the Nasher Sculpture Garden, which houses an important collection of 20th century statues. And, if you visit this Venice museum at Christmas time, you will enjoy its magical illumination.

Information of interest

• Price: the entrance fee starts at 22€ per person.
• Hours: open every day from April to October in Venice from 10:00 to 18:00. And, if you are in Venice in November and until March, you will find the museum open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.

Going to Venice and not taking a gondola ride through its canals would be like not having visited the city. Climb aboard one of these traditional boats and tour the city from the water. You will enjoy a different perspective of this magical place.

Once in the gondola, you can relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of Venice' s Grand Canal. While the gondolier rows, you will have the opportunity to see iconic landmarks such as the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, the Rialto Bridge, La Fenice Theater, among many others.

This 30-minute gondola ride is quite convenient if your itinerary times are very short. You will see the city's essential monuments from a unique perspective and learn a bit about the history of the canals and Venice in general, thanks to the gondolier's commentary.

Useful information

• Price: the tour costs 39€ per person (approx.).
• Duration: the gondola ride usually lasts about 30 minutes.

Attending a concert of the orchestra I Musici Veneziani is a way to enjoy the baroque lyrical tradition. You will be immersed in history, even feeling like you have traveled to 18th century Venice, while listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

Throughout the show you will enjoy four concertos for violin and strings by the city's illustrious son, Antonio Vivaldi. The interpretation of these masterpieces is performed by Venetian musicians with a long career, who, dressed in typical costumes, will give you a unique musical experience.

Buying tickets for the concert of I Musici Veneziani is, without a doubt, an unmissable activity, whether you plan to stay 1 or 7 days in Venice.

Useful information

• Price: the ticket price for this show is around 35€ per person.
• Duration: the show usually lasts 90 minutes.

A cultural activity you can incorporate into your itinerary is to visit one of the best museums in Venice, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum. Here you will discover the life and work of the artist through an amazing exhibition. Ideal if you are in Venice with children.

Throughout this experience you will be able to see some of the artist's great work. For example:

• The painting room: with some replicas of famous works of the artist such as the Last Supper or the Mona Lisa.
• The room with original designs and sketches, in which the Ideal City stands out.
• The anatomy area: with studies of the human body applied to the art of sculpture and painting.
• A collection of more than 60 machines. This includes flying, war and civil engineering machines.

With tickets to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum you will also have access to multimedia material with outstanding information on the life of this great creative genius. You will also have an audio guide to make the most of the experience.

Useful information

• Price: the entrance fee to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum starts at 10€ per person.
• Hours: the museum is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (October to March) and from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (April to September).

St. Mark's Basilica is a true symbol of the Venetian city and a testament to its rich history. For this reason, its visit is a must-see cultural tourism activity during your Venice in 2 days or more. You will be able to explore this mythical monument built in 1063.

Upon arrival you will be impressed by its majestic facade which, like the rest of the structure, combines Byzantine and Gothic style. Inside you will see a golden mosaic of about 13,000 square meters, in which some sacred scenes and biblical stories are narrated. It also highlights the marble floor and all the ornamental details.

You can take the tour at your own pace while listening to an audio guide with comments on the history of the place. With the purchase of tickets to St. Mark's Basilica in Venice you have access to this type of service. After the visit you may want to recharge your batteries in one of the places to eat near St. Mark's Basilica.

Useful information

• Price: the entrance fee is about 21€ per person.
• Opening hours: the site is open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (April to October) and from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm (November to March).