What is there to say about Venice that hasn’t been said, like the world’s best poets thousands of times over throughout the centuries? This city looks like a romantic dream. No matter how many times you have seen photos and films of Venice, standing there always feels like a dream. Canals take over the place of streets and water shimmers everywhere. The fabulous palaces and churches reflect centuries of history in what was a wealthy trading centre between Europe and the Orient.

Accommodation in Venice

If you are travelling on a budget, avoid Piazza San Marco and the surrounding areas, as hotel prices are high. For cheaper options look near the railway station or Dorsoduro area.

The cheapest accommodation is not directly in Venice, but in the neighbouring Mestre on the mainland. Around the airport there are several camping sites and small hotels. It is always best to book in advance for better hotel deals.

Book your stay in Venice using the map below or visit booking.com

Things to do in Venice

Getting lost in the narrow streets is a quintessential part of exploring the City, so make sure you make the best of it. The whole city is listed as a World Heritage Site.

Visit the 18th-century Palazzo Grassi and the Doge’s Palace, take a gondola tour around the Grand canal, experience the art-filled with visits to its excellent museums and galleries such as the Fondazione Vedova and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. End up in Piazza San Marco, where crowds gather for a coffee or an aperitif.

Shopping in Venice

Venice just like in any major Italian city, there are plenty of designer stores to choose from, and there is an abundance of tourist shops selling jewellery, Murano glass trinkets, carnival masks and other local gifts.

From Piazza San Marco, the Mercerie and Calle dei Fabbri are the main shopping streets, and the wide Calle Larga XXII Marzo is the best area to find expensive boutiques, like Versace, MaxMara, Gucci, Armani, Louis Vuitton and Prada.

If you are looking for gifts and souvenirs, go around Campo Santo Stefano and Calle della Mandola. These areas have also local boutiques with excellent quality clothes, shoes, wallets and handbags.

For fashion explore Calle Vallaresso, Calle Larga XXII marzo and Campo San Luca and for glass shops check the narrow streets near the Accademia gallery.

If you want to experience the authentic Venetian market, then head to the Rialto Bridge and check the local fish market. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 08:00 – 12:00 hours.

Where to eat in Venice

Venice has some wonderful restaurants, however most of them serve food of a quality much lower than anywhere else in Italy, and prices are inflated.

Along the Rialto bridge, there’s a row of restaurants with tables by the canal, where you can have a great dining experience by the canal lights. There are some good quality restaurants here with local and fresh food.

The streets around San Marco, filled with tourists, have many tourist traps that serve low quality, expensive food, so try to avoid this area.

Restaurants are open during lunch from noon, and dinner starts usually around 19:30, with most restaurant-kitchens closing at midnight.

Visit some of the top restaurants in Venice from the list below:

Nightlife in Venice

Venice is not famous for its nightlife, but you should head to the nearby town of Mestre, where the bass thrives, with a variety of true bars and nightclubs. During the summer you can enjoy some late night entertainment in the Lido of Venice, where there are some beach cubs on the beach.

In the historic centre of Venice there are no real nightclubs, but you can find some disco and cocktail bars, where locals and university students gather in the evening for a few drinks and listen to live music. Piazza San Marco is great to enjoy a typical Venetian aperitif or coffee in elegant salons, accompanied by the notes of classical music.

You will find many good bars in the Dorsoduro district, the area of Herbaria is great for a drink in one of the traditional or modern bars, and there are great wine bars in the Cannaregio district.

Check some of the most popular Nightclubs in Venice below:

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