Venice itinerary: 2 days for a first visit

Venice is a city with no cars, built on more than a hundred small islands and crossed by hundreds of bridges. Two days is the right length for a first visit. It is enough to see the great set pieces, San Marco and the Grand Canal, and to wander into the quieter districts and out to the islands of the lagoon, and not so long that the crowds wear you down. Venice is busiest in the middle of the day, so this plan puts the big sights at the start and end of the day and the wandering in between.

You will walk more than you expect, along narrow lanes and over steps. Leave the map in your pocket from time to time: getting lost is part of the experience, and the city is small enough that you will always find a landmark or a water stop.

Before you go: the short version

• How long: two full days. A third lets you add the islands at a slower pace, or a day trip to Padua or Verona.
• Where to stay: Cannaregio for a quieter, more local feel; Dorsoduro for the art and the cafés; Castello for space near the sights. Staying on the mainland is cheaper, but you lose the evenings.
• From the airport: a bus to Piazzale Roma takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and water buses and boats run from the airport to several stops. From the train station, Santa Lucia, the Grand Canal is on your doorstep.
• Getting around: walk, and use the vaporetti, the public water buses. More in the Italy travel guide.
• Book ahead: St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace in busy months, and dinner in the evenings. Check the city's official website before you go, in case there are entry rules for day visitors.

Day 1: San Marco, the Rialto and the Grand Canal

Morning. Arrive early at Piazza San Marco, the great square at the heart of the city, before the day-trippers. St Mark's Basilica, with its gold mosaics, is the main sight. Next door, the Doge's Palace was the seat of the republic, and its rooms and the covered Bridge of Sighs show how Venice was governed. Book ahead for both in busy months. The bell tower in the square gives the best view over the rooftops and the lagoon.

Afternoon. Walk through the lanes to the Rialto Bridge, the oldest of the four bridges over the Grand Canal, about 10 minutes from San Marco. The Rialto market on the north bank is where Venetians have bought fish and vegetables for centuries. Take the time to eat here or in the lanes nearby, rather than in the square, where prices are higher and the food is poorer. Order cicchetti, the small snacks served in neighbourhood bars, such as baccalà mantecato on bread, or a plate of sarde in saor, sweet and sour sardines.

Evening. Take the number 1 vaporetto along the Grand Canal at dusk, from Rialto to San Marco or the whole way to the station. It is slow, it stops at every landing and it passes palace after palace. A seat on the open deck is worth waiting for. Afterwards, have dinner in the quiet lanes of Cannaregio or Castello, away from the main streets, and finish with a spritz, the local aperitif, in a square. As the crowds thin after dark, San Marco is quiet and well worth another look.

Day 2: Dorsoduro and the lagoon islands

Morning. Cross the Grand Canal by the Accademia bridge and spend the morning in Dorsoduro, the artists' district. The Gallerie dell'Accademia holds the best Venetian painting, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, a modern art museum in a small palace on the canal, is a short walk away. Walk along the Zattere, the broad quayside on the south side, and stop for a gelato. The domed church of Santa Maria della Salute stands at the mouth of the Grand Canal and is worth a look inside.

Afternoon. Take a vaporetto to the islands of the northern lagoon. Murano is known for glassmaking, and you can watch glassblowers at work in some workshops. Burano is a fishing village of brightly painted houses and a tradition of lace. Torcello, the quietest, was the first settlement in the lagoon and holds an old cathedral with Byzantine mosaics. You can do two islands in the afternoon, and the boat ride across the lagoon is a pleasure in itself.

Evening. Come back to the main island in time for sunset, and walk through Cannaregio, past the Jewish Ghetto, the original one that gave the word its name, and along the fondamenta by the canals. Have a last dinner in a small restaurant. Try a risotto al nero di seppia, rice cooked with cuttlefish ink, or fish from the lagoon. Finish with a walk back through the lanes, which are at their quietest after dark.

With more time

• A third day: a slower day in the lagoon, Murano, Burano and Torcello at a gentler pace, or the island of San Giorgio Maggiore for the tower view across the water.
• Day trips: Padua and Verona are both within about two hours by train, with frescoes in Padua and a Roman arena in Verona.
• Further on: Florence is about two hours south by fast train. The Florence itinerary picks up from here, and train travel in Europe covers booking the trains.

Where to stay

• Cannaregio: the northwest of the city, with long quiet canals, local bars and good restaurants. Close to the station and the best choice for a first visit.
• Dorsoduro: the artists' district, with museums, cafés and a student crowd. Quiet in the evenings and a good base for the second day.
• Castello: the eastern part, with the Arsenale and quiet lanes away from the crowds. Further from the station but a good option for space.
• Avoid for a first visit: the mainland, unless cost forces your hand. You save on the room but pay for it in time and the loss of the evenings.

For a group, an apartment with several bedrooms is the better option in Venice. See where to stay with a group.

Getting around

Venice is a walking city, and you will cover many kilometres of lanes and bridges. The vaporetti are the public buses of the water, running along the Grand Canal and out to the islands, and a day or multi-day pass is the usual way to pay. Validate your ticket before boarding, as inspectors do check. Water taxis are fast but expensive, and a gondola ride is a pleasure rather than a way of getting around: agree the price before you step in. To cross the Grand Canal between the bridges, you can take a traghetto, a gondola that ferries standing passengers across at a few points. Carry a small bag, as steps and bridges make a large suitcase hard work, and in autumn and winter bring waterproof shoes, as high water can flood the lowest streets.

Planning Venice as a group

Venice rewards a group that plans the small things. Book the basilica and the Doge's Palace for everyone at the same time, since each has a timed entry, and decide early who wants to see the islands. Lanes are narrow and the crowds move slowly, so agree a meeting point and a time, and save the address of your apartment on every phone, as the street numbering is confusing. Shared costs, like the apartment, the water bus passes and the dinners, are simplest to keep in one place.

What to pack

Comfortable shoes with good grip are the main thing: the stone is smooth and the bridges are steep. Pack light, because you will carry your luggage over steps. A light waterproof layer helps in all seasons, and waterproof boots are useful in autumn and winter. Bring a scarf or shawl to cover your shoulders in churches.