Is Venice guide in one day It will help you design a route through the most important places in the city, especially if it is your first day of visit or you have little time.
Taking into account that they say that in Venice it is best to forget the map and get lost in its streets without a fixed direction, and although in part they are right, we cannot deny that drawing a good itinerary will help you not to miss anything interesting and the best, optimize the weather in the city of the canals. Stroll through its narrow streets and cross a multitude of bridges, take the typical romantic gondola ride or take the vaporetto to tour the Grand Canal, enter ancient churches and palaces or enjoy the magnificent Italian cuisine always finishing savoring a rich ice cream, they will be alone some of the things you can enjoy in this Venice in one day.
Based on the experience of our trip to Venice, we have made this guide to travel Venice in one day. We start!
How to go from the airport to the center of Venice
There are two airports where most travelers who want to know Venice land: Marco Polo Airport and Treviso Airport. In the Marco Polo Airport, located 10 kilometers from Venice, most companies operate, while the Treviso airport, located 40 kilometers away, is used by several low cost companies such as Ryanair.
The best ways to go from the airport to the center of Venice or your hotel are:
- Bus: From the Marco Polo Airport, buses from the ATVO and ACTV companies leave you at Piazzale Roma in about 20 minutes for a price of 8 euros.
From Treviso Airport you also have the option of ATVO although it takes 70 minutes and costs 10 euros. A good option in Treviso is to take the Barzi Service bus that for 2 euros more saves you half an hour's journey.
Most public transport stops at Piazzale Roma Venice and from there you can catch a vaporetto that will leave you at the San Marcos square stop or the one closest to your accommodation in Venice.
- Ship: Alilaguna water buses are the most recommended transportation service for your comfort as well as the magnificent views of the lagoon and the city. It has some inconveniences such as that the journey lasts an hour and a quarter, it does not have early morning service, the price is 15 euros and they only leave from the Marco Polo Airport leaving you at Plaza San Marcos.
- Cab: Taxi prices are very high, especially the water taxi at Marco Polo Airport, which can exceed 100 euros if they are private and 35 euros if they are shared.
- Private transport: With a lower price to the taxi, it is the easiest and most comfortable option, since a driver will wait for you at the exit of the airport with a sign with your name that will take you directly to Venice. If your hotel is in the city center you can also book the Water Taxi, which will take you to the closest stop to your accommodation. You can book it here.
More information in this article on how to go from Venice airport to downtown
Accommodation in Venice
In Venice it is essential to book well in advance if you want to find a good hotel at a good price, especially if you want to stay near the center.
Our recommended hotel for Venice in one day It is the Antica Locanda al Gambero hotel, a hotel with a great value for money, located very close to the San Marcos Square and the Rialto Bridge.
The rooms have a beautiful Venetian decoration, have a magnificent breakfast and friendly staff and the nearest stop of the vaporetto is the Rialto Bridge. More centrally impossible!
Another of the best tips for traveling to Venice, if you do not want to pay commissions and always have the current change is to use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
Venice guide in one day
Is Venice route in one day start early by taking a short walk along the shore of the San Marcos pier, where you can see the gondolas moored pointing towards the magnificent church of San Giorgio Maggiore as the sun rises, giving you one of the postcard photos of the city.
San Marcos Pier
In this area there is also one of the most famous bridges in the city, the Bridge of Sighs that connects with the Doge's Palace, with the old prison of the Inquisition and which is said to be named after the last breath of air free that the prisoners gave, among them the conqueror Casanova, when crossing it and accessing the prisons.
A great option to know the history and not miss anything of the city is to book this free tour of Venice Free! or this free tour of the legends of Venice, which goes through less common places.
Bridge of Sighs
The first visit of Venice in one day It will be the spectacular Doge's Palace of the ninth century, which opens at 8:30 in the morning.
This palace, located at one end of the San Marcos Square, is considered one of the most beautiful in the world and impresses with its Verona marble interior and its spectacular Gothic-style facade.
During the visit to the interior, which will take you approximately one hour, you will enjoy seeing places such as the Porta della Carta, the Scala d'Oro, the armory, the Senate room, the Duke's apartment, the school hall, the Great Hall Council and the Bridge of Sighs, this time inside.
Ducal Palace
The Doge's Palace is one of the most touristic places in Venice, so a good option to save you the long lines is to book a guided tour in Spanish or take this offer which also includes a visit to St. Mark's Basilica and a City tour with guide in Spanish.
If you don't want to take a guided tour, you can book this quick ticket in advance to save yourself the long lines that form at the entrance to the palace.
After the visit we advise you to approach San Marcos Square, where Napoleon Bonaparte did not exaggerate when he was given the nickname of "The Most Beautiful Salon in Europe"This square of the 9th century is one of the most beautiful in the world, surrounded by important buildings such as the Doge's Palace in Venice, the Basilica of San Marcos and the Orologio Tower with its astronomical clock and a winged lion on the top .
It is here that several historic cafés are also concentrated, among which Café Florian stands out, a place where although coffee is very expensive, it is worth entering just to see the interior and how they serve you.
St. Mark's Square
St. Mark's Basilica is another essential place to visit in Venice and is the next visit of the Venice in one day. Located on one side of the square, the basilica is the most important church in the city and a Byzantine-style masterpiece with incredible mosaics in its dome.
Keep in mind that admission is free, although you have to pay to see the Golden Shovel, the treasure and the museum, where the originals of the Horses of San Marcos are located on the facade.
St Mark's Basilica
Keep in mind that St. Mark's Basilica is the most visited place in Venice, so if you have little time, it may be a good option to book the guided tour in Spanish, where you will skip the line.
The last visit of the Plaza San Marcos is the ascent to the top of the Campanile, from which you will have magnificent views of the square and the city, which we are sure, you will not forget.
After three of the most important visits in the city, you will start a route through the narrow streets of the historic center towards the Rialto Bridge, one of the best things to do in Venice. During the route through the streets you will see the Scala Contarini del Bovolo, an amazing spiral staircase that will take you to the top of the building from which you will also enjoy good views of the historic center.
Rialto bridge
Before arriving at the Rialto Bridge and having some hunger, you can buy a pizza to take away at Pizzeria L'Angelo, one of the best in Venice, and devour it on the bank of the Grand Canal and then complete the meal with the best Venice dessert, an ice cream from Suso Gelatoteca, which they say is one of the best ice cream in the world.
The next stop of Venice in one day It is neither more nor less than the Grand Canal, the channel that runs through the city for 4 kilometers forming an S and dividing the city into two large parts.
The best way to explore it is by vaporetto, which makes the route from Piazzale Roma to St. Mark's Square, and this is also a perfect way to get around the city, the best way to know and enjoy it, since during the walk you will be speechless seeing the facades of numerous Renaissance palaces such as the Ca 'd'Oro Palace or the Ca' Rezzonico Palace.
As a recommendation we will tell you that if you want to have the best photo of the Grand Canal full of boats, vaporettos and gondolas, it is best to climb to the top of one of the bridges that cross it like the Barefoot Bridge, the Accademia Bridge or the Rialto
The Grand Canal in Venice in one day
In precisely on the Rialto Bridge, the oldest of the bridges that cross the Grand Canal, where the Venice route in one day.
Around this bridge you can look for a gondola to take a walk through the narrowest and most beautiful canals in the city, considered one of the best excursions in Venice and although it may seem very touristy, we have to confess that we loved it and it is one of the most unforgettable moments of the trip to Venice. Of course, keep in mind that a private gondola can cost around 80 euros, so a good option to avoid haggling and reduce the cost is to book online the shared gondola ride or this ride that includes seranata.
Gondola Ride
After the gondola ride, we recommend you take a walk along the banks of the Grand Canal that will take you to another of Venice's famous bridges, the Academy's wooden bridge. Here, a good option to cross the Grand Canal if you do not have a bridge nearby, is the traghetto, a gondola that costs one euro and crosses you from one shore to another.
The last visit of Venice in one day It is the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, located in the district of Dorsoduro, which highlights its huge dome and a sober interior with works by Titian and Tintoretto.
Basilica of Santa Maria de la Salud
At this time of day and knowing that your stomach will already be calling you screaming, for dinner you can choose between good and cheap pasta Tuttinpiedi or a traditional pasta place al dente like the Trattoria Al Gazzettino, two of the most recommended restaurants to eat in Venice.
And to end Venice in one day, nothing better than to take advantage of the dusk, when the influx of tourists is less and the best time comes to walk more calmly through the streets of downtown and watch the sunset from the top of a bridge like the Rialto.
If you have more days you can consult this Venice guide in two days.
Map of the route through Venice in one day
Do you want to organize a trip to Venice?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to Venice here
The best hotels at the best prices in Venice here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
Book the best tours and excursions in Venice in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Venice here
Venice guide in two days
Rent your car in Italy at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
The best offers of Flights to Venice here
The best hotels at the best prices in Venice here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
Book the best tours and excursions in Venice in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Venice here
Venice guide in two days
Rent your car in Italy at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
