Venice highlights for first-timers: Tips from our trip

First, a fun fact. Did you know that gondoliers were basically private chauffeurs for the rich? At least they were in the past. Now, gondola rides are taken only by tourists, as locals use the Vaporetto (water bus) or traghettos, the public gondolas across the Grand Canal, to get around the city.

Keep in mind that not everyone can be a gondolier, and it requires a lengthy process of becoming practically an expert on Venice. Today, about 433 gondolier licenses are in use in Venice, which seems like a big number, but with the number of tourists, it’s probably not enough.

While there are over 20 Vaporetto lines in Venice, you need to board Line 1 or Line 2. The Vaporetto takes about 40 minutes to complete the journey through the Grand Canal, connecting Piazzale Roma with San Marco.

A single ticket for Vaporetto is valid for 75 minutes and costs 9.5 EUR. That’s why we recommend buying the Venice Transport Pass, which is so worth it if you’re planning to take more rides (you will for sure). We had the 48-hour one, which worked out perfectly for our visit.

We recommend hopping aboard a Vaporetto in the early morning or late afternoon for the best experience, as it’s less crowded. Otherwise, you might need to stand, and the most comfortable way is to sit in the front.

We saw the Rialto Bridge multiple times on our visit.

First, we went over it in the morning while taking photos at some of the best photo spots – the bridge is one of them. Then, later, we also passed it on our way back from Cannaregio to San Marco.

Plus, we also drove under the bridge on the Vaporetto. That’s exactly why we believe it’s hard not to visit, or at least see, the Rialto Bridge from afar!

Two other significant bridges are the Ponte dell’Accademia, which we mentioned earlier, a beautiful wooden bridge farther down the canal from Rialto, and the Ponte degli Scalzi, near the train station in the Santa Croce neighborhood.

The fourth bridge, the Constitution Bridge, is the newest and is not particularly liked by locals, as it’s made of metal and glass in a style that doesn’t fit the Venetian architecture.

But after walking over it, we understand why such a bridge was needed, as it conveniently connects the bus station to Cannaregio and the train station, where countless people travel.

4. Piazza San Marco, Basilica, Campanile, and Doge’s Palace

The heart of Venice is the Piazza San Marco, with all the major historic buildings.

Saint Mark’s Square is where you can see the Basilica and the Clocktower, go up the Campanile (Venice’s tallest structure), and visit the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale).

A highlight of Piazza San Marco is, above all, the Doge’s Palace, a museum that was the former seat of government, with various offices, chambers, and even a jail. It’s a fantastic place to visit if you have a few hours to spend wandering the museum.

Since we were on a tight schedule, we unfortunately didn’t have time to enter Doge’s Palace – maybe on our next visit. Yes, we’re already planning a return! Then, we’ll be able to see more attractions that we only observed from the outside.

It was one of the main photo spots we wanted to visit bright and early. We were there right after watching the sunrise at Ponte dell’Accademia.

You can see the bridge from Ponte della Paglia, another bridge just steps away from the square, which is also a great spot to observe many gondolas passing through the canal. It’s very close to one of the main stations.

But for us, the best view was from Ponte de Canonica, a different bridge on the north side. We got some really nice photos with a zoom lens.

6. Riva with views of San Giorgio Maggiore

After seeing the Bridge of Sighs from Ponte della Paglia, you’re practically already at the next spot on our list, the Riva degli Schiavoni.

Riva degli Schiavoni is the main waterfront where you can see many boats and gondolas docked or passing by.

It’s also where you can get a view of San Giorgio Maggiore, an island just across the water.

7. Teatro La Fenice

A stunning building we did end up visiting in Venice was Teatro La Fenice, a historic opera house.

An interesting fact about Teatro La Fenice, literally translated as The Phoenix Theatre, is that it burned down three times and was rebuilt three times, the latest in 1996. The current “version” has been open since 2004.

Even though it was burned down and rebuilt, it was rebuilt in the original style, so it’s still worth seeing the theater’s stunning interior. You can do so during the day and walk around the different areas.

8. Walk over Ponte dell’Accademia to Dorsoduro

We mentioned earlier that we watched a sunrise at the Ponte dell’Accademia (it’s a great spot!). But it’s also the connection between the San Marco and Dorsoduro neighborhoods.

Compared to the popular and busy San Marco, the sestiere of Dorsoduro is a complete contrast. There, you’ll find smaller, hidden canals, which are equally impressive.

The main attraction in Dorsoduro is the beautiful ceiling frescoes in the Church of San Pantalon. It’s free to visit, and it’s absolutely stunning.

The place we were most looking forward to visiting in Cannaregio was a grocery store. Yes, you read that right. But wait for it… The store is located in a historic building where a theater once was!

So as you walk the aisles in the store, you look up and around you to see amazing art. We didn’t need more than a drink at the store, so we practically visited just for the theater. We believe many others do the same. The store is called Despar Teatro.

Food timing tip

Make sure to check the opening hours of restaurants in Venice in advance, as they usually close down for a few hours in the afternoon.

We made the mistake of not checking in advance, so we couldn’t get the pizza we really wanted at Pizzeria Da Zorma in Cannaregio. The reviews say it’s perfect, and it’s in a nice spot by the canal where we planned to sit and enjoy the pizza.

But we did find a great pizza place called Arte Della Pizza just around the corner. It’s a small spot, probably visited more by locals than tourists. It’s similar to other pizza places around, which means mostly takeaway, so we grabbed two slices and went to one of the bridges to enjoy them.

We were still hungry, and since it was really good, we decided to go back and order another full pizza. That was a great choice, as it was fantastic and actually a really good price for being in Venice.

Murano is quite close to Venice, only about 10 minutes by boat, while it takes about 40 minutes to reach Burano.

A popular thing to do in Murano is to watch a glassmaking demonstration. Unfortunately, we arrived in Murano too late (about 4:30 PM), and all the workshops had closed just minutes earlier. But Arijana did see a demonstration on her visit 15 years ago. So now it’s Matej’s turn.

That’s why we highly recommend booking a demonstration online to secure your time slot and know exactly when to come.

How to get to Murano and Burano

The easiest way to get to both islands is by Vaporetto – take the line 12, which stops in Murano before continuing to Burano.

We visited Murano and Burano in an afternoon, which is usually enough time to see the highlights of both islands.

We highly recommend buying a Venice Transport Pass for your journey to Murano and Burano, as otherwise, you will pay much more for single transport tickets.

Just remember, usually in these places with fantastic views, the view is the star of the show, not the food or drinks.

To combine higher views of Venice with a visit to a historic building, check out Scala Contarini del Bovolo, the exterior spiral staircase of a 15th-century palace. It was also used in the 1952 film version of Shakespeare’s Othello. We recommend booking your visit online in advance.

12. Libreria Acqua Alta

Libreria Acqua Alta literally translates to “High water bookstore”.

High water is when Venice gets flooded in the fall and springtime, and they recognize this by ingenious ways of keeping books afloat, like putting them on top of a gondola in the middle of the store.

There is also a photo spot at the bookstore, where you can climb up books arranged into a staircase. Don’t worry – these books were about to be thrown away, so that’s why they used them cleverly for this. At the top of the books, you get a view of the canal just across the wall.

The bookstore is a perfect stop for any book lover to browse through the countless books, but it might not be the best place to buy books, as people say they’re damp. So it’s more of a museum than a bookstore you might be used to elsewhere.

Most people actually come for the photospot and cute cats (that you can’t touch). Also, keep in mind that you must wear your backpack on the front when inside, probably to not knock things over, as the place is small and narrow.

Please know that the photospot at the bookstore is very popular, so if you don’t want to wait in a long queue, visit right at opening or late in the afternoon towards closing. We were lucky to find it not busy at all just after opening, around 9:20 AM.