Venice in 1 Day: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

Venice is one of the most touristic cities in the world, but also one of the most spectacular. Piazzas, churches, basilicas and buildings worthy of being considered the most beautiful in the world await you. With the addition of its canals, Venice becomes a unique city in the world.

Travelling around it in 1 day can be a bit stressful if you go without planning. That's why I've prepared this circular tour designed to show you the most important sights of the city, such as St. Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace and the Rialto Bridge, in just one day. Come with me and let's get started.

The starting point of our visit will be the Santa Lucia railway station. This is the arrival point for most visitors to Venice and, from there, you can hop on a vaporetto or book a gondola ride, which will take you along the Grand Canal to your first destination.

The Grand Canal is Venice's main artery and there is no shortage of cruises and boat trips you can take along it. It's like one of the great avenues of the cities, but replacing water with asphalt and cars with boats. Our destination is St. Mark's Square. On the way we will see from the boat iconic buildings and constructions such as the casino, the Ca' Pesaro or the Rialto Bridge.

Further information

• Tip: If you want to be prepared before your trip, read the article on what to see and do on the Grand Canal in Venice
• Prices: The gondola ride starts from £25, while the Venice Transport Card - which includes the vaporetto - costs around £11

We arrive at what will be our main starting point for this tour. St. Mark's Square, the heart of Venice. Napoleon called it one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, and he was right. This 9th century square is home to some of the main sights you should visit. St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Clock Tower and the Old Procuracies are the emblematic buildings to see.

If you want before "getting down to business" you can relax with a delicious Italian coffee at the famous Caffè Florian. A beautifully decorated place in a privileged location, sipping an espresso on the terrace is a typical Venetian experience. Of course, you can pay more than 6 euros for a coffee, although for some the surroundings are well worth it.

More info

• Tip: Check the weather before your trip and keep an eye out for acqua alta. On rainy days or at high tide the water rises and partially floods the square. If your visit coincides with this phenomenon you will have to walk along the walkways that have been installed if you don't want to get wet.
• Price: There is no charge.
• Be sure to read the post about St. Mark's Square in Venice: a practical guide to discover it in full to get the most out of your visit.

The first thing you'll visit is the first thing you'll notice when you enter the square. Well, the second thing after looking up at the tower. I'm talking about St Mark's Basilica. This impressive Byzantine-style basilica was built to house the relics of the saint after whom it was named.

On the outside, its gold and blue colours, its impressive frescoes and its 98.5 metre high bell tower, from which we have one of the best panoramic views of Venice, stand out. The interior is equally spectacular.

More information about the church

• Tip: Be aware that the queues are usually quite long and, as we only have one day, it is best to book tickets to St Mark's Basilica in advance.
• Price: Starts at £18. But for a little more you can also choose a guided tour.

Leaving the basilica and in the same square you have another of the most representative buildings of Venice. The Doge's Palace. It is a symbol of the power that Venice attained and was the residence of the Doges, the city's highest rulers.

One of its façades overlooks St. Mark's Square and the other the Grand Canal. The Gothic-style building was also the seat of government and served as a prison. In relation to the latter, the palace is home to the Bridge of Sighs, known as such because of the sighs of the prisoners who crossed it to go to their dark destiny.

More information about the palace

• Tip: Book your tickets to the Doge's Palace in advance to avoid the queues.
• Price: Below you will find all the information about the prices of the Doge's Palace, you can get tickets from ** £25**.
• And to make the most of your visit, be sure to read what to see inside the Doge's Palace in Venice

On your visit to the Doge's Palace you will cross the famous Bridge of Sighs from the inside. After learning about its history, the best thing to do when you leave the palace is to take a look at the bridge and photograph it from the outside.

Contrary to popular belief, this bridge has nothing to do with romanticism. Its name comes from the fact that the prisoners of the Inquisition used to cross it and look out of its small windows for the last time at the sun and let out a sigh, knowing that they would not see it again for a long time. There are many secrets surrounding the Bridge of Sighs.

More information about the Bridge of Sighs

• Tip: See our post on everything you need to know about the Bridge of Sighs.
• Price: The visit is included in the entrance fee to the Doge's Palace.

After visiting St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, you're sure to get hungry. This is the perfect time to grab a bite to eat and sample Italian cuisine near St. Mark's Square. Restaurants in the square itself are quite expensive, but in the adjoining streets there are plenty of options at reasonable prices.

Being Italy, pasta is a must, but seafood and fish are also on the menu in Venice. Some of the best places to eat near St Mark's Square are Rossopomodoro Venezia, a franchise with good food at good prices, and Da Mamo for the best Italian pasta.

For more information on the best places to eat

• Tip: If you're up for a gastronomic tour, don't miss the article with the best gastronomic routes in Venice.
• Price: Booking a food tour of Venice starts at £76

After lunch, the best thing to do is to take a stroll towards the Rialto Bridge. It's a leisurely 10-15 minute walk to the bridge and you can take the opportunity to see less touristy streets and eat a delicious Italian gelato on the way.

The Rialto Bridge was built between 1588 and 1591 and its arches and views of the Grand Canal mean that it is usually full of tourists. So after lunch is a good time to visit as the crowds are a little less busy.

Further information

• Tip: The Rialto Bridge is, along with the Bridge of Sighs, the most famous bridge in Venice and the largest bridge spanning the Grand Canal. Get up to date on your visit to the Rialto Bridge in this article.
• Price: Free.

After photographing and viewing the Rialto Bridge, we'll take another vaporetto back across the Grand Canal to the Accademia Bridge. This bridge is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal and one of the most important bridges in Venice. It connects the Dorsoduro district with the San Marco district.

The name of this bridge comes from the fact that next to it is the Accademia Gallery of Venice, one of the most important museums in the city

More information about the bridge

• Tip: Unfortunately, if you only go for one day, I do not recommend visiting the Galleria dell'Accademia, as you would need too much time to see the works.
• Price: Free.

From the bridge itself it's about a 10-minute walk to the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute on the Punta della Dogana. The basilica is spectacular from the outside thanks to its imposing dome. The building was built to thank the Virgin of Health for the end of the plague that killed most of Venice's population.

Under its huge dome and inside the church you can see several works by Titian, such as David against Goliath or the Death of Abel. The famous Renaissance painter is buried in Venice itself in the Basilica of Santa Maria dei Frari.

More information about Titian

• A tip: I recommend you book a guided tour. You can do it easily from the official website.
• Price: The price of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute starts at €4.

The best way to end the day is to watch the Venetian sunset. Luckily, the Basilica of Santa Maria is located on the Pointe della Dogana, which is one of the best places to watch the sunset. From there you can see the last rays of the sun over the Basilica Di San Giorgio Maggiore and its bell tower or over part of St Mark's Square.

From here you can either take a vaporetto back or cross back to St. Mark's Square to finish off with a nice dinner and enjoy Venice by night. It all depends on how long you want to extend a magical day in the city of canals.

More information about Venice

• Tip: Find out about the Basilica Di San Giorgio Maggiore before your visit.
• Price: Free.
• Remember that the Venice Transport Card includes all travel on the vaporetto.

There is a lot to do and see in Venice and inevitably with just one day there are many things to visit. The tour we have done goes through the main tourist attractions of Venice, but it may be the case that you already know them from other occasions and you want to see other things. In that case I'll share with you some alternatives to see:

• Jewish quarter of Canareggio: In this quarter the Jews were forced to live in the XVI and XVII centuries to keep them separated from the rest of the Venetian population. It is the oldest Jewish quarter in the world and in its streets you can see the Vendramin Calergi Palace, the Ca' d'Oro Palace or the Jewish Museum of Venice. You can book a tour of Venice's Jewish quarter from £17
• Acqua Alta Bookshop: One of the most curious bookshops in the world. It has a great collection of antique books but its attraction is not them, but the way they are placed. Due to the Acqua Alta, many of its books are found in gondolas on the banks of the canal.
• Teatro La Fenice: Its history makes it one of the most important theatres in the world, where plays such as Verdi's "La Traviata" were premiered. You can visit and see parts of the theatre such as the Royal Box or the many rooms of the theatre. You can book tickets to La Fenice Theatre in Venice from £12

More information about the theatre

• Tip: Any of these places can easily be visited in one day and can perfectly replace any of the points of the previous tour. A good option if you're visiting Venice for the second time and you missed something.

When you set yourself the challenge of seeing Venice in one day, making the most of your time is essential. To achieve this, here are some tips for visiting Venice that, in my own experience, will help you see the city in a day:

• The early bird catches the worm, as they say. In this case it is true. Beyond the obvious and having more time, getting up early and arriving early to St. Mark's Square will save us queues.
• Just as I recommend getting up early, I also recommend stretching out the day as much as possible. Venice at night has a different atmosphere and the night lighting transforms it completely. If you come back at night you will be grateful for it, even if you are tired.
• Buy your tickets in advance. This saves you queuing to buy tickets for the monuments and you'll be able to get in almost straight away.
• Guided tours also offer advantages. For example, in St. Mark's Basilica, although the normal visit is free, with a guided tour you can go straight into the temple without queuing.
• When you arrive at Santa Lucia station , go to the tourist office there and get a map of Venice. These maps usually include information on the vaporetto lines, one of the best ways to get around Venice, and knowing it in advance allows you to move around more easily.