Venice Itinerary
Ideas
Venice should be savored slowly. Ideally, you would spend weeks there
to enjoy its many secret byways and incredible art treasures. Venice
is a city that is fun to wander in, to get "lost" in knowing
that it's a collection of islands and eventually you will get back
to where you started from if you just keep walking and turning in
the same direction. And—when you are finally ready to be "found"—look
for the direction indicators up on the corners at intersections. For
example, a corner with an arrow pointing towards the Rialto Bridge
means that if you go that way and keep following the arrows you will
eventually reach the Rialto Bridge.
Hint: get up before dawn so you
can be out wandering as the city wakes up. You will experience Venice
without any other tourists: just you, the shopkeepers, porters, garbage
men, and pigeons. And the light! If you want glorious photos of the
palazzos along the Grand Canal, ride in the front of a vaporetto on
the Grand Canal just after dawn. You will not be sorry to have missed
a bit of sleep...
Here is an itinerary for two full days of sightseeing in Venice.
Stretching it to 3 or 4 days would even be better.
Day 1 - Sightsee in Venice.
- When you are ready for some structured sightseeing—as opposed
to just wandering and observing the sights and sounds of this amazing
city—you will want to start by taking a vaporetto
(#82, fast; #1, slow) to Piazza San Marco. During the ride
on the Grand Canal, notice the Ca' d'Oro, a mid-15th
c palace.
- Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace;
Italian Gothic) and Bridge of Sighs
(Ponte dei Sospiri) - Enjoy the Tintoretto ceilings with 3-dimensionality
so intense you would swear the figures can step down to the floor
beside you! Admission €11 per adult. [daily 9-530p Mar-Oct;
9-5 the rest of the year]
- Campanile [daily 9:30 - 7:30; to 4 in winter] Warning: it's ear-shattering
to be on top when the bells ring.
- Have lunch in or near Piazza San Marco
- San Marco Basilica [M-Sa 9:30-4:30,
Su 2-4:30]
- Santa Maria Miracoli (built
1480s) which is an early Renaissance gem with perfect proportions
and architectural optical illusions.
- Stop briefly at Il
Gesuiti, 13th c church renovated in 1657 by the Jesuits
when they were allowed to return to Venice. Its exterior is a Baroque
masterpiece and its interior is a wonderful trompe l'oeil
illusion. Plus, if you want to experience the full effect, go for
Mass which is celebrated in Latin every Sunday at 1130a.
- If there is time for it, go to the Fondamente Nuova, not far from
Santa Maria Miracoli and catch one of the Line 12 vaporetti
(leaves hourly) to visit some islands in
the Venetian Lagoon. Torcello (50 min. from Venice) is
where the first Venetians lived. The 11th c. Byzantine cathedral's
mosaics rival those for which Ravenna is famous. (Daily 10-12:30,
2-6, closed on Monday.) On the return to Venice stop at Burano to
see where lace is made and at Murano where glass is blown.
- Or, if you don't have time for Torcello, Burano, and Murano, go
to at least one of the islands.
- Torcello is a remnant
of the earliest period of Venetian history and one of the most
attractive destinations for a trip to Venice. Take Vaporetto
12 from Fondamente Nuove near Campo di Santa Maria Formosa.
The trip takes about 45 mins. When you arrive, it's a leisurely
15 min. walk along the canal to the cathedral of Santa
Maria Assunta Isola di Torcello. This beautiful,
primitive church was founded in A.D. 639 and subsequently rebuilt
in the 11th c. Go inside to see the Byzantine mosaics but don't
hesitate to take a moment for prayer or meditation. The church
defines serene. The church is open daily April to October 10am
to 12:30pm and 2:30 to 6pm (to 5pm Nov-Mar). Admission is €3.
- To visit Burano, take
a vaporetto (Lines 12 & 14); it's about 40 mins. from Venice.
It is a really beautiful island that gives you a sense of what
Venice itself was like centuries ago. If you want to buy any
handmade Burano lace, be prepared to pay dearly for it; relatively
few lacemakers are left and much of the lace sold on Burano
comes from China. You can visit the Lacemaking Museum ( Museo
del Merletto di Burano ) located at Piazza Galuppi, 187.
It's open daily from 10am to 5pm every day April-October and
10am to 4pm the rest of the year. Cost at the time of writing
is €4.
- To visit Murano - The
fast way is to take the vaporetto from Fondamente Nuove near
Campo di Santa Maria Formosa; the trip takes about 20 mins.
For a trip that takes you around central Venice before you go
to Murano, take vaporetto no. 42 or 43 at Riva degli Schiavoni,
a short walk from Piazzetta San Marco. The boat docks at the
landing platform at Murano where the first furnace awaits conveniently.
It's best to go Monday to Friday 10am to noon if you want to
see some glass blowing action. If you decide to buy some Murano
glass, don't pay the price marked on items in the showroom;
bargain! If an artisan makes a souvenir while you watch, don't
bargain; pay the asking price if you want the item. You can
visit the Museo Vetrario di Murano,
Fondamenta Giustinian 8, which contains a spectacular collection
of Venetian glass. From April to October, it's open Monday,
Tuesday, and Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm (to 4pm Nov-Mar).
Admission is €4.
- Have dinner.
Day 2 - spend the morning viewing some of
the world's greatest art.
- Santa Maria della Salute
- 17th c church, paintings by Titian and Tintoretto [Mar-Nov
daily 9am-noon and 3-6pm (5:30pm Dec-Feb)] - admission free but
donations expected (€2.00)
- Accademia (Academy of Fine
Arts) - Venetian painting from 14th - 18th c. in chronological order
: Tintoretto's Miracle of St. Mark, Gentile Bellini's View of Venice,
Titian's Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple [Mon 8:15am-2pm;
Tues-Sun 8am-7:15pm] €6.50
- Chiesa dei Frari
(Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari) - 14th-15th c Gothic church
- has some of the greatest art anywhere [Mon-Sat 9am-6pm; Sun 1-6pm]
- This is where you will find Titian's Assumption (hung over
the main altar) and his Madonna Enthroned. €2.00.
- Scuola Grande di San Rocco
- 16th c building - masterpieces of Tintoretto [daily 9-530, April-Oct.
and various other times the rest of the year.] €5.50
- Chiusi di San Rocco
- Lunch
- Ca' Pesaro - Baroque palace
with great interior - Museum of Modern Art [Tu-Su, 10:00 am - 6:00
pm April-Oct; 10-5 rest of year] - The Gallery of Modern Art The
Gallery hosts great collections from the 19th and 20th century,
and includes works by Klimt, Chagall, Kandisnky, Klee, Matisse,
Moore.
- Cross the Grand Canal for a little shopping:
Go to the Mercerie from the Rialto Bridge. Walk through the
Strada Nuova shopping district and Ghetto back towards the Santa
Lucia train station. Shops are likely to close by 7:30.
- Have dinner at whatever restaurant appeals.
- Attend an evening concert
in a local church. There will be signs posted around the city advertising
what is on for the days you are in Venice.
Other
sights worth seeing if you have the
time:
Guggenheim Museum (Peggy Guggenheim Collection)
Gesuiti - fabulous Baroque stone carvings
- you won't believe your eyes
Teatro La Fenice
Getting around
by water-bus (vaporetto):
There are four vaporetto routes. You
can get a map showing the routes at the tourist information
office in the train station or airport.
1. City Center Routes - These
are routes crossing the city and mainly using the Grand Canal.
They also extend out to connect the area of Tronchetto with
Lido Island. The No. 82 Route also connects Tronchetto and
San Marco along the wide Canal separating Venice’s main
historic centre with the island of Giudecca. 1, 3, 4, 82,
N (Night)
2. City-circular Routes - These
routes connect the perimeter of the “big fish” with
the islands of Lido and Murano; they are used mainly by the
commuting mainland dwellers and/or Venetian residents. 41,
42, 51, 52, 61, 62, Diretto Murano, N (Night).
3. Lagoon Routes - These routes
consist of those connecting the outlying and lagoon locations.
As well as connecting Venice with the other islands of the
lagoon (Burano, Torcello, S. Erasmo, S. Servolo, etc.), they
also link up to peripheral mainland locations such as Tessera,
Marco Polo Airport, S. Giuliano, Treporti, and Punta Sabbioni
to the north and Chioggia and Fusina to the south. The Route
No. 17 service also provides a ferry connection for motor
vehicles from Tronchetto to Lido and back, while the No. 11
sails between the islands of Lido and Pellestrina. 5, 11,
13, 17, 18, 20, LN, T, N (Night).
4. Terminal Routes - Venice
is linked to the mainland by waterbus terminals served by
the ACTV Group’s “lagoon lines”. From Venice
Airport the “Alilaguna Line” serves Murano, Lido,
St. Mark’s and Venice’s passengers-ship terminal;
from the Fusina terminal sails the “Fusina Line”,
which serves Zattere; the “24 Line” sails between
San Giuliano and Fondamente Nove; and the “Clodia Line”
crosses the southern lagoon from Chioggia directly to S. Zaccaria.
24, Alilaguna, Linea Fusina, Linea Clodia
Costs:
Special travel cards are available
allowing unlimited use of all water bus lines (excluding the
Alilaguna, Fusina, LineaBlu and Clodia services) and on the
buses in Mestre and Lido. These cards entitle passengers to
carry one item of luggage with them. A good place to buy the
travel cards is at the Tourist Information Office in the Santa
Lucia train station.
One-day Travel Card for €10.50,
valid from 24 hors from the time of stamping.
Three-day Travel Card for €22.00
with 72-hour validity from the time of stamping.
"3-day Young Persons'"
Travel Card for €15.00 with a validity of 72 hours
from the day and time of stamping. It is issued only upon
presentation of the Rolling Venice Card issued by the Venice
City Council.
"Grand Canal Ticket" €5.00.
This ticket is valid only for the Grand Canal route. It is
valid for 90 minutes and more than one trip is allowed in
the period.
The single water bus fare is €3.50
for one journey on the Venice network, excluding the Alilaguna,
Fusina, LineaBlu, Clodia lines and ACTV routes along the Grand
Canal. Single tickets can also be bought on board. In this
case, however, it must be requested from the attendant on
boarding. A one-day return water bus ticket may be bought
for €6.00 and is valid until midnight on the day it is
first stamped, and only along the Grand Canal.
The fare for a traghetto (shuttle)
journey from one stop to the next one across the Grand Canal,
or on the section between Lido and S. Elena, or S. Giorgio
and S. Zaccaria, is €1.80.
—All prices subject
to change without notice.—
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Hint:
want to ride on a gondola but don't want to spend €100+ to do
it? Catch a traghetto for a short and cheap ride
across the Grand Canal. There are several traghetto
stops on the Grand Canal. An easy one to find is the first stop "downstream"
on the Grand Canal going from the Rialto Bridge towards the Accademia
Bridge. Just walk on the Riva del Vin or the Rival d. Ferro/del Carbon
until you get to the dock where you can catch the traghetto.
Transportation
to/from the Venice Airport
The easiest way to go from the San
Marco (Venice) Airport to your hotel or vice versa is with
a pre-paid voucher. At the time of writing (late 2004), the
cost is $43 per person each way. This is for a new service
for Venice: a semi-private transfer by water taxi to/from
the airport. This shared water taxi is guaranteed departure
with a 2 person minimum. Taxis leave the airport pier at 25
and 55 after the hour and transfer pax to various hotels.
Passengers staying at hotels with private docks will be dropped
there; others will be dropped off at the nearest pier. Return
journey time will vary according to central meeting points.
Passengers must be at the meeting points at least 15 minutes
before scheduled departure. This is a one way transfer only.
If you are interested in having me arrange for airport transfers
in Venice send me an email
to request a quote. Include your name, phone number, arrival
and departure date and time, airline and flight numbers, and
number of travelers in your party. Please send your request
as far in advance as possible; at least 4weeks before departure
is preferable.
If you are on a budget or just adventurous,
you can also make the journey by vaporetto:
AliLaguna is the water connection between
the historic centre of Venice and the city’s main airport
“Marco Polo”. The vaporetto sails across the northern
lagoon.
10,00 Euro one-way between the airport
and Venezia
5,00 Euro one-way between the airport
and Murano
5,00 Euro one-way between the airport
and the Lido
—All prices subject
to change without notice.—
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Some
places to dine in Venice
Venice can be an extremely expensive
place to dine out. Remember, the farther you are from the
main tourist attractions, such as Piazza San Marco, the less
you are likely to be charged for a meal. But as you wander,
note places that are low on tourist decor but which have relatively
inexpensive prices on the menus posted outside their doors.
Likely, those are places where Venetians dine; if the place
looks interesting, consider coming back to it for dinner.
If you don't want to be that adventurous--
or if you can't find your way back to the ones you found--
here are few tried and true places that please.
Trattoria
Antica Besseta (Campo SS. de Ca' Zusto, Santa Croce
1395) - getting to this restaurant will seem like a treasure
hunt. A willingness to ask directions often and a good map
will help you find it. Reservations required. Expect to pay
€13-25 per person for the main courses.
Fiaschetteria
Toscana (S. Giovanni
Crisostoma 5719, 3 blocks north to the Rialto Bridge, on the
way from the Fondamente Nuova.) Reservations required. Expect
to pay €14-30 per person for the main courses.
Antico Martini
(Campo San Fantin, San Marco 1983) near Piazza San Marco.
Reservations required. A 4-course fixed-price menu will cost
about €50 per person.
Osteria alle
Testiere (Calle del Mondo Novo, near Piazza San
Marco) is a basic tavern that serves excellent Venetian-style
seafood dishes. Reservations required. Expect to pay €13-17
per person for the main courses.
Tiziano Bar
(Salizzada San Crisostomo, Cannaregio 5747 ) is a stand-up
sort of place—literally. You dine standing at the bar.
Pizza is its forte. It is in front of the Sanctuary near the
Ponte di Rialto. Expect to pay €7-9.50 per person
For great seafood—especially risotto—try
one of these restaurants:
Alla
Madonna (Calle della
Madonna, San Polo 594) is located just off the Riva del Vin
which runs along the Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge. Their
Gnocchi is wonderful.
Boccadoro
(Campiello Widman, Cannaregio 6405)
Corte Sconta
(Calle del Pestrin, Castello 3886)
Al Gatto Nero
(Fondamenta dell Giudecca, Burano)
La Terrazza
in the Danieli Hotel - wonderful seafood in a 5-star hotel.
—All prices subject
to change without notice.—
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For places to stay in Venice, see Venice
Hotel Ideas.
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