Venice by Night: a handy guidebook for exploring the city’s nightlife

During the day, the streets of Venice are bustling with life and crowded with tourists. This is unavoidable, but it can make it difficult at times to appreciate the beauty of the city in the way it deserves. But when night falls, we have a new opportunity to admire its virtues and to do so from a different, quieter perspective.

Seeing its monuments lit up, exploring the canals at night or taking advantage of an unforgettable dinner are some of the best things to see and do in Venice. If you want to know the rest, here is a guide with the best plans to visit the city of canals at night.

Venice is historically linked to entertainment because of its theatres, its world-famous carnival and, of course, its music, so one of the night-time entertainment options you can consider is booking a ticket for a play or the opera.

If you want the full Venetian experience, you can do so by booking a ticket to La Fenice Theatre, the most famous theatre in Venice and one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. The building has suffered several fires, most recently in 1996, but renovations have preserved the building's charm.

As an alternative to the theatres, there are live music shows. They are very common in Venice and take place almost every night in many parts of the city. For example, live music lovers can enjoy a concert of baroque music in the Church of San Vidal:

• With tickets for the Interpreti Veneziani concert you will enjoy works by Bach, Mozart or Vivaldi by this famous baroque group in the premises of the Church of San Vidal, founded in the 9th century.
• With tickets for L Musici Veneziani you will be transported back to 18th century Venice, enjoying Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

St Mark' s Square is the heart of the city. During the day the vast majority of visitors to the city congregate here, but at night things change. The square becomes much quieter and allows you to admire its monuments, such as the Clock Tower or the bell tower of St. Mark's, with the added bonus of the night-time illumination which, in general, is very successful throughout the city.

Being alone in the square at night contemplating its imposing buildings is a unique experience that you should definitely do, but if you only visit it at night, you will miss many details and, above all, a lot of information.

My suggestion is, therefore, that you book a guided tour of St. Mark's Square. This tour takes place in the morning with a guide, so you can learn all the important aspects of the square and its monuments. Afterwards, visit it again in the evening and admire it at your leisure. This way, you will get the full experience of one of the most famous squares in the world.

In my opinion, and that of many who visit Venice, St Mark's Basilica is the most beautiful building in the city. And the views at night reinforce that opinion. The lighting is very well done and you can see that it is designed to highlight the virtues of the façade. The basilica's frescoes, mosaics and sculptures shine brightly at night and the golden colours are even more striking.

If during the day the acqua alta or the rain has left the ground wet, you will have the opportunity to take a spectacular photograph of the reflection of the illuminated basilica on the floor of the square. The tranquillity and silence of the night will also help you to spend several minutes contemplating St. Mark's Basilica.

A perfect plan is to book tickets for St Mark's Basilica at the latest possible time, 3.30pm. If you are in Venice in autumn or winter, it will be dark by the time you leave the Basilica, as it gets dark in Venice around 4.30pm.

Another of the most important and most visited buildings in Venice is the Doge's Palace. Located right next to St. Mark's Basilica, this palace also has a special attraction at night and its white façade shines even brighter when lit up at night.

But the best part of the Doge's Palace at night is not on the outside, but on the inside. Therefore, my recommendation is as follows: book your tickets for the Doge's Palace in advance, which also guarantees you direct access without queues, and visit the building after lunch.

The Palace closes at 18:00 from November to April and at 19:00 the rest of the year. Since it is already dark at that time of day for most of the year, when you go out you will be able to see the wonderful illuminated façade.

The Bridge of Sighs is one of the most photographed monuments in Venice. It belongs to the Doge's Palace itself and is located on the narrow canal behind it. During the day it's almost impossible to take a photo by the bridge without dozens of other tourists appearing on it, so if you want to get the best shot, it's a much easier mission at night.

From the Ponte della Paglia you will get the best picture. The walls surrounding the Bridge of Sighs remain dark at night, while the bridge is illuminated, standing out even more from the canal. It's a beautiful night-time postcard worth immortalising, and without the difficulty of squeezing in amongst hundreds of people with the same goal in mind.

The Rialto Bridge is not only one of Venice's main tourist attractions, it is also the best vantage point from which to view the Grand Canal. The gondolas passing under its arch are the most famous postcard of Venice and at night it is even more beautiful.

At night the traffic on the Grand Canal is much reduced and only a few gondolas with couples on board circulate under the bridge. It is a good time to take pictures of the illuminated Rialto Bridge. From here you can also admire the Grand Canal at night. The palaces built on its banks are illuminated and in some cases their majestic interiors can be glimpsed. One of Venice's most famous night-time postcards.

Venice is considered one of the most romantic cities in the world. And when night falls it is even more so. If you're travelling as a couple, the best thing to do is to take a night-time gondola ride along the canals with your partner. The gondoliers themselves are excellent accomplices to create an ideal atmosphere and enjoy a unique evening.

There are gondolas everywhere that will take you wherever you want to go, although I recommend you to go along the Grand Canal and more touristy places such as the Bridge of Sighs.

You can choose a gondola ride with a maximum of 5 people and commentary in English or a private and much more romantic ride. If you choose the last available time when you book, around 5pm, depending on the time of year it may be dusk or already closed at night.

Next to the church of Santa Maria della Salute is a well-known viewpoint for watching the sunset in Venice. Many tourists come here at sunset, but few visit it at night. This is a mistake, as the night views from Punta della Dogana are equally spectacular.

It is a favourite spot for professional photographers, as you can see part of St Mark's Square, with the Doge's Palace and the Campanile lit up, and the Basilica Di San Giorgio Maggiore in spectacular night-time illumination.

Another favourite evening plan for those looking for a romantic evening is a dinner cruise on the Venetian galleon. This famous vessel recreates a gigantic galleon and offers a three-hour cruise on the Venetian lagoon while enjoying a fine dining experience.

The menu consists of fish and seafood dishes from around Venice and, of course, fresh Italian pasta. Both the food and the service are up to the standard of a fine restaurant.

The downside is that seating is limited and reservations are required well in advance. The prices are high at around 100 euros per adult and 60 euros per child, but the experience of dining on a Venice galleon is unique in the world.

The bacari are the typical taverns of Venice. They are small places located mostly on the banks of the canals with a large bar and a good atmosphere for a quiet dinner. They are a common meeting point for Venetians who come together to dine and, above all, to drink wine or a Spritz, a combination of water, wine and gas with a slice of orange, very typical of Venice and its surroundings.

Croutons with cod, stewed folpetti, mozzarella in carrozza and sardines in flavour are some of the typical dishes of these taverns that can be found all over Venice, although those located in the Sestieri area of San Polo and Cannareggio stand out.

Another very interesting option is to book a gastronomic tour at dinner time, where you will not only taste wines, tapas and desserts typical of the region, but you will also take a gondola ride along the Grand Canal and see the Rialto Bridge lit up (depending on the time of year). Great!

In some of the palaces on the Grand Canal there are evening performances unique to Venice and known as the opera itinerante. In this opera the musicians and singers are not on stage, but spread out in the halls of a Venetian palace. As a spectator, you can mingle with them and become fully immersed in the performance.

One of the palaces that hosts this type of opera is the Palazzo Barbarigo Minotto, located on the Grand Canal. Its rooms host performances of works such as La Traviata, Rigoletto and the Barber of Seville.

Venice is not known for its parties or for having large nightclubs and entertainment venues, but that doesn't mean you can't go out and have fun in the city: there are several areas with a young and lively atmosphere where you can go out, although you should bear in mind that the opening hours are quite different from those in Spain.

The bars start to get lively around 10pm, but most close between 12:00 and 1:00 am. However, in some of the more touristy spots the party can go on until 3:00.

The Canneregio and San Polo districts are the liveliest and where most of the city's pubs are located. Also in the southern part of Venice, in the Dorsoduro district, there is a good atmosphere and many entertainment venues for all tastes.

To get the most out of your nightlife experience in Venice, here are a few tips to help you make the most of the Venetian night:

• One of the main advantages of seeing Venice at night is that its streets empty out. If you want to see the city practically on your own, it is best to make your trip in winter as it gets dark very early. If you can tolerate the cold and damp, that is.
• Most evening tours and events, such as the opera or dinner on the galleon, are more exclusive and have limited seating. You should book at least 3 days in advance.
• Venice's humidity means that nights are usually cold, even in spring. Don't be overconfident and remember to pack warm clothes in your suitcase.
• Dinner hours usually start at 19:30 and last until 22:00. In the more touristy places it's more flexible and some places close later than 22:00.