With its beauty and uniqueness, Venice is one of the cities that the whole world envies us! Rich in history and culture , walking through its narrow streets you can admire incredible views and there are so many things to do and see! If you have only one day available, don’t worry, you will still be able to experience its wonderful atmosphere , even if you make some sacrifices!
Are you ready to leave with us ?
Let ‘s discover the Venice itinerary together in one day !
SEE ALSO : What to see in Venice
One day itinerary in Venice
Photo by Samantha Olivo. The itinerary includes the main stops in Venice, but excludes museums and attractions that would take too long to visit.
The itinerary starts from one of the must see par excellence of Venice: the Rialto Bridge , from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Grand Canal! Stroll through the narrow streets and here you are in the wonderful Piazza San Marco ! Take a photo of the nearby Bridge of Sighs, admire the Doge’s Palace from the outside and visit the marvelous Basilica of San Marco inside . Finally, end the morning with a gondola ride (departure at 12:00, duration 30 min).
After lunch, go up the Scala Contarini del Bovolo, one of the hidden treasures of Venice! Then head towards the Accademia Bridge, but first take a small detour to admire the Teatro della Fenice from the outside and take a photo. Finally, reach the Accademia Bridge and admire the sunset, with the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute in the background.
To end the evening, we advise you to go to “cicchetti” in the classic bacari, typical places where the aperitif is accompanied by various appetizers (a sort of Venetian version of Spanish tapas)!
- Morning : Rialto Bridge (free), St. Mark’s Square (free), Bridge of Sighs (free), St. Mark’s Basilica (free), Doge’s Palace (€ 25.00), gondola ride (€ 112.00 per group , max 6 people)
- Afternoon : Scala Contarini del Bovolo (€ 7.00), Teatro della Fenice (outside free), Ponte dell’Accademia (free)
- Evening : go to cicchetti for Bacari, Campo Santo Stefano (free)
- Distance covered : 2.5 km
- Where to eat: Lunch at Osteria Enoteca San Marco, Calle Frezzaria 1610 (Get directions) / Dinner at Cantine del Vino gia Schiavi, Dorsoduro 1 (Get directions)
First time in Venice
To optimize time and have a first approach to the city, we recommend that you book a guided walking tour with a local guide or a gondola ride on the Grand Canal.
Below we will analyze in detail the 5 main stages of our itinerary .
1 – Rialto Bridge and Grand Canal
Start this day in Venice from one of the must see par excellence, easily reachable on foot from the train station if you arrive by train (1.5 km, 20 min) or from Piazzale Roma (17 km, 22 min), where the buses stop, and then continue towards Piazza San Marco. We are talking about the Rialto Bridge, the oldest of the four bridges built on the Grand Canal. The one we can cross today was built between 1588 and 1591, but a first bridge dates back to 1250, when the nearby Rialto Market was becoming more and more important.
From the Rialto Bridge you can admire a splendid view of the Grand Canal, called “canalazzo” by the Venetians, which crosses Venice for 4 km , taking an S shape.
SEE ALSO : Visit to the Grand Canal: timetables, prices and advice
Visit it in the morning : during the day the bridge is so crowded that you can hardly get through. Starting your itinerary from here you can enjoy it in peace, admiring the view of the Grand Canal without being carried away by the crowds.
2 – Bridge of Sighs
From the Rialto Bridge, in just 8 minutes on foot you can reach another of the most photographed attractions of the city: the Bridge of Sighs! It is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most famous bridges in Venice , but unfortunately the time available is short so you will not be able to visit it inside, but you cannot stop and take at least one photo from the outside!
Built between 1600 and 1603, it leads from the Doge’s Palace directly to the Prisons . The name Ponte dei Sospiri has a meaning: according to tradition, during the times of the Serenissima Republic of Venice, the prisoners who crossed this bridge knew that they would never leave the prison until their death, so they sighed, admiring the outside world!
Admire it from Memoria Ponte : don’t settle for the usual photo in front of the Bridge, take it from a different perspective! Reach the Memoria Ponte, just behind Piazza San Marco, near the Church of San Teodoro and enjoy the show (Get directions).
3 – St. Mark’s Square and St. Mark’s Basilica
From the Bridge of Sighs in no time you can reach St. Mark’s Square, the real heart of the city . Surrounded by beautiful buildings, it amazes you with its beauty. The great protagonists are obviously the Campanile di San Marco, which with its 98.6 meters high is one of the Venetian symbols , called by the Venetians “el paron de casa”, or the landlord, and the Basilica of San Marco .
We recommend that you visit the Basilica of San Marco, built around 828 to preserve the relics of San Marco , which according to tradition were stolen by two Venetian merchants in Alexandria in Egypt. Before entering, stop in the nearby Piazza dei Leoncini to admire the Clock Tower , built between 1469 and 1499, with a blue clock in gold and blue enamel, which marks the time, day, moon phases and zodiac.
Info on the visit : Basilica of San Marco generally open 10: 00-18: 00, hours vary according to the period, consult the official website. Free entry.
Select what to see and take a gondola ride: there are so many things to see in Piazza San Marco and always with long queues at the entrance. We advise you to concentrate only on the Basilica, and then take a gondola ride, departing from the Molo del Giglio (8 min walk from Piazza San Marco, departure at 12:00, duration 30 min). Info and costs here
4 – Scala Contarini del Bovolo
Photo by PatriPA. After such an intense morning, stop for lunch and then visit one of the hidden jewels of Venice : the Scala Contarini del Bovolo! Hidden in the narrow streets of Venice, if you don’t know of its existence you will hardly come across it by chance.
It is a wonderful and impressive spiral staircase, from the top of which you can admire a splendid view of the city, its roofs and the bell tower of San Marco! Definitely one of the hidden places not to be missed. And if you are also looking for instagrammable glimpses, this is one of them!
Info on the visit : open every day 10: 00-18: 00. Full admission € 7.00, reduced € 6.00.
Book your visit in time : the entrances are limited, in order to safeguard this wonderful staircase, and therefore it is necessary to book the time of the visit directly on the official website. Book as soon as possible, as the seats are easily filled!
5 – Teatro della Fenice and Ponte dell’Accademia
At the end of your visit to the Scala Contarini del Bovolo, which will take you about 1 hour away, head towards the Accademia Bridge, but first stop and take a photo at the Teatro della Fenice (reachable in 5 minutes from the Scala), a place full of magic , charm and history, where the greatest artists have performed. Unfortunately there is no time available to visit the interior, but when you return to Venice you certainly cannot miss a guided tour!
Then stroll through the narrow streets, first reaching Campo Santo Stefano, one of the largest fields in the whole city, and finally arrive at Ponte dell’Accademia, the southernmost of the 4 bridges of the Grand Canal . It takes its name from the nearby Accademia Gallery and is one of the points from which it can be admiredone of the most beautiful views of Venice ! In fact, in front of you you will find the majestic Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute! The best place to watch the sunset.
Have an aperitif with cicchetti : a few steps from the Accademia Bridge is one of the most famous bacari in all of Venice, the Gia Schiavi wine cellar. Stop here to drink a spritz or a glass of wine accompanied by lots of cicchetti, appetizers with typical products of the area!
Activities and ideas for alternative itineraries
If you are in Venice for the second time, you could consider a visit to the Doge’s Palace (€ 25.00), the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (€ 15.00), or the Gallerie dell’Accademia (€ 12) , 00) or the Teatro della Fenice(can only be visited with a guided tour). But considered a variable visit time between 2 and 4 hours. Equally worthy are the islands of the lagoon , such as Murano, Burano and Torcello, which can be visited on a comfortable boat tour (duration 5 h 30 min).
Photo by Samantha Olivo. Also very famous are the Biennale d’Arte (dates and tickets on the official website) and the Biennale of Architecture (dates and tickets on the official website), which are held every other year between the Arsenale of the Biennale and the Giardini della Biennale. In this case, however, the visit will take a whole day away!
Another attractive alternative of great interest, especially if you want to enjoy a general overview of the city, is the Jewish ghetto, which takes a whole morning of time! Finally, if you are traveling with children , you could go up to the Fondaco terrace (free), or, if the weather permits, enjoy the Lungomare d’Annunzio beach in Lido di Venezia (from San Marco ferry line 1 Lido).
- Family city tour : morning Rialto Bridge, Fondaco terrace, gondola ride and San Marco. Immediately after lunch, tour of the islands of the lagoon or relax on the beach in Lido of Venice
- Itinerary of unknown places : morning Oratorio dei Crociferi and Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Afternoon Giudecca island and Church of Santa Maria della Presentation (Le Zitelle)
- Free attractions itinerary : Jewish Ghetto morning, Rialto Market, Rialto Bridge and Fondaco terrace. Afternoon Acqua Alta bookshop, photo of the Bridge of Sighs, St. Mark’s Square and St. Mark’s Basilica, sunset from the Accademia Bridge
- Itinerary between the Islands of the Lagoon : morning walk in the center, Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco. Departure from Piazza San Marco boat tour between Murano, Torcello and Burano (11:30 am, duration 5 h 30 min)
- Day among the museums of Venice : morning dedicated to San Marco and its beauties (Basilica, Campanile and Palazzo Ducale). Afternoon gondola ride and then visit to the Accademia Bridge and the Guggenheim
- Itinerary among the churches of Venice : morning Basilica of S. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Rialto Bridge and Church of San Zaccaria. Afternoon Piazza San Marco and Basilica of San Marco, Ponte dell’Accademia and Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute
- Day at the Biennale : visit of the Biennale (art or architecture according to the years) between the Arsenale of the Biennale and the Giardini della Biennale. Late afternoon Piazza San Marco
Before leaving: useful tips
- Evaluate the vaporetto pass : if you intend to travel by sea with the vaporetto, we recommend that you buy the pass, to travel at discounted prices. Info and costs here
- Evaluate the Venice City Pass : based on the itinerary and the attractions you want to visit, the city card, which also includes the Doge’s Palace (from € 51.00 – see details), may be useful.
- Pay attention to the parking : getting to Venice by train is the simplest thing, but if you arrive by car pay attention to the very high cost of parking – find out more
- Book visits and tours in advance : having only one day available, it is important to organize and book all the visits, so as not to run into long lines, especially in St. Mark’s Square
- Wear comfortable shoes : in Venice you will have to walk and, even if the distances may not be very long, there are many bridges and ladders. So wear comfortable shoes and always carry a bottle of water with you on summer days
