How many Days for Seeing Venice

Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy and a destination that should not be missing in your travel log. Its charm lies in its ancient cultural heritage and in the magic of its bridges and canals. Not for nothing is it known worldwide as the "Queen of the Adriatic".

How many days does it take to see a city as spectacular as this one? Spending 3 days in Venice is the ideal getaway, but if you have less time, here's how you can organize your visit.

Venice is an exciting city, one of those whose beauty sticks in your mind and you can never get enough of it. However, many tourists do not have as much time as they would like to slowly enjoy the "City of Canals" and have to optimize their time to see the highlights in just one day.

In a city as old as Venice it is easy to get lost in its streets. Not only because as a first-time visitor you don't know them, but also because in some points it can turn into a small labyrinth.

Take a guided tour

Having little time for sightseeing, my advice is to play it safe and make the most of it by booking a guided tour of Venice to discover its most emblematic places.

By taking a guided tour of Venice you will be sure to optimize your time in the city to the maximum and with the help of a professional guide you will get more context about the history of the place you are visiting as well as learn a lot of curiosities.

If you go on your own

However, if you have an adventurous spirit and you love the idea of discovering for yourself the treasures hidden in the streets of Venice, then don't hesitate and explore the city at your own pace. Even if you decide to get to know Venice on your own, it is always good to draw a small route to serve as a guide. Here it is!

• The Grand Canal: Enjoy Venice's enchanting scenery surrounded by water with a guided boat ride on Venice's Grand Canal that will show you some of the city's most popular sites such as the Rialto Bridge, St. Mark's Square or Ca' Rezzonico.
• **St. Mark'**s Square: The heart of Venice. Several of the city's most iconic buildings are located there and you can take a guided tour of the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica and its Campanile or the Clock Tower, among others.
• Church of Santa Maria della Salute: One of the most important temples in Venice. It was erected in gratitude to the Virgin at the end of the plague epidemic that devastated the city in the sixteenth century. Its dome can be seen from many different places.
• Bridge of Sighs: Behind St. Mark's Square is located this famous bridge that owes its name to the sad walk that prisoners took for the last time before being executed.
• The Rialto Bridge: It is the oldest and most famous bridge in Venice. Until the 19th century, Venetians had no other way to cross the Grand Canal. Cross it to take some pictures and get to the Rialto Market, a very colorful place especially in spring and summer.

These are some of the places you can see in Venice in one day. If you want to know the rest I recommend you to read the post Venice in a day where you will find a guide to get the most out of your visit.

In case you plan to spend at least two days in Venice, you will be able to enjoy the charms of the city with a little more calm and without so many rushes. However, it is still necessary to optimize your time in order to take in as many sights as possible.

1. What to do on the first day?

Take a guided tour on the first day

Even to see Venice in two days, I recommend booking a guided tour of Venice on the first day so that you can get a closer look at Venetian history and culture. Especially if it is your first time there.

During the whole tour you will be accompanied by a professional guide who will show you the most emblematic places of Venice that have made it world famous (canals, churches, bridges) while telling you fascinating stories and very interesting anecdotes of the "Queen of the Adriatic".

At the end, you can always retrace your steps to see at your own pace all those monuments that have caught your attention during the guided tour and take as many pictures as you want.

What to see on a tour?

Normally, guided tours usually start at St. Mark's Square, where the heart of Venice and several of its most representative buildings such as St. Mark's Basilica and the Campanile, the Doge's Palace, the Clock Tower or the Correr Museum are located. Napoleon Bonaparte defined it as "the most beautiful salon in Europe", so you will need your camera well charged to immortalize all the wonders you will see along the way and you can even Venice Saint Mark's Square Tour with Basilica Guided Tour.

Then you will have time to walk through the narrow streets of the city and its beautiful canals seeing other sites such as the Rialto Bridge or the Bridge of Sighs, for example.

After the guided tour of Venice you will have free time to spend as you wish, whether it is shopping, taking a vaporetto on the Grand Canal or sipping a Spritz, the popular Venetian aperitif like a local.

What to do on the second day?

The second day in Venice can be spent in the morning getting to know inside some of the buildings you saw during the guided tour of the city the day before, such as the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace or the museums in St. Mark's Square.

Then in the afternoon you can book an excursion to Murano, Burano and Torcello, the three most famous islands in the lagoon of Venice. They are amazing! During the visit you will be accompanied by a professional guide and you will have the opportunity to visit a factory where the famous Murano glass is made, see the first cathedral of Venice in Torcello or buy precious handmade lace souvenirs in Burano. And when you return to the center of Venice, it's time to treat yourself to a delicious Italian-style dinner in a restaurant or even take a gastronomic tour.

As you can see, two days in Venice are enough for a lot, but there are still more things to do! If you want to discover it, I advise you to take a look at the post Venice in 2 days: everything you need to know.

The ideal way to enjoy Venice at your leisure is to spend 3 days in the city. This way you will have time to see most of the tourist attractions in the center, do a few activities and even some sightseeing.

What to do on the first day?

Whether you are going to spend one or three days in Venice, during the first day I recommend you to take a guided tour of the city that will serve as your first contact with the culture and history of the "Queen of the Adriatic", especially if you have not been here before. You will optimize your time to the maximum and it will give you the necessary context to get to know better each of the main tourist attractions that have made it world famous.

In addition, you will learn numerous amazing anecdotes from the professional guide who will accompany you. In short, everything you see during a guided tour of Venice will serve as a basis for the rest of the trip.

Guided tours usually start in St. Mark's Square, considered the heart of Venice, because there are several of the must-see places: the Correr Museum, the Clock Tower, the Doge's Palace or St. Mark's Basilica and the Campanile. In the afternoon, after lunch around the iconic St. Mark's Square, you can continue through the center and retrace your steps to admire the monuments you saw in the morning at your own pace and in detail, for some amazing photos!

What to do on the second day?

The morning of the second day can be dedicated to an excursion to Murano, Burano and Torcello, the three most famous islands in the lagoon of Venice. During the tour you will visit the fishermen's island of Burano, the first cathedral of Venice in Torcello or the famous glass workshops of Murano. It is a super complete experience and you will get some great pictures to add to your album.

After being out all morning, when you return to the city center once you finish the tour you will surely want to regain your strength by going for lunch at a cheap restaurant.

Afterwards, go back to your hotel to relax and then join a gastronomic tour of Venice with a local guide to discover the best wines and typical dishes of the area. Venice is famous for its seafood and ice cream, you'll be sure to get your money's worth!

What to see on the third day?

There is so much to see and do in Venice! No matter what time of year you go, you will always find something interesting and fun to do. So on the third day, you can spend the morning getting an inside look at some of the buildings you saw during your guided tour of the city the day before, such as the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica or the museums in St. Mark's Square.

Sightseeing is pretty hungry! I'm sure you'll be looking forward to a lunch break when you're done. Since this is your last day in the city, stay for lunch near St. Mark's Basilica to enjoy the spectacular views. Afterwards, instead of a long lunch break, you can take advantage of the time to go shopping in the streets of Venice, attend a Venetian music concert or a class to make your own Carnival mask- the options are endless!

And to round off an unforgettable trip to Venice, you can't miss a romantic gondola ride along the canals that have made this city world famous. Watching the sunset over the palaces and churches of Venice from the water is unparalleled, an experience you will remember for a lifetime! These are some of the most interesting and fun things to do in Venice. If you liked these proposals, don't miss the post Venice in 3 days where you will find many more great ideas.