Local suggestions to live Venice at its best / for its best

Insider Touring

Many come to Venice without having a plan or a bare idea of what to do, how to do, when to do. Here you go.

the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Square Museums

  • get the ticket online: you can skip the queue
  • the 2 itinerary suggested are interesting and cheaper than the Museum Pass
  • Doge’s Palace is from Nov. 1st till Mar. 31st, 8:30 AM – 7:30 PM; from Apr. 1st till Oct. 31st, 8:30 AM – 9 PM & in summer it stays open until 11 PM over weekend (best time ever to visit it!)
  • ticket office closes 1 hour before
  • possibly visit the area in a weekday
  • if you enjoy Empire waist, visit Museo Correr (and Ca’ Rezzonico as well)
  • save yourself from Archeological Museum and the Library

[check out the full post here]

the Basilica di San Marco and the Campanile

  • Admission free in Basilica and on Campanile (bell tower), however there is a permanent queue to get in
  • You can skip it buying a priority entrance ticket here (Apr. / Oct.)
  • No matter what, the visit is short – about 15 minutes

[check out the full post here]

Rialto food market

  • it’s open from 7 AM till 12 PM, but some greengrocer stalls are open till mid afternoon
  • no fish on Mondays
  • visit it before 10 AM to avoid crowds

rooftops

  • T Fontego dei Tedeschi: on the top of this antique (built in 1228!) storehouse of Germans refurnished in 2016 and became an upmarket (read: tacky) dept store, you have a fantastic 360° view from the city core – free admission upon booking
  • Skyline Bar: on the top on the Molino Stucky Hilton hotel, get a drink in this fancy modern cocktail bar and enjoy the view of Venice and the lagoon from Giudecca island

gondola

  • no need to bargain anymore since 2013, you might get a little discount if the guy is bored or it’s a rainy day
  • €80,- till 7 PM, €100,- afterwards (price per boat), 30 minutes ride (give or take)
  • you can take it everywhere basically, better not in St. Marks’ square (due to the waves) or Rialto bridge (due to water traffic)
  • there are two boats they use, the one with a massive metal prow decoration is a proper gondola, the other one is a sandolo
  • a cheap & handy ride is taking it from one of the several green “stations” along Canal Grande which go from one side to the other. there is not much romance though
  • don’t book it online: you’ll be sharing one in a massive group’s caravan

[check out the full post here]

the islands

  • Rather than buy the Murano-Burano-Torcello ticket, get a 24 hours waterbus ticket: for the same money you can use it for any waterbus you like (even to go back to the train station / Piazzale Roma or do a Canal Grande ride) within 24 hours from the first validation
  • in Murano walk a bit more in and do not stop at the first glass showrooms you see
  • In Murano everything closes down by 5 PM. In Burano at 6 PM
  • There are boats all night long
  • I prefer Burano, it’s prettier & colourful
  • when you are ready to come back from Burano, cross the bridge on the right of the waterbus stop and take it from Mazzorbo: discover one of our farm island and take the waterbus (#12) from there to come back (#slowvenice)
  • there is a lovely park at the very end of the fish-shaped Venice in the close island of Certosa: perfect to take a breathe of off-beaten fresh air (#slowvenice)
  • in San Giorgio Maggiore (opposite San Marco, line 2) you have Fondazione Cini, its beautiful garden and a fantastic sunset view
  • once in Giudecca, visit Casa Tre Oci (Zitelle stop, Wed – Mon 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., €12). They have fantastic photography exhibitions usually

[check out the full post here]

churches

  • if you plan to visit lots of churches, you may consider to purchase the Chorus Ticket
  • anyway, among the billions of churches in town (not peanuts – 137!), you should visit these ones:

◦ Basilica dei Frari (Mon – Sat 9 AM – 5:30 PM, Sun 1 PM – 5:30 PM – included in the Chorus Circus)

◦ Santa Maria dei Miracoli (Mon – Sat 10:30 AM – 4 PM – included in the Chorus Circus)

◦ San Giacometo a Rialto (Mon – Sat 9 AM – 5 PM – admission free)

◦ Madonna dell’Orto (Mon – Sat 10 AM – 5 PM – not included in the Chorus Circus) (#slowvenice)

main art museums

other interesting museums

quirky spots

  • the only bridge in town without sides = Ponte Chiodo(#slowvenice)
  • where used to be a “Feasts’ War” every year =Ponte dei Pugni(#slowvenice)
  • there is only only last working “squero” in town where you can see how they build and repair gondola. There is a closed one here(#slowvenice)
  • lots of gondole are parked overnight just next to St. Mark’s square, which is particularly nice = Bacino Orseolo
  • Wonder by antique shops, weird book shop and shopping in vintage or second hand’s stores? This is our selection

eateries

  • Osterie & Restaurants where we enjoyed our meals
  • Anyway, stay away from places where there is a guy that try to pull you in or the menu is in too many languages or there are picture of the plates
  • Prices must be always exposed

[check out the full post here]