All aboard for our next stop in Italy! Our final destination on our Northern Italy tour is Venice, I know… so sad, time flies when you’re having fun.

Getting to Venice

My group and I used Milan as our home base and took the train to other parts of Italy. We booked our tickets with Trainline and opted for business class, which I would highly recommend. You can sit back and relax in the larger, more comfortable seats, while eating the snacks that were provided for your 2.5 hours commute to Venice. At the time of my visit, it was only $20 a ticket to upgrade, definitely not a must, but surely a plus if you can swing it.

Things to do

Once you’re off the train, just take a deep breath and take in the beautiful scenery of the Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge! It is everything you could have imagined it to be, looking just like all those photos you’ve seen on the internet and magazines. Embrace the colorful buildings and the busy canals filled with wooden boats and gondolas. Now I bet you’re wondering if you should ride a gondola while you’re here, because why not, right? You totally could, if you want to spend 80 euros for a 10 mins ride along the canal. Yikes.

If riding a gondola is on your bucket list then I say go for it! But if you’re just looking to take a photo on a gondola, head over to Acqua Alta Bookstore. Enter the bookstore and make your way to the back entrance where they have an actual gondola in the water available for anyone to take pictures. (You’re welcome.) After your photo-op on the gondola, head on over to the book staircase for another picture and quirky characteristic of this bookshop. Acqua Alta Bookstore is one of the most photographed bookstores in the world, for good reason. Not only are they known for their wide variety of new and secondhand book selections, but also for how they store their books. The gondola and bathtub filled with good reads, as well as the book staircase are all actually intentional; it’s to protect the books due to any flooding. Cool, right?

Now let’s talk about what you should do first upon your arrival. One of our first stops off the train was to Rialto Produce Market, because everyone knows how much I love walking through a local market. Rialto Produce Market is only open from 7:30 am to around 1-1:30pm, Monday to Saturday while their fish market opens Tuesday to Saturday. I fell in love with this market, offering fresh and vibrant produces as well as seasonings. They also offer hand made pasta and risotto that you can take home to make, which can make a great souvenir too. TIP: If you plan to buy something, bring a small bag/backpack to hold your items or else you’ll be carrying it around all day. Trust me, eventually you get annoyed not having a free hand.

After your trip to the market, explore all the nooks that Venice has to offer. The streets are lined with shops and quick bites, that it’s so easy to get lost. Stop by a glass shop to pick up a souvenir, as blown glass is a speciality in this area. Head on over to a dessert shop to get your sweet fix and a box to bring home! Or grab a quick bite at Dal Moro’s, where they serve fresh pasta in a take out container. Visit the oldest cafe in Italy, Caffee Florian, for a quick energy boost and finally, walk around the square with a refreshing gelato to cool you off. The options are limitless, you’ll never know what you’ll find.

Eventually you will make it out of this beautiful maze to St. Mark’s Square. Take in the beauty of this town center that offers views of Saint Mark Basilica and the Bell Tower. St. Mark Basilica is an active church that you can enter and explore with a small fee. My group and I didn’t do this as we were short on time and the line was long to enter. However, we were able to see a glimpse of the ceiling paintings that were just outside, under the overhang, of the church. The Bell Tower offers you a bird’s eye view of Venice and is open to the public as well. Another location we didn’t have time for was Doge’s Palace, aka Palazzo Ducale, which also offers stunning ceiling paintings.

Lastly, on the way back to the train station, make a stop to the Bridge of Sighs. Built in 1602 to connect Doge’s Palace to the New Prison, it supposedly got its name from the sighs of prisoners who took their final glimpse of Venice and the Grand Canal before entering the courtroom or their prison cells. Kinda sad, right? But after seeing the view, I totally get it.

Overall View

I definitely think that you could explore a majority of Venice in a day. However, if you aren’t in a rush, I think 2 days would be best to take advantage of the whole city. Venice was exactly how I pictured it. It was beautiful and timeless, with so much history to offer. I had a great time exploring it, and will definitely be back again.

My favorite thing that I did was take the time to explore the streets and shops. Obviously, I ran out of time as I didn’t get the chance to explore the museums, but I really enjoyed immersing myself in the city. I got so many sweet treats and souvenirs for myself and loved ones during my time here. I will admit that Venice is more geared toward tourism. During my visit in September 2023, which is the off season, it was packed with visitors. So maybe something to be aware of as well.

I hope that you get the trip of your dreams! And that you enjoy Venice as much as I did. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or send a message.

Don’t forget to check out my other blogs of Italy:
The Best Things to Do and Eat in Milan
Best Things to Do for a Day in Lake Como

As always, thanks for being here!

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