Things to Do

From Byzantine mosaics to blown glass, Venice layers a thousand years of art, craft, and spectacle across 118 islands. These are the experiences worth your time.

All Attractions

26 listed
Arsenale di Venezia
landmark

Arsenale di Venezia

The Arsenale di Venezia is Venice's medieval shipyard, once Europe's largest industrial complex, now the Biennale's main venue.

Bridge of Sighs
bridge

Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs in Venice is an enclosed Baroque bridge connecting the Doge's Palace to the New Prisons, built in 1614.

Burano Island
island

Burano Island

Burano island near Venice is famous for its rainbow-coloured houses and centuries-old lace, 40 minutes across the lagoon.

Ca' d'Oro
palace

Ca' d'Oro

Ca' d'Oro is Venice's finest Gothic palace, housing the Franchetti Gallery with Mantegna and Bellini on the Grand Canal.

Ca' Rezzonico
museum

Ca' Rezzonico

Ca' Rezzonico is Venice's museum of 18th-century art in a Grand Canal palazzo, with Tiepolo frescoes and a period pharmacy.

Clock Tower Venice
landmark

Clock Tower Venice

The Clock Tower Venice (Torre dell'Orologio) features an astronomical clock, mechanical Magi, and rooftop bronze Moors on Piazza San Marco.

Doge's Palace
palace

Doge's Palace

Doge's Palace in Venice: Gothic masterpiece housing Tintoretto's Paradise, the Bridge of Sighs, and the Secret Itineraries tour.

Gallerie dell'Accademia
museum

Gallerie dell'Accademia

The Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice holds the world's finest collection of Venetian painting, from Bellini and Titian to Tintoretto and Veronese.

Gondola Rides
experience

Gondola Rides

Iconic Venetian canal experience by traditional gondola, with official rates from 80 EUR per boat.

Jewish Ghetto Venice
landmark

Jewish Ghetto Venice

The Jewish Ghetto in Venice is Europe's original ghetto (est. 1516), with five historic synagogues, a museum, and guided tours.

landmark

Libreria Acqua Alta

Libreria Acqua Alta is Venice's famous bookshop where books fill gondolas and bathtubs, with cats and a book staircase.

Murano Glass Museum
museum

Murano Glass Museum

The Murano Glass Museum (Museo del Vetro) holds the world's largest Venetian glass collection, from Roman antiquity to modern design.

Murano Island
island

Murano Island

Murano island near Venice is the lagoon's glassmaking hub, with centuries-old furnaces, artisan showrooms, and a Byzantine basilica.

Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo
palace

Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo

Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is a Gothic palazzo famed for its spiral staircase, hidden in a quiet Venice courtyard.

Palazzo Grassi
museum

Palazzo Grassi

Palazzo Grassi in Venice hosts Pinault Collection exhibitions in a Tadao Ando-renovated Grand Canal palazzo. Tickets, hours, and current shows.

museum

Peggy Guggenheim Collection

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice features Picasso, Pollock, and Ernst in a Grand Canal palazzo. Tickets, hours, and visitor tips.

Punta della Dogana
museum

Punta della Dogana

Punta della Dogana is Venice's former customs house, now a Tadao Ando-renovated contemporary art museum for the Pinault Collection.

Rialto Bridge
bridge

Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge is Venice's oldest Grand Canal crossing, a 1591 stone arch lined with shops at the heart of the historic market district.

San Giorgio Maggiore
church

San Giorgio Maggiore

San Giorgio Maggiore is a Palladio-designed church on its own Venice island, with Tintoretto masterpieces and the city's best bell tower views.

Santa Maria della Salute
church

Santa Maria della Salute

Santa Maria della Salute is Venice's iconic Baroque basilica, built as a 1630 plague vow, with works by Titian and Tintoretto inside.

Scala Contarini del Bovolo
landmark

Scala Contarini del Bovolo

The Scala Contarini del Bovolo is a hidden spiral staircase in Venice rising 26 meters to panoramic rooftop views.

Scuola Grande di San Rocco
museum

Scuola Grande di San Rocco

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice holds over sixty Tintoretto masterpieces spanning two decades. Tickets, hours, and visiting tips.

St. Mark's Basilica
church

St. Mark's Basilica

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice features 8,000 sqm of golden mosaics, the Pala d'Oro altarpiece, and the original bronze horses from Constantinople.

St. Mark's Campanile
landmark

St. Mark's Campanile

The Campanile di San Marco is Venice's tallest bell tower at 98.6 meters, with a panoramic observation deck over the lagoon.

Torcello Island
island

Torcello Island

Torcello island is the lagoon's oldest settlement, with a 7th-century basilica, Byzantine mosaics, and an atmosphere of deep antiquity.

Visiting Burano Island
island

Visiting Burano Island

How to get to Burano island from Venice: vaporetto routes, best times for photos, where to eat, and what to buy.