Smart Self-Managed Tours

City guide · Italy

Venice

A photograph of Venice
Photograph · Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0

Venice's historic centre occupies islands linked by bridges, with no road traffic inside the core. San Marco holds the best-known monuments, San Polo and Santa Croce sit across the Grand Canal, and Cannaregio, Castello and Dorsoduro form distinct walking districts. Murano, Burano, Torcello and the Lido require water transport and should be planned as separate lagoon journeys.

Practical information

Language spoken
Italian
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+39
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C, F and L · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor statement was recorded

Planning a visit

Suggested stay
Not recorded
Getting around
Walking and ACTV water bus
  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded — this month
  9. September: seasonal closure recorded
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Museo Correr
    02 1 hr 30 min

    Museo Correr

    Museo Correr is a museum located in Venice, Italy. It occupies part of the Procuratie Nuove in Piazza San Marco, facing the Basilica di San Marco.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  2. Ca' d'Oro
    03 1 hr 15 min

    Ca' d'Oro

    Ca' d'Oro is one of the great late Gothic palaces on the Grand Canal, and since 1927 it has been a state gallery rather than a house.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  3. Ca' Rezzonico
    04 1 hr 30 min

    Ca' Rezzonico

    Ca' Rezzonico is a palazzo on the Grand Canal in Venice, now operating as the Museum of Eighteenth Century Art. The building itself represents Venetian Baroque residential architecture, constructed across the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  4. Murano Glass Museum
    05 1 hr 30 min

    Murano Glass Museum

    The Murano Glass Museum, known locally as Museo del Vetro, is a museum dedicated to the art and history of glassmaking on the island of Murano in the Venetian Lagoon.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  5. Scuola Grande di San Rocco
    06 1 hr 30 min

    Scuola Grande di San Rocco

    The Scuola Grande di San Rocco is a historic confraternity building in Venice, founded in 1478 and dedicated to Saint Roch, patron saint of plague victims.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  6. Palazzo Grassi
    07 1 hr 30 min

    Palazzo Grassi

    Palazzo Grassi is a historic palace on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. The building dates to the 18th century and represents a significant example of Venetian classical architecture.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  7. Ca' Pesaro
    08 1 hr 30 min

    Ca' Pesaro

    Ca' Pesaro is a Baroque palazzo situated on the Grand Canal in Venice's Santa Croce district. Constructed for the noble Pesaro family, the building was designed by architect Baldassare Longhena, with completion by Antonio Gaspari after Longhena's death.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  8. Giardini della Biennale
    09 1 hr 30 min

    Giardini della Biennale

    Giardini della Biennale is a historic park complex in the Castello district of Venice, Italy.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  9. Fondazione Querini Stampalia
    10 1 hr 30 min

    Fondazione Querini Stampalia

    Fondazione Querini Stampalia is a cultural institution in Venice, Italy, combining a historic house museum, art gallery, library, and architectural garden. It occupies a palazzo in the Castello district, near Santa Maria Formosa.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  10. Museo Ebraico di Venezia
    11 1 hr 30 min

    Museo Ebraico di Venezia

    The Museo Ebraico di Venezia, locally known as Museo Ebraico, is a museum situated in the Cannaregio district of Venice. It occupies space within the historic Venetian Ghetto, established in 1516 as one of Europe's oldest segregated Jewish quarters.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  11. Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia
    12 1 hr 30 min

    Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia

    The Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia is a natural history museum located in the Fondaco dei Turchi building along the Grand Canal. The museum is part of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia network.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  12. Museo Storico Navale
    13 1 hr 30 min

    Museo Storico Navale

    The Museo Storico Navale is Venice's naval history museum, situated in the Castello district near the Venetian Arsenal. It occupies a historic building that reflects the city's longstanding maritime tradition.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  13. Fondazione Prada
    14 1 hr 30 min

    Fondazione Prada

    Fondazione Prada is a contemporary art and cultural institution established by the Prada fashion house. The Venice location operates as a permanent exhibition venue within the historic Ca' Corner della Regina, a Baroque palace on the Grand Canal.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  14. Batteria Pisani
    15 1 hr 30 min

    Batteria Pisani

    Batteria Pisani, locally known as Batteria Vettor Pisani, is a historic military installation in Venice.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  15. M9 Museum
    16 1 hr 30 min

    M9 Museum

    M9 Museum, known locally as M9 Museo 900, is a cultural institution in Venice dedicated to twentieth-century Italian history. The museum occupies a significant position within the city's museum landscape, offering visitors an exploration of recent historical narratives.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  16. Museo Andrich
    17 1 hr 30 min

    Museo Andrich

    Museo Casa Andrich is a museum in Venice, locally known as Museo Casa Andrich. It is listed among museums and churches in Venice's cultural offerings.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  17. Museo Archeologico Nazionale
    18 1 hr 30 min

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale

    The Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Venezia is a national archaeological museum housed within the Procuratie Nuove in Piazza San Marco. It holds collections of Greek and Roman antiquities, sculptures, bronzes, gems, and coins.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  18. Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo
    19 1 hr 30 min

    Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo

    Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo is a museum housed in a historic Venetian palace on the Grand Canal. The palace belonged to the Mocenigo family, one of Venice's most prominent patrician families, which produced several doges.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  19. Museo diocesano d'arte sacra Sant'Apollonia
    20 1 hr 30 min

    Museo diocesano d'arte sacra Sant'Apollonia

    The Museo diocesano d'arte sacra Sant'Apollonia, known locally as Museo Diocesano, is a museum of sacred art in Venice. It occupies the former Benedictine convent of Sant'Apollonia, located near San Marco.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  20. Museo provinciale di Torcello
    21 1 hr 30 min

    Museo provinciale di Torcello

    Museo provinciale di Torcello, known locally as Museo di Torcello, is a museum situated on the island of Torcello in the Venetian Lagoon.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  21. Museum of icons
    22 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of icons

    The Museum of Icons, known locally as Museo di icone, is a Venice museum dedicated to religious iconography. It houses a collection of Eastern Christian sacred art, primarily icons painted on wood panels following Byzantine and post-Byzantine traditions.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  22. Museum of Oriental Art
    23 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Oriental Art

    The Museum of Oriental Art, locally known as Museo d'Arte Orientale, is a museum in Venice dedicated to Asian artistic traditions.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  23. Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Altino
    24 1 hr 30 min

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Altino

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Altino is an archaeological museum located in the Veneto region near Venice. The institution preserves and exhibits artifacts from the ancient Roman settlement of Altinum, a significant city that predates Venice itself.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  24. Oratorio dei Crociferi
    25 1 hr 30 min

    Oratorio dei Crociferi

    The Oratorio dei Crociferi is a small oratory church in Venice, historically associated with the Crociferi religious order. Located in the Cannaregio district, it served as a place of worship and spiritual gathering for this community.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  25. Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa
    26 1 hr 30 min

    Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa

    Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa is a Renaissance palace in Venice's Castello district. The building belonged to the Grimani family, prominent Venetian patricians who later became cardinals and doges.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  26. Palazzo Loredan Cini
    27 1 hr 30 min

    Palazzo Loredan Cini

    Palazzo Loredan Cini stands as a historic palace in Venice, positioned along the Grand Canal in the San Marco district. The building represents Venetian Gothic architecture with its characteristic waterfront facade.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  27. Casa di Goldoni
    28 1 hr 30 min

    Casa di Goldoni

    Casa di Carlo Goldoni is a museum dedicated to the life and work of Carlo Goldoni, the celebrated 18th-century Venetian playwright.

    • High
    • Museum
  28. Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti
    29 1 hr 30 min

    Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti

    The Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti is a historic learned institution in Venice, founded in 1838 and housed in the Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti on the Grand Canal.

    • High
    • Museum
  29. Olivetti Exhibition centre in Venice, Italy
    30 1 hr 30 min

    Olivetti Exhibition centre in Venice, Italy

    The Olivetti Exhibition Centre, known locally as Negozio Olivetti, is a historic showroom located in Venice, Italy. It was originally designed as a retail space for the Olivetti typewriter company, showcasing the firm's commitment to modernist design and corporate architecture.

    • High
    • Museum
  30. M9
    44 1 hr 30 min

    M9

    • Notable
    • Museum

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

The Grand Canal curves through the historic centre and separates San Marco and Castello from San Polo, Santa Croce and Dorsoduro. Cannaregio stretches north toward the rail station, while Castello extends east beyond the busiest visitor streets. Piazzale Roma is the road and bus terminus; Santa Lucia is the rail arrival point. Lagoon islands are not extensions of a central walk and need dedicated vaporetto time.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walk within the historic centre and use ACTV water buses for longer canal journeys and lagoon islands. Venezia Unica lists vaporetti, buses, trams, the People Mover and ferry boats within the city transport system, while Alilaguna provides separate water connections to Marco Polo Airport. Routes can be indirect, so group island visits and confirm the current timetable before relying on a transfer.

Checked 2026-08-26

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Venice?

A fixed duration is not recorded. Plan the historic centre first, then reserve separate time for Murano, Burano, Torcello or the Lido if those islands matter to the visit.

Can I walk everywhere in central Venice?

Most of the historic centre is explored on foot across bridges and narrow lanes. Water buses are useful for longer canal trips, step-free alternatives and journeys to lagoon islands.

What is a vaporetto?

A vaporetto is a public water bus. ACTV routes connect stops in the historic centre with the Lido and lagoon islands as part of Venice's public transport network.

Are Murano and Burano part of a central Venice walk?

No. They are separate lagoon islands reached by water transport. Combine island stops deliberately and allow for waiting and transfer time between routes.

How do I travel from Marco Polo Airport by water?

Venezia Unica identifies Alilaguna as the water connection between Marco Polo Airport and Venice. ACTV city transport and airport services are separate products, so check the correct operator before purchase.

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Venice